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Jeff May 1st 08 03:16 AM

I decided
 
JimC wrote:


jeff wrote:

JimC wrote:



jeff wrote:

...

- Regarding accounts of ocean voyages, I have read of a number of
them on various Mac discussion groups, although not many are true
extended ocean crossings.



Were any of them more than a day trip?


Yes.

Out of sight of land?

Yes.
Any

Bermuda crossings?


I believe so.


What you "believe" is not the issue, its what you can actually prove,
or at least provide a link for. For several years you've been making
claims about the Mac, but you've never once backed them up with anything.


Here are some of the claims I have made about the Mac.

They have positive floatation that will keep the boat afloat. - My
evidence for this is that I can see the floatation throughout the boat,
and the fact that MacGregor's specs state the same. ...


I have never claimed it didn't have flotation. There is the question of
whether the hull and/or deck would break under severe pounding, and at
what point this would happen. I'm inclined to think that the conditions
that did in Redcloud could break a Mac, rendering it meaningless whether
a portion of the boat did sink.

Further proof is the
fact that incident you cite below, the boat didn't sink, and didn't fall
apart. (I made no assertion that people couldn't be harmed on a Mac26


Yes, I know you've denied this aspect. However, claiming that a boat
won't sink is meaningless if it flooded and won't support life.

with a drunk skipper, who wasn't familiar with the boat, who ignored the
most fundamental safety warnings given by MacGregor relative to using
the water ballast except in particular, limited circumstances) maximum
loads, positioning of passengers, whose drunk crew members were standing
on deck holding onto the mast, and who gunned the boat to make a turn,
etc., etc.)


All this is meaningless. The bottom line is that a Mac CAN rollover
given the right (or should we say wrong) circumstances, and if it does,
there is a risk of flooding severe enough to drown inhabitants. That
much is clearly proven. I think any boater would admit the the forces
generated in a major offshore storm are greater than what a drunk
skipper can do in a few seconds.

You have absolutely no proof that a Mac would survive, or more to the
point, that people on board would survive. Just because it has some
foam, doesn't mean those on board are protected. Remember, I've
already shown a case where two people drowned on a Mac. And hundreds
of people drown each year while using boats that had foam flotation.


One more time Marty. - I'll gladly back up the statements I actually
made. But not those you are trying to put into my mouth. As previously
noted:



Marty, like Jeff and Ganz, you seem to love posting responses to what
you THINK I said, or what you would LIKED for me to have said, or what
your caricature of Mac owners WOULD have said, rather than what I
actually did say.


Its me Jim. Jeff, not Marty.

Regarding the positive floatation, as noted above, the
Mac specs state that the boat, with full crew and motor, will continue
to float even if the hull is compromised. Your assertion that this
doesn't apply if the boat is in heavy weather conditions is illogical
and is not supported by any evidence. (Think about what you are
inferring. You seem to think that the boat will be broken into so many
pieces that the foam floatation will all come loose, float out of the
boat, leaving the boat and it's crew to sink. - SIMPLY RIDICULOUS!


First of all, this is not ridiculous, it can and does happen. However,
all it would really take is a lost hatch, or a hull fracture to fully
flood the boat. When this happens there simply isn't enough room below
to support life. Plus, the boat will be so unstable that it probably
will continue to roll over in a large sea. Its a nice feature in a lake
where boats sink because a cockpit drain fill with leaves, but its
doesn't mean you can survive a major storm.

Going back to your original claim, if a Mac had been in the same
condition as Redcloud, would anyone still be alive when the helicopter
arrived?



As previously noted, I have not stated that the Mac is suitable for
extensive blue water sailing or extended crossings. In fact, I said just
the opposite, that it isn't a blue water boat suited for extended
crossings.

Note also that I didn't say that they are routinely sailed offshore in
difficult conditions. - I merely stated that if Joe had been on a Mac26,
with its positive floatation, I thought his boat would have stayed
afloat, permitting him to recover it rather than having it sink to the
floor of the Gulf of Mexico.


Maybe, if he were alive. And the Mac probably would be worth much even
if most of it were there.


Please note that it wasn't me who initiated the assertions that the Mac
would break up and sink (or roll over and over like a washing machine)
in heavy weather conditions.


I think there is little doubt amongst sailors that the Mac would be like
a washing machine. This is how every small boat sailor describes major
storms.

- It was Ganz, and a few of his
Mac-bashing buddies.

MY ASSERTION WAS THAT NEITHER GANZ, OR ANY OF HIS MAC-BASHING BUDDIES,
HAVE PROVIDED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE MAC WOULD BREAK UP AND SINK IN HEAVY
WEATHER CONDITIONS.


