New boat - leak and anchor questions

[NewtoMac]

After being on the fence for way too long, I finally took delivery of my new Mac 26M in April! I've had a few teething problems with it, mainly leaks, minor electrical, gelcoat chips and electrical stuff, but I love it, and wish I'd bought it years ago! I have it in a slip and am getting comfortable single handling it. I find it sails great and tracks really well. A couple of questions for the group:
1. I am getting water coming into the the bilge from the area where the steering rod enters the boat on the port side of the motor well. The boat was delivered without any kind of weather sealing, unlike the rubber boot that covers the wires from the engine into the boat nearby. Is that normal, and how do you guys deal with it?
2. I find that keeping the anchor in the anchor locker upfront it akward, and would prefer to hang it off the anchor roller, with just the rode in the locker. How do you guys attach it to the roller that's easy and secure?

Thanks for your help.

[Ixneigh]

A delta anchor fits on the roller fine and can be lashed to keep it in place.
the steering bar is the same on my 2011 model year M. Its a safety feature. If you are shipping water into the yacht from there, move into calmer waters no but honestly I've been meaning to fit a home made boot around that since I got the boat. I usually sail in mild conditions so it hasn't been that much of an issue for me.
the macgregors are full of safety features that are what I called human engineering. That one piece companionway slide ends up in its proper place just because its the most convenient place for it. Safer in case of knock down. The boat was carefully designed to be terribly wet under full power in anything except perfect conditions. Its much safer to operate at slower speeds in rough water, and the boat is then exceptionally dry and comfortable. The boat heels alarmingly if you have too much sail up, forcing you to carry the correct amount for the wind you have. Guys a genius in my book
Ix

[RobertB]

Water at steering: As pointed out, this is a problem is rough seas - all too common with our boat. I have wanted to make a seal. A rubber boot would work, so would a hole in a flat piece of rubber held in place with a split plate. First one to figure out needs to post their solution.

Anchor: Much of this depends on your choice of anchor. We use a Fortress FX-11 that fits perfectly in the anchor locker but there are also brackets available to mount on the pulpit. A plough or similar anchor can be stored on the anchor roller but the factory description does not list this as a recommended use of the anchor roller. Some have modified this area to best suite their usage and anchor preference. Search the forum and you will find a wide variety of approaches.

[Tomfoolery]

A delta anchor fits on the roller fine and can be lashed to keep it in place.

And it's a better anchor than a Danforth (or knockoff) for certain bottoms, especially weeds.

If I had a bow roller on mine, I'd get a new-generation anchor, like a Rocna or Manson, and store it there with the rode going through a notch in the hatch, which I'd have to cut but haven't, since I don't have a bow roller.

[Ixneigh]

The jury is still out on the best anchor and has been since the first rock was tossed over with a vine ties on it

[Tomfoolery]

The jury is still out on the best anchor and has been since the first rock was tossed over with a vine ties on it

I hesitated before mentioning anchor type, as there certainly is no consensus on anchor type.

[Kittiwake]

We have had our 26M for several years now, and always store its Bruce-type claw on the bow roller as suggested by tkanzler. I use a couple of trustworthy (ie. new & unweathered) bungie cords to hold it in place. One wrapped around the stem of the anchor and the roller struts; and the other wrapped around the chain-attachment point of the anchor and the bow cleats. The first bungie snugs the anchor stem to the bow roller, and the second keeps the anchor in place and stops it from sliding back to scrape the bow gelcoat. As tkanzler says, the chain and rode are locked in the chain locker but the chain extends out through the notch in the locker cover and is left attached to the anchor. This has worked very well for us, both for trailering great distances and for running through serious waves. It does mean that when you want to use the anchor you have to do a bit of hanging over the bow to remove the bungies ... but the thought of losing one's anchor while traveling (especially on the highway!!) easily motivates me to put up with this.
By the way, I am very happy with the Bruce anchor and have used it in lots of 'interesting' anchorages ... albeit I have 30 feet of heavy chain between it and the rope rode.
Kittiwake

[RobertB]

With 30 feet of heavy chain, who cares what kind of anchor you have The rock mentioned above would probably work.

[sunshinecoasting]

I use a Danforth style anchor and have one of these, http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... &id=735854

It works really well and I just leave the anchor in place until I trailer the boat, combine this with a bow roller for best results but watch out for the chain wizzing past your furler unit if you have one, best hold the chain out to the side while it deploys, I destroyed the ring ding and nearly knocked the pin out of my furler (which would demast the boat) letting out the anchor a few months back, I am really careful now.

Cheers, Dennis.

[NewtoMac]

Thanks for the helpful info guys - I just placed an order for the Schaefer Rail Mount Anchor Hanger! Much appreciated.

Does anyone got a solution for the water coming in where the steering rod enters the boat on the port side of the motor well area?

[RobertB]

I am still thinking the same as I earlier recommended - instead of using rubber, I think leather would work well. Take about a 2.5 inch square piece, cut a 1 inch hole in it, work this over the steering shaft, hold in place with a plate (2 piece split or 1 piece with a 1.25 inch hole) screwed to the hull. Lubricate the leather and that along with water swelling the leather should make a good sliding seal.

[seahouse]

Before my boat saw water for the first time, I did this...

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1595

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1596

...along with some other mods to ensure water-tightness, and to prevent wear. There are simpler variations of it, it depends on what tools and materials you have on hand/available.

After that has been done, your next point of leakage will be at the rudder tube axels. Solve that one simply this way...

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1600

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1601

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1602

-Brian

[RobertB]

Yeah, something like that.

[Wind Chime]

Whatever solution you decide to use as a method to secure your anchor in place while at sea, please consider “emergency deployment” as part of your plan.

Consider a 30 second rule.
- assume you are pulling away from the fuel dock
- a strong gust of wind comes up or there is a strong current
- you accidently left a dock line in the water
- the line is now stuck in your prop
- you have no time to put up sail and are heading for the rocks
- can you deploy your anchor in 30 seconds before you are on the rocks?

Darry

[mastreb]

Whatever solution you decide to use as a method to secure your anchor in place while at sea, please consider “emergency deployment” as part of your plan.

Consider a 30 second rule.
- assume you are pulling away from the fuel dock
- a strong gust of wind comes up or there is a strong current
- you accidently left a dock line in the water
- the line is now stuck in your prop
- you have no time to put up sail and are heading for the rocks
- can you deploy your anchor in 30 seconds before you are on the rocks?

Darry

This is a really good example. I completely concur, and use a Fortress 11 that I can deploy immediately out of the chain locker, along with a grapnel I could actually throw over the fuel dock to pull back to it, and a 15' long telescoping boat hook I could probably fend off of rocks with.

I use the grapnel as a kellet on the rode, and with the Fortress and kellet, I've never slipped in the sandy bottoms of So Cal.