dlymn wrote:Do not put the hound at the top of the mast of a 26M! I put one there once for a small spinnaker and watched the mast bend 3-4 inches port to starboard in 5 knots of wind. I now have a new hound 15 inches above the forestay hound (rolling furler), beautiful.
The mast head mount works OK for me but I have dual backstays--maybe that helps? I will change to 18", thanks for the advice.
I like your spinnaker Balazs, I have the same one but mine also includes the sock/chutescoop and I can do full deployment from standing in the forward hatch. All lines are attached at the pulpit so that I can quickly attach them to the sail assembly and hoist, then when ready I just raise the chutescoop and she flies. I have not had the opportunity to get pics yet as I was hoping to get another sailor to snap pictures from another boat, but I see yours worked out ok, maybe I will try that next spring, I only had three test runs with it last season. I think we talked about a spinnaker set up while at Sucia last September when I was rafted right along side you, "Plumb Crazy" and me ("Kermie"-blue hull) and you had a look at my bowsprit. Well now there are two of us in the neighborhood with that nice spinnaker. See you down at the coast next spring I hope, and be sure to bring the children.
Hope you got it home and covered with out getting snowed on. The dog was a nice touch for us as we recenty had to put ours down.
Four months and we will be back in the water.Mic
Hi Mic and Terry,
Thanks for the comments. Sorry about your dog, ours is an excellent adventure-companion, although she doesn't like cars or boats that much... I had such a blast (and lack of help to haul it that day), that I decided to leave it in the water for another couple weeks. The water is still 8 degrees Celsius so I am thinking the ballast water should not freeze for a while. Maybe it was a mistake and I will regret it come hauling time in subzero temperatures... Taking the ringdings out in gloves doesn't sound like too much fun.
It assumes you have the tack line running aft to the cockpit and can adjust it.
Judy,
I wish the tack line you provided would have been a wee bit longer to reach back to my cabin top cleats, as it is so nicely attached to the tack, I don't feel like replacing it really. Is there a way I could attach a lengthening segment to the end of it? Just use to bowline knots? Or would that prevent proper dousing? Hmm... will have to think about this. Is that a 3/8th line or a 5/16th?
Thanks for all your help!
Hope you got it home and covered with out getting snowed on. The dog was a nice touch for us as we recenty had to put ours down.
Four months and we will be back in the water.Mic
Hi Mic and Terry,
Thanks for the comments. Sorry about your dog, ours is an excellent adventure-companion, although she doesn't like cars or boats that much... I had such a blast (and lack of help to haul it that day), that I decided to leave it in the water for another couple weeks. The water is still 8 degrees Celsius so I am thinking the ballast water should not freeze for a while. Maybe it was a mistake and I will regret it come hauling time in subzero temperatures... Taking the ringdings out in gloves doesn't sound like too much fun.
It is normal for us to pull my in freezing rain/snow--but it is worth the gamble for perfect fall sailing conditions
water is still 8 degrees Celsius so I am thinking the ballast water should not freeze for a while. Maybe it was a mistake and I will regret it come hauling time in subzero temperatures... Taking the ringdings out in gloves doesn't sound like too much fun.vitger
Deckhand
Saw a suggestion on another forun to add RV potable anti freeze.
I don't know the X & M ballast system but this is my experience with my Classic
Since getting my 26D 4 years ago I've chased a leak in the bilge area. Had to pull out of the slip as it was getting too bad. Missed a months sailing. I put food dye in the ballast then fiiled it. Found several places coming from under the aft cabin birth. Had to cut out both trays and flooring. The ballast tank has two layers of fibre glass, inner one fine cloth to seal the tank top one course cloth for strength. The ballast trank inner layer had seperated from the hull for about 2 feet both sides from the rear. Only the top strengthening layer was holding the water in. Didn't cut out any more. Covered the whole area with fine cloth and epox. fixed the leaking. Put plywood over the mess and went sailing. Don't ask me tech details about fibre glassing its not my trade. The only way this could have happened is the PO left it in the water during freezing. The rear end which is only an inch or so deep froze and separared the ballast tank inner layer from the hull. Sorry to get off topic but thought this was apro.
It assumes you have the tack line running aft to the cockpit and can adjust it.
Judy,
I wish the tack line you provided would have been a wee bit longer to reach back to my cabin top cleats, as it is so nicely attached to the tack, I don't feel like replacing it really. Is there a way I could attach a lengthening segment to the end of it? Just use to bowline knots? Or would that prevent proper dousing? Hmm... will have to think about this. Is that a 3/8th line or a 5/16th?
Thanks for all your help!
Balazs
I had that nice little piece of tack line on mine also and was not sure what to do with it at first. Since it was not long enough to run back to my cockpit I took it off and replaced it with about 35' of 5/16 line so that it not only reached back to the cockpit but also to provided an extra few feet of tack line to let the tack of the spinnaker raise high above the bowsprit for a deeper downwind sail.
I had such a blast (and lack of help to haul it that day), that I decided to leave it in the water for another couple weeks. The water is still 8 degrees Celsius so I am thinking the ballast water should not freeze for a while. Maybe it was a mistake and I will regret it come hauling time in subzero temperatures... 
Taking the ringdings out in gloves doesn't sound like too much fun.
in freezing rain/snow--but it is worth the gamble for perfect fall sailing conditions 