AND I DON'T MUCH CARE. YOU HAVE NEVER PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT A MAC HAS
EVER SURVIVED HEAVY WEATHER CONDITIONS.


I stand by and will continue to support THAT assertion. However, don't
put words in my mouth and ask me to support assertions you wish I had
made, or thought I had made, but didn't.


OK, just so we're clear on this: you are standing by your assertion
about a situation that has never happened. Further, you claim it
doesn't matter if everyone drowns, as long as most of the boat is
recovered. This certainly makes sense.


It's not meaningless in view of the fact that there are multiple
thousands of them, being sailed by thousands of owners in various
waters around the world.



That's an incredibly stupid statement, even for you. Just because
there are thousands of them doesn't mean any of them ever left the
harbor. So is this what they teach you in lawyer school - to make
ludicrous claims claims and hope the jury is stupid?



Think for a moment about what You are saying Marty.


Its Jeff, not Marty.

The thousands of Mac
26s owners simply buy their boats and never take them out? Never get
them out of the harbor? And I should have to provide proof that they
actually do take them out? - Again, UTTERLY PREPOSTEROUS.


Why preposterous? First of all, Macs are notorious as "first boat, not
used, sold in a few years, never sail again" boats.

Second, although you admitted over and over again that Macs are not
offshore boats, you're claiming here that it preposterous to think that
they aren't taken offshore? Which way is it?

I've sailed the New England coast every summer since Macs were Ventures,
and I've taken several years to go up and down the East Coast. But in
all of this, I've never seen Mac offshore, out in even 25 knot coastal
conditions. There have been Macs at the marinas I've used for the last
8 years, but I can count on the fingers of one hand (without using the
thumb) the number of times I've seen one leave the dock.

I'm not the only one with this experience - its been repeated by a
number of cruisers in this forum.

I'm not denying that a few Macs have gone to the Bahamas, Catalina, and
other slightly out of the way places. But this is not the same as being
several hundred miles offshore in a major storm.


I have seen reports of owners sailing them off Australia, in the
Mediterranean, off the coast of England, off the shore of California
(often to Catalina Is.), etc.



And yet, you've never been able to post a link here.


If I did, would you be satisfied? Or would you dig through all the
reports trying to discredit them any way you could? I'm not basing my
statements on any listing of specific sailings; rather, I'm saying that
it is simply preposterous for you or your buddies to say that, with
multiple thousands of Macs out there, there weren't incidents of
skippers getting into severe, difficult situations. (And again, in any
waters, not necessarily extended, blue-water voyages.)


Difficult conditions? Yes, but I'm sure that what a Mac considers
"difficult" is much different fron what other consider "difficult."

Again with the gross stupidity. Do you really think anyone is buying
this? Its like claiming that with so many UFO reports at least one
must be real. Have you been probed lately?

Wrong again Marty. Because there are thousands of Macs out there, it
would be incredible to believe that they haven't been subject to severe
or difficult conditions of various kinds.


Again, a silly argument. With all the pigs out there, there must be one
that flies!



- Remember that it was Ganz and others who made the assertions that
they would break up in heavy conditions.



I'm inclined to believe that all that would be found is an
unidentifiable foam block. The only question is how bad would it have
to be? A number of "unsinkable" boats have been lost. Most
multihulls have positive flotation, though a number have eventually
sunk, fortunately long after the crew has been rescued.


You're entitled to your own (unsupported) opinion, Marty, even if it's
wrong.


Marty might be wrong, but I'm Jeff. And I'm right.

But you did claim they would survive rather severe conditions.


What I said was that I thought that if Joe's boat were a Mac26M, it
wouldn't have sunk.


Actually you said he would be able to recover it, implying that he would
be alive.

There have been plenty of cases of much stronger boats breaking up.
And there have been plenty of cases of Macs suffering damage from
"average nasty" conditions. And a case of flooding from a rollover.

Really, Marty? So far I haven't seen the reports of "plenty of cases of
Macs suffering damage from average nasty conditions." Where are those
reports, Marty? Did I miss that particular post?


Oh come on, Jim. Its pretty easy to find cases of dismastings and
capsizes. And I've personally seen a broken rudder.



Lots of survivors have described their boats, especially smaller,
lighter boats, as been being like a washing machine. If you knew
anything about heavy weather you would appreciate that. The only
question is how much pounding could your boat take before a hatch
falls off and the boat floods.

...


Pure speculation, Marty. Interesting writing, however. It would make a
good fiction article.


So now you're admitting you've not only never been in heavy weather,
you've never read the the basic literature. As long as we all understand.


