Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

A forum for discussing issues relating to trailers and towing MacGregor sailboats.
User avatar
kmclemore
Site Admin
Posts: 6037
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:24 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Ambler, PA -- MACX2018A898 w/ Tohatsu 50D -- 78 BW Harpoon 4.6 -- 2018 Tahoe 550TF w/ 150 Merc

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by kmclemore »

Excellent! Glad it worked out for you, Steph. Looking forward to the photos.
User avatar
beene
Site Admin
Posts: 2546
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 5:31 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Ontario Canada, '07 26M, Merc 75 4s PEGASUS

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by beene »

Glad to hear that Steph

Safe and sound
User avatar
Catigale
Site Admin
Posts: 10421
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:59 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Admiral .............Catigale 2002X.......Lots of Harpoon Hobie 16 Skiffs....Island 17
Contact:

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Catigale »

The ugly crack

Image

Look how much angle the tongue took pulling the boat out....Caitlin strips off the hardware while Harry and I "manage" by filling out some spreadsheets

Image

Cutting the brace to size

Image
User avatar
Catigale
Site Admin
Posts: 10421
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:59 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Admiral .............Catigale 2002X.......Lots of Harpoon Hobie 16 Skiffs....Island 17
Contact:

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Catigale »

The Fulton 1600 was abused about 5x over its design limit but it held!! I actually broke it backing the trailer on flat land and catching it on a lip. It's repairable.

Image

Brace strapped in place. Thin wood spacer is filling gap between 4x4 and the tongue caused by lip of I-beam. The white dock line is a safety in case the tongue separated.

Image

Harry quickly fabbed a 7 pin to 4 pin adapter for my lights. I gave a tail light issue on my van that cropped up on this trip

Image
User avatar
Catigale
Site Admin
Posts: 10421
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:59 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Admiral .............Catigale 2002X.......Lots of Harpoon Hobie 16 Skiffs....Island 17
Contact:

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Catigale »

Bravo Zulu, team

Image
User avatar
NavySailor
Engineer
Posts: 160
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:55 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 25
Location: Manassas, VA

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by NavySailor »

Happy to hear that all ended well! :D
User avatar
Harry van der Meer
First Officer
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2004 10:00 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Warwick Neck, RI

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Harry van der Meer »

I'm glad I was able to help you. It was great to get to know you and Caitlin.

Leona and I ended up have a great day on the water Sunday. Winds were a little light but temps were great. We splurged on our annual Macho Nachos at Thames Waterside in Bristol, RI overlooking the beautiful harbor.
User avatar
Russ
Admiral
Posts: 7543
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:01 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Bozeman, Montana "Luna Azul" 2008 M 70hp Suzi

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Russ »

Awesome.

Great folks on this forum.
Truck1par
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:52 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Texas

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Truck1par »

Just had to grimace at your misfortune. Last June my axle broke roughly the same way with the boat onboard. Tires rubbing the hull and all......A 4x4 and some cheap utility line held the axle until Freedom was home on the hard. Two axles now adorn the trailer and I want to inspect the tongue.......As to the brakes...A 4x4 Ford Ranger usually tows my boat short distances without the brakes...initially from New Port Ritchie to Texas when I first bought her.... :o
User avatar
Catigale
Site Admin
Posts: 10421
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:59 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Admiral .............Catigale 2002X.......Lots of Harpoon Hobie 16 Skiffs....Island 17
Contact:

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Catigale »

Quick update

I decided to repair the trailer in kind, and plan a new trailer after season 2016.

I'm getting an extra 2 feet of heavier box steel tongue in place if my broken one, but staying one axle for now.
User avatar
Highlander
Admiral
Posts: 5982
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:25 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Maccutter26M 2008 75HP Merc. 4/S Victoria BC. Can. ' An Hileanto'ir III '
Contact:

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Highlander »

Catigale wrote:Quick update

I decided to repair the trailer in kind, and plan a new trailer after season 2016.

I'm getting an extra 2 feet of heavier box steel tongue in place if my broken one, but staying one axle for now.
Thinking the extra 2ft should make the trl sway less !!

J 8)
User avatar
Russ
Admiral
Posts: 7543
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:01 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Bozeman, Montana "Luna Azul" 2008 M 70hp Suzi

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Russ »

Highlander wrote:
Catigale wrote:Quick update

I decided to repair the trailer in kind, and plan a new trailer after season 2016.

I'm getting an extra 2 feet of heavier box steel tongue in place if my broken one, but staying one axle for now.
Thinking the extra 2ft should make the trl sway less !!

J 8)
I'm no mechanical engineer.
So why didn't macgregor do this from the start? And would 4 feet be better?
K9Kampers
Admiral
Posts: 2441
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:32 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH, former 26X owner

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by K9Kampers »

I think the answer, Russ, from an engineering perspective, is the goal of the factory to be able to fit two trailered boats in a shipping container. Second to that, as has been explored on other "Why didn't the factory add..." threads is again the goal of the factory to control the cost of the of the final product.
User avatar
kmclemore
Site Admin
Posts: 6037
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:24 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Ambler, PA -- MACX2018A898 w/ Tohatsu 50D -- 78 BW Harpoon 4.6 -- 2018 Tahoe 550TF w/ 150 Merc

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by kmclemore »

And as to why the two feet would be better, it indeed would make the trailer somewhat less likely to sway, but it also puts your trailer further in the water whilst loading/unloading and hence you can use more shallow angle ramps without your car's rear axle (or the trailer's whole tongue) in the drink.
User avatar
Russ
Admiral
Posts: 7543
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:01 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Bozeman, Montana "Luna Azul" 2008 M 70hp Suzi

Re: Trailer emergency Westport MA pan-pan

Post by Russ »

kmclemore wrote:And as to why the two feet would be better, it indeed would make the trailer somewhat less likely to sway, but it also puts your trailer further in the water whilst loading/unloading and hence you can use more shallow angle ramps without your car's rear axle (or the trailer's whole tongue) in the drink.
Now that's a good plus to lengthening the tongue. I see the keel boats use these long 10' extenders. It's quite involved.

I bet it would be fairly easy to do this on the alum trailer. It's just bolted onto the aluminum I beams.
Post Reply