2000 Mac 26X Restoration

[DHK79]

A couple more quick mods to report.

After doing the life-line dip for a few outings, I figured there had to be a faster way since I raise & lower my mast every trip and at first thought I would just replace the forward life-lines and add pelican hooks. Looking into it, I calculated it would cost me a couple hundred if I did my own swage fittings. Then I found a thread on the forum where someone noted they took their spreaders down instead. This sounded reasonable, so I decided to try it a few times and see what I thought.

These are actually tractor (i.e. farm equipment) lock pins, but good enough for a temporary solution while I evaluate and decide if I want to come up with something more permanent.


Now I did get some "off the shelf" replacement life-lines with pelican hooks for the cockpit from Blue Water Yachts. These will make launching & landing single-handed a little easier. At my age, I'm often concerned about leaping over the line (not as nimble as I once was) and wondering which would be more embarrassing - to fall flat on my face or land in the drink.

[DHK79]

This next one is of my own design. I already have a swing keel in the form of my centerboard and I wanted to do the same for my rudders. I started with a couple of auto-release cam cleats like those used on the tiller of racing dinghies and mounted them outboard of the existing rudder cleats. These were on the edge of the stern right over the top fairlead for the rudder line.


Of course my existing line was too thick to use the new cams effectively. So I had to switch to a thinner line and this lead to another issue.

The stop knots I was currently using were not going to work with a thinner line.


The answer here was to use an anchor hitch.

[DHK79]

The kick up rudders worked great.

They never popped up under moderately hard sailing and I even tested them under power, up until just before the boat planes. Yet coming in to dock, the water got shallow and they popped right up and gave me warning before my outboard could hit anything.

[mastreb]

Very cool kick up rudder mod, very similar to Dave B's setup. I use the wire hitch pins on my spreaders and have had four seasons with zero issues. Be ready to replace them every few years as they corrode.

[Tomfoolery]

After doing the life-line dip for a few outings, I figured there had to be a faster way since I raise & lower my mast every trip and at first thought I would just replace the forward life-lines and add pelican hooks. Looking into it, I calculated it would cost me a couple hundred if I did my own swage fittings. Then I found a thread on the forum where someone noted they took their spreaders down instead. This sounded reasonable, so I decided to try it a few times and see what I thought.

These are actually tractor (i.e. farm equipment) lock pins, but good enough for a temporary solution while I evaluate and decide if I want to come up with something more permanent.

I've been using those pins for the last three seasons, and they're still in perfect condition, but I sail fresh water, which helps. But they are available in SS, just so you know, in case you decide to stay with that solution. I like removing the spreaders because it makes it less cluttered on the deck, and I'm not as sure of foot as I used to be, so taught lifelines and minimal deck clutter while tiptoeing around a deck that far above a hard parking lot is the most sensible way to go for me.

Now I did get some "off the shelf" replacement life-lines with pelican hooks for the cockpit from Blue Water Yachts. These will make launching & landing single-handed a little easier. At my age, I'm often concerned about leaping over the line (not as nimble as I once was) and wondering which would be more embarrassing - to fall flat on my face or land in the drink.

Funny you should say that. I just got those same cockpit gates from BWY, and my FIL was joking about not tripping over them now, as he fell flat on his face onto the wooden dock last year when I first launched it in the Erie Canal. He's 85 years old, so not very funny really, but being a tough old bird, he was OK, and we laugh about it now.

[DHK79]

After sailing the boat for a season, I started considering what was still in need of improvement. The first thing to come to mind was improved reefing. My mate and I went out once in pretty heavy winds (18kts with gusts to 24kts), this needed to have the sails reefed & furled which we did at the dock before getting under way. While we had a ball, heeling at 30+ degrees and clipping along at hull speed, the reefing process left a little to be desired. The process was not smooth due to the slide stop being so far above the boom and would not be something I'd want to do while underway single-handed.

I figured the best solution was to modify the mast for a mast gate and add single-line reefing. I've designed the mod and purchased the needed hardware. I'll add photos when the weather warms enough to be out working on the boat.

[kurz]

A couple more quick mods to report.

After doing the life-line dip for a few outings, I figured there had to be a faster way since I raise & lower my mast every trip and at first thought I would just replace the forward life-lines and add pelican hooks. Looking into it, I calculated it would cost me a couple hundred if I did my own swage fittings. Then I found a thread on the forum where someone noted they took their spreaders down instead. This sounded reasonable, so I decided to try it a few times and see what I thought.

These are actually tractor (i.e. farm equipment) lock pins, but good enough for a temporary solution while I evaluate and decide if I want to come up with something more permanent.

