Capsize Angle

A forum for discussing topics relating to MacGregor Powersailor Sailboats
User avatar
kurz
Admiral
Posts: 1312
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:07 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Zürich, Switzerland, Europe

Capsize Angle

Post by kurz »

Hello All
Do anybody know the capsize angle from an :macm: ?

I just found that without water ballast the capsize angle would be 60 degree.
Who has an information for the capsize angle with completely filled ballast tank?

Thanks...
User avatar
March
Captain
Posts: 970
Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 7:54 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Iowa, MacGregor 26X, Yamaha 4 stroke 50 HP

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by March »

I might be wrong, but I always believed that it would be a physical impossibility to capsize a Mac with the ballast tank full... unless, of course, one attaches a rope to the top of the mast and pulls it sideways. It would be like a floating bottle that is half-full. No matter how much it bobs around, it will never get with its neck down and under water, unless you push it deliberately from above.

Now if the ballast tank is empty, that's a different issue. 60 degrees is a lot though. Overloading one side would conceivably make the empty bottle lie sideways and that's "capsizing"
C Buchs
Captain
Posts: 605
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 6:49 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Camas, WA 98607

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by C Buchs »

Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHneDA6vwm8. At 3:45 you can see what happens when you pull the boat over to 90 degrees. I know this doesn't exactly answer your question, but it's the information I have.

Jeff
User avatar
kurz
Admiral
Posts: 1312
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:07 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Zürich, Switzerland, Europe

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by kurz »

well, keel boats typically have a capsize angle 120 degrees.

I don't believe that a :macm: will be stronger.

Normally you say, any boat can capsize. It needs enough wind and waves...
The Islander
Chief Steward
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2024 11:03 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Bradenton

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by The Islander »

Kurz,

I see you said earlier you found out the capsize angle for an M is 60 degrees without ballast.

How did you find this out? Did you actually have that happen on your boat or is that a quote from some technical source?

Thanks
User avatar
Be Free
Admiral
Posts: 1920
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:08 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Steinhatchee, FL

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by Be Free »

I can tell you from experience that an X will go to at least 90 degrees with full ballast and recover. I would expect that an M could do the same. It also makes a terrible mess in the cabin. :wink:
Bill
2001 26X Simple Interest
Honda BF40D
"If I were in a hurry I would not have bought a sailboat." Me
User avatar
NiceAft
Admiral
Posts: 6756
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2005 7:28 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Upper Dublin,PA, USA: 2005M 50hp.Honda4strk.,1979 Phantom Sport Sailboat, 9'Achilles 6HP Merc 4strk

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by NiceAft »

The question put forward is what’s the capsize angle on an :macm: when the ballast tank is empty.

Kurz, I too would like to know what information you found to come up with an angle of 60 degrees.
Ray ~~_/)~~
Ammiraglio
Just Enlisted
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 11:08 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Mayo, MD

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by Ammiraglio »

Once I accidentally left the main halyard go all the way to the top of the mast. To recover it, I emptied the ballast tank and using the jib halyard I rolled my 26X until I could physically grab the top of the mast and the main halyard. I don't know what the angle was, but 60 degrees sounds reasonable, maybe even a bit more. At that angle, the righting moment was still strong enough that I had to pull hard at the mast.

I need to do this again in the next few weeks. This time I'll have someone take a picture, so we can have a better estimate.
User avatar
kurz
Admiral
Posts: 1312
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:07 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Zürich, Switzerland, Europe

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by kurz »

I wonder why Roger did not say us the capsize angel with full ballast. Normally this is part of den product information.

Maybe I can find it in de CE paper...
User avatar
dlandersson
Admiral
Posts: 4975
Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:00 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Michigan City

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by dlandersson »

Not being specific avoids legal liability 8)
kurz wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2024 11:34 pm I wonder why Roger did not say us the capsize angel with full ballast. Normally this is part of den product information.

Maybe I can find it in de CE paper...
User avatar
Be Free
Admiral
Posts: 1920
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:08 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Steinhatchee, FL

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by Be Free »

NiceAft wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2024 7:57 pm The question put forward is what’s the capsize angle on an :macm: when the ballast tank is empty.

Kurz, I too would like to know what information you found to come up with an angle of 60 degrees.
The question was (in reference to an M), "Who has an information for the capsize angle with completely filled ballast tank?"

Empirical evidence from one (and hopefully the last) experiment on an X indicates the answer is "greater than 90 degrees". I don't think the answer will be significantly different between an M and an X.

According to Kurz, 60 degrees is the angle on an M when empty.
Bill
2001 26X Simple Interest
Honda BF40D
"If I were in a hurry I would not have bought a sailboat." Me
User avatar
kurz
Admiral
Posts: 1312
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:07 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Zürich, Switzerland, Europe

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by kurz »

I checked the CE regulation paper. No information about capsizing angle with ballast tank filled completely.
Why we do not have this information from Roger?
User avatar
LordElsinore
First Officer
Posts: 255
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:09 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Salt Lake City, UT - "As You Wish" - Suzuki DF60A

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by LordElsinore »

Ammiraglio wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2024 9:26 pm Once I accidentally left the main halyard go all the way to the top of the mast. To recover it, I emptied the ballast tank and using the jib halyard I rolled my 26X until I could physically grab the top of the mast and the main halyard.
Brilliant. I never would have thought of doing that. I've made the same mistake and lowered the mast to resolve. Tipping the boat sounds faster and more fun (though as said, it will make a mess of things inside)
The Islander
Chief Steward
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2024 11:03 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Bradenton

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by The Islander »

Hey Guys,

Appreciate the input on the question of capsize angle.

As I a new owner of a 26M I will operating the boat about half of the time with the ballast empty.

I know that a 26M has 300 lbs of added permanent ballast in the area where the water ballast would be on a 26X. This in theory would increase the angle for capsize a small amount under all other conditions being the same.

Going back to the original statement and my question.

Does anyone know if technical data exists what the capsize angle would be if the ballast was empty on either a 26M or 26x? This would be with the mast on, sails down.

Any data on capsize angle with the mast off of either a 26M or 26X?

Is there a link to this data?

Thanks, Ed
OverEasy
Admiral
Posts: 2945
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: Capsize Angle

Post by OverEasy »

Capsize with full ballast would be the angles at which water could gain access to an open fwd hatch or cabin entry companionway. The challenge is as sail loading increases the heel angle also increases which shed wind load
Post Reply