DIFFICULTIES MAINTAINING STRAIGHT COURSE

[oceanview2]

We Bought Our 2012 Macgregor 26m At The Factory Last Oct.
Done As Much Sailing As Time Permits. Only Found One Thing Annoying About This Boat. And I Researched It Thoriughly For Two Years Before Owning It.
That Boat Will Not Keep A Steady Course. With Calm Seas And Good Wind We Set The Sails And Head For A Decided Point Of Distant Land.
Yet It Is Necessary To Constantly Compensate At The Wheel.
Ive Owned Other Centerboard Boats. WESTERLY NIMROD FIXED KEEL. SUNFISH. SNARK. NO PROBLEM.
The Boats Obeyed The Rudders.
On A Mac 26m, What Can Be Causing The Boat To Not Be Going Exactly Where We Want To Go.
Appreciate any advice. This boat should not be wandering. It's Rogers best ever.
IN

[Wind Chime]

I'm sure you'll get lots of replies on this question.

The first two things that come to mind are:
1) People moving around on this light boat changes the boats course due to hull contact change in water.
2) If you motor is still attached to the steering system, the weight will move the rudders.

Darry Major
Commodore, MacGregor Yacht Club of BC
http://www.mycbc.ca

[Paul S]

Not uncommon. Have the same issue.

To help minimize it, you need to ensure your rudders are parallel. I can guarantee they are not. Mine were several inches out of alignment. You need to raise the rudders (on trailer) til they stick strait back, measure between the rudders at the front and back. take the tie rod out and bend it until the measurements are close to the same. There is a lot of freeplay in the steering system, so don't lose sleep if the measurements are off a bit.

Also, normal sailboat stuff - ensure the standing rigging is tuned right, gear is stowed somewhat balanced, learn to trim your sails better (probably the main cause).

the steering system isn't the Ms strong suit. Plan on replacing your steering rack in year 4-5, it will fail at some point due to the stress of the system.

But I do find trimming the sails makes a HUGE difference. The problem is the Mac bobs around so much, that even perfectly trimmed sails will go out of whack after hitting a wake or wave...causing you to re-trim it.. over and over. Just the nature of the beast

[robbarnes1965]

I used to find it the case but I guess I've gotten so used to it. I never did check the alignment...

The Mac is quirky. It also is initially very tender which took getting used to but it stabilizes well once she's heeled over a bit. I've had mine 5 years now and like it more all the time.

[EZ]

I recommend checking the simple/easy stuff that others have mentioned first.

Then check steering tension in the pedestal. On my '04 M the dealer (Arena Yachts) installed a hand adjuster (hand screw and coil spring) and a port to access it on the pedestal.

I think boats without this mod still have some sort of adjustment nut against a coil spring. Tighten the nut, spring compresses, and steering tension increases. Use caution when tightening as if it is too tight it will overload the rack and pinion steering.

Also, you may want to check your rudder for/aft adjustment. It is adjusted using a small bolt against the rudder bracket. If it is adjusted too far forward, it will make your steering unstable.

[dlandersson]

Don't drink so much until AFTER you dock?

We Bought Our 2012 Macgregor 26m At The Factory Last Oct.
Done As Much Sailing As Time Permits. Only Found One Thing Annoying About This Boat. And I Researched It Thoriughly For Two Years Before Owning It.
That Boat Will Not Keep A Steady Course. With Calm Seas And Good Wind We Set The Sails And Head For A Decided Point Of Distant Land.
Yet It Is Necessary To Constantly Compensate At The Wheel.
Ive Owned Other Centerboard Boats. WESTERLY NIMROD FIXED KEEL. SUNFISH. SNARK. NO PROBLEM.
The Boats Obeyed The Rudders.
On A Mac 26m, What Can Be Causing The Boat To Not Be Going Exactly Where We Want To Go.
Appreciate any advice. This boat should not be wandering. It's Rogers best ever.
IN

[1st Sail]

My '06 M is quite the opposite. When got the boat the first thing I noticed is that it tracks like it's on rails. I could not be more satisfied with how it tracks. Lake sailed it last fall in 12-15mph winds on a reach for 8 miles with one finger on the wheel. In fact we played around with the sail trim just to steer port or starboard a few degrees. I have always felt that my boat was set up very well by Bill @ Boats for Sail.
I don't doubt your issue but am at a loss as to why some boats won't track.
My rudders are close to true but not perfect. I always sail with the motor up. I added the BWY quick release last season but even with the motor hooked to the steering system it tracked the same. You have to hang on to the wheel due to the weight shift of the motor. That is moot point however as you should be able to hold the wheel steady and maintain course.

A couple things come to mind: mast angle, and rigging tension.
Beyond the above I always try to match sail area to wind conditons. My experience is more sail area than needed leads to excessive heal and less control with no real speed improvements. I have 3 head sails and reefs in the main to keep heal less than 20' optimal heal is 10-15 and the boat tracks perfectly.
Correct foresail and mainsail areas with respect to wind conditions will affect your CE(center of effort) and thus the balance of the boat. I have found sail area and sheeting angles most effect overall balance fore and aft.

The Mac is still a light boat so in most wave conditions you are going to get pushed around.

I'm curious how does the boat track with 4-6 in keel, rudders down, motoring 3-9mph? You should have a minor amount of rudder correction to compensate for prop walk. Again mine track well.

Let us know what you find out. There are many here with more more experience.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Yes, agree, I remember when I first took the boat out sailing by myself, I was amazed how well it tracked compared to my last (and much more popular here..) boat. I went up on the foredeck a coupla times to take video while the boat sailed itself (my motor was actually connected from memory, but up). Could not possibly have done that with my last boat... My rudders are a bit sloppy I'd say, but I'v not worried about it..

I reckon it has to be in the way its setup, or perhaps heaps (more than mine) slop in your steering system..

[Chinook]

With our 26X, I've noticed tracking difficulty while motoring, and it's seemed to be related, at least in part, to weight distribution. At the start of an extended cruise, with a lot of weight (extra fuel, provisions, etc.) stowed in the stern half of the boat, she was quite hard to keep on course. As fuel load decreased, steering tended to improve. I think attention to trim is helpful in gaining better steering performance.

[oceanview2]

THANKS FOR ADDITIONAL INPUT. ALOT OF VALUABLE INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS.
JOINING THE FORUM WAS A GOOD MOVE.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Yes, its a great forum, but your NOT ALLOWED TO SHOUT!

[Crikey]

[mastreb]

yep, if you're having tracking problems with your caps lock, leave it in the lower position