Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
- ris
- Captain
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- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Frostproof Florida
Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
When we motor the X acts like a cow on ice if you are 6.5 mph and no rudders are down. When we use the autopilot at 6.5 mph with one rudder we go about 3 or 4 degrees off center each way. I was wondering if a 4 to 6 inch skeg running from the center board trunk to the aft of the boat would help in tracking while hand steering or on auto pilot. I looked but could not find anything about skegs in the mods or in the discussions. We use the X as a trawler so I am interested in the motoring aspect of the X. Any help would be appreciated.
- Ponaldpe
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- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
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Re: Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
This is what I did on my 26M , it dose help on the M boat I lost about a 1/2 MPH.ris wrote:When we motor the X acts like a cow on ice if you are 6.5 mph and no rudders are down. When we use the autopilot at 6.5 mph with one rudder we go about 3 or 4 degrees off center each way. I was wondering if a 4 to 6 inch skeg running from the center board trunk to the aft of the boat would help in tracking while hand steering or on auto pilot. I looked but could not find anything about skegs in the mods or in the discussions. We use the X as a trawler so I am interested in the motoring aspect of the X. Any help would be appreciated.
I glassed over form board, 2inch x 4 inch. if I was doing it again or when I knock them off might try making them thinner like the rudder.
- Herschel
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Re: Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
I am no doubt missing something here, ris, but with one rudder down, wouldn't that cause the boat to track off center, especially at 6 knots. I would think both rudders down would help, but I think the manual for the 26X recommends not using rudders or centerboard over 6 knots motoring. I have always used 6 knots as my change over point, beyond witch I make sure all blades are up.ris wrote:When we motor the X acts like a cow on ice if you are 6.5 mph and no rudders are down. When we use the autopilot at 6.5 mph with one rudder we go about 3 or 4 degrees off center each way. I was wondering if a 4 to 6 inch skeg running from the center board trunk to the aft of the boat would help in tracking while hand steering or on auto pilot. I looked but could not find anything about skegs in the mods or in the discussions. We use the X as a trawler so I am interested in the motoring aspect of the X. Any help would be appreciated.
- Ponaldpe
- First Officer
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- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: 2003 26M Lakeland, Florida
Re: Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
I would also say the if you made two because the X &M boats have two rudders , short rudders for trawler use, about the same depth as the motor skeg, would do the same, if not better.
- ris
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Re: Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
When you are on the boat for weeks at a time and you bath by getting in the water, out soap up and back in to rinse. Anchored and using the dinghy to go to shore, the rudder stuff on the X is in the way. With just one rudder on the starboard side, we can get on and off the boat easily. I think Chinook and others have built a platform over all that stuff but I just took it off. We took off the standard boat motor rudder apparatus, and we steer with the motor and a bar goes to the starboard rudder from the motor itself. If we steered with the rudders the problem might not be so bad. We are going on a couple of small river trips where the rivers are very narrow, shallow and wind around so much that 10 miles of river is 4 miles of a straight line. Google the Kissimmee River which runs from Lake Kissimmee in Central Florida down to Lake Okeechobee. You will see what I mean. I was hoping that with the centerboard down about 4 to 6 inches and then the skeg would continue from where the board ends to the back of the boat, it would help in tracking on the straight stretches of river and keep the back from sliding in the many turns of the river. This river is tannic (tea colored water) water and there are trees that fall in along the banks as the river rises and falls over time, so you have to keep a good watch and go slow. So we cannot use rudders because of the stuff in the water. I think as someone said you could make shallow water rudders that were longer horizontally and shallower vertically to get the same results. I think a skeg will cost about $150 and 20 hours labor to make and fiberglass. If it doesn't work it will just take a bit of grinding and sanding then repainting to put it back to the original boat bottom. If it does work it will simplify our boat travel.
- Ponaldpe
- First Officer
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Re: Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
Ris Do you know that they have closeing the canals off and returning the river? Many parts were blocked for construction. I do not know what the status is today, it ways blocked on the lower canal, neer Lorida north of US 98.ris wrote:When you are on the boat for weeks at a time and you bath by getting in the water, out soap up and back in to rinse. Anchored and using the dinghy to go to shore, the rudder stuff on the X is in the way. With just one rudder on the starboard side, we can get on and off the boat easily. I think Chinook and others have built a platform over all that stuff but I just took it off. We took off the standard boat motor rudder apparatus, and we steer with the motor and a bar goes to the starboard rudder from the motor itself. If we steered with the rudders the problem might not be so bad. We are going on a couple of small river trips where the rivers are very narrow, shallow and wind around so much that 10 miles of river is 4 miles of a straight line. Google the Kissimmee River which runs from Lake Kissimmee in Central Florida down to Lake Okeechobee. You will see what I mean. I was hoping that with the centerboard down about 4 to 6 inches and then the skeg would continue from where the board ends to the back of the boat, it would help in tracking on the straight stretches of river and keep the back from sliding in the many turns of the river. This river is tannic (tea colored water) water and there are trees that fall in along the banks as the river rises and falls over time, so you have to keep a good watch and go slow. So we cannot use rudders because of the stuff in the water. I think as someone said you could make shallow water rudders that were longer horizontally and shallower vertically to get the same results. I think a skeg will cost about $150 and 20 hours labor to make and fiberglass. If it doesn't work it will just take a bit of grinding and sanding then repainting to put it back to the original boat bottom. If it does work it will simplify our boat travel.
- ris
- Captain
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Re: Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
Ponaldpe, thanks for the tip. I will try and contact , Water Management and FWC to find out what is going on.
- Ixneigh
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Re: Would adding a skeg help in motoring the 26X?
The skeg mod helped my M a lot. Concur loss of topend speed but not at "trawler" speeds. Also concur thinner skegs. But mine are well glassed on. I'm too lazy to redo them.
My advice: glue them on temporarily to see. Glue them on with 5200 or such. I advise slightly deeper skegs NOT exactly lined up with the centerline of the boat. Chalk the centerline, measure off either side for each skeg and then bring the forward ends of them outboard an inch. That's just my gut instinct after using them for a few years. They also improve the sailing of the M model but will slightly hinder coming about with less board down
Ix
My advice: glue them on temporarily to see. Glue them on with 5200 or such. I advise slightly deeper skegs NOT exactly lined up with the centerline of the boat. Chalk the centerline, measure off either side for each skeg and then bring the forward ends of them outboard an inch. That's just my gut instinct after using them for a few years. They also improve the sailing of the M model but will slightly hinder coming about with less board down
Ix