ballast filling with a light outboard

[BOAT]

And I don't care what other people think, with my topping lift flapping around under sail. But I do pull my fenders in.

Yeah, I don't know why I am so anal about that - I should not be like that.

Maybe? Maybe I would feel more comfortable with the topping lift flapping around when other boats are near if i had a pennant or something up there - Uh, a flag for this website maybe? Or can we start our own yaght club? (Hey, there's an idea)

I guess I will get a black jolly roger and pin it half way up the topping lift - that should make it less annoying to me.

[Tomfoolery]

And I don't care what other people think, with my topping lift flapping around under sail. But I do pull my fenders in.

Yeah, I don't know why I am so anal about that - I should not be like that.

Maybe? Maybe I would feel more comfortable with the topping lift flapping around when other boats are near if i had a pennant or something up there.

An ideal place for the National Ensign or Yacht Ensign.

[KootsChewt]

I would start by losing the halyard shackle that's attached to the boom, and is sitting quite crooked at that. I use an adjustable topping lift, and have it set long enough that it's totally slack when sailing. It's just long enough to keep it off my head when the main sail is dropped, but for more room in the cockpit at the dock or at anchor, I take a few turns around the outhaul cleat to shorten it.

And I don't care what other people think, with my topping lift flapping around under sail. But I do pull my fenders in.

I think I'll copy the adjustable lift this guy came up with -> https://stingysailor.com/2014/03/29/boo ... olution-2/ - I already have the cable there, may as well make use of it!

[KootsChewt]

snip...

Another thing - if that picture of a boom is your boom (Koots) then you have a main furler - that's a very handy thing to have when under way (they suck for trailering but are really nice for sailing)

If your having in a lot of issues heeling too much you can just furl that main right down a few feet and solve that issue really fast in a few seconds with just a pull of a line. That inmon furler can be used to "select" how much heel you want. Have you tried using it under way?

We are still learning to use the thing without getting frustrated actually, it tends to bind at the front near the mast... but now I'm wondering if that is due in part to having the topping lift hooked up when dropping the main... maybe with that adjustable lift I referenced in my last post I can drop the boom a bit and that might help.

One thing though, both the furling line and the halyard are a bit too short to reach from the cockpit at either end, so I'll have to replace both with something a bit longer.

[BOAT]

snip...

Another thing - if that picture of a boom is your boom (Koots) then you have a main furler - that's a very handy thing to have when under way (they suck for trailering but are really nice for sailing)

If your having in a lot of issues heeling too much you can just furl that main right down a few feet and solve that issue really fast in a few seconds with just a pull of a line. That inmon furler can be used to "select" how much heel you want. Have you tried using it under way?

We are still learning to use the thing without getting frustrated actually, it tends to bind at the front near the mast... but now I'm wondering if that is due in part to having the topping lift hooked up when dropping the main... maybe with that adjustable lift I referenced in my last post I can drop the boom a bit and that might help.

One thing though, both the furling line and the halyard are a bit too short to reach from the cockpit at either end, so I'll have to replace both with something a bit longer.

If I were you I would definitely get that boom topping lift relaxed and lube up that furling rig and get all the lines working long as needed because it's a great thing to have when underway. In fact, I would say that the inmon furler is one of the best safety devices ever created for the MacGregor. I sailed the black boat at the factory with Mike and I too had a hard time getting the knack of pulling the furler line and the halyard together but it works just like the Genoa furler (for you guys that have never used the inmon furler) Just like on the genoa furler - you hold the furling line in one hand and the genoa sheet in the other and as you pull in one you pay out the other with just the right tension to make sure everything rolls up nice and neat. If you already have the hang of the genoa furler then your ready for the main furler - you work it the same way - you need to hold the halyard taught as you pull the furler and visa versa - that how you keep it from binding. I watched captain Mike roll it up back and forth many times under sail and at dock very easy. He had practice. That main furler will end your need to sit on the main sheet if heeling is bothering you; just use it. I don't have one - in fact Captain Mike included one for my boat when I bought it and I asked him to not include it - my reason was that I know I would be trailering the boat ALOT and I would not be able to handle that boom like that, but a furling main is a really really great thing to have on a MacGregor, (on ANY water ballasted boat for that fact). You have it so you should USE it.

[KootsChewt]

...snip

We are still learning to use the thing without getting frustrated actually, it tends to bind at the front near the mast... but now I'm wondering if that is due in part to having the topping lift hooked up when dropping the main... maybe with that adjustable lift I referenced in my last post I can drop the boom a bit and that might help.

One thing though, both the furling line and the halyard are a bit too short to reach from the cockpit at either end, so I'll have to replace both with something a bit longer.

