First sail of the season (pictures)

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Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Tried out do it yourself battened jib, saw a Bald Eagle, need more downhaul on both sails next time. In the overall scheme of life, a just great day...
Great pictures, especially the eagle one. We use to have a nesting pair here, but haven't seen them in years.

Seeing you heeled over in the one picture and the pop-top up, what are your thoughts on that or anyone else. I printed out the Mac manual for my S and in it they suggest having the pop-top down when sailing. Is that overkill or are there times when you do keep it down and the hatch going into the cabin closed?

c ya,

Sum
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,541
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1T8B8nVHSQ&feature=channel_page

I always wear a life jacket but get careless about the pop top... probably safest to sail with it down and with the hatch cover on if its really wild.

If you have the brochure, there is a picture of the 26S with the mast pulled down to water level (ballast in of course) and the hatch and pop top are well away from the water level - but its also completly calm. A little wave action could possibly put a lot of water in the boat pretty fast.
 

JDK

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Jul 12, 2007
213
Mac 26D 1988 New Port Richey, Fl
My sister used to live at Highland's Ranch, and I always wished we could sail Soire'e there. Great start to a season!

We're well under way here, although most folks don't slow down for 'winter' here. We were out today with nothing but a lazy spinnaker up, and it was enough to get the first light sunburn of the season.

JDK
 
Mar 14, 2007
43
Macgregor 26 M Milton-Freewater
Cherry Ckeek State Park

Walt,

When I saw your pictures something in my mind clicked. Back about 1975 I visited Cherry Creek Lake for the first and only time. I though what a wonderful place in the middle of such a large city. I was so sure this was the same place I checked on Google Earth and zoomed in on the boat ramp with it's distinctive gear lockers and also found the building in your other picture. I could see many boats in the mast up storage area and I not sure but I think there was a Mac 26 just leaving the dock.;) Could not see any eagles.:cry:

Steve
 
Apr 30, 2006
610
Macgregor 26s Kemah, TX
Great Pictures

but if I were heeled that much with the poptop up on Galveston Bay, I'd be getting green - well, actually brown - water into the cabin on every other wave. At least I don't have to wash down the deck.
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,541
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
My pop top doesnt make a very good seal even when down. It keeps out rain but Im sure a wave which broke on the closed pop top would result in a lot of water in the cabin.

When it gets wild, I sail with the pop top down and have never had water get into the interior. Ive had spray come over the bow - but no water in the cabin. Ive had water come through the rub rail when heeled over past 45 degrees.

Has anyone actually had water come in the cabin from a wave with either the pop top down or up?

Its the knock down condition that I would really worry about (and a good reason to sail with the pop top down).
 

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Mar 14, 2007
43
Macgregor 26 M Milton-Freewater
Water in cockpit

I used to own a Mac 25 and once tipped it far enough to have water coming over the rail and into the cockpit. Pretty exciting for a couple of seconds! None of it went into the cabin area. Also owned a Chrysler 16 daysailer and tipped far enough to put the mast in the water as well as the crew. The forward hatch to the storage area was open and the boat flooded and turned turtle within 60 seconds. I believe if the hatch had been secured, we could have gained control and brought the boat back upright. Hence the the lesson learned: "Batten down the hatches". Believe the same thing, an unsecured hatch sent the Edmond Fiztgerald to is fate.:eek:
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,541
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Pretty scary on the sailboat going turtle.. My previous sailboat was a Catalina 16 (similar to the 18 - fixed wing keel) and one time I got hit with a big gust and the boat rounded up into the wind with about 50 gallons of water comming into the cockpit area. No problem, all the water drained out quickly and the boat stabilized pointing into wind (scared the family a bit).

On the 26S, in all the torture and dumb things Ive done with it (including roundups in big gusts), I also never had any water come into the cockpit. Its probably a good thing no water has come in because of the below:

I used to keep my gas tank right on top of the drain. I moved the gas tank but last season, I watched a water bottle plastic cap (only a bit smaller than the drain hole) drop into the drain. I did some back flushing this spring but for all I know, the bottle cap is still in the line so Ill probably have to take the hoses apart to make sure. I also put a screen on the drain hole now to keep junk like bottle caps from plugging the drain up.
 

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
............On the 26S, in all the torture and dumb things Ive done with it (including roundups in big gusts), I also never had any water come into the cockpit..................
That is reassuring to Ruth and I :)

............I used to keep my gas tank right on top of the drain. I moved the gas tank but last season, I watched a water bottle plastic cap (only a bit smaller than the drain hole) drop into the drain. I did some back flushing this spring but for all I know, the bottle cap is still in the line so Ill probably have to take the hoses apart to make sure. I also put a screen on the drain hole now to keep junk like bottle caps from plugging the drain up.
Talking about the drain hole, before I made the crude cover.....



http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-2.html

....... the cockpit filled up with snow. Then when it started to thaw it froze at night coming out of that drain hole on the side of the boat in one big icecickle. The ice never seemed to completely fill the hole, but I was still worried about the expansion that occurs when the water turns to ice and was hopeful no damage was done to the boat. I then the same day made the cover in the picture. I wondering if the boat can be damaged with ice in the drain hole?

Sorry about getting off topic of your day sail,

Sum
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,541
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Probably worth checking since a leak results in water in the Laz but Ive had no issues and the boat has seen snow, ice and temps probably as low as minus 30F (spends part of the winter at 8600 feet El). I havent done anything to keep water from freezing in the tubes for the last two winters.

So I dont think you will have any problem - but worth checking.
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,541
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Now that is a "cool" picture.

I have the boat in a slip right now (good price since its way pre-season here) and waited in the boat for the full moon to rise over the lake. Just as the sun was going down, a stunning full moon came up over the lake in a clear sky (after a snow storm in the morning). Got the camera out and discovered that my son had left the memory card in his computer...
 

JDK

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Jul 12, 2007
213
Mac 26D 1988 New Port Richey, Fl
I wish we had a good digital camera with a longer lens, since the shuttle will be lifting off right in the middle of a very large moon here in Florida this evening. It's 115 miles from us, and with a spotting scope (formerly used for elk hunting in your areas, Walt)we can still see the boosters seperate and fall away on night launches. I keep telling my wife we need to trailer Soire'e across the state and watch a launch from the water off Cape Canaveral, but she doesn't like the Atlantic surge and waves on the ocean coast.

JDK
 
May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
[walt
Has anyone actually had water come in the cabin from a wave with either the pop top down or up? /]

Yes, on a windy choppy day I'll get spray and on occasion the top of a wave over the front quarter and land on the aft cockpit berth/seat. if the hatch is open.

even calm days I can get spray inside from the bow hatch if the point of sail is wrong. but try to sail w/ the bow hatch open.
 

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walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,541
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Must have something to do with the color of the water. Yours looks MUCH nicer..

Both Sat and Sunday we had winds 20-30 mph.. sailed a fair amount on the jib and main and then full main only (doused hank on jib). I used about 20 amp hours out of the battery over the weekend (stereo on all the time, kids using lap top wifi internet on one day). The big 80 watt panel gets stored below while sailing but has no problem keeping up with almost daily and "careless" use of the electrical system.
 

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