Broke my mast today on wires!!!!!!!!!

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dawg2

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Jun 25, 2012
173
Mac Gregor 26D GA
So I get my new motor on my 26D and we cruise around the lake under power, no sail. I turn up a cove to turn around and at the front of the cove there are cable TV/phone lines really low. We never saw them. The front of the boat went, up, the back was going down. I thought we ran aground and the daggerboard hit for a second. Then I realized what happened and looked over at the pole to make sure it wasn't electric lines. Mast bent over and the forestay never broke, but the mast bent over.

Now I need a new mast. Anybody know where I can get a new mast for a MAC26D????

I am thankful no one was hurt and my pride just got a major ding...
 

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Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
Look for a Hobie 18 on line. Sometimes you can get the whole boat for the price of a new mast. Its just a few " longer than the 26D's. It rotates too...
 

dawg2

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Jun 25, 2012
173
Mac Gregor 26D GA
Dwyer comes to mind. Glad no one was hurt, also.
I'll check out Dwyer. Thank god it wasnt a power line. I never saw it. I need to research how low a line can legally be. This is messed up. Now I have to what insurance says.
 
Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
I'll check out Dwyer. Thank god it wasnt a power line. I never saw it. I need to research how low a line can legally be. This is messed up. Now I have to what insurance says.
I've almost done the same on a demonstration jump into a drag racing venue. When I checked out the LZ beforehand, there weren't any lines. When I made the jump later that day, someone had strung some telephone lines right through my approach path... Pretty damned exciting.
Legal? Ten feet. Good luck.
 

dawg2

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Jun 25, 2012
173
Mac Gregor 26D GA
Dude, You are VERY LUCKY that your boat didn't hit a live, unshielded electrical line.

Here's an example of your boat, when it did hit one:

http://macgregor26x.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=18819
I know exactly how lucky we were. I am still cringing from it. It could have been a horrendous disaster. Luckily only my pride was scorched. I can tell you it will NEVER EVER happen again. I had been looking ahead and watching the whole time, but we never saw them. There were no markers on them and the lines were below the trees so you could not see them. I was looking forward to sailing on Friday and Saturday when a front moved in bringing lots of wind. Looks like it isn''t happening now.:cussing:
 

CalebD

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Jun 27, 2006
1,479
Tartan 27' 1967 Nyack, NY
Sorry to see that happen to you.
I've done about the same with a 14' boat on a trailer once. My mast broke pretty cleanly and I had it re-welded. My excuse was that it was raining, I was partially sober and in my 20's.

Your mast is gonna' need more than buffing to fix it.
Call MacGregor. They're still making the 26, right?
Check CL and Ebay for M26 masts in the northeast.

I doubt that a Hobie mast would be any beefier than a MacGregor mast but it very well could also work.
 
Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
Dawg, why not try and put a collar or sleeve on it? There's not much that can hut it now. I mean bend it strait and wrap a 4' piece of aluminum from the one side around the front and bolt it on.
Just don't cover the slug track and keep the sleeve tight with bolts, screws or pop rivets.
It will get you sailing this weekend.
One of the guys at the yacht club did about the same bend but he was hanging off the side stay trying to tip his boat over in the beach area to clean the bottom. (The day before the commodores cup.)
He had 2 pieces bent to the same side shape of the mast and screwed them on. His was only 18" long!
I wouldn't go so small. At least 3' minimum. So there's 1 1/2' each side of the bend.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
So I get my new motor on my 26D and we cruise around the lake under power, no sail. I turn up a cove to turn around and at the front of the cove there are cable TV/phone lines really low. We never saw them. The front of the boat went, up, the back was going down. I thought we ran aground and the daggerboard hit for a second. Then I realized what happened and looked over at the pole to make sure it wasn't electric lines. Mast bent over and the forestay never broke, but the mast bent over.

Now I need a new mast. Anybody know where I can get a new mast for a MAC26D????

I am thankful no one was hurt and my pride just got a major ding...
I might have a lead. Just yesterday a guy emailed me wanting to know if I was interested in buying a mast and standing rigging for a Mac 25. I don't know if they are the same size or not but if they are, I can try and dig up his email.

He emailed me because I have my boat on eBay and I mentioned that I like to restore old sailboats. Let me know if you want me to look him up.
 
Apr 30, 2006
610
Macgregor 26s Kemah, TX
My old boat came with wooden spreaders. One of them broke when I was sailing upwind and the mast broke where the lowers came in. The insurance company would only pay to have the mast rewelded. I was skeptical but it held up fine for years - with new aluminum spreaders.

I suggest you ask around about this option and look into aluminum welding.
 
Dec 28, 2011
193
MacGregor 26D Boston
finding41 said:
Look for a Hobie 18 on line. Sometimes you can get the whole boat for the price of a new mast. Its just a few " longer than the 26D's. It rotates too...
Agreed, only paid $200 for whole Hobie 18' catamaran (had damaged pontoon). Was able to use mast and boom. John/"RightOn!" did the same.
 
Jul 29, 2010
1,392
Macgregor 76 V-25 #928 Lake Mead, Nevada
You may have come up with something. Take out a patent on a folding mast. Seriously, sorry about your mishap. It's like watching one of your kids get hurt. Some years back I saw a Venture 21 go under a 48KV line at Lake Mead Marina. Burned a hole through mast and of course it came crashing down. One year at the Naval base in Long Beach, Cal one of our members drove under a line and pull his boat off the trailer on the way to the hoist and dragged it a few feet. A bunch of us just picked it up and put it back on the trailer. From that day forward his boat was called the "Drag Queen"
 
Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
I'm still shaking my head. Why are there power lines over navigable water and marinas? Is it a USA phenomena? Or is it common to other country's?
These sailboat things have been around a while. You would think someone would have thunk bout them wires...
 
Nov 19, 2011
1,489
MacGregor 26S Hampton, VA
I agree, the marina I use doesn't have wires over the water, but it has them over the top of the ramp. I have to drop mast to pull out. At best I can wash it on the ramp but you can bet that about time I start, someone else will be waiting. Clearly this is not as bad as over a waterway but I still think there is some danger there.
 
Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
I'm still shaking my head. Why are there power lines over navigable water and marinas? Is it a USA phenomena? Or is it common to other country's?
These sailboat things have been around a while. You would think someone would have thunk bout them wires...
It's not just a U.S. thing. Keep your eyes peeled!
 
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