From the way back machine.

M

Macboy

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Aug 8, 2014
254
Macgregor 26S Sherwood Park, Alberta
So, searching an unrelated topic I discovered this post. Has anyone echoed the experience?

"I knwo this isn't related, but I couldn't resist.I was puling my 26S out a couple of weeks ago, and of course the bow did not come all the way up to the stop in front of the trailer.So I let the ballast drain out, and I then I put the boat back in the water without ballast so I could winch it up, more.Not thinking this all the way through, I had also already strapped the boat down to the trailer(across the cockpit) although loosely.I was marveling at how much easier it was to winch the bow up to the stop when I realized my whole boat and trailer was floating in the water (still attached to my car), but floating, nonetheless.Crazy thing is, I'll probbaly do it the same way next time, because the hwole time I've had it, I've never gotten it winched up that far, before."
 
Cowpokee

Cowpokee

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Jan 8, 2015
360
MacGregor 26S, Goman Express 30 Kerr Reservoir
My boat doesn't easily come all the way to the stop either. After analyzing the situation over the limited number of times I have hauled the boat out these past several years, I have figured out the problem. The winch is lower than the bow eye which puts excessive down force on the forward roller as it gets close to the stop. I think I like the extra pressure while trailering so I wouldn't want to change the winch position. I have thought of placing a snatch block above the winch to pull the bow up while winching in, then unhooking the snatch block after the boat is all the way to the stop, tightening down to hold the bow snug while going down the road.
 
BudGates

BudGates

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Apr 19, 2012
1,043
O'Day Daysailor 17 Nevis MN
Interesting idea. Makes sense that it would work. Hopefully it would be at a time when the dock wasn't busy.
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Our ramp is usually shallow. I always had trouble getting our Mac 26S all the way on the first time. Usually had to get it on the trailer and open the valve to lighten it up and winch it the rest of they way. Strapping the trailer to the boat so it's floating too doesn't sound like a good idea. What if the wind pushed the trailer and boat off of the ramp? Sounds like a YouTube opportunity!
 
RussC

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
With our M25 I've found that by not backing the trailer in the lake so far.... just enough to where the winch is required to pull it up the bunks the last couple of feet... then it snugs up much better. This is actually easier if the winch cable isn't pulling down on the bow. I moved my winch up by several inches, so it pulls straight in, and that helps a great deal also.
If the transom is floating 2' above the back of the bunks the boat will never be forward on the trailer enough once you pull out and the rear end settles down on the bunks, but I don't think floating the trailer would be the ideal solution in most cases ;) .
 
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M

Macboy

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Aug 8, 2014
254
Macgregor 26S Sherwood Park, Alberta
justsomeguy said:
Just keep an eye on your bow eye for signs of too much tension.
Click to expand
That's our issue. Even while subjecting our Mac to enough force that we fear for the bow eye it still won't come all the way up. It's been discussed at length and it's a simple matter of geometry - the angle of the boat to the trailer (and the yoke - or whatever it's called) that once you pull the trailer forward and the rear of the boat settles onto the bunks the bow tips "back" and away from the yoke. Our winch strap is deal in line once all is snugged up. The best we can get is about 1" away.

We've tried the "Mac Bump but it never works for us or we're too reluctant to REALLY bump it. Best we get is a refloat at the launch - that gets us to our inch away. We cram a bailing sponge in between the bow and the yoke and that helps "connect" the bow to the stem of the trailer. For us, if the boat isn't locked in the front there the flex in the trailer tongue gets hairy on the highway. With it snugged right in it pulls like a dream. I don't trust jus the strap off the winch - we always strap the bow around the yoke as hard as we can. It's the only major frustration I have with the "trailerable" aspect of these boats. Our launches are all blown out at the ramp ends by all the hot rods that crank the throttle to try to launch over their retrieval vehicles instead of using the winches.
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
7,993
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Macboy said:
It's been discussed at length and it's a simple matter of geometry - the angle of the boat to the trailer
Click to expand
Ayup. A number of times I'd have to be content with a couple/few inches at haulout, but my trailer sits at such a rake forward that, after a few miles, the boat settles into the V bumper just fine.
I then pull over and snug the winch.
 
RussC

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Extending the V block area isn't a bad idea also. just for insurance.
P1030378.jpg
 
RussC

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
justsomeguy said:
But then, you're altering the fore-aft balance. No big deal, except you have to deal with it...
Click to expand
I put a few empty Corona bottles in the cockpit to counterbalance the added load. :confused: ;)
 
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chp

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Sep 13, 2010
418
Hunter 280 hamilton
I changed where my winch is mounted and cut a slot for the strap to pull the boat up when winching her on the trailer. I mounted it to the ladder and cut the slot through the U-channel which was the original winch mount. It works so well that I'm always on the bumpers. My bow rail is only about an inch from the ladder. It makes a huge difference when trailering. The boat stays tight and the weight on the tongue prevents swaying.
 
tjar

tjar

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Aug 8, 2011
166
Hunter Legend 35.5 Tacoma, WA
I found that the "Mac Bump" never worked to pull the boat all the way forward. I would snug it up while the trailer was in the water, but when the stern settled onto the trailer it would pull back from the bumper. I'd stop on the ramp just far enough up to let water drain from the ballast tank, then pull forward to take everything down. The last thing I'd do before driving off was to winch the boat forward to the stop.
When I bought my boat, the bow eye was loose. So, I cut a hole from the V-berth to access the nuts and installed a SS plate to the back of the eye and tightened everything down. No more worries about pulling the bow eye out of the boat.
 
T

TortugasRoyal

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Jan 31, 2013
239
MacGregor Mac26X Trailer sailing for adventure,
I do the mac bump. Try tooth paste on bunk boards as a lubricant that will not dissolve right away
 
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