First sail on 26X

[svscott]

If you want to reduce heeling, get new sails. Those look original, as are mine, and old, cheap sails give as much heel as drive.

Also, that open spot at the tack fitting looks like the foot is too far forward, and/or the sail isn’t hoisted all the way. You have sail slides, which weren’t OEM, and they bring the sail back a bit from the mast. But the tack fitting also has to come back to match. I drilled a hole in the boom slot and reattached the tack fitting there, so the sail is flat in the tack area.

There’s a post or two, or an entry in the mod section, where I went through the process. If you feel like looking.

I would normally winch the main halyard up tight. With the v young and inexperienced crew, I admittedly didn't make any attempt tighten the halyard beyond pulling it firmly by hand. When I've got at least one experienced crew member and wind below 20 mph, I'll go play and see how she sails. I will install a turning block at the mast step pivot bolt and I already have a 2 rope clutch ready to install for the halyard so I don't have to hoist from the mast. There are lazy jack lines on the mast that need newestretch cord l. I also plan to install a spinnaker halyard higher on the mast so I can use my assymmetric spinnaker from the other boat.

I didn't realize the tack hook needed to be moved back... what you're saying makes sense to me. I also think the bolt rope has shrunk by a couple inches. My 26D does not have a tack hook so that's a new piece of hardware that I don't have experience with.

I know these sails are kinda beat, but my old boat will probably get sails replaced first. For now, I just want to put on some miles and get a feel for the X. I don't have any expectation of the X sailing nearly as well as my 26D. Maybe if I spend $1500 for new sails and another $1500 for a windward sheeting traveler, a set of T track cam cleats, and a pair of worthwhile self tailing winches. New running rigging should be on the list too. Maybe I'll stumble on some great used (or new) sails for a bargain someday.

For now, I'll just clean up the boat some more, figure out the systems a little better, and just have fun playing on it. The new boat was a heck of a bargain that I impulse bought and now I'll need to share my boat bucks budget between the 2 boats. I'm really glad both vessels are good enough to be used as is. I'll make improvements a bit at a time, starting with rebedding hardware and replacing windows to stop leaks on the X.

[Herschel]

svscott said

I didn't realize the tack hook needed to be moved back... what you're saying makes sense to me. I also think the bolt rope has shrunk by a couple inches. My 26D does not have a tack hook so that's a new piece of hardware that I don't have experience with.

I am not sure exactly to what you are referring when you say "tack hook", but, if it is the hook at the base of the mainsail track on the starboard side of the mast, I use that only for reefing. That is where I hook the grommet for the "new" tack when reefing. My normal mainsail tack is attached to a pin in the boom just abaft the gooseneck.

[opie]

svscott,

Welcome to your 2nd Mac boat.
Our comments to you give us chair sitters a chance to reflect on why we aren't out there on the water and therefore we throw our 2 cents into the knowledge hat to try to be helpful.

You sound very experienced but humble.

On my X I have the boom connection exactly as yours, at what I call the inner boom bail. This position gives my bimini room to fully raise up.
The outer bail position nearer the end of the boom would give more purchase but who cares?

[svscott]

Opie, thanks for the kind words. I take no offense to constructive criticism and advice. I'm posting here for the feedback that I'm receiving. I was given the 1987 Mac by my dad in 2005 (he used to race it in SoCal then I brought it to Erie PA) and he still armchair quarterbacks my pics any time I send them... the ugly tack and slack halyard didn't escape him either, lol.

I have owned and been learning on my 26D for literally thousands of miles over 15 years The only other boats I've sailed are a couple hobie/venture beach cats and a friend's C&C 29 MKII that I had to train him on. Needless to say, there is some learning I need to do on the X.
After sorting the mast raising at home, the X's on the water process started with "does the motor work? "...YEP! I took it out for several short runs without even raising the mast and the Honda runs great. The first 2 sail trips have been to see if she will sail and get an idea for what I need to upgrade or modify. Having a good crew mate on board on a day with a bit of wind will really help solidify my opinions.

It's a great bonus that right now I've got both boats in the water and the D is loaded with spare clevis pins, standing blocks, snap shackles, lines, etc. So I've been pillaging from that boat to modify this boat.

The tack hook in referring to is the little hook at the gooseneck. Next next time out, I'll look closer at what's going on and make some changes there and see if that helps sail shape. With the friend and kids who I was sailing with, it was like single handing an unfamiliar boat but with people in the way and their comfort levels to work around! My son has been sailing since he was 2 years old so he's totally comfortable and knows what to do BUT he's not strong enough to safely trim the lines yet.

Because of the wheel helm and the location of the cam cleats on the cabin roof, single handed sailing on this boat will take some time to figure out. Maybe the BWY T tack cam cleats is the answer. The open layout of the D allows me to reach everything, without leaving the tiller and now that I've got a tiller pilot, single handed sailing has become pretty simple.

[Tomfoolery]

In this thread on loose-footed main sails, I posted before and after pics of the tack attachment. The OEM sail was intended to be used with the bolt rope in the slot, and the set-back tack fitting would pin into the inverted “U” bracket. This is how it was when I got it, but it had sail slugs. That put the whole rest of the sail much further back, but the tack was still anchored in the original location.