I did my own pins, cheap and easy and in SS quality
I made some plastic plates and glued them with epoxy on top and bottom of the screw. So I can open and close it by hand not needing any tool.

Did the same with the bolt for securing the mast in the bow while trailering. Works great!!!

[IslandMac]

As a request to my Secret Santa, I asked for some new LED Nav lights.

Where did you find the LED Nav lights? I'm thinking our Mac needs those.

[IslandMac]

Note I didn't realize it at the time, but the bend in the furled head sail for trailering is a bad idea. It has proven to be a pain to straighten the plastic bar. More on a better way to store this will be mentioned later.

We were already concerned about the bend in the furled head sail for trailering, and now we are doubly so. Our Mac is leaving California tonight or tomorrow, headed up here in the Puget Sound. Do you have any suggestions we can give the hauler? Is there any time to remedy this on short notice? TIA

[Starscream]

I've read in many different threads that it's not good to travel with the headsail curved like that, but I've been doing it for about six years, including about four years of keeping the boat mostly on the trailer. I just haven't noticed anything wrong with the furler (CDI model) or the jibsail. But I am not one of those guys who can hyper-tune his rig...all I care about is if the mast goes up, and stays up until I take it down again. She sails fine as far as I can tell. I use electrical tape to tape the jib to the bow pulpit while I tow, and the furling drum points skywards about two feet above the pulpit.

Come to think of it, the furler spends its winters curled up along the side of my garage. Not a severe curl, but it goes around a corner. I am sure it's wrong to treat it that way but I just don't see any actual damage, or anything that makes it harder for me to rig or sail.

Not saying you shouldn't take care and do it properly, just saying that I haven't had a problem with it. There, I've jinxed msyelf.

[Tomfoolery]

For long distance travel, I unbolt the forestay from the hound, and slide it back so the extension of the furler drum rides on the bow rail. The forestay and sail is strapped to the mast using a lot of those little red ball-end bungies from Walmart.

For short trips, I sometimes strap a board to the side of the mast, bearing on the top of the bow rail, and extending forward to the furler. Many folks have made something a little more custom for this purpose.

If you're instructing someone else by long-distance, I would suggest just unbolting the forestay and sliding it back, then strapping it on, using either bungies, or some of the lines that may already be hanging off the mast.

[Jimmyt]

Courtesy of the PO, I use an aluminum crutch bungeed to the mast and bow pulpit to support the portion of the headsail and furler that hangs out. Thought it was goofy at first, but it's lightweight and strong, and actually fits nicely for something that wasn't purpose-built. The under arm piece goes toward the stern atop the mast. The hand grip sits atop the flat portion of the mast base. This leaves the "leg" portion sticking forward, which I attach the Furler and sail to using ball bungees as Tom describes above. Aluminum crutch is silver, so almost looks like it belongs when in place. I towed it home 60+ miles after purchase at 65-70mph without problems. Only have to tow 13 mi to launch, but have a stretch of 55mph. Has worked fine so far.

Tom's solution might be the safer approach, though, given the circumstances.

[IslandMac]

Courtesy of the PO, I use an aluminum crutch bungeed to the mast and bow pulpit to support the portion of the headsail and furler that hangs out. Thought it was goofy at first, but it's lightweight and strong, and actually fits nicely for something that wasn't purpose-built. The under arm piece goes toward the stern atop the mast. The hand grip sits atop the flat portion of the mast base. This leaves the "leg" portion sticking forward, which I attach the Furler and sail to using ball bungees as Tom describes above. Aluminum crutch is silver, so almost looks like it belongs when in place. I towed it home 60+ miles after purchase at 65-70mph without problems. Only have to tow 13 mi to launch, but have a stretch of 55mph. Has worked fine so far.

I expressed my concerns to the previous owner before the shipper picked up the boat. He kindly offered to "fix" it, and did so pretty much like you described above. The boat traveled from Dana Point in California to the Puget Sound, more than 1100 miles, and arrived safely Monday evening. High winds and heavy rain left the interior a bit soggy - a couple of throw pillows got soaked, but everything else was in good shape. Now the Captain is trying to shine up the gel coat between storms.

Thank you all for the great suggestions.

[Jimmyt]

Glad your boat made it home ok! I think it is a fairly common solution to use a crutch. Some of the guys have a purpose built solution, which may look/work better or set up easier. Since the crutch works for me, I will probably not change until I check some more important issues off the to-do list.

Welcome to the club! Start thinking metric (1 kilo-dollar = 1 boat buck).

[DHK79]

I have since used Tomfoolery's method of disconnecting the forestay from the hound and lashing the whole length to the mast. Although I replaced the nut & bolt on the hound with a clevis pin & ring-ding.