I have a number of responsibilities and haven't had time to take the
boat down to the Gulf. However, I intend to this Summer. - Ask me
again this Fall.



Sure thing. But you've said this every year.


I'll post my report this Fall. Ok?


With all the time you've said this, its preposterous to think that you
wouldn't do it eventually.

JimC May 1st 08 03:51 AM

I decided
 


Capt. JG wrote:

"JimC" wrote in message
...


I agree! However, the rigs for Mac26s, which I've seen, are not adequate
for anything other than light air. I have a Sabre 30, with a displacement
of about twice that. The standing rigging is substantial... more than
what would normally be required... why... because it's designed for real
coastal cruising.


Good for you Ganz. Hope you continue to enjoy sailing your Sabre.



I shall. Thanks.

I have no doubt that you enjoy sailing your Mac. That, of course, isn't the
issue being discussed, since I'm pretty sure there are people out there who
enjoy sailing on cruise liners. I doubt they're designed for small inland
lakes, but I'm sure you can find someone who disagrees with that also.


As to whether or not the Mac26M rigging is adequate FOR THE MAC 26M for
coastal cruising, it would of course be more relevant if you could post
the results of some scientifically based evaluations, involving actual
tests of the MAC26M rigging under sail, instead of merely posting more of
your obviously biased personal opinions.

Jim



You're right. I biased


I biased Ganz?


when it comes to safety. I've only been sailing for
40 years,



I have 45 years, on a variety of boats of varying sizes.
so I guess I'll just have to rely on my experience with sailboats
of various sizes and qualities. But, feel free to post some example of Macs
surviving storm conditions. So far, all we've seen are your obviously biased
personal assurances that everything will just be fine.



Once again, if I had come on this ng stating that the Mac was suitable
for sailing offshore in heavy weather, I might feel some obligation to
provide more exampls. But I didn't, so I don't.


Jim

JimC May 1st 08 03:58 AM

I decided
 


wrote:

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:00:32 -0600, JimC wrote:



Capt. JG wrote:


"JimC" wrote in message
t...



Huh? Either they're appropriate to the size of a 26 ft boat or not that
should go offshore. They're no appropriate on so many levels that I would
run out of bandwidth trying to post them. It's deficient rigging. I've
seen it.

Find your own examples. I'm not interested in doing your homework for
you.

In other words, you simply don't have a rational response and can't come
up one. Is that about the size of it Ganz?

Jim





The size of it is that you are unable to substantiate your own claims and
want me to do your work for you... sorry, not my job.


What "claims" are you talking about Ganz? Have I made any "claims" that
the Mac26M is a good boat for extended offshore cruising? Have I made
any "claims" that it is a good boat for ocean crossings? Have I made any
"claims" that I would want to take it offshore for extended blue water
cruising? (Helpful hint: Not. - Just the opposite. In fact, I have
stated in several posts that it wouldn't be good choice for extended
crossings or the like.)

Neal, I think it would be helpful if you took the time to actually read
my notes before you post any more of those indignant, sarcastic, snooty
replies.

Jim



Where does the silly term "extended off shore cruising" come from? The Mac26M is
unfit for many conditions found regularly on a day sail near shore.


You are certainly entitled to your opinion, Salty, as I am to mine. The
difference, of course, is that mine are correct.

Not saying that there aren't conditions near shore on some occasions in
which I wouldn't want to go out on a Mac. But "regularly" is not the
appropriate term.

Jim


JimC May 1st 08 04:04 AM

I decided
 


Capt. JG wrote:

"JimC" wrote in message
t...

Note also that I didn't say that they are routinely sailed offshore in
difficult conditions. - I merely stated that if Joe had been on a Mac26,
with its positive floatation, I thought his boat would have stayed afloat,
permitting him to recover it rather than having it sink to the floor of
the Gulf of Mexico.



Key phrase "I thought." You done thunked wrong.


In your opinion, of course.


Please note that it wasn't me who initiated the assertions that the Mac
would break up and sink (or roll over and over like a washing machine) in
heavy weather conditions. - It was Ganz, and a few of his Mac-baching
buddies.



It's a vast Mac-bashing conspiracy! Alert the media.

Please produce some evidence that it wouldn't roll over and over creating
the effect of being in a washing machine if you were below decks.


Since it was you, and not me. who introduced that weird assertion about
the Mac rolling over and over again like a washing machine, I'll let you
provide the "evidence" to support your assertion, Ganz. It's your baby.
All I ask is that you tend to your baby appropriately.


MY ASSERTION WAS THAT NEITHER GANZ, OR ANY OF HIS MAC-BASHING BUDDIES,
HAVE PROVIDED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE MAC WOULD BREAK UP AND SINK IN HEAVY
WEATHER CONDITIONS.



