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Mac26X fit for all waters
Jeff wrote in
: * Duncan McC (NZ) wrote, On 6/10/2007 10:02 PM: My issue with this situation is that the boat is marketed to novices, yet requires extra attention to issues that are found on very few other boats. Absolutely - so really the instructions should be *always* operate the boat with the ballast in place (when on the water). Here is the decal from the 26M. I don't know if the 26X had the same warning, but IIRC the boat that rolled didn't have a decal. http://www.macgregor26.com/safety/sa...l_apr_2006.pdf The M version was redesigned to include several hundred pounds of ballast plus foam in the mast which means that it should be self-righting in most situations. In the X version, they say that if the boat heels 50 degrees without water ballast it will quite possibly capsize and not self-right. Here is the full list of safety recommendations/warnings on the site: http://www.macgregor26.com/safety/safety.htm Some of the warnings would apply to any boat, but many are unique for a 26 foot sailboat sold as a "cruiser." In particular, without the water ballast crew size is limited to 4 people/640 pounds. Having sailed many years in daysailers 15-19 feet, the concept of a 26 foot cruising boat with a cabin that is unsafe with 5 people on board is quite unexpected. You've got to get back to basics. The Mac26X or M are trailerable boats. The ballast is water so it can be drained for trailering. That's all you have to remember. Fill the ballast tank right after you launch and drain it right after you pull. That's not so hard is it? Once you got the basics down you just have to remember that even with the ballast tank full it's still a trailer boat that can't be treated like a heavy ballast keel boat. It's a compromise and a damned good one but you gotta keep it in mind all the time. Get drunk and forget and you might pay for your stupidity. I like to look at it this way. Macs are for the more intelligent and careful sailors. Heavy keel boats perform poorer but are harder to capsize so you can get drunk and sloppy and get away with it more often. A Mac is like riding a thorobred. Hang on and enjoy the greater speed and versatility but don't get complacent. -- Cheerio, Ed Gordon http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm |
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