On Highlander boat (aka the Flying Dutchman) a big motor that drags in the water is no big deal and it does not hurt a thing. Highlander boat has lots of sails - way more sails than we have and he's got double spreaders on his mast and back stays and other stuff too. That motor dragging in the water is not gonna slow it down. In fact it probably helps with his steering.
Also the Highlander boat is HEAVY - it's at least a 1000 pounds heavier that our boats so the added weight of a big block outboard with a zillion cylinders stacked up high in the air is not gonna effect the CG on the Higlander boat because the boat is so heavy it's hard to have any effect at all on it's CG.
There is a huge advantage to having your boat really heavy if you want to ply the high seas: it makes the boat more stable in swells and chop.
Of course, the big drawback is that you need more sails and bigger motors to push it around the water and a mac truck to pull it down the driveway.
My boat goes in the opposite direction - I keep it extremely LIGHT. I bet it's even lighter now than is was from the factory because of all the interior items I have removed and rebuilt. I ALSO stay very light to ply the big seas but it works differently - because I am very light my ballast kicks in at 23 degrees and the boat is as solid as a rock at that heel. It's not tender at all once it hits that heel wall. That makes the boat do well in swells and chop too, but i get bounced around a lot more than the highlander boat because I can't cut the waves like he can.
You can go either way - real heavy with extra sail or really light with a stock sail. It's the in between that does not work too well. I notice the M boats really slow down fast with just an extra 800 pounds and get more tippy.
I admire your courage to pick a hybrid motor/sail boat of 26ft as your first boat!
Heel angle is a function of the wind angle/speed, sail area, and how close you pull the sails in to the boat (close hauled is when the sails are almost parallel to the centerline). When you are close hauled and make a slight course change, or catch a gust, you could find yourself at an uncomfortable angle of heel.
As others have suggested, you need to get some understanding sailing buddies to teach you to sail. I'm a new 26m owner, but have owned power boats and small sailboats. I was somewhat surprised on our first outing that the crew got nervous at about 20 deg. By 30 deg, they were asking if we were going to turn over. Maybe not the best plan to let the new crew take the helm, but like you I wanted everyone to enjoy it. Funny thing though, after about an hour, they were having a blast. They were all competing for highest gps speed. Neighbor's wife said she wasn't worried because it was my boat and I wasn't worried.
I was impressed with the mac's behavior. I was hoping one of them would induce a round up so I would know where the edge was, but they only succeeded in rearranging the cabin contents.
Sailing is a blast, but you need to be patient and learn how to do it. It's not terribly dangerous, but you can get hurt, or worse, hurt one of your crew. The great thing about our boats is, you and your crew can enjoy boating under motor power until you get dialed in on sailing. You might try trimming the motor up slightly to see if you can get a drier ride. Also, read the safety warnings about where to locate the crew when powering fast. I have the 'rude 60 and am a little faster than you at wot, but haven't experienced the wet cockpit.
Hang in there, and enjoy! If you're at a slip and just power boating, that's almost instant fun for the younger crew members.
Jason...I think you are the poster child for someone who got the family into the boat in a smart way. Just re read your first post and how you quickly turned around when you real used the weather was snotty.
Well done.
Once you get sailing you want the "most fearful " person taking the main sheet. That person will then be able to control the power in the sails and the heeling angle. That's extremely comforting and empowering.
Great Lakes weekend sailing is hard to beat but these are oceans, not lakes, so watch that weather carefully.
That natural harbor at Erie is The Creators way of telling us the PA people are deserving....enjoy it! Just don't ever return to harbor on the right side of the markers....thunk.
