Making Memories with our Mac.

[Wind Chime]

Hi acdave,

We are the 2nd owners of this 2000X that came from Bluewater Yachts in Seattle. As far as we know it was a factory or dealer install. This is an older photo, but shows a closer look at boarding ladder mounitng etc. (click on photo to enlarge)

[tangentair]

Its the bottom of a hennessey style hammock and it is tied off at the Pulpit between the mast trailering base mounts and over the gooseneck around the mast.

You have to stretch it fairly tight to keep your butt from dragging on the deck.

We tried 3 styles of hammocks, 2 with crossbars and the hennessey and it was the only one that felt stable.

She likes to read up there and falls asleep on it.

Scott
Those are some pretty neat photos and the hammock looks inviting. Not sure what the pulpit of an X looks like but I am guessing that is similar to an Ms. Did you have any reservations about the strength of the pulpit? Or did you consider or try using the forestay?

[Russ]

Great candid photos Bob. Love the action shots.

[cmeperform]

With the help of Mark , we finally got to sail today.He rigged the genoa sail & off we went.Spent the day sailing around while the ducks were landing all around us.I'm still going through all the things he helped me with.Just knowing I can wake up on any given day & take off for a sail..That's a nice feeling.

[MARK PASSMORE]

Thanks Craig, I had a good time. It was nice to actually help someone instead of always being the one who is asking the questions.

Those is some good lookin boats

Here is the photo of you and your sister at sail.

[mighetto]

Hi acdave,

We are the 2nd owners of this 2000X that came from Bluewater Yachts in Seattle. As far as we know it was a factory or dealer install. This is an older photo, but shows a closer look at boarding ladder mounitng etc. (click on photo to enlarge)

Hope Wind Chime shows at the Blue Water Yachts Rendezvous at the end of June. I wanted to confirm that this is the ladder BWY designed. Its advantage to a solo handler is that you can pull it down from the water. Hence it is a safety item as well as a swimmer's ladder. If a soloist finds him/herself in the water by accident, it may be possible to re board because of that. The BWY ladder doesn't require a tie down. In fact that is recommended against.

On the Ms, BWY appears to be recommending life slings - at least I see many Ms with them. Life Slings allow you to bring a man or woman on board from the side rather than from the transom via a swim ladder and this is more likely required on the M than on the X owing to the way the transom is designed. In any case, most of us MacGregor owners are asked to assist on lesser vessels from time to time and those are likely to have life slings - so knowing how to use them is important regardless as to if you have them on a MacGregor.

Has anyone deployed a Life Sling from an X or M? If so where do you attach the block and tackle. IE where is the fair lead for hauling. Perhaps we can get Tod to demonstrate - or and least lets discuss.

Frank Mighetto
Murrlet
Slip 10 at Rendezvous.

[Wind Chime]

I did not know there was a BWY Rendezvous in Seattle at the end of the month, as we exported the boat to Vancouver B.C. Canada. But... we will be at the MYCBC (Macgregor Yacht Club of British Columbia) Rendezvous this weekend (June 20-22) at Snug Cove on Bowen Island in the Howe Sound. Not sure if I can get "the bow ornament" on board 2 weekends in a row

The photo of the stern was actually taken at Bellingham Bay 3 years ago, right after our purchase sea trial. Sailed it once and fell in love. As most of you, we have done a lot of work and mods on her since then.

I did not realize the ladder was that different from others. If you are attending the BWY please take the photo and confirm as we would like to know the history of our boat.

[mighetto]

I did not know there was a BWY Rendezvous in Seattle at the end of the month, as we exported the boat to Vancouver B.C. Canada. But... we will be at the MYCBC (Macgregor Yacht Club of British Columbia) Rendezvous this weekend (June 20-22) at Snug Cove on Bowen Island in the Howe Sound. Not sure if I can get "the bow ornament" on board 2 weekends in a row

The photo of the stern was actually taken at Bellingham Bay 3 years ago, right after our purchase sea trial. Sailed it once and fell in love. As most of you, we have done a lot of work and mods on her since then.

I did not realize the ladder was that different from others. If you are attending the BWY please take the photo and confirm as we would like to know the history of our boat.

My bow ornament and I looked into the off shore sailing school last week. (New York and Florida) This is the group that promotes the Colgate 26 and I think that is the boat Roger refers to in the Mac X materials when he says that you get a 40,000 dollar boat when you purchase a new Max 26x for 17,000 in year 2000. The Colgate 26 was sold for 40,000. Still is. Anyway, the spoon open transom that you have pictured for the X is a design that all modern sailboats should have (for man overboard reasons) and for the most part do have. The Colgate 26 has such a transom. That boat was designed as a trainer - meaning no centerboard - just a fixed keel - and no movable ballast.