In the after pic, I drilled a new location for the tack in the boom slot, and used a twisted shackle to reorient it to a horizontal pin. The sail is flat in that area now, with the tack fitting back where it was supposed to be, per the cut of the sail.

I also cut the bolt rope loose at one end, as it had shrunk a lot and really wrinkled up the luff. I think I re-sewed it, but can’t remember.

Slide down to almost the bottom of this page to see the pictures. I have more, also from further back, but they’r not on my iPad so they’ll have to wait for a work day to post.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27771&p=343180

[opie]

As my understanding and my 15 year usage, the hook at the gooseneck is not related to full mains'l tack point but is the reefed sail tack point. This hook is what I connect my reefed sail small eyelet loop on.
The 90 degree twisted coupling, what Tom is referring to, puts the mains'l straight on the tack point.

[opie]

ooopps....
Apologies to herschel whose previous post I neglected to see before I wrote mine..... same thing...... ; - )

[Herschel]

ooopps....
Apologies to herschel whose previous post I neglected to see before I wrote mine..... same thing...... ; - )

No problem. Your picture of the gooseneck was helpful. I hadn't looked at my gooseneck lately and was a little unclear about the tack attachment. I am becoming such a "fair weather sailor" in my old age and COVID haze.

[svscott]

The gooseneck picture helps a bunch. My gooseneck definitely does not have that stainless U bracket on top. After reading Tomfoolery's post, that may not matter though because of the sail slugs. I will have to look closer at the boom to see if there is any tack attachment. I am guessing there isn't. The boom didn't have an outhaul line rigged up and when I installed that, I think the whole sail pulled back on the boom.

There also isn't a reefing line rigged through the sail. Along with the sail tack and the halyard run aft, I'll probably add a reefing line. I also want to change my outhaul setup to include a cheek block and a jam cleat for easy adjustment.

[svscott]

The weather was beautiful today so after I got done working this morning, I decided to head out for a solo sail excursion. I took you guy's advice and resecured the mainsail tack before heading out. I dug out a twist shackle, but there isn't anything to hook it to at the gooseneck so I just tied the tack ring tight with some 1/8" line and it made a big difference. I also added a turning block at the mast base so I could control the mainsail halyard from the cockpit.
The NW wind was steady at about 5 to 8 mph. Presque Isle Bay was wind shadowed by the trees on the state park so I ventured out into Lake Erie where the wind was perfect and the water was pretty flat.
My good friend is a maintenance worker at Presque Isle State Park and he was able to get a few pics of the boat as I motor sailed through the channel towards the lake. The wind got shifty near the tall trees at the mouth of the channel and the genoa back winded so the pics aren't the greatest.

Aside from a few little fishing boats, I was almost the only boat on the water when I shoved off, but by the time I went back to the marina, there were several other sailboats out enjoying the day. The wooden sailboat with multiple styles up is called Dreamer and is a gorgeous restoration project.
There was a USAF Reserve plane doing touch and go landings shortly after I went by the USCG station. I am always amused at the name of the boat that's flying their spinnaker through the channel.

[Dougiestyle]

Looks Great!! Good job

[Herschel]

Outstanding. All you need now is your "Don't Give Up the Ship" flag and you are set for Lake Erie sailing!

[svscott]

Outstanding. All you need now is your "Don't Give Up the Ship" flag and you are set for Lake Erie sailing!

I'll have to stop in at the maritime museum and get one! I really missed sailing near the Brig Niagara this year. The Covid kept her at the dock all season. I also hope the Tall Ships events will reorganize once things go back to normal.

[Herschel]

svscott said

I'll have to stop in at the maritime museum and get one! I really missed sailing near the Brig Niagara this year. The Covid kept her at the dock all season. I also hope the Tall Ships events will reorganize once things go back to normal.

Great pics. I downloaded most of them. That is a great museum, and the brig Niagara is really impressive. I visited the museum about 15 years ago. I went through the museum and heard a great lecture by an elderly gentleman who really loved the history of the area and, of course, Oliver Hazard Perry's famous battle. My wife and I toured the Niagara, too. I recall the low overheads down below and the hexagonal glass prisms used to bring light from the main deck into the compartments below. The elderly gentleman gave a stirring talk and related how the women of Erie had sewn the flag given to Perry before sailing out to undertake the battle. He acknowledged that the Don't Give Up the Ship flag displayed in the museum was a replica of the original which hung (at that time) in Memorial Hall of the U.S. Naval Academy. I raised my hand and remarked, "Yes, and that flag was a principle motivator for my completing a very tough plebe year back in 1962-63 at USNA." I would look up and see it every day coming back from class to Bancroft Hall (our dormitory), as I prepared to get drilled/trained/"indoctrinated" by the upperclassmen. (It was all men back then). The elderly gentleman looked at me, and I thought I saw a very tender emotion as he contemplated what I had said about his (and my) revered flag. The original is now held in the USNA Museum in a special case to help preserve it. The flag in Memorial Hall is, also, a replica, now. My hats off to the good people of Erie, PA. They have a special place in American history.