Stopping the mast corrosion is most important. Cover the scratch with zinc chromate primer then paint with a matching color aluminum paint. Epoxy plus paint should also work for larger gouges provided the gouge does not compromise the mast.

Slack did cross my mind. The boat had the rig tuned and the rig felt very tight. Uppers/lowers shroud load was 360/340 lbs. Don't know about the forestay. I'll check for play once the boat is rigged this year. The boat has an adjustable backstay and the backstay tension is released after sailing. It...

A 26x 2002 has some wear on the stem where the forestay attaches via a pin. The hole is now not quite round. Not a problem yet but I wondered if this is a common problem. Replacing the stem does not appear to be complicated. The boat is kept on a slip and the constant movement may cause the problem....

Bad, bad day! Was anyone hurt? Anyone sailed in that area (SF Bridge?). Looks like the sailor went too close to a lee shore. I wonder if there is anything the sailor could have done to save the situation. Probably a 50hp outboard may have helped the unlucky sailor avoid the problem. I once saw a sim...

My dealer a while back mentioned that a total of about 5500-6000 Mac X were built. Also that M26 (all models) to date is about 18K-20K boats.

Can anyone comment about these numbers?

I'll think I'll wait on the bedding of the motor for the moment. The screws have a ton of 5200 under them. Hopefully, the bores are well packed too.

I read that the bottom 2 motor mount screws should be removed and rebedded every 3 years or so to prevent water seepage and rotting of the plywood core. (I thought it was all fiberglass...) Any comments on how to best to this job? The boat has a Merc Big Foot 50 mounted with a white polyethelene bac...