The Sail connects to the boom right?

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Drake

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May 24, 2011
2
Macgregor 26M Ventura
Guys,
I've just bought a piece of a Mac 26M 03'. The main sail only connects to the boom at two points, front and rear. It's a replacement sail but it has the big M on it. This doesn't seem right or efficient. Be there something amiss here?

I've done some homework but I'm new at sailing.
D.
 
F

Faris

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Apr 20, 2011
232
Catalina 27 San Juan Islands
It almost certainly does, and definitely should. There should be a track that runs along the top of the boom (a slit really). The sail will (should) have a rope sewn into the foot (bottom) of the sail. This feeds into the track. There may also be a little plastic slug that also feeds into that track.

The attachment point at the clew (the back corner) is really just for the outhaul. It's not meant to hold the sail onto the boom really. It is more to stretch the sail out along the boom. (You can adjust this tension according to conditions for performance reasons.)

If the sail doesn't feed into the track or, worse yet, if the boom lacks such a track, it is still sailable - I guess. That is, technically it will sail. I've never seen this done, however, except on very small dinghies.
 
Paul Brinkley

Paul Brinkley

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Oct 18, 2007
707
Macgregor 26S Lucama, NC
Drake
You may have a loose-footed sail, which is only attached to the boom at the clew and tack. If the foot of the sail has no bolt rope or slugs, that is probably the case. Just try it out. If it was designed this way, it should work just fine. -Paul
 
MrBill_FLL

MrBill_FLL

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May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
Paul is correct, they make bolt rope and loose footed sails, your sounds like the latter.
 
timebandit

timebandit

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Jun 3, 2004
1,863
Macgregor 25 So. Cal.
Think of it like a jib.:)

Drake said:
Guys,
I've just bought a piece of a Mac 26M 03'. The main sail only connects to the boom at two points, front and rear. It's a replacement sail but it has the big M on it. This doesn't seem right or efficient. Be there something amiss here?

I've done some homework but I'm new at sailing.
D.
Click to expand
 
D

Drake

.
May 24, 2011
2
Macgregor 26M Ventura
Thanks guys.
Since this is a replacement sail, I'm going to assume that when the majority owner got it he got a loose foot sail. It has a rope at the bottom but nothing to indicate it should attach to the boom. The boom has a groove, I suppose, for the old sail.
Drake.
 
F

Faris

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Apr 20, 2011
232
Catalina 27 San Juan Islands
Drake said:
I'm going to assume that when the majority owner got it he got a loose foot sail. It has a rope at the bottom but nothing to indicate it should attach to the boom. The boom has a groove, [...]
Click to expand
Are you sure? If the sail has a bolt rope sewn into the foot of the sail and the boom has a groove, the bolt rope probably feeds into the groove.

You attach it by feeding the clew (back corner) of the sail into the groove starting at the end of the boom closest to the mast. You then continue feeding the bolt rope into the groove as you pull the clew toward the end of the boom. Is there some reason it won't do this?

I tried to find a picture or video of this somewhere, but it is surprisingly hard to find.
 
P

Pest UK

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Dec 15, 2010
25
MacGregor 26M Bradwell Marina, River Blackwater, Essex, England.
If your sail has a 'bolt rope' at the bottom and your boom has a 'groove' along the top edge, thread the bolt rope through the groove. It works just like the bolt rope in the 'luff' (the leading edge of the mainsail) that slides into the groove in the mast.
 
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