MacGregorSailors.com

I took a long weekend this week and after meeting all family obligations I got the day to myself out on the water yesterday.
I decided to experiment a little because usually I have the Admiral and two kids onboard. First, I sailed with no ballast in, I know several of you have done this already but for me it was a RUSH! 10 knot winds heeling good times....
Then I dropped the cloth pulled up all boards still no ballast and actually got a reading of 16.5 knots on the GPS, calculated close to 19 mph!!. This was a first because usually with the added weight on board with ballast in and family in tow I was getting 12-13 knots. Ballast out and family onboard I one time reached 14.7-8.
Boat is equipped with a 50 hp TLDI Tohatsu. Sorry to rub it in for those of you who have tucked your toys away for the winter

Always fun. With an empty water tank, only 6 gal fuel, and single handed, I hit just over 18 knots. Nice smooth water (no wind). Might have gone faster, but the boat was planing so high my Honda 50 started sucking air into the water pump. I'd say the shaft needs to be 2 inches longer, but I've seen the minds on this board. (oh, wait) Too bad. With 4 people, if you're hitting over 16, I'd guess you have the motor and prop matched just right. Only 4 months until we go back in the water

Wonderful,
Good speeds eh! Don't worry about us northern folks, I will be in Florida in less than 90 days which is fine with me. My Mac continues to impress me. Yahoo!

Auto Pilot on a rainy day ....Its a hoot !
Q1

[quote="TAM"]Always fun. With an empty water tank, only 6 gal fuel, and single handed, I hit just over 18 knots. quote]

Wow, 18 knots, now that's fast!!! I thought I was doing good at 16.5, good for you. I'll try next time on glassy waters!!!

Québec 1 wrote:Wonderful,
Good speeds eh! Don't worry about us northern folks, I will be in Florida in less than 90 days which is fine with me. My Mac continues to impress me. Yahoo!

Auto Pilot on a rainy day ....Its a hoot !
Q1

Love it

What parts of Florida are you planning on cruising?

Compromise wrote:I took a long weekend this week and after meeting all family obligations I got the day to myself out on the water yesterday.
I decided to experiment a little because usually I have the Admiral and two kids onboard. First, I sailed with no ballast in, I know several of you have done this already but for me it was a RUSH! 10 knot winds heeling good times....
Then I dropped the cloth pulled up all boards still no ballast and actually got a reading of 16.5 knots on the GPS, calculated close to 19 mph!!. This was a first because usually with the added weight on board with ballast in and family in tow I was getting 12-13 knots. Ballast out and family onboard I one time reached 14.7-8.
Boat is equipped with a 50 hp TLDI Tohatsu. Sorry to rub it in for those of you who have tucked your toys away for the winter

Glad to hear others are getting the speeds I've attained. I got pounded for reorting those speeds...watch out. I just installed a 2010 50HP Tohatsu TLDI as well.
thanks,
Te

TexasDan40 wrote: I got pounded for reorting those speeds...watch out. I just installed a 2010 50HP Tohatsu TLDI as well.
thanks,
Te [/color][/size]

Pure jealousy my friend, don't worry about it!!!

TexasDan40 wrote:Glad to hear others are getting the speeds I've attained. I got pounded for reorting those speeds...watch out. I just installed a 2010 50HP Tohatsu TLDI as well.
thanks,
Te

Sometimes it does sound like a stretch when someone reports speeds like the marketing brochure claims. I might believe it with a 60Hp or more but the 50HPs don't really give you the 24mph they claim. The best I ever did with my 50hp Honda was 18 MPH (GPS) and that was several years ago with a fresh waxed hull, very lightly loaded at the beginning of the season with a light ripple on the water (perhaps same direction as current). No way I could do that today with all the weight I carry around. I do have a well matched prop though and that really helps getting to those higher speeds. I think if it was just a light weight person instead of heavy me and my light wife, (maybe just my wife) and perhaps a bit less equipment, my Honda would have clocked in at 20MPH that day. Nowadays I am lucky if I can get 13-14 MPH but boat conditions are markedly different. I guess anything up to 20MPH is believable given favourable conditions but it can sound like a stretch to some folks who never see those speeds.

TexasDan40 wrote:
Glad to hear others are getting the speeds I've attained. I got pounded for reorting those speeds...watch out. I just installed a 2010 50HP Tohatsu TLDI as well.

Tex-
I apologize if you felt pounded by my comments on your boat speeds. The upper-teens speeds reported in this thread are more believable than the upper-twenties that you reported, IMHO. I meant to ask you before, when you where motorsailing @ 18mph, WOT with both sails up, did you feel like the motor was assisting the sailing or were the sails assisting the motor? Not knocking anyone for pushing the limits of performance, but be careful when pushing the limits of safety in the process. Good luck with your fast white !

Terry wrote: Nowadays I am lucky if I can get 13-14 MPH but boat conditions are markedly different. I guess anything up to 20MPH is believable given favourable conditions but it can sound like a stretch to some folks who never see those speeds.

Hey Terry,
that's exactly why I named the thread the way I did. I've been motoring around for years with extra weight in gear and souls on board. So the most I saw was in the 12-13 range (knots). I read the brochures and factory claims but never saw those numbers. However, no ballast, just me (190lbs plus) I have to say I was impressed with t e fact that it was close to brochure claims and I had never experienced it before in the real world. Made my day enough to post it!!

I've hit 17.5 Knots at 4,500 ft elevation
I had a 1996 Tohatsu 50 and when I started having problems starting it a deal on a 90 HP 2 stroke Yamaha came up.

Now I'm not happy with 17.5 Knots, should be hitting 21 Knots.

However, I did hit 17 Knots once with cruising gear and wife on board. It was a dead calm lake with no current and measured by GPS. I must have somehow popped up on plane. I was WOT and kept that speed for about 20 minutes but was never able to reproduce. The usual speed WOT with the 50 was 15 Knots on calm waters and cruising gear on board.

I did notice that my X motors faster when the crew goes right up to the front, guess I'll have to move the batteries under the front berth.

Trouts Dream wrote:I've hit 17.5 Knots at 4,500 ft elevation

I did notice that my X motors faster when the crew goes right up to the front, guess I'll have to move the batteries under the front berth.

I also noticed motoring this summer that with 2 men on the M I gain 1 knot if one of them sits at the tip of the bow
Q1

Québec 1 wrote:

Trouts Dream wrote:I've hit 17.5 Knots at 4,500 ft elevation

I did notice that my X motors faster when the crew goes right up to the front, guess I'll have to move the batteries under the front berth.

I also noticed motoring this summer that with 2 men on the M I gain 1 knot if one of them sits at the tip of the bow
Q1

Is that the guy wit the most scotch in 'im, eh?

Trouts Dream wrote:I did notice that my X motors faster when the crew goes right up to the front, guess I'll have to move the batteries under the front berth.

My experience is that weight up front is great when motoring fast...but I seem to be bow low when sailing so I don't know if I would want extra weight up front all the time as it might be detrimental (oooh...that's at least a $0.40 word) to sailing performance.

Or is my thinking off on this?

But then again, weight up front for trailering is probably a good thing as well...so maybe it would be smart to move the batteries.

Cheers,
Jim

When we first got out 07 M with a 70 Suz and no extra provisions, tools with no ballast I alone, I hit 21 mph, but with regular provisions for a week and all our stuff and two adults we regular hit 16.5.