no eyelet on the tack of my main sail

Dec 7, 2024
15
Macgregor 26d Pollock. Payette lake , Idaho
Raised my main today for the first time and found there is not a eyelet in the tack?? The next one up is about a foot from the tack. How will I connect to the boom or mast?
 
Jan 7, 2011
5,304
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
You could rig up a rope / line from the lowest cringle to the boom ( do you have a hook or something down there?).

Photos may help us if you took any.

Greg
 
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Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
8,130
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Yes, as Greg suggested, post a picture far enough away so one pic will show what's there. But also there may be something else. I have seen mainsail tacks that don't have the "traditional" cringle, rather the corner is notched and there's a length of cording for attachment. I wish I could find a picture of what I mean, it was on a New York 35 that I crewed on some (actually a lot) years back. The boat was set up for racing, with a laminated main and a bolt rope on the luff and a channel in the mast..... no sliders. I'll take look thru my archives.

In the mean time...if you don't have a cunningham, nows the time to rig one up, use the existing hole for it....since that's what it's for. You can lash that same cringle to the boom for the times the cunningham is off. Don't worry. The sail isn't going to fall off. :D
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,406
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
It's odd.
Not only is there no clew cringle, the sail isn't built to have one. Is it possible that the "Second" crinkle is the tack and the rest of the sail is a skirt to fill in to the deck? But why? This sail was built by a loft and in a sense sanctified by that loft as sound. What is the block system at the base of the mast with the yellow line for? (I wrote this post before #12 was posted). What is the V shaped bail for? What is the ghost of some hardware above the block system with the yellow line? What are the two bars protruding aft from the base of the mast - Vang? What is that track like structure aft of the mast with the holes in it? It looks like lines, maybe from the questioned block system, course into two of the holes - no bushings or turning block. Where do they go? What is that rectangular bar on the deck forward of the mast with the wooded cradle under it? It looks off center of the wooden cradle. And all those rivets? Oh, so many rivets!
Does this mast rotate? Is it possible that this boat was acquired from a tinkerer? I'm having trouble imagining that a Macgregor 26d needs all that rigging (The OP never said it was a Macgregor). I've delayed posting because this was posted on a Macgregor forum. I thought we'd hear from other 26d owners pretty fast. Maybe they are confused too?
This is either an example of mechanical genius or idiocy. I can't tell which. Maybe both? That makes it interesting.
 
Jun 11, 2004
1,705
Oday 31 Redondo Beach
I notice the sail has a logo "WHIRLWIND". Looking that up it seems they are a company in San Diego that specializes in "Beach Cats", Particularly Hobies.

Assuming they are still in business perhaps contacting them could shed some light on the issue.

(619) 663-9330
 

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
8,130
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
This gear is definitely not original to a Mac 26d. First, he has a boom kicker which we all know is aftermarket. The Y shaped SS arm is a Mast rotator(not hooked up of course)... not seen on a Mac, ever, to my knowledge. A rotating mast would sit on ball. The yellow lines connected to the multi purchase blocks with cam cleats is a high powered cunninham system, that can be adjusted from both sides of the boat. Again, not something you'd see on the relatively mundane Mac26D. A rotating mast, a high powered cunninghham, the ability to adjust from either side... are all features you would see on any hi performance beach cat... I have all those things on my Nacra 5.2. And, of course, the very obvious feature is the mast and mainsail are designed for bolt rope attachment, not sliders or slugs. Again, this is a feature you'd see on performance boats.

This doesn't look like any Mac I've ever seen. Can you provide an overall picture of the boat?
 
Dec 7, 2024
15
Macgregor 26d Pollock. Payette lake , Idaho
This gear is definitely not original to a Mac 26d. First, he has a boom kicker which we all know is aftermarket. The Y shaped SS arm is a Mast rotator(not hooked up of course)... not seen on a Mac, ever, to my knowledge. A rotating mast would sit on ball. The yellow lines connected to the multi purchase blocks with cam cleats is a high powered cunninham system, that can be adjusted from both sides of the boat. Again, not something you'd see on the relatively mundane Mac26D. A rotating mast, a high powered cunninghham, the ability to adjust from either side... are all features you would see on any hi performance beach cat... I have all those things on my Nacra 5.2. And, of course, the very obvious feature is the mast and mainsail are designed for bolt rope attachment, not sliders or slugs. Again, this is a feature you'd see on performance boats.

This doesn't look like any Mac I've ever seen. Can you pr
It's odd.
Not only is there no clew cringle, the sail isn't built to have one. Is it possible that the "Second" crinkle is the tack and the rest of the sail is a skirt to fill in to the deck? But why? This sail was built by a loft and in a sense sanctified by that loft as sound. What is the block system at the base of the mast with the yellow line for? (I wrote this post before #12 was posted). What is the V shaped bail for? What is the ghost of some hardware above the block system with the yellow line? What are the two bars protruding aft from the base of the mast - Vang? What is that track like structure aft of the mast with the holes in it? It looks like lines, maybe from the questioned block system, course into two of the holes - no bushings or turning block. Where do they go? What is that rectangular bar on the deck forward of the mast with the wooded cradle under it? It looks off center of the wooden cradle. And all those rivets? Oh, so many rivets!
Does this mast rotate? Is it possible that this boat was acquired from a tinkerer? I'm having trouble imagining that a Macgregor 26d needs all that rigging (The OP never said it was a Macgregor). I've delayed posting because this was posted on a Macgregor forum. I thought we'd hear from other 26d owners pretty fast. Maybe they are confused too?
This is either an example of mechanical genius or idiocy. I can't tell which. Maybe both? That makes it interesting.
When I took those pics I had left a bunch of crap on the deck ie: the mast raising system and I put some wood blocks under it to protect the deck and the jib traveler? while raising. The lines going nowhere are the dagger board drop and stop.
I'll post some better pics of the setup and boat. The PO also had 6 jell batteries mounted under the benches I can see where he had a gas genny mounted aft.
Haven't even started messing the the electrical much. Lights , VHF and GPS depth all power up so thats something.
OH boy what have I gotten myself into:oops: At least it didn't cost anything. I'm sure going to have some fun figuring it all out. I just hope it floats. The old grandma that gave it to me said her late husband was quite the sailor and that this old boat was his baby.