Please say it a bit louder. We can't HEAR YOU!


If you hear me, then why don't you respond to my statement? Why do you
insist on running down all those tangents and rabbit trails?


Jim

[email protected] May 1st 08 04:08 AM

I decided
 
JimC wrote:
1) A boat that is not essentially limited to being sailed in the
immediate area. - The Mac26M can be quickly and easily transported by
the owner (with a pickup or SUV) in one weekend to waters hundreds of
miles from it's berth or storage area.


So can many many many other small ~ medium sized sailboats. My
sailboat data base has about 1600 trailerable boats (and this is
probably less than half of all the different types that have been
produced in the U.S. & Canada).


2) A boat that doesn't have to be berthed in a marina.


Isn't this kinda the same as #1?

3) A coastal cruiser that can be sailed in a variety of waters,


Isn't this kinda the same as #1, again?

including offshore, with the understanding that it isn't recommended for
extended ocean crossings and isn't as comfortable in heavy weather.


Ha ha ha... you mean, if you bring lots of duct tape you might return
with most of what you started with?

Frankly, having seen Mac 26Xs & Ms sailing in relatively sheltered
waters in 15 knot winds & 2 ~ 3 feet of chop... and having trouble
coping with these conditions when not actually suffering breakdowns...
I can't imagine sailing one "offshore in heavy weather" for more than
about 15 minutes.


4} A boat that incorporates a number of safety features, including
positive floatation


Again, a common feature shared by many other boats.

.... The boat is also designed to accommodate a large outboard
which gives the skipper more options in the event of heavy weather,
e.g., for returning to port quickly.


Again, ha ha ha. For one thing, the speed of the Mac26X~M is very much
exaggerated. It certainly won't outrun any storms at 15 knots or
less; and the hull shape & stability is such that it will be very
problematic to handle it at any speed in really rough weather.


7) A boat that is priced substantially lower than conventional larger
boats


Or conventional boats of similar accomodation... and there you have it
in a nutshell. The Mac26X~M is a portable cheap hotel room. Not that
there's anything wrong with that.




9) A boat that can have a 5.5 feet draft for sailing (with dagger-board
down) but that can be converted to one with only 1.5-ft draft in
shallow waters


Again, a feature shared by many many many other boats.


10) A sailboat that, unlike 90 percent of the boats discussed on this
ng, isn't limited to hull speed.


Isn't this a repeat of something from #4 above?



12) Finally, I see a boat that is FUN TO SAIL!


A matter of taste. If the "magic of sail" to you means having big
white pieces of cloth flopping around from a pole while you lurch
aimlessly across the water, yeah that'll do it.

Try sailing a Laser or an Albacore or a 505 or an Etchells or a Nacra
or a Melges 24 or any of hundreds of actual high performance sailing
craft... you don't even have to get stressed out and try one of the
double-trap skiffs... boats that will equal or exceed the wind
velocity and plane readily UNDER SAIL.

Frankly, for anybody with any experience on sailing craft of any real
performance level, the "magic" of sailing a Mac26X~M is a big yawn.
But it's all a matter of taste. You clearly like your boat, what's
funny is the level of delusion you have to maintain.

DSK

JimC May 1st 08 04:12 AM

I decided
 


wrote:

JimC wrote:



Marty wrote:

JimC wrote:


If I had made such a statement, I might think about searching for
such evidence. But as I have noted several times, I never posted
anyting of the kind.

Incidentally, I thought you had decided to abandon this discussion.
- Was I wrong? In any event, I'm glad to see you back.



Jim, you most certainly made such a statement, when you returned I
couldn't resist.

I am pleased to see you have no intention of trying to support such
folly.

Cheers
Marty





Marty, like Jeff and Ganz, you seem to love posting responses or
challenges to what you THINK I said, or what you would LIKED for me to
have said, or what your caracature of Mac owners WOULD have said,
rather than what I did say. As previously noted, I have not stated
that the Mac is suitable for extensive blue water sailing or extended
crossings. In fact, I said just the opposite, that it isn't a blue
water boat suited for extended crossings.



Good Lord folks, this still going on?

As for it being any type of "blue-water cruiser", here's what Roger
MacGregor says about it in a Practical Sailor interview
(
http://www.practical-sailor.com/samp...t_Review.html:

As for its seaworthiness, Roger MacGregor said, “The 26 was designed for
typical small cruising boat use—inland waters and limited coastal
sailing. It is too small to be a long-distance passagemaker. It won’t
hold enough gear and supplies, and the long-term, day-after-day motion
of a small, light sailboat can be tough on the crew.

