High wind movie, 35+ and 20' waves

[delevi]

So what's the holdup? I'm excited to see this tihng. I've always wondered how a Mac would do in these conditions. I've been out in as much as 40+ winds, but not in open ocean. Been out in in open ocean with large seas (not sure how big) but probably 12-15 feet but winds were in the 20s. Never both so far. BTW, I'm fine with Roger posting Geoff's video from Youtube, but Geoff actually shot the video, so he should have the final word.

Leon

[bastonjock]

yup id love to see this clip of a mac in big waves

[Highlander]

Their now posted on Roger's site

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... small1.jpg


http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... small1.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... _small.jpg

Roger say's the video's will be posted in a few days
Go to Roger's site for more pic's
J

[bastonjock]

looks great,ive often wondered how the boat would sail in big seas,its the choppy washing mashine seas that i dont like.

[Love MACs]

Can't wait to see the clip...but would rather see it than do it I'll have to make sure the Admiral never see it. LOL Her big dream is sailing to the Bahamas from Fla, and seeing/realizing the possibilities of that kind of sea would surely shut that down.


Allan

[delevi]

Did somebody use a measuring tape Not sure what 20 foot seas are supposed to look like, but judging from those clips, those aint it. Been out in much bigger stuff where the NOAA forecast was 12 feet. Then again, those pix could be deceiving. I remember looking at my pix and video from sailing in a 45 knot gale in Sea of Cortez (not on the Mac) and the seas didn't look nearly as scarry in the pictures as in real life.

LD Tripple Reefed

[dvideohd]

I really liked the pictures!!!

Pics are really good to show SWMBO.....

--jerry

[1st Sail]

I'm still learning all the sailing terms. If you strap a bottle of scotch around your neck with a bungie cord.... Is that called a 'close reach'? I thought it meant something else, apparently I was mistaken....

[pokerrick1]

That's what I thought - - - too

Rick

[mikelinmon]

Hi Delvi,
No, nobody used a tapemeasure, wild guess, and weather forecast of 20 foot waves. Could have been less, biggest I've seen in 30 years. Looks flat in the photos compared to remembering what it was. The boat felt safe, didn't get hurt or wet. Just wish we had turned downwind once to see about higher speed. We sailed out on what felt like tight reach even upwind for near an hour, tacked and came back on similar point of sail to same harbor entrance. Must have been beam reach, had to be. Felt upwind. We felt like 45 degrees up and across waves, both directions, odd? Thinking about wave height, from the bottom of wave looking across peak to other boat, 70 foot Mac, also at bottom, still can't make a good estimate, depends on which boat is closer to peak, if other boat is close, my boat far you get small error, if my boat up close to wave and other boat far away, wave would measure much higher up on the spreaders, but for certain the big boat disappeared below waves over and over. i'm going to still guess 20.
Mike Inmon

[Highlander]

I'm still learning all the sailing terms. If you strap a bottle of scotch around your neck with a bungie cord.... Is that called a 'close reach'? I thought it meant something else, apparently I was mistaken....

You were but remember to squeeze on one of these baby bottle Tits onto the bottle first that way yea nae spil a drapp a good whisky & dont chew on the tittie to much or your Admiral might just accuse you of enjoying yourself tomuch & cut you off Oh boy I bet that could hurt

J

[delevi]

Mike,
Yeah, the real deal is always more dramatic than the photos. I discovered that when looking at my Cortez pix and video.. saying to myself "this doesn't look too bad." When in fact, it was the first time I was actually fearful when sailing. Worst conditions I've ever been in. Sure was glad I was in a 35 footer.

Looking forward to seeing the video.

Leon

[bastonjock]

leon,whats the heaviest stuff that you have been out on? im thinking of doing a 130nm crossing next year,im going to beef up the keel first and the rudders.

