Duane,
if it overflows from the air vent, where can the water get to?
If it's the bilge area - ie under the ice chest where I have my leak, then that might just be a possible answer.

Absolutely right. I use BOTH valves for filling and draining ballast.

Paul, No doesn't apply to me. Knew all about the ballast drain underneath. However, am bringing her back this weekend to pursue the leak. Will keep all posted! Take a look at this link to the web cam where my Mac is on a swinging mooring. This is north west Wales. www.barmouthwebcam.co.uk Regards Ma...

paul,
yes, keep us posted. I will do the same. Trailering mine back from the coast to a river next week. Going to dry it out completely, then drop in water and watch for leak to appear. Then fill ballast tanks and see what happens then.
Watch this space!
Regards
Max

pclark..
I would be very interested to discover the leak. I suspect mine is something to do with the keel casing too.
Max

Kev, fair comments. I agree with you - but there is still a nagging doubt, particularly as the 'M' is thicker there as I stated. Louis, Checked all of those. But the previous owner had glassed in some wood to hold the batteries. I know he lost the keel - maybe it caused some damage as it hit a bank ...

Noticed on the 'Engines' thread that Dimitri says that the 'M' has alot more fibre glass where the dagger board casing meets the hull. Interesting....Just spoken to MacGregor here in the UK and they said that heavy lateral movement of the keel can cause fractures where the case meets the hull. Is th...

sorry everyone, hit the submit button twice by mistake

Thought I'd start this post even though Catigale has one on going, mainly because I want to keep this leak thing prominent. take a look at my reply to Catigale's problem. My boat on a swinging mooring which bottoms twice a day onto soft mud in one area or sand/tiny shells in the other. In my 1996 26...

Catigale, Interesting. I too have sea water leak - 1996 mac X. Under the ice chest (that I don't put in, as my batteries are down there. It appears to be - tho not sure - to be coming from the bottom of the keel housing where it meets the hull. Taken out 2.5 galls so far ie 0.5 galls per 7 hour tide...

yeah - good stories! My Mac on a swinging mooring in a drying estuary. Limited to 2 hours +/- high water....that is for all the keel boats. Even then pushing it. Me and my Mac? at least 3 and 1/2 hours either side high water, giving me 7 hours sailing time! :) The members of our yacht club overlooki...

catigale..
as an aside to stop the Mac dance on my swinging mooring:
I use an old car tyre on a short rope - just under surface.
Stops the dance brilliantly. Don't let out too much rope, or tyre can bury itself and you'll never get it out!
Sorry to go off post slightly!
Max

Valid points all.
Worth a debate. I will be inspecting the spreaders on a regulat basis after reading all this.
Many thanks all.

mike Yes, thanks for the info. hadn't thought about the end cap. Wonder if I could fashion another end cap to use with heavier gauge? I might mess around with different gauges during the winter. Max PS had a great sail off barmouth yesterday. 4 dolphins ran with the bow wave. A very humbling experie...

Just to say that I always keep the baby stays on. If the mast did come down accidentally, they will stop the whole thing going over the side.