“There are thousands of these boats out there, and many have been caught
in, and survived, some really extreme weather conditions, on both lakes
and oceans. Like most small cruising sailboats, the 26 can handle high
winds and nasty seas, but risk and discomfort levels increase
dramatically in severe weather. To maximize fun and safety, most of our
owners wisely keep a watchful eye on the weather and try to avoid severe
conditions.”

So...once again, the *designer* clearly states that it's built for light
duty. What's the mystery?


Note also that I didn't say that they are routinely sailed offshore
in difficult conditions. - I merely stated that if Joe had been on a
Mac26, with its positive floatation, I thought his boat would have
stayed afloat, permitting him to recover it rather than having it sink
to the floor of the Gulf of Mexico.



With 10K pounds of coffee in it?


Please note that it wasn't me who initiated the assertions that the
Mac would break up and sink (or roll over and over like a washing
machine) in heavy weather conditions. - It was Ganz, and a few of his
Mac-baching buddies.

MY ASSERTION WAS THAT NEITHER GANZ, OR ANY OF HIS MAC-BASHING BUDDIES,
HAVE PROVIDED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE MAC WOULD BREAK UP AND SINK IN
HEAVY WEATHER CONDITIONS.



I'm not bashing Macs. They're fine for what they are designed for, i.e.
"inland waters and limited coastal sailing". So are they designed for
heavy seas and gale force winds - NO. "Might" they survive? Sure, but
one can always assume that there is a high likelihood that a boat will
fail, often catastrophically, when used *well* outside of its designed
operating range. A simple matter of engineering, not speculation.

Keith Hughes



As I said, they are not suited for extended crossings or blue water
cruising. While they are a coastal cruiser, they are not comfortable in
heavy weather. As to carrying 10K pounds of coffee, that would have to
be cut back somewhat. As also discussed previously, the Macs aren't
large enough to store provisions for extended cruising.

Jim

JimC May 1st 08 04:39 AM

I decided
 


Capt. JG wrote:
"JimC" wrote in message
...

Anyone have a response to this note?

Jim




As for it being any type of "blue-water cruiser", here's what Roger
MacGregor says about it in a Practical Sailor interview
http://www.practical-sailor.com/samp...at_Review.html



First, in case you didn't notice, that article isn't discussing the Mac
26M. It's talking about the old 26X. The new model includes a number of
upgrades, a completely new hull design, and the addition of permanent
ballast in addition to the water ballast.

Secondly, Roger's discussion of the old 26X models isn't substantively
different from my own statements concerning the 26M.

Jim

JimC May 1st 08 05:01 AM

I decided
 


Capt. JG wrote:

"JimC" wrote in message
.. .

Here are some of the claims I have made about the Mac.

They have positive floatation that will keep the boat afloat.



Which has nothing to do with whether or not the boat will sink... just that
it's got floatation. As Jeff pointed out, even "unsinkable" boat do sink.

What their specs and website state is that that there is sufficient
floatation to keep the boat afloat even with a full crew, even with a
hole drilled through the hull. (And if you thank the pictures and
written material are insignificant, go have a discussion with your
attorney regarding issues such as deceptive trade practices, tort
liability, punitive damages, etc.)



who gunned the boat to make a turn...



Which means that it doesn't react well to radical handling, yet other
sailboats won't do what happened to this boat when the skipper, drunk or
not, "guns" the engine.


Actually, other 26 ft sailboats aren't guaranteed to do all that well
with six drunk adults standing on top of the cockpit (i.e., the highest
deck portion) holding onto the mast while the motor is gunned on a turn.
In this case, however, the boat was a water ballast boat. - The most
fundamental and basic safety consideration for a wb boat is that the
ballast MUST be filled for safe operation (except in certain limited
conditions), particularly with substantial weight topside. Both the
owner of the boat and the skipper were negligent in not checking this
most basic factor. The maximum recommended load for the Mac was also
substantially exceeded.

But if you are trying to say that the particular design of the boat is
inherently unsafe, the trial judge specifically considered that issue,
and ruled to the contrary. (MacGregor won the case.)

Furthermore, the boat in question was a Mac 26X, not a Mac 26M. The Mac
26M is not a purely water ballast boat in that, in addition to the water
ballast, it has solid, permanent ballast built in to the hull. So it
isn't known whether the same result would have occurred if the boat had
been one of the current 26M models.



What I said was that I thought that if Joe's boat were a Mac26M, it
wouldn't have sunk.



With 10,000 lbs of lead in it's hold, since I don't think you can get 10K of
coffee in it? Right.


