Ok so I am still learning. I have a Mac 19' and ususally use the main and a 150% genoa. I seem to get a lot of side slip when tacking into the wind. I point my boat up wind but don't seem to go that way. I know the Mac 19 has a small keel and the 800 lbs of water ballast will slow me down, but is there something I am doing wrong? Should I be using the jib when the winds pick up? Thanks Bill
side slip
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Best go with OEM
Hi Bill; I have a MAC 25 and even with her cast iron keel, I get some yaw in higher winds. However, I believe the water ballast system was designed to eliminate yaw or side-slip. A sailboat is designed to present a certain percentage of presence in the water. Without the proper ratio of draft, and other proclivities pertaining to ship design, integrity and quality suffers. In short Bill, if the original manufacturers recomendations aren't followed, no telling what you may have. Good question, thanks. Tom
Hi Bill; I have a MAC 25 and even with her cast iron keel, I get some yaw in higher winds. However, I believe the water ballast system was designed to eliminate yaw or side-slip. A sailboat is designed to present a certain percentage of presence in the water. Without the proper ratio of draft, and other proclivities pertaining to ship design, integrity and quality suffers. In short Bill, if the original manufacturers recomendations aren't followed, no telling what you may have. Good question, thanks. Tom
Simple question, but
Are you sure the keel is down? Does the 19 have a centerboard or a daggerboard?
Are you sure the keel is down? Does the 19 have a centerboard or a daggerboard?
Center board
thanks for the answere's so far. I have been following the manufactures instructions. The Mac 19 has a swing Keel which is approx 5' long. I was wondering thouth if the Genoa may be adding to this delema.
thanks for the answere's so far. I have been following the manufactures instructions. The Mac 19 has a swing Keel which is approx 5' long. I was wondering thouth if the Genoa may be adding to this delema.
overpowered
Bill, I think you're overpowered with too much sail. When you say "the winds kick up" do you mean 15-20mph or more? I suspect a jib and a reefed main will show you more speed and better tracking under high wind conditions. More sail does not mean more speed if the winds are high. Too much sail will cause you to round up and then blow around over and over. Give less sail a try and I assume you can reef the main. Steve P.
Bill, I think you're overpowered with too much sail. When you say "the winds kick up" do you mean 15-20mph or more? I suspect a jib and a reefed main will show you more speed and better tracking under high wind conditions. More sail does not mean more speed if the winds are high. Too much sail will cause you to round up and then blow around over and over. Give less sail a try and I assume you can reef the main. Steve P.
I think I am going to reduce the sails like you suggested or perhaps get a roller furler installed. I have 1 reef point on the sail. What kind of winds do you suggest taking the genoa down?
Genoa
So far, in my limited experience, the boat seems to get over-powered around 10-12 kts. with a 150 Genoa. I only have the working jib and 150, so I have a tendency to leave the Genoa out longer than I probably should because the working jib looks to me like about an 80 to 90% head sail. If roller furling is something you can afford, then you would have infinite adjustment with minimal effort as the wind kicks up. I saw several roller furling rigs get torn up last Saturday in a heavy gust front from either getting jammed or not getting them all the way in. Personally, I'm going to stick with hank-on's for the forseeable future.
So far, in my limited experience, the boat seems to get over-powered around 10-12 kts. with a 150 Genoa. I only have the working jib and 150, so I have a tendency to leave the Genoa out longer than I probably should because the working jib looks to me like about an 80 to 90% head sail. If roller furling is something you can afford, then you would have infinite adjustment with minimal effort as the wind kicks up. I saw several roller furling rigs get torn up last Saturday in a heavy gust front from either getting jammed or not getting them all the way in. Personally, I'm going to stick with hank-on's for the forseeable future.
depends on your point of sail
Hi Bill, it's hard to say but Abby is right, 10-12 knots are enough to reduce sail. When you think you should reef then you probably should have already done so. Do it early if the wind is building so you don't have to fight it later. Heck, you can always add more sail if needed. Steve P.
Hi Bill, it's hard to say but Abby is right, 10-12 knots are enough to reduce sail. When you think you should reef then you probably should have already done so. Do it early if the wind is building so you don't have to fight it later. Heck, you can always add more sail if needed. Steve P.
Similar problem
Also newbie... Venture 22 (slightly larger but similar to MCG 19'). I learned sailing on club-owned Sonar 23' and have never experienced this problem on those boats. However, on my Venture, in 10-15 kts winds I experience the same problem. Huge sideways slip and feeling that the boat is "fighting back" when trying to tack into the wind. This was so strange that I actually went under the boat while moored to inspect the keel (I thought I may have damaged it unknowingly). However, the keel is in perfect shape (and, yes, I am allways lowering it for sailing). Unlike the original poster I use standard jib and the main sail, which are of the original dimensions (read: main is quite small). Hence, up to 15 kts I don't have need to reef (and in general boat is not going very fast or heeling much). We must be doing something wrong specific to MCG's... Just what... Thanks, Dusan Maletic
Also newbie... Venture 22 (slightly larger but similar to MCG 19'). I learned sailing on club-owned Sonar 23' and have never experienced this problem on those boats. However, on my Venture, in 10-15 kts winds I experience the same problem. Huge sideways slip and feeling that the boat is "fighting back" when trying to tack into the wind. This was so strange that I actually went under the boat while moored to inspect the keel (I thought I may have damaged it unknowingly). However, the keel is in perfect shape (and, yes, I am allways lowering it for sailing). Unlike the original poster I use standard jib and the main sail, which are of the original dimensions (read: main is quite small). Hence, up to 15 kts I don't have need to reef (and in general boat is not going very fast or heeling much). We must be doing something wrong specific to MCG's... Just what... Thanks, Dusan Maletic
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