A liitle Feedback with respect to the MAC Bump

[Kelly Hanson East]

30 mph????

If your brakes on your tow vehicle cant move your Mac with the 'bump' from a crawling speed (5 mph) then I would wonder if your brakes are adequate for towing at all....

[pokerrick1]

30 mph????

If your brakes on your tow vehicle cant move your Mac with the 'bump' from a crawling speed (5 mph) then I would wonder if your brakes are adequate for towing at all....

Well said!! AKA what Cat said.

Rick

[ralphk]

I've done the Mac Bump (not to be confused with the Oktoberfest Polka ) for 5 years with no adverse affects.
It's true that the properties changed a little after applying epoxy and antifouling paint, to the bare gelcoat, last year.

After the initial haulout, lowering mast, preparing for trailering etc, I always back down the ramp again to wet the bunks, knowing that I'm about to perform the "bump"

Give me a little downhill grade, and I can usually slide that hull forward so gently that you barely feel contact with the rubber "V".
No soap, no stress, no worries.

Tow vehicle is a Chevy Avalanche - roughly equivilent to a 1/2 ton pickup.

[C Striker]

So glad somebody made this post current again.
I'm looking into the upside down winch fix, from page 2 of this thread. I'm not too big about drilling a hole in the winch support though. Not a fan of cutting the hook off and replacing it with , heck I dunno yet! I'm not into the Mac bump at all either. Seems all you bumpers and double (trailer) dippers must have their own private ramp. It's pure chaos here half the time depending on the tide. I wonder if I'll get shot waiting for the ballast to drain sometimes even!

I'm wondering if this is a good idea or not... taking the rubber "V" off and shaving a bit from the flat side ( the forward side ) I'm looking to make room for the factory strap to fit nicely in the gap. This would keep me from buying anything, and making my winch line an Omish crafted contraption. I don't have faith in any winch cable I make myself.

This would give me a good angle on my strap... pulling up not down. I guess I could replace the rubber V with a roller too. This would give me the clearance for my strap. I'd like to keep the rubber V though. Seems safer for the bow. They say experience is the best teacher. Are there and other mods out there?

Erik
Ok after checking it out again the hook on the winch is too big. I don't think it will work. I wish the loop on the boat was lower. If I put a roller on, I couldn't pull the bow up higher. The hook on the boat gets in the way.

Where does the gap come from once you pull the boat out? The dealer told me it's from the strap stretching. Is this true?
I'd love to simply swap out the strap for a cable and be done with it. Maybe this is where a turnbuckle comes into play?
Where's the aspirin???

[pokerrick1]

Where does the gap come from once you pull the boat out? The dealer told me it's from the strap stretching. Is this true?

I don't think so The wrap tightens, perhaps, but I don't think the strap stretches (Your DEALER told you that??) Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm?

My strap broke once (tore) when I was going up a mountain (it was catching on something sharp, which we fixed) - - - and at that time I wanted to replace the strap with a cable and my dealer (Mike Inmon) said "NO", replace with another strap cause a cable is just asking for trouble on this boat (but I forget why - - - maybe he'll see this and tell us so I remember next time).

In any event, I wish I could travel to all you guys who have trouble with the MacBump and demonstrate it for you on your boat - - - - after which you wouldn't bother with anything else. I have attempted it on three different boats (including mine) - - - all with total success. I cannot image why, after maybe a little practice, so many people are having so much trouble with it

Rick

PS Afterthought - - - I'll travel to your boat for free (just the cost of a first class plane ticket)

[C Striker]

Thanks for the info Rick.

The problem isn't the Mac bump itself for me, its the lack of room to do it. I'm sure ya have lots of room in the desert, but on the coast it's a totally different story. I put in at a state park because it's the best around. I have to floor it to get any speed at all before I run out of pavement. The place is packed !!! Packed with boats and trailers. It's an awesome launch and park, James V can vouch for that 1.

Finding a downhill slope at sea level is also a bit of a challenge. I'm sure there is a way to retrieve the M and it stays put. There, that gauntlet has been laid down.