[DaveB]

DON'T go there! Max. winds for my MacX is 30Knots under bare poles.
There is only one chain plate for uper and lower stay's.
No Bulkhead for these stays.
I rebuilt a 35 ft. 1963 Pearson Alberg for around the world cruise in 1982-1985. This boat went thru major refit and over sized rigging (Stayloc) new engine,reiforced bulkheads and state of the art equipment at that time.
Left Hyannis Ma. Sept. and arrived at Moorehead city for the 1200 NM cruise to ST. Thomas, waited 11 days along with other passage makers for St. Thomas.
Window was clear but after 2 days we got caught in 40 + ft. seas with waves breaking 5-6 ft off the top beating to windward. We had a Aries self steering and did sig zags up and over these monster seas.
The Alberg is bullit proof and with a full keel of 5-6 ft. and 9.8 beam it sliced thru the water, but not 40 ft. seas and 6 ft. breakers. The sound of flying thru these breakers and slaming down the trough for 3 days straped in with twin briddle straps with water comeing over the boat at each crest is a nightmare no one should experance and guess what, no one to get you off the boat.
Getting back to a Mac. no one should be sailing in those conditions and not even suggest it, as I have had many sailboats and this one is strictly coastal cruiser.
Dave

Roger wanted some photos just like the ones in the old Classic 26 video. Here in Newport Beach we seldom get to sail in much breeze, no thunderstorms, no lightning and hardly any rain. It gets dark most evenings but that does not produce exciting sailing action. Sometimes it comes howling and I'll try to get a hold of Roger, can't find or he's busy, other times he'll call a few days later, where were you, the wind is gone now.
Just cleaned up a spanking new 26M for the in the water Lido Isle boat show, sails never up on it yet, tuned? i'm in my suit! At the show! Box of brochures and DVD's in the boat, my ice chest loaded, extra chips and cookies in the boat, Roger calls, lets go! No sailors to go with us other than my son, no buddies/crew, his nor mine. He snags his foreman, a big burley lad, the foremans son and his purchasing agent. These fellows have never been sailing before and we are looking at 35mph winds blowing across the Mac70, pressing her tight to the dock. More on that in a moment. Roger says meet him at his dock with the 26M. Jeff and I motor back to Roger's house/dock, i figure no way! Rather than call in chicken, I'll raise reefed mainsail, no genoa and sail by a couple of times heeled right over, they will see it, we'll cancel, OK. Sail by, send them a small wall of water from the passby and tack right at the dock, he calls on ch68, "you have genoa or jib on the furler?" "genoa" says I, "thats what I want" says he.
They push, push, push on the side of " Anthem" as the reluctant sliver of a yacht is forced out of its safe berth. Three miles later as we wind our way out of the Newport Harbor, he calls in "sail out hard on the wind a few miles" We are adjusting several things just like I know we need to, having not sailed in this much wind since my days in New Orleans, adjusting according to lost lessons or disremembered books, too much weather helm. Raise the daggerboard 6", more, more. Now up 18", add genoa, what, we already have way too much sail. Balance is now almost OK. Guess we'll save the 60hp motor for whatever happens next. With Jeff and me sitting high it is sailing at 5 to 6 mph. Now we come to the first big wave. This is the first big wave I've seen, ever. Ride up and over, no drama, give me a bigger one, look down wave at "Anthem", just masts, no boat visible, both masts lean slowly aft, the the slim bow comes up as though from beneath the sea, 30 feet of blue, wet sailboat at 5 or 6 mph angled to the moon. They didn't get wet yet clear in the stern but that bow will soon enough come back to the sea, I could hear it, see it, wish I had a camera. What a splash. Roger had a camera and took 1 and 1/2 hours of our 26M, tons of stills, wish you could see them now, soon on the new DVD, he'll put it on the websight tonight maybe. Can't wait to show them to my wife, she thinks I work for a living. The boat went straight back to the boat show, same genoa and no damage, needs retuning, take out the reef and take some showgoers on demo sails/boat rides. Only evidence to be washed away salt with a waterhose, no scrubbing, I'm still in my suit wrinkled from the rainsuit and PFD, my hair is a mess, usual coffied looks gone away, showgoers waiting on the dock, wondering why the boat looks salty. They want to go for a demo sail, show management walking up tells me to dock it for the day, red flags and all, red flag is nothing to me now, want that little square one, maybe two. Next day, three days of boat show, sailing around with prospective Mac owners, seems so