"Jim Cate" wrote in message
...

Good for you Joe. But I don't have even one oil well, and I have lots of
deadlines and responsibilities at work and home that take precedence
over sailing. My wife and I did get out today, for an afternoon of
sailing.


Jim,
Don't defend yourself against lame attacks from Redneck powerboaters like
Joe.


Are you enjoying your new boat? Tell us about it!




Regards


Donal
--

Donal wrote:
"Jim Cate" wrote in message
...

Good for you Joe. But I don't have even one oil well, and I have lots of
deadlines and responsibilities at work and home that take precedence
over sailing. My wife and I did get out today, for an afternoon of

sailing.


Jim,
Don't defend yourself against lame attacks from Redneck powerboaters like
Joe.


Are you enjoying your new boat? Tell us about it!



Regards

Donal
--

Donal,

As I noted above, I have been occupied by a number of issues at work,
and I haven't had much time on the boat yet. - Our two initial trips
were in fairly breezy weather, with chop and whitecaps from the winds
and wakes from power boats going in and out of Galveston Bay. (I
understand that the Kemah area is one of the busiest in the country and
is one of the top three as far as the number of boats docked in the
area.) The Mac 26M handles such conditions quite well, and seems to have
lots of stiffness when under sail.

I haven't had time to become proficient with most of the boat's
features. I do note that, compared with some of the other, larger boats
that I have sailed, the Mac is more complicated and more versatile as
far as choices of controls, options for sailing, motoring, etc. For
example, the boat provides a choice of motoring with or without the
extra 1,100 pounds of water ballast. In light wind conditions, the boat
can be powered at greater speed without the ballast. With the water
ballast, the 50-hp motor can still keep the boat on a plane. Another
option is that the helm can utilize one, or both, or neither (when under
power) of the retractable rudders. The motor can be tilted out of the
water when under sail to reduce drag. Another choice is the depth of
the dagger board, which can be extended for reaching and partially
retracted when on a reach, or running. My Mac has roller furling, and
three choices of reefing in the main, which provides further versatility
for the particular conditions. The main is on a traveler, and the jib
sheet blocks can be adjusted fore and aft for tuning the sails.

Again, I haven't had time to use most of these various features, and I
can't give a comprehensive report on its handling, pointing ability,
etc. Another aspect is that my wife served as crew on our shakedown
cruise this week, and I didn't want to push the boat too much on her
first trip out. All in all, however, it has a nice sweet "feel" under
sail, which is what I'm primarily interested in.

Jim

Jim

Jim Cate wrote:
.... Our two initial trips
were in fairly breezy weather, with chop and whitecaps from the winds
and wakes from power boats going in and out of Galveston Bay.

Wow! You went sailing in whitecaps? That means the wind might have been
as much as ten or twelve knots! What a manly sailor dude you are!


... The Mac 26M handles such conditions quite well, and seems to have
lots of stiffness when under sail.

Of course. It's shaped like a box, naturally it's going have a lot of
initial stability.


I haven't had time to become proficient with most of the boat's
features.

What, like all the ropes and stuff?

... All in all, however, it has a nice sweet "feel" under
sail, which is what I'm primarily interested in.

Oh yeah, I bet. Sporty, just like a 505 or an Etchells!

Fresh Breezes (or something)- Doug King

DSK wrote:
Jim Cate wrote:

.... Our two initial trips were in fairly breezy weather, with chop
and whitecaps from the winds and wakes from power boats going in and
out of Galveston Bay.


Wow! You went sailing in whitecaps? That means the wind might have been
as much as ten or twelve knots! What a manly sailor dude you are!

More like 20 knots.


... The Mac 26M handles such conditions quite well, and seems to have
lots of stiffness when under sail.


Of course. It's shaped like a box, naturally it's going have a lot of
initial stability.

Just the opposite, actually. It becomes increasingly stiff when heeled.


I haven't had time to become proficient with most of the boat's features.


What, like all the ropes and stuff?

Sure thing. - Lots of ropes and other stuff.


... All in all, however, it has a nice sweet "feel" under
sail, which is what I'm primarily interested in.


Oh yeah, I bet. Sporty, just like a 505 or an Etchells!

Fresh Breezes (or something)- Doug King

Thanks Doug. - And the same to you!

Jim

"Jim Cate" wrote in message
...

