Crash tests on a Mac?

[Oskar 26M]

I came across these via the Aussie TrailerSailerPlace forum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=re ... pw2E&gl=US
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdVHhg5600Y&feature=fvw

Does anyone know of any similar tests on a Mac?

[Lloyd Franks]

Not sure what the purpose is...Sailboats aren't very fast, and unless you hit a pier or a dock, most collisions would be with another floating object. And because of the hull shape, most encounters would be glancing...

[Russ]

Not sure what the purpose is...Sailboats aren't very fast, and unless you hit a pier or a dock, most collisions would be with another floating object. And because of the hull shape, most encounters would be glancing...

Except Mac X/Ms can go very fast.
From what I can gather, there really are VERY few instances with Macs having troubles.
I've only heard of one capsizing and that was with an extremely overloaded unballasted boat with a drunk skipper. Others have turned over on their sides, but never completely capsizing.
Considering how many are out there and how few accidents reported, that speaks well for the boat.

--Russ

[waternwaves]

When mac's are going fast, lets say twice the speed of that dehler.......

they travel right over obstructions like that and take out the lower unit on the outboard.

or at worst, put a hole in the ballast tank, with only a few inches of centerboard down when powering at high speeds, an X boat CB will probably kick up,, an m boat...........????


I've often wondered....
Ive often wondered, if dagger boards are such an improvement, why not make the M boat rudders dagger style instead of swing style???

enquiring minds.

[technicalman]

I've already hit objects with my rudder and swing keel on my 26s. I'm willing to sacrifice a little speed for the swing keel and kickup rudder. If i had the daggerboard, i would have had to replace them a couple of times already.

When mac's are going fast, lets say twice the speed of that dehler.......

they travel right over obstructions like that and take out the lower unit on the outboard.

or at worst, put a hole in the ballast tank, with only a few inches of centerboard down when powering at high speeds, an X boat CB will probably kick up,, an m boat...........????


I've often wondered....
Ive often wondered, if dagger boards are such an improvement, why not make the M boat rudders dagger style instead of swing style???

enquiring minds.

[delevi]

why not make the M boat rudders dagger style instead of swing style???

If that means eliminating the slop and a stronger bracket setup, I'm all for it, especially if such a setup would hold up to larger rudders. Personally, I think the kick-up rudder system is a "less than seaworthy" arrangement. One of the weakest links on the boat IMHO. In fact, and I've been on this soapbox in the past, the fins on both Mac and are a complete embarassment. I''m sure Roger is embarassed all the way to the bank

I made a good keel solution but not for the rudder as of yet. Have toyed around with the idea of modifying the existing brackets to twice current thickness, adding some sort of torque mechanism to compress the bracket and having rudders made of solid fiberglass which would have the same profile/shape as stock but 12 inches longer. Since I"m not a handy-man and don't have a workshop in my garage, It may take a while to find a way to do such a project at a reasonable cost.

or at worst, put a hole in the ballast tank, with only a few inches of centerboard down when powering at high speeds, an X boat CB will probably kick up,, an m boat...........????

Motoring at high speeds, all fins should be up, so unless one is careless, it shouldn't be an issue. I ran aground a couple times while under sail with my heavy duty DB. No issues so far. Stock board may have snapped. Both times were mud. Nothing solid, fortunately. The DB trunk is supposed to be able to take quite a bit of punishment... so I'm told.

Leon

[DaveB]

I took out my Mac.X swing keel and reglassed the split head a year ago, just looked under it today to take pictures of Trailer and how it sits on the trailer frame and saw a good chunk missing at forward bottom.
I probably never felt the impac and one of those belivers in Swing Centerboard over thin waters or debree floating or just below the surface. A Daggerboard probably stoped me cold or would have broken off.
Even rudders I have a auto quick release in case I hit something.
Dave

I've often wondered....
Ive often wondered, if dagger boards are such an improvement, why not make the M boat rudders dagger style instead of swing style???

enquiring minds.[/quote]

[jschrade]

Replacing a snapped daggerboard? Beyond easy.
Replacing a damaged swing keel? Boating root canal!

Having played with swing keels, they require maintenance or they get stuck or break. Where there are moving parts, there are problems.

I think it's a fallacy that swing keels can ground or hit objects and not become damaged. If it's a hard enough hit to break off a daggerboard, which is a lot, it will certainly do damage to a swing keel. That damage could be quite costly to fix and have you out of the water for some time.

The swing keel is the first thing you should check if you are purchasing that type of boat.


Jim

[Boblee]

Well I've grounded the rudders, the daggerboard and the whole boat many times and I doubt there are many who travel to as many rough places as we do but touch wood have never snapped anything but am extremely careful as most places we go are very remote and we can't afford to be stranded.
If in doubt will take the dinghy with a GPS and then pilot the Mac though with it later, like on the road slow and steady is better.
Note we have probably 600 motor hours up and very little has been on "safe" waters but really can't see any reason for Roger to "crash" test.

[waternwaves]

I inspect my centerboard and cable every spring.
I have had to remove it twice for repairs.

Did it by lifting the aft end of the boat off the trailer. 4 inch gouge on the bottom one year, 6" split leading edge middle of the board 3 years later.

centerboard came out and went back in fixed just fine each time.

Seriously, There are few things on this boat I have not bent, broken, replaced, patched or rewelded or epoxied.

I havent found removing the CB very time consuming.

[SkiDeep2001]

Isn't that what "crash test dummies" are for? Rob