Don't think Joe would (or could) have loaded 10,000 lbs of coffee into
the Mac, do you Ganz? Along with his crew and their provisions?


I'll post my report this Fall. Ok?



If you're going offshore in a storm, get plenty of insurance!



I have insurance good for 75 miles offshore. - That ought to do it.

Jim

JimC May 1st 08 05:43 AM

I decided
 


jeff wrote:

JimC wrote:
jeff wrote:


JimC wrote:

----------------------
Any

Bermuda crossings?



I believe so.


What you "believe" is not the issue, its what you can actually prove,
or at least provide a link for. For several years you've been making
claims about the Mac, but you've never once backed them up with
anything.


Here are some of the claims I have made about the Mac.

They have positive floatation that will keep the boat afloat. - My
evidence for this is that I can see the floatation throughout the
boat, and the fact that MacGregor's specs state the same. ...



I have never claimed it didn't have flotation. There is the question of
whether the hull and/or deck would break under severe pounding, and at
what point this would happen. I'm inclined to think that the conditions
that did in Redcloud could break a Mac, rendering it meaningless whether
a portion of the boat did sink.


I haven't claimed that the Mac would NEVER sink under ANY conditions. I
stated that I thought Joe's boat wouldn't have sunk in the conditions he
described. But of course no one knows, and I never said that it was a
slam dunk.

Further proof is the fact that incident you cite below, the boat
didn't sink, and didn't fall apart. (I made no assertion that people
couldn't be harmed on a Mac26



Yes, I know you've denied this aspect. However, claiming that a boat
won't sink is meaningless if it flooded and won't support life.


I suppose I would rather stick with a boat that is partially submerged
but still floating than a boat with a heavy keel that was dragging the
boat to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.


with a drunk skipper, who wasn't familiar with the boat, who ignored
the most fundamental safety warnings given by MacGregor relative to
using the water ballast except in particular, limited circumstances)
maximum loads, positioning of passengers, whose drunk crew members
were standing on deck holding onto the mast, and who gunned the boat
to make a turn, etc., etc.)



All this is meaningless. The bottom line is that a Mac CAN rollover


Clarification: The boat in that incident was a Mac 26X, which is a
completely water-ballasted boat. The mac 26M is a hybrid, having
permenant ballast built into the hull in additon to the water ballast.


given the right (or should we say wrong) circumstances, and if it does,
there is a risk of flooding severe enough to drown inhabitants.


Clarification: The victims were infants, left below deck while the drunk
adults partied on deck.

That
much is clearly proven. I think any boater would admit the the forces
generated in a major offshore storm are greater than what a drunk
skipper can do in a few seconds.



Maybe. Maybe not.


You have absolutely no proof that a Mac would survive, or more to the
point, that people on board would survive. Just because it has some
foam, doesn't mean those on board are protected.


Again, I would rather be on a boat that was low in the water but
remaining afloat rather than one that was sinking.


Remember, I've
already shown a case where two people drowned on a Mac.


Clarification: You showed how two infants left in the cockpit on a
water-ballasted Mac 26X could drown. You didn't show how two adult crew
members on a hybrid ballast Mac 26M would drown.


And hundreds
of people drown each year while using boats that had foam flotation.



Yep. There are some careless, stupid people out there.

One more time Marty. - I'll gladly back up the statements I actually
made. But not those you are trying to put into my mouth. As previously
noted:



Marty, like Jeff and Ganz, you seem to love posting responses to what
you THINK I said, or what you would LIKED for me to have said, or what
your caricature of Mac owners WOULD have said, rather than what I
actually did say.



Its me Jim. Jeff, not Marty.

Sorry.

Regarding the positive floatation, as noted above, the Mac specs state
that the boat, with full crew and motor, will continue to float even
if the hull is compromised. Your assertion that this doesn't apply if
the boat is in heavy weather conditions is illogical and is not
supported by any evidence. (Think about what you are inferring. You
seem to think that the boat will be broken into so many pieces that
the foam floatation will all come loose, float out of the boat,
leaving the boat and it's crew to sink. - SIMPLY RIDICULOUS!



First of all, this is not ridiculous, it can and does happen.


This, of course, is your opinion and is not supported. Whether it would
apply to the Mac 26M, particularly with an experienced crew as was the
case with Red Cloud, is another matter.

However,
all it would really take is a lost hatch,


The boat is designed to stay afloat even if the hull is compromised.

or a hull fracture to fully
flood the boat. When this happens there simply isn't enough room below
to support life.


Not a good situation to be in, but, again, I personally would rather be
in a partially flooded boat that stayed afloat than one that was sinking
to the bottom.

Plus, the boat will be so unstable that it probably
will continue to roll over in a large sea.


