MacGregorSailors.com

cub21rak wrote:Mastreb- so going backward is fine, sweet I'll remember that. <snip>

I would not recommend going backwards in an M22. Both of my earlier Mac's, M25 and M26D, were very uncontrollable in reverse

frede wrote:.... Both of my earlier Mac's, M25 and M26D, were very uncontrollable in reverse

Our M26S is very easy to back as long as you turn the outboard and tiller both. To make that easier I've made a quick....



...detach connector. Works great.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-29.html

Youtube video here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UYc2ZHe ... re=channel

Since it goes on in a few seconds we use it any time we are anchoring or docking or if we are in a tight channel.

Also on docking now we have a spring line attached mid-ship on top of the cabin where the cabin/cockpit bulkhead is. Coming in now I just step off on the dock off the cockpit combing where you are cloest to shore and take the spring line and put it on a cleat or piling on the dock. If the boat has forward motion it stops the boat and just pulls it in sideways to the dock. Way easier than when I would step off and try and control the boat with a bow or stern line as they want to pivot the boat into or away from the dock. Try it you will like it.

Also in Florida we had to learn how to use 2 spring lines and the bow and stern line to deal with the boat riding up and down with the tide. If you are like we were and only sailed on lakes and you are going to a place with tides spend a minute or two learning how to tie to docks and/or pilings like in this picture....



...You will be glad you did,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

What Sum said.
1. Link motor to rudder.
2. Mid-ship cleat. I nearly always have to dock to windward single-handed. Come in with a little speed, drop the mid-ship line over a dock cleat ( I made a steel post for my home slip ) and jazz it in reverse if needed.

With motor and rudder linked, my M25 backs really well.

frede wrote:

cub21rak wrote:Mastreb- so going backward is fine, sweet I'll remember that. <snip>

I would not recommend going backwards in an M22. Both of my earlier Mac's, M25 and M26D, were very uncontrollable in reverse

Perhaps backing isn't the best way to go, but may be the only way sometimes, particularly as you are getting used to a specific boat and how to maneuver it. I routinely back into my slip (I back my car into garages and parking spaces, too). It just takes coordination and care.

I have this as well on my 26X - works really well.

snotnosetommy wrote:What Sum said.
2. Mid-ship cleat. I nearly always have to dock to windward single-handed. Come in with a little speed, drop the mid-ship line over a dock cleat ( I made a steel post for my home slip ) and jazz it in reverse if needed.

My first 3 outings in my were out of Hammond. There is a member here, gyroplanes who keeps his at Hammond. He actually came out and gave advice on my first rigging and then accepted my offer to come out for the inaugural sail. Coming back I had no problems controlling or steering, it just seemed to go very easy. Rudders down, CB down, full ballast (verified by my nifty tank monitor )
The second time was the same but the third time, with just the kids and the admiral, it took 5 aborted landings to get in. It was a little embarrassing but I just told myself take it easy and don't worry about the peanut gallery folk. After 4 tries with the admiral telling me I was coming in too fast I told her to please be quiet and came in with a little speed. I put it in neutral and coasted to the dock bow in then a little blast of reverse to pull in the stern. The I asked the admiral if she could please step off and tie us up. (feel free to guess what words were actually used) I like motoring out and messing around with different handling techniques. Once you know how an application of power effects each configuration you can compensate for wind, current, spouses. Congrats on your Mac and I hope to see you out on the water sometime. dlanderson, that goes for you to. I am headed up to Lake Geneva Tuesday with a coworker who races his Olsen 30, Opus Dei.

You may hear me before you see me - I downloaded and burned to a music CD the below theme song. Ah LUVS it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSXciBh8KoY&NR=1

ualpow wrote:Congrats on your Mac and I hope to see you out on the water sometime. dlanderson, that goes for you to. I am headed up to Lake Geneva Tuesday with a coworker who races his Olsen 30, Opus Dei.

(I back my car into garages and parking spaces, too).

Well done- and my commendations to you for that, arknoah! We must be twins separated at birth! Struck a nerve, that's another old pet peeve of mine. It's the most common driving mistake, IMHO; driving forward into a space when it could (should) easily have been backed into instead. 95% of the time it's illogical to do it any other way.

It's a (tragically, and unnecessarily) long list every year of drivers who have driven over their pets, children and grandchildren because they chose not to do this.

Sheesh!

OK - I needed to vent, back to the thread, sorry for the rant. ...

In saying that the Mac is so easily controlled in docking I should point out that (as it hasn't been mentioned here yet), for a number of technical reasons, the Mac turns more easily to starboard when moving forward, and more easily to port when backing. It so happens to be exactly these directions that I need to turn in when entering and exiting my slip, so for others who might have found it more challenging, you might be turning in the opposite directions. Just didn't want to make it look like I was implying that I had some special skill LOL .

I have also eliminated the lash from the steering system on my boat, which might make some difference.

Also, backing might be the desired mode of entry if you are entering a transient slip and your fenders are on the wrong side.

-Brian.

Yeah, Mike used this trick on the M coming into Rogers dock. He turned the boat backwards when we were still way far away from the dock. You have to thread the needle around Rogers dinghy on one side and the neighbors dock on the other, then get behind the dingy like a parallel park sort of thing. So when we were still very far from the dock he put my wife on the helm, (she has never sailed or driven any boat but she has some experience with planes), and going backwards he told her to line up to the dock and steer like she was landing a plane on final approach and that helped because on planes you don’t panic about the attitude of your plane until it’s time to flair (touch down) so you may crab all the way down to the end of the runway and then snap into place at the very end before you touch down. Also, driving backwards made my wife oblivious to what the front of the boat was doing – she just focused on making a straight line to the end of the runway while looking over the transom so with no concern about the attitude of the FRONT of boat and it worked! She took the boat right in all the way at idle speed right to the spot behind the dingy – I was impressed.

Mike had rudders down, dagger board down, and ballast full.

I suspect on empty ballast it would not have gone so well??

This is something I will still need to learn myself. It's a "MAC" thing?