If I were you I would definitely get that boom topping lift relaxed and lube up that furling rig and get all the lines working long as needed because it's a great thing to have when underway. In fact, I would say that the inmon furler is one of the best safety devices ever created for the MacGregor. I sailed the black boat at the factory with Mike and I too had a hard time getting the knack of pulling the furler line and the halyard together but it works just like the Genoa furler (for you guys that have never used the inmon furler) Just like on the genoa furler - you hold the furling line in one hand and the genoa sheet in the other and as you pull in one you pay out the other with just the right tension to make sure everything rolls up nice and neat. If you already have the hang of the genoa furler then your ready for the main furler - you work it the same way - you need to hold the halyard taught as you pull the furler and visa versa - that how you keep it from binding. I watched captain Mike roll it up back and forth many times under sail and at dock very easy. He had practice. That main furler will end your need to sit on the main sheet if heeling is bothering you; just use it. I don't have one - in fact Captain Mike included one for my boat when I bought it and I asked him to not include it - my reason was that I know I would be trailering the boat ALOT and I would not be able to handle that boom like that, but a furling main is a really really great thing to have on a MacGregor, (on ANY water ballasted boat for that fact). You have it so you should USE it.

Thanks for that feedback BOAT! Now for my super-duper novice question... what am I lubing (ie the drum? the line? other??), and what should I lube it with.

[BOAT]

I don't know but there must be some sort of maintenance for that thing - i would make sure I have it set up well - unfortunately I have no info for you.

[NiceAft]

First of all, the degree of comfort while heeling is personal. I'm lucky in that the Admiral really enjoys the thrill of heeling in excess of forty-five degrees. Your not moving anywhere, but it's fun (for some, not all).

Second, when you're in the captains seat, steering your , your adding weight to the stern. You may be quite level then, but just not realizing it. Your being back does lift the bow somewhat.

One of the techniques of getting a stuck anchor unstuck is hauling up your anchor line until it is taut, and then going as far aft as you can and jump up and down rhythmically. Your weight will lift the bow just being in the seat, but it really doesn't matter. Just enjoy the sailing.

I have a 150 Genoa, and as with any sail, you can adjust for the wind. That is if you have a furler for that Genny. You can also adjust the traveler to let more wind out of your main.

Let the boat heel a little beyond your comfort zone, and then let out the main sheet. You will see how quickly your Mac will straighten up and fly right.

Ray

[BOAT]

You guys that are getting all sweaty about the heeling issue are going to embarrass us in front of the yacht club crowd.

[KootsChewt]

I *felt* like I was further over than those guys!

[BOAT]

I *felt* like I was further over than those guys!

You guys are embarrassing me. We are better than THOSE guys!

[Herschel]

I *felt* like I was further over than those guys!

You guys are embarrassing me. We are better than THOSE guys!

How is this Boat?

I'm getting 17 degrees of heel here! And single-handed! And on purpose!

[NiceAft]

BOAT,

Those pictures aren't examples of heeling. That's their standard operational cruising angle. This is heeling. Woohoo

Our angle gauge stops at 40 degreees, and we kept going I've been known to tell power boaters that I can give them more thrills at three MPH on my sailboat, than they can get at fifty on their boats..

Ray

[BOAT]

Okay, not bad Herschel, and I commend you using an old RIEKER Mechanical Inclinometer



BUT, if that's a model 2058 I see there like the one above (only goes up to 40 degrees); well, that's not going to do at all - no no -

I recommend you pull that off there and move up to the RIEKER model 2055 a REAL MAC M boat sailors Mechanical Inclinometer for your boat:



THAT'S the RIEKER instrument you need for the M boat - it goes up to 60 degrees!

Most of us are running the old black and yellow 45 degree Lev-O-Gage double sticky taped to out boat by the factory (mine is, which is good because I can't wait to get rid of it and get a proper Mechanical Inclinometer worthy of the M boat). If you click on the picture below the image will expand and you will see the crappy Lev-O-Gage at 42. (I'm changing mine out to a RIEKER 2055 this summer).


https://vimeo.com/176823065


I have posted this before - I was pointing hard because I needed to make the mouth of the harbor still four miles away and too lazy to tack (as you can see too lazy to even get off my back) so I was not going to back off my course even one degree or at that distance I would miss the harbor mouth - but If you click on the link you will see that the boat sails along between 20 and 30 degrees when I have it hauled in real tight like that and the wind will try to push the boat over 45 degrees but it just can't - the boat hits a wall at about 42 degrees and just stops - it's as solid as a rock and my ground speed did not fall off one bit. You can see that genoa really pulling in the horsepower by the stretch marks in the luff - it's putting out maximum power - we are not slowing down even one tiny bit.
https://vimeo.com/176823065

[Tomfoolery]

Okay, not bad Herschel, and I commend you using an old RIEKER Mechanical Inclinometer



BUT, if that's a model 2058 I see there like the one above (only goes up to 40 degrees); well, that's not going to do at all - no no -

I recommend you pull that off there and move up to the RIEKER model 2055 a REAL MAC M boat sailors Mechanical Inclinometer for your boat:



THAT'S the RIEKER instrument you need for the M boat - it goes up to 60 degrees!

I couldn't find the His-'n-hers clinometer, but it looks like this, with the two scales appropriately labeled. The admiral wouldn't be happy if I pinned the upper one (she doesn't like 'tilting', and would much prefer a stinkpot ), while I'm happy to at least run the lower ball mid-scale or more.