The complexities of water ballast and retractable fins and planing under sail are avoided in the Colgate 26 and big boat features - like travelers and tailing winches - are added with the idea being that after mastering the Colgate 26 you could charter a Moorings 41 foot Hunter. As you undoubtedly are aware, the Mac26x is spartan but no more so than the Colgate 26. My bow ornament has added several nice touches like you have including a shower.

But getting back to the swim ladder. The first X boats off the line had ladders that were inside the rudder fins. These were criticized because the swimmer could more easily accidentally hit the prop of the outboard. You will note that with rudder down in your photo the swimmer is somewhat protected from that. About that time, and perhaps owing to the criticism, the factory was considering a lifting swim platform modification. This would solve that issue and also provide an area for more storage. (ice chest for example)

The boat was reviewed favorably by an Off Shore sailing magazine because they are Category B - just like the Colgate 26. In any case Roger recognized that storage was an issue for Off Shore coastal cruising in a 26 footer with a crew of 4. The Colgate 26 assumes that the cabin will be full of gear and crew will forgo living accommodations taking shore accommodations more often than not.

Anyway, the 26m has more storage owing to the V shape of the hull and is more fitted for the cruising life style - unless you define that life style in the modern sense which means that you enjoy shore accommodations when you can and crew with 2 not 4 or 6. No swim platform was developed for the X. I have always regretted that.

The ornament and I choose to own the X - but we are often on other boats and have chartered 40 plus footers. She decided she wasn't interested in the school because she already had learned on the X what she might learn on the Colgate 26. But I do want her to know how to get my sorry arse back into the boat if I get knocked in. So the swim platform, life sling, swim ladder topic is a good one.

The film Tease,features an X where the transom is used by the swimmer. I'll review that film again. BWY keeps files on the boats sold through the dealership. Perhaps you can get a copy of the maintenance history from them. I'll ask about that for you. Have a great time next week. I am really looking forward to the BWY event the week after.

Frank Mighetto
Murrelet
1999 Mac26x
Olympia Washington

[Scott]

Did you have any reservations about the strength of the pulpit? Or did you consider or try using the forestay?

No, the pulpit can hold my 180# no problem. The forestay on the other hand, I think not

[DaveB]

[bscott]

Frank M, I have used the throwable life sling on other boats and am adapting it for use on my as follows: converted the back stay(s) with a 4:1 vang on both port and starboard tangs, release the snap shackle from the tang on whichever side of the boat the victim is on, shackle the backstay vang to the life sling, throw the LS, run the bitter end to the cabin winch and haul the victim into the boat.

All MOB retrievals should be done with the boat in hove-to so the heel of the boat to leeward will reduce the amount of lifting required.

This is theoretical as I cannot get any friendly crew to jump into our 45* lake water to prove the point

Bob

[MARK PASSMORE]

Nice photo Dave. How do you get the wife to go out sailing? Its like pulling teeth to get mine on the boat.

[DaveB]

Mark, it took me a long time to figuare out woman and it all comes down to...Give her what she wants and they follow you anyware. Sailing includes enclosed head,good workable gally, sterio,AC,lots of fans , comfortable birth and keep the heel to less than 15-20 degrees. Also helps to have large outboard when wind dies.
Teresa is my Girlfriend of 9 yrs as of today..ohhh have to pickup roses!
This is my 4th Sailboat with Teresa and think I finally got it right.
Dave

Nice photo Dave. How do you get the wife to go out sailing? Its like pulling teeth to get mine on the boat.

[tangentair]

Mark, it took me a long time to figuare out woman and it all comes down to...Give her what she wants

Well I haven't figured them out quite yet but I learned that maxim a long time ago. My problems arise when I try and figure out what they want, or what they think they want, but rather what they really want, or if they want anything, other than wanting me trying to figure out what they want. It is fortunate that your lady appears to know what she wants.

[MARK PASSMORE]

Mark, it took me a long time to figuare out woman and it all comes down to...Give her what she wants

Well I haven't figured them out quite yet but I learned that maxim a long time ago. My problems arise when I try and figure out what they want, or what they think they want, but rather what they really want, or if they want anything, other than wanting me trying to figure out what they want. It is fortunate that your lady appears to know what she wants.

sounds like a Spice girl song.