Maybe. Maybe not.


Its a nice feature in a lake
where boats sink because a cockpit drain fill with leaves, but its
doesn't mean you can survive a major storm.


Maybe. Maybe not.

Going back to your original claim, if a Mac had been in the same
condition as Redcloud, would anyone still be alive when the helicopter
arrived?


As previously discussed, I think the best action in that situation would
have been to set a sea anchor and remained onboard. I believe that would
have prevented the boat from yawing, or rolling.


As previously noted, I have not stated that the Mac is suitable for
extensive blue water sailing or extended crossings. In fact, I said
just the opposite, that it isn't a blue water boat suited for extended
crossings.

Note also that I didn't say that they are routinely sailed offshore
in difficult conditions. - I merely stated that if Joe had been on a
Mac26, with its positive floatation, I thought his boat would have
stayed afloat, permitting him to recover it rather than having it sink
to the floor of the Gulf of Mexico.



Maybe, if he were alive. And the Mac probably would be worth much even
if most of it were there.

At least he would still have a boat, and possibly some of the coffee.



Please note that it wasn't me who initiated the assertions that the
Mac would break up and sink (or roll over and over like a washing
machine) in heavy weather conditions.



I think there is little doubt amongst sailors that the Mac would be like
a washing machine. This is how every small boat sailor describes major
storms.


Maybe. But probably not.



- It was Ganz, and a few of his Mac-bashing buddies.

MY ASSERTION WAS THAT NEITHER GANZ, OR ANY OF HIS MAC-BASHING BUDDIES,
HAVE PROVIDED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE MAC WOULD BREAK UP AND SINK IN
HEAVY WEATHER CONDITIONS.



AND I DON'T MUCH CARE. YOU HAVE NEVER PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT A MAC HAS
EVER SURVIVED HEAVY WEATHER CONDITIONS.


When you and your buddies provide evidence to support your amazing
assertions, I'll consider getting more to support mine. Meanwhile, I'm
not going to look for evidence supporting statements I haven't made.


I stand by and will continue to support THAT assertion. However, don't
put words in my mouth and ask me to support assertions you wish I had
made, or thought I had made, but didn't.



OK, just so we're clear on this: you are standing by your assertion
about a situation that has never happened. Further, you claim it
doesn't matter if everyone drowns, as long as most of the boat is
recovered. This certainly makes sense.


Nope. That's not what I said.


It's not meaningless in view of the fact that there are multiple
thousands of them, being sailed by thousands of owners in various
waters around the world.



That's an incredibly stupid statement, even for you. Just because
there are thousands of them doesn't mean any of them ever left the
harbor. So is this what they teach you in lawyer school - to make
ludicrous claims claims and hope the jury is stupid?




Think for a moment about what You are saying Jeff.



Its Jeff, not Marty.

The thousands of Mac 26s owners simply buy their boats and never take
them out? Never get them out of the harbor? And I should have to
provide proof that they actually do take them out? - Again, UTTERLY
PREPOSTEROUS.



Why preposterous? First of all, Macs are notorious as "first boat, not
used, sold in a few years, never sail again" boats.


From five years of sailing a Mac, participating in various Mac
discussion groups, watching other Mac owners take their boats out, etc.,
your contentions is simply absurd.



Second, although you admitted over and over again that Macs are not
offshore boats, you're claiming here that it preposterous to think that
they aren't taken offshore? Which way is it?


Both. - I acknowledged (not admitted) that the Macs weren't suitable for
ocean crossings or extended blue water sailing. That doesn't mean that
they aren't taken offshore.


I've sailed the New England coast every summer since Macs were Ventures,
and I've taken several years to go up and down the East Coast. But in
all of this, I've never seen Mac offshore, out in even 25 knot coastal
conditions. There have been Macs at the marinas I've used for the last
8 years, but I can count on the fingers of one hand (without using the
thumb) the number of times I've seen one leave the dock.


I see them leaving the docks all the time.

I'm not the only one with this experience - its been repeated by a
number of cruisers in this forum.

I'm not denying that a few Macs have gone to the Bahamas, Catalina, and
other slightly out of the way places. But this is not the same as being
several hundred miles offshore in a major storm.

Once more, attack me for what I said, not what you think I said.


I have seen reports of owners sailing them off Australia, in the
Mediterranean, off the coast of England, off the shore of California
(often to Catalina Is.), etc.



And yet, you've never been able to post a link here.




