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Just about ready to pick up my 2004 M some time next week and I am realy pumped as this is totaly new to me. Does any one have any first time out stories to share

Yes. There are many.

But, we're all sitting around to hear yours first.

Bust in there and tell us about it. Don't be shy.

First check for small craft warnings. If you see 6-10 foot rolling waves and no other boats, then do not launch. Wait for a nice day! I have learned patience the hard way!

steve in miami wrote:dagger board and rudders down when in the marina.

Just curious... why?

--Mike

Having the daggerboard at least half way down and the rudders makes a huge difference in low speed handling. Keeps the boat from sliding all over.

I was in a tiny congested marina catering to small outboard fihsing boats. Nowhere near what I would want for room to maneuver. I went in initially with just the motor. Between wind and river current it was incredibly sloppy and a near disaster.

Moved back out into the river, dropped dagger and rudders and that next approach made it look like I knew what I was doing.

Much more control and the boat holds a more predictable line.

Kevin wrote:Having the daggerboard at least half way down and the rudders makes a huge difference in low speed handling. Keeps the boat from sliding all over.

Ahhhh, I misunderstood you... I assumed you were saying to keep the board and rudders down while docked (didn't realize "at the marina" meant while navigating through the marina... my bad).

I too learned this the hard way. One of our first times out in the boat, I was trying to dock the boat in a slip with a fairly stiff crosswind (no board or rudders down). I must have tried over half a dozen times before finally making it in (and just barely). The GPS track (I saved it) looks like a snarled mass of yarn.

--Mike

Kevin wrote:Having the daggerboard at least half way down and the rudders makes a huge difference in low speed handling. Keeps the boat from sliding all over.

I was in a tiny congested marina catering to small outboard fihsing boats. Nowhere near what I would want for room to maneuver. I went in initially with just the motor. Between wind and river current it was incredibly sloppy and a near disaster.

Moved back out into the river, dropped dagger and rudders and that next approach made it look like I knew what I was doing.

Much more control and the boat holds a more predictable line.

I will second that. I tried docking the M (demo boat) like I would have docked my powerboat. I looked like I didn't have a clue. It was sliding sidways..everyway but where I wanted to go. I put the rudders down, but not the board. I did not think to put the board down. I am sure it would have helped a lot.

Paul

I recently took my 26X out for the first time. I was very surprised how unwieldy it was. I put the centerboard down part way and the rudders down part way for better control in a shallow area. Unfortunately, I had the moter tilted up a bit and the prop dug into one of the rudders.

This happened after my having to use a jack to convince the centerboard to come unstuck while launching. It was stuck on one of the trailer crossbars.

Until I get used to this boat, I consider myself lucky if I come back with it unscathed.

Remember to remove the rudder traveling bolts, otherwise you will not be able to lower the rudders just after launching. That was my dumb first day mistake

I would have thought that the M tracks better than the X since it has more of a V in the hull...but it doesn't sound like it. After having my CB stuck for the last two weeks, I can tell you that the X steers like a barge at slow speed if you don't have your CB down a few inches. With the CB stuck in the up position, putting down a rudder helped, but normally, I don't put one down for maneuvering (provided the CB is down a bit).

Speaking of rudders. After I gouged the rudder I had partially down on the tilted-up moter, I remember one thing the previous owner told me. He said be sure to have the rudders either completly up or completely down. Having the rudders partially down while sailing will cause the brackets to fatigue and break. Now I know not to have them part way down while manuevering under power either.