god, I can't fricken believe a Mac 26 owner is arguing with a training wheels
owner about seaworthiness of boats!!

neither one of them is *ever* going to see Force 4 winds -- let along Force 5
winds, so what are they arguing about anyway?

From: Jim Cate
Date: 8/8/2004 11:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id:



Jeff Morris wrote:

Good grief, Jim you're writing a legal brief here! And that's at the heart
of
the problem, you're approaching this as a lawyer, not a sailor!


Jeff, most of my comments were in response to your own. - Am I supposed
to just let you post unfounded or twisted comments about me or comments
denigrating the Mac 26M with no response? As I stated, I'm
participating in these discussions because, in the past, many of the Mac
supporters have simply left after getting a few sarcastic remarks from
those on this ng. I intend to do my best to see that any further
discussions of the Macs don't end up as a one-sided mob attack, as they
have in the past.

Actually, I think that we have pretty well ruminated over most of the
issues discussed above. What we haven't discussed, and what you
apparently don't appreciate, is that the Mac is a fun boat to sail.
Despite its limitations, it is responsive and balanced and a lot of fun
to sail. One of the most exciting aspects of sailing the Mac 26M, as
with some of the other boats I have sailed, is the experience, after the
sails have been raised, of turning off the motor and sensing that the
boat has begun to move forward and accelerate under sail. To me, the
whole experience is somewhat mysterious. It's as though the boat has
suddenly come to life, empowered by some silent, invisible, yet
powerful force. Sailors have been experiencing it for thousands of
years, but it's still an exciting, evergreen experience for me.

Jim