Erik

[Boblee]

Well after trialing some lanolin grease for the bunks and rolling some on the hull to see if it helps with fouling, when I released the winch strap and forgot to lock it, nearly lost the boat when trying to bounce it back whereas without the grease 4" was a hassle.
Even though it went back away from the front roller about two foot it winched straight back on again without worrying about bumping .
I have some antifoul paint here but am reluctant to use it as that seems to be the start of an endless job and more troubles when retrieving, I am trialing different waxes and the lanolin grease to see if they can keep the growth off but won't really know untill we get back into tropical waters, even if I have to put the paint on I think a good lubricant is all thats needed, although the mods I did seem to have helped also.
After seeing how easy the boat winched on will be very wary about even attempting the bump now.

[NiceAft]

Eric,

I, like Rick, have never had a problem with performing the Mac Bump. I keep Nice Aft in a slip, but I still have to place her there, and bring her out at the end of the season. Along with that, I take her out from time to time for traveling, so I do the "BUMP" (sounds kind of suggestive ) several times a season. I'm sure many others do it on a regular basis (NocommentsRick,oranyotherdirtymindedindividualslikeme ). Anyway, the point being is that my marina is packed. My marina is busy, and I still have success with the Mac bump

Unlike Rick, I accept the fact that others, for whatever reason, have a challenge with the "BUMP". I applaud the ingenuity of those who find a way around it. So here I am picking up your gauntlet, and peacefully handing it back to you. May all of your bumping be pleasurable

Ray

[dennisneal]

This method works for me almost every time:

As I pull the boat onto the trailer, I splash some water on the forward bunk.

Once the boat is emptied of the water ballast and on level ground I loosen the winch strap a bit to create some slack. (The bow must climb a little bit to fit tightly into the vee notch.)

I drive forward until going about 7 mph. Then I SLAM on the brakes! I can hear the boat slide forward.

I then retighten the winch strap and the hold-down straps.

That's it.

[puggsy]

The bump has got me beat...
It has never worked for me...I have added a roller, placed immediately aft of the front bunk...to solve that problem...and when preparing to recover, have fixed the bow into the "V" not ONLY with the strap, but with extra rope AND a turnbuckle from the towing ring to the winch staunchion...and still that %$&*&%* GAP appears...
I even thought the staunchion may have been bending back...it wasn't...
So now i just leave the gap. And not worry about it.
My last trip was a 100 km round trip home to Mandurah and back...steady, steady, and she just sat there all the way...gap and all...
Puggsy.

[Oskar 26M]

It works for me Puggsy, although I have given the bunk carpet a fairly solid dose of PTFE spray on a couple of occasions.... Oskar is almost identical to Sea Horse but doesn't have bottom paint so maybe that the problem. Anyway if Sea Horse sits firmly on the trailer why worry about it.

[pokerrick1]

Regarding my post 6 posts above where I said Mike Inmon told me to replace the strap with a strap, not a cable, I sent him an email asking for the reason why and here is his reply:

Hi Mike; A few years ago I tore the strap on the trailer winch (was catching on something sharp) and I wanted to switch to a cable and you said "NO" put on a new strap and we did. You told me why but I forget why?? What was the reason you insisted on a strap rather than a cable?? Rick Gordon


Hi,

Just that the cable is much stronger than the winch and the cable gets twisted, kinked and has lttle meathooks on it and gets caught in the teeth of the gears etc. It will work fine otherwise.

Mike
----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Gordon To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 12:38 PMSubject: Winch Strap (cable?)


Rick

PS My boat has full bottom paint and that has never hindered me in MacBumping (is MacBumping a word???).

[craiglaforce]

I never got the bump to work either. Trailered that way thousands of miles though with no problems. I just make sure it is tied down well.

[NiceAft]

MacBumping a word

Yes Rick, it is. It is a verb. It is how Mac 19's are made

Ray

[Boblee]

I think I mentioned this earlier but MOST times I don't have trouble with the bump, because we launch in many different waters we have had varying results from almost impossible and smoking the tyres on bitumen or down a concrete ramp to only a slight jolt at low speed on loose gravel twisting the ladder with the forward force.
If I can lubricate the bunks and pull on with the winch I am happy, hopefully this will still work in all conditions.