Jeff, when the shaved-headed religious cultists come to your door, do
you argue with them too?


Jeff wrote:
I sortof enjoy arguing with the like of RB and Jax to the extent that I
get to exercise the techie skills that have been dormant since
retiring. But Jim hasn't been much of a challenge.


Neither was Bubbles.

I thought Jax was really funny, most of the time. I wondered
if he was a cleverly-played sockpuppet, or an AI program.
But there's evidence that he was/is a real person.




.... Go back to my comments, this is about mass in the extremities
which increase the moment of inertia.


Well, JimC pretty much admitted that the ballast was placed in such a
way as to "balance" a load of people in the cockpit (far aft) and the
large heavy motor (even further aft).

I don't think he understands the issue of weight in the ends
increasing the moment of inertia at all.


No he doesn't. And I'm sure the mention of "metacentric height" just
blew right past him.


Doesn't really matter, as long he is really happy with the
way his boat sails.

I suspect that, like a lot MacGregor 26X and -M buyers, he
isn't really all that happy with the boat... so he tells
himself all this stuff about how great it is, and gets
offended when anybody "bashes" his wonderful boat.



.... The Venture 22 is an OK boat. Now, if he'd had a Venture of
Newport, that would be different


I'll have to ask him which model it was. He was already trying to live
it down when I met him in '73.


I don't get it. I know a lot of people who have either
started in Ventures, or maybe still have them (or downsized
to one) and are quite happy. The Venture 21 is actually a
pretty nice sailing boat... not very roomy, but especially
considering it's age, it's a mini-sled. The V-22 wasn't a
bad boat at all.

OK, it's not a Hinckley. Unlike the Mac26X/M it was never
claimed to be some kind of incredibly superior do-everything
boat.



Actually, water ballast isn't a problem. The overall design of the
boat has to be appropriate though.


Actually, given the design goals of the boat, I think the 26X/M is
pretty successful. I think that buyers are often naive about their own
needs.

Of course. They can't decide if they want a sailboat or a
motorboat, and are too dumb to realize that for the same
money, they could get both. It's a success in the same way
that "diet soda" is a success.




I sailed a water-ballasted boat for years and was quite happy with it.
I didn't try to claim that it was wonderful & perfect & faster than
everything else.


Did your's have a weighted keel?


Yes, but just barely enough that it would sink when you
released the pennant. The centerboard did not form any
meaningful percentage of the ballast.

FWIW that boat (1994 model Hunter 19) sailed rings around
the Mac 26X in all conditions.... we did so many times while
sailing in company with the ones in our sailing club. And I
have a great deal of confidence it would also sail rings
around the new -M model. It was a practical and fun little boat.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King