Wrong again. I have been able to post such links. I haven't posted such
links, because, as stated above over and over again, I have, and will,
provide evidence for my assertions, not for yours, or in response to
your questions. The assertion for which I will gladly provide evidence
is as follows:

MY ASSERTION WAS THAT NEITHER GANZ, OR ANY OF HIS MAC-BASHING BUDDIES,
HAVE PROVIDED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE MAC WOULD BREAK UP AND SINK IN
HEAVY WEATHER CONDITIONS.


Do I have to explain this to you again Jeff?

If I did, would you be satisfied? Or would you dig through all the
reports trying to discredit them any way you could? I'm not basing my
statements on any listing of specific sailings; rather, I'm saying
that it is simply preposterous for you or your buddies to say that,
with multiple thousands of Macs out there, there weren't incidents of
skippers getting into severe, difficult situations. (And again, in any
waters, not necessarily extended, blue-water voyages.)



Difficult conditions? Yes, but I'm sure that what a Mac considers
"difficult" is much different fron what other consider "difficult."

Again with the gross stupidity. Do you really think anyone is buying
this? Its like claiming that with so many UFO reports at least one
must be real. Have you been probed lately?

Wrong again . Because there are thousands of Macs out there, it
would be incredible to believe that they haven't been subject to
severe or difficult conditions of various kinds.



Again, a silly argument. With all the pigs out there, there must be one
that flies!

Don't think so Jeff. In fact, you're sort of making an ass of yourself
with that one.






- Remember that it was Ganz and others who made the assertions that
they would break up in heavy conditions.



I'm inclined to believe that all that would be found is an
unidentifiable foam block. The only question is how bad would it
have to be? A number of "unsinkable" boats have been lost. Most
multihulls have positive flotation, though a number have eventually
sunk, fortunately long after the crew has been rescued.


You're entitled to your own (unsupported) opinion, Marty, even if it's
wrong.



Marty might be wrong, but I'm Jeff. And I'm right.


Both of you are wrong.

But you did claim they would survive rather severe conditions.


What I said was that I thought that if Joe's boat were a Mac26M, it
wouldn't have sunk.



Actually you said he would be able to recover it, implying that he would
be alive.

There have been plenty of cases of much stronger boats breaking up.
And there have been plenty of cases of Macs suffering damage from
"average nasty" conditions. And a case of flooding from a rollover.

Really, Marty? So far I haven't seen the reports of "plenty of cases
of Macs suffering damage from average nasty conditions." Where are
those reports, Marty? Did I miss that particular post?



Oh come on, Jim. Its pretty easy to find cases of dismastings and
capsizes. And I've personally seen a broken rudder.



Lots of survivors have described their boats, especially smaller,
lighter boats, as been being like a washing machine. If you knew
anything about heavy weather you would appreciate that. The only
question is how much pounding could your boat take before a hatch
falls off and the boat floods.

...



Pure speculation, Marty. Interesting writing, however. It would make a
good fiction article.



So now you're admitting you've not only never been in heavy weather,
you've never read the the basic literature. As long as we all understand.


I have a number of responsibilities and haven't had time to take the
boat down to the Gulf. However, I intend to this Summer. - Ask me
again this Fall.



Sure thing. But you've said this every year.



I'll post my report this Fall. Ok?



With all the time you've said this, its preposterous to think that you
wouldn't do it eventually.


That's certainly on my to-do list for this Summer. I'm hoping to do some
fishing out there also.

Jim

JimC May 1st 08 05:47 AM

I decided
 


wrote:

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:11:29 GMT, JimC wrote:



cavelamb himself wrote:


JimC wrote:


Ganz, are you intentionally or maliciously distorting the points made
in my notes, or are you just stupid?

Jim



Hold up, Jim.

You seem to be expecting rational behavior and fair treatment from the
creatures inhabiting this list.

They, on the other hand, are having fun making sport of you via your boat.

Drop it and go on and enjoy sailing.

Maybe the first cartoon here will help...
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cavelamb/proof.htm


Richard



Richard, yours is one of the few rational responses posted so far in
this string.

As you may have noted, I don't spend a lot of time in discussions of the
Macs on alt.sailing.asa. However, I sometimes think that the MacBashers
have been getting something of a free ride. - Few Mac owners seem to be
willing to stick up for their boats on this ng, and it doesn't seem
right that a boat as popular, versatile, and fun to sail as the Mac26
shouldn't be supported by at least some of their owners. Also, I sense
that it's something of a shock to some of the MacBashers when they get
their asses kicked.

If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't continue doing it.

Jim



Anybody participating in this thread feel that Jim kicked their ass, or anybody
else's? Just curious...


You should have worded that question as: "Is anyone participating in
this thread honest enough to admit he got his ass kicked?"

Admittedly, you wouldn't get many honest responses.

Jim






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