I still think that was a good idea. That damned wire has caused me
real problems, ussually when someone who does not know how I leave the
boat clips it to the boom and I do not know it. Next time I go
sailing, I raise the main, ease the sheets, WTF is wrong. I look all
over the sail controls to see where my reefing lines are caught and it
NEVER occurs to me to notice that clip until a gust of wind nearly
knocks us down. I HATE THAT WIRE.

I'll admit, I have never looked at a Mac 26 from closer than 50' and
that they have a bad reputation as the builder of the old Venture
boats. However, if whayt they say is correct on their site, they have
incorporated many of the things that were the hallmarks of good
sailboat construction in the 80s. For example, they say they use a
bolted hull to deck joint rather than the rivets on some boats
(Beneteau I think). I agree with them about their philosophy about the
use of glass rather than balsa or foam core as a properly made glass
structure can be stronger than the cored one. Furthermore, their mass
production methods is a good way to achieve high quality without high
cost. Hand made is often poorly made. So, I cannot diss them without
looking at one but I can see some good things if what their site says
is correct.

MAIN PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THEM IS I STEPPED ON ONE AT THE ANNAPOLIS SAILBOAT
SHOW A FEW YEARS AGO AND THE ENTIRE DECK WAS VERY SPONGY .....NOT STIFF AT
ALL ...I WORRY ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION ....I THINK THEY WENT VERY LITE TO
MAKE SPEED ...BUT I GUESS THATS FINE IF YOU DON'T GET CAUGHT IN A BAD SPOT
wrote in message
ups.com...
I'll admit, I have never looked at a Mac 26 from closer than 50' and
that they have a bad reputation as the builder of the old Venture
boats. However, if whayt they say is correct on their site, they have
incorporated many of the things that were the hallmarks of good
sailboat construction in the 80s. For example, they say they use a
bolted hull to deck joint rather than the rivets on some boats
(Beneteau I think). I agree with them about their philosophy about the
use of glass rather than balsa or foam core as a properly made glass
structure can be stronger than the cored one. Furthermore, their mass
production methods is a good way to achieve high quality without high
cost. Hand made is often poorly made. So, I cannot diss them without
looking at one but I can see some good things if what their site says
is correct.

wrote:
I still think that was a good idea. That damned wire has caused me
real problems, ussually when someone who does not know how I leave the
boat clips it to the boom and I do not know it. Next time I go
sailing, I raise the main, ease the sheets, WTF is wrong. I look all
over the sail controls to see where my reefing lines are caught and it
NEVER occurs to me to notice that clip until a gust of wind nearly
knocks us down. I HATE THAT WIRE.


So tape it to the backstay, or at the very least, tape the clip off so
that it can't be easily used.

Jonathan

--
I am building my daughter an Argie 10 sailing dinghy, check it out:
http://home.comcast.net/~jonsailr