Richard O'Brien wrote: . . . The water was at the rail and still a good distance from the companionway, so I have confidence in the boat, and I feel pretty good about the CDI furler now too.
It's a fortunate & very important point for everyone to realize. The Mac is designed to not take water into the cabin, even with mast lying horizontal on the surface.
Richard O'Brien wrote:. . . Maybe I should lean that Mast back a couple of degrees now though.
Agreed. It's pretty startling to find ZERO weatherhelm, and I too have sometimes wondered about readjusting my mast rake (aftwise) to Roger's original setting of 86 degrees. We move it forward to reduce weatherhelm, but we lose some other benefits that way ... helm and pointing.
No answer here, just wondering along with you.
Richard O'Brien wrote:there was just no weather helm
What was your sailing speed at the time this happened? Does weather helm happen if you are sailing very slowly? Seems to me when I was going very slowly and caught a big beam wind I would heel over but not weather helm. But when sailing with some way on it would translate into more weather helm.
Not sure if that makes any difference.
Exactly how do you rake the mast with no backstay? If you loosen the forestay some and tighten the shrouds will that impart some rake to the mast?
Frank C wrote:It's a fortunate & very important point for everyone to realize. The Mac is designed to not take water into the cabin, even with the mast lying horizontal on the surface.
I believe it was last year that the Admiral and I were sailing at more than a 45 degree heel (the indicator stops at 45) when I realized that we left the ports (we had two installed for cross ventilation)open in the cabin. She went below to close them, and just then she saw water starting to come in. She closed them quickly. I told her that there is a nautical term for water coming in a port hole. It's called SINKING
c130king wrote:Exactly how do you rake the mast with no backstay? If you loosen the forestay some and tighten the shrouds will that impart some rake to the mast?
The rake is determined by the balance between the forestay and shrouds - mainly the uppers. The position of the chainplates aft of the mast step, together with the backward rake of the spreaders, means that tightening the upper shrouds (and to some extent the lowers) will pull the mast back. The forestay obviously has to be slackened the equivalent amount to effect the rake and keep proper tension.
It's the same on the X, the backstay doesn't really play much part. My X has an adjustable backstay - I can slacken it right off and the mast stays firmly set.
c130king wrote:
What was your sailing speed at the time this happened? Does weather helm happen if you are sailing very slowly? Seems to me when I was going very slowly and caught a big beam wind I would heel over but not weather helm. But when sailing with some way on it would translate into more weather helm.
Not sure if that makes any difference.
Exactly how do you rake the mast with no backstay? If you loosen the forestay some and tighten the shrouds will that impart some rake to the mast?
Also wondering.
Thanks for the info.
Jim
Hi Jim
It seems to me that I was doing about 3 kts. headed upwind with about 10kts. of wind. i had just seen the dark edge approaching , and was turning to port to try and get a slightly downhill run. It was a little more than I anticipated. I had just replaced my mast (another story) and the new one was about 1/2 or more inches taller than the original.
I didn't change my forestay length so this pushed it slightly forward. This combined with a 100 lb. motor I'd put on, and removing rake last year, might have been excessive. I think if I'd had more speed you're correct, and I might have been able to reel her in? I do remember getting the bow momentarily head to wind, and I was still taken sideways on the opposite tack, however.
I read your post twice and it seems to me that if you released your main and jib lines as you said you did, you go into irons and the boat stops. No more sail power. If you are tipping over too much you release the sails, let them flap in the wind.
BTW, I keep the engine in the down position at all times and if anything happens I start the engine and get out of there.
Where on the bay?? I sail out of Fishing Bay and got hit two weeks ago and my 26X did just fine - unlike your experience I had rolled the jib and dropped the main just before the storm hit. I have been sailing the bay since 1999 and have had my share of excitment!! The MAC always comes though.
I always have my eyes aft this time of year - they roll up fast!!!
Richard O'Brien wrote:Me too!
I didn't panic, but was wondering when the mast might come up. it did slightly, to maybe 60 degrees, but there was just no weather helm, and I kept skidding on the beam.
...
Maybe I should lean that Mast back a couple of degrees now though.
At 60 degrees I doubt a Mac really has enough centerboard in the water to bite for the boat to spin abound on. I don't think you can put the lack of weather helm on mast rake in that case, because the boat has nothing to balance on.
