Steering Upgrade

[Berber Boy]

Last week i bit the bullet and ordered the upgraded steering and cable kit from BWY. Surprisingly it arrived in 4 days so today I have removed the old one and installed the upgrade. Although I have not put WindSong in the water yet, the slop in the former Rack and pinion is gone entirely. It was not difficult and took me about three and half hours
I'll try it out in next few days and report back.
Sorry I have been lost for a couple of years but have now retired and live in Paynesville on the East Gippsland Lakes.

My ten year old original Dacron Sails have become Potbellied so am looking at upgrading those as well. Have any Aussie members upgraded sails and what has been your experience.

Dave

[Berber Boy]

Upgraded post upgraded Steering.
Had almost no wind today so took Windsong out to test the new steeering upgrade for three hours under motor. Tested with and without Ballast at varying speeds up t 17.5 knots.
The improvement was way above all expectations under all conditions. Can't wait until get some new sails up and see how it all fits together.
Dave

[sunshinecoasting]

Hi Dave,

In relation to your sails, I still have the original main and it is pot bellied also although I can remove some of that with the vang, however about 2 years ago my original Gyb exploded in the wind and I had to replace it, I found a like for like replacement at Evolution sails on the gold coast, just Google evolution sales you will find them, about $650 I think and although no racing sail it certainly works and furls just like the original, I will probably go to them for a main when its time to replace that too. Good guys to deal with and they had all the correct patterns for Macgregor sails on their machines, the fitment was perfect. You can see the Gyb here on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/dennis.lithgow

Cheers, Dennis.

[Berber Boy]

Thanks Dennis,
It is good to know that Mac owners can replace sails reasonably here in Oz. Thanks for sharing that.
Since coming here to East Gippsland I joined the local sailing club. They have a group called "Ancient Mariners" and we race on Tuesday. I say race not in the strictest sense but rather Stern chasing with Handicaps for each boat. At first I thought to engage with my and could have but crewing on other boats soon demonstrated to me the limitations of my much loved in terms of upwind pointing and close steady/ fine maneuverability. Once you have to forego the luxury of cruising to the available winds and exchange it for a well defined marked out course, my Macm , at least struggles to perform.
Like many others I have , in my mind , discussed whether I should sell and buy something more suitable for racing. However, The Lakes here are ideal for MACs because of their beaching and live aboard capacities as well as ability to go under motor in quite shallow waters. I value that highly and so have determined that my retirement project will be to upgrade my as much as I can, to make it the most versatilee it can be and then live with those limitations that remain.t
I am having a jib and main cut and assembled in a cruising laminate designed and assembled by a friend who is a successful sail-maker. The main will be fully battened and a roach at the top. The sails will be flatter and will resist sagginess. The steering upgrade was the first step and now the sails. They are not Cheap but I am hoping the investment will be worth it. Retirement with Kids away from home has the virtue of having a bit more disposable income to experiment or use. So watch this space. I'll share how it goes no matter whether my hoped for performance will be realised or not.

Cheers
Dave

Hi Dave,

In relation to your sails, I still have the original main and it is pot bellied also although I can remove some of that with the vang, however about 2 years ago my original Gyb exploded in the wind and I had to replace it, I found a like for like replacement at Evolution sails on the gold coast, just Google evolution sales you will find them, about $650 I think and although no racing sail it certainly works and furls just like the original, I will probably go to them for a main when its time to replace that too. Good guys to deal with and they had all the correct patterns for Macgregor sails on their machines, the fitment was perfect. You can see the Gyb here on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/dennis.lithgow

Cheers, Dennis.