More like 20 knots.
Jim

http://www.havencraft.com/n26m.asp

http://www.gatewaysailing.com/newboa...onsPricing.htm

http://www.a1sailboats.com/newboatprint.htm

http://www.macgregorsailboats.com/ma...t-pricing.html

Never thought the mac was much of a SAILBOAT because I noticed fairly early
that none of these hucksters offer something that most 21st century sailors
consider indispensable, WIND instruments. If your boat doesn't have WIND
INSTRUMENTS, how did you determine the wind was blowing 20KTS?

John Cairns

Interesting. - Doug said that the wind speed might have been as much as
10-12 knots. Why do you criticize my estimate of the wind speed but not
his, when he wasn't even there?

I was basing my estimate on observations relative to the Beaufort Scale
and past experience, plus the observations of an experienced captain who
was with me at the time, along with weather reports.- This is a new
boat, and I am in the process of equipping it, and it's going to take a
little time. - Also, I don't plan on making any extended ocean passages.

Jim

John Cairns wrote:
"Jim Cate" wrote in message
...

More like 20 knots.
Jim


http://www.havencraft.com/n26m.asp

http://www.gatewaysailing.com/newboa...onsPricing.htm

http://www.a1sailboats.com/newboatprint.htm

http://www.macgregorsailboats.com/ma...t-pricing.html

Never thought the mac was much of a SAILBOAT because I noticed fairly early
that none of these hucksters offer something that most 21st century sailors
consider indispensable, WIND instruments. If your boat doesn't have WIND
INSTRUMENTS, how did you determine the wind was blowing 20KTS?

John Cairns

Also, I don't plan on making any extended ocean passages.

What does that have to do about whether you have instruments or not????

--
katysails
s/v Chanteuse
Kirie Elite 32
http://katysails.tripod.com

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein

Jim Cate wrote:

Interesting. - Doug said that the wind speed might have been as much as
10-12 knots. Why do you criticize my estimate of the wind speed but not
his, when he wasn't even there?

Because whitecaps usually begin forming around 8 knots and are regular
at 10. If a doofus like you notices them then it might be blowing as
much as twelve, but it still could only have been eight.

If motorboat wakes are bigger than the chop, then the wind wasn't
anywhere near 20.

DSK

how did you determine the wind was blowing 20KTS?

He licked his finger and stuck it up in the air....if the spit blows off,
it's 20 knots....
--
katysails
s/v Chanteuse
Kirie Elite 32
http://katysails.tripod.com

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein

John Cairns wrote:
"Jim Cate" wrote in message
...

More like 20 knots.
Jim


http://www.havencraft.com/n26m.asp

http://www.gatewaysailing.com/newboa...onsPricing.htm

http://www.a1sailboats.com/newboatprint.htm

http://www.macgregorsailboats.com/ma...t-pricing.html

Never thought the mac was much of a SAILBOAT because I noticed fairly early
that none of these hucksters offer something that most 21st century sailors
consider indispensable, WIND instruments. If your boat doesn't have WIND
INSTRUMENTS, how did you determine the wind was blowing 20KTS?

John Cairns

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Considering your comments about the Mac 26 dealers, I have chartered and
observed a number of sailboats of various types, makes, and sizes over
the past 25 years. From my experience and observations, few boats of
similar size, and few under 28-feet or so, have anemometers. - Would
your observations regarding the Mac 26 apply equally to owners of Cats,
O'Days, etc., in the under 28-foot category who also don't have
anemometers? Do your observations regarding anmometers suggest that
these boats aren't real SAILBOATS, and that their owners are not real
SAILORS? Or is this just a Mac-bashing thing?

Also, how did you arrive at the conclusion that the Mac dealers you
listed are "hucksters?" - I'm sure some are, and I'm sure some of them
exaggerate the capabilities of the Mac to their customers (as do some
dealers selling other boats), but running a Mac dealership doesn't seem
like the best "get rich scheme" to me. - It involves selling new boats
for around $27K equipped with motor and trailer; outfitting the boats;
providing instructions and demos, handling the gripes, questions, etc.-
It just doesn't cut it as an easy rip-off. My own experience is that one
can get anything installed that he wants to pay for.

Incidentally, I do have a hand-held anemometer but wasn't using it on
the occasion mentioned. By way of perspective, my boat was delivered and
(partially) outfitted a few weeks ago, and because of a number of other
obligations, I have only been able to take it out two times. Not an
excuse, but it's where I'm at.

Jim