Mac26m rudder alignment and steering? Power not working

Jan 4, 2015
16
macgregor 26m lake tahoe and Santa Cruz
We just bought a 26m and used it for the first time. When backing out of dock, we discovered that steering was not aligned. The rudders shift much more in one direction than the other. What to check? Also, is is best to use second bolt to lock rudders up for transport. One came that way, the other wasn't. We discovered that in the water. Also, our battery has juice, but in all master positions and with panel switches on, we get no power to cabin lights or radio. Any suggestions on what to check? They appear connected to battery. Thx!
 
Oct 10, 2013
16
MacGregor 26M Ephrata WA
Pat, congratulations on the boat. I think you will love it. As far as the unequal travel of the rudders I would check linkage connections. If nothing obvious, I would disconnect at the rudder arms and ensure they swing full travel and work up to the wheel from there. The steering is a rack and pinion type with a cable with gear teeth and a gear on the wheel. Four bolts in the pedestal (using side access panel) are easy to remove and check.
I recommend you always lock the rudders up with bolts for transport to avoid the risk of grinding them down if them come loose. Will also note a cable that goes across the trailer frame. Do not remove it. I will prevent the dagger board from hitting the road if it comes loose. On the electrical problem, I would start checking at the switch/fuse panel for a bad connection.
As a side note. Blue Water Yachts www.bwyachts.com have a very nice system for disconnecting the outboard from the steering system while sailing. Good luck and have a great summer sailing. Roger
 
Apr 30, 2012
27
MacGregor 26m Jefferson, NY
26M idiosyncrasy?

My 26 M turns tighter to one side than the other. I've heard others complain about the same problem. As far as I know it's not fixable, I simply accept fate. Definately don't travel w/ out the locking bolts on the rudders!!!! I installed the BWY quick connect kit and it makes a huge difference in sailing comfort. -Good luck
 
Dec 8, 2007
303
-mac 26M -26M tucson-san carlos mx
with some basic mechanic skills and a stainless welder the mis-aligned rudders and out of sync motor are all easy fixes. It's all part of the price point of the 26m, your not going to get 1st class engineering when a brand new boat only costs 35thousand dollars. The 26m is all mostly back of a napkin engineering with hardware store components which makes everything a fairly simple fix.
 
Jan 4, 2015
16
macgregor 26m lake tahoe and Santa Cruz
Thanks for the input. It appears that the engine and turning arm were not installed correctly in that we can turn the steering wheel three rounds in one direction and less than one in the other. In looking at the extension arm, it almost looks like it is 4-6" short. We would like to add the Blue Water Yacht mod that allows us to disconnect the engine from rudder steerage when under sail but aren't sure it will fit and that would not solve the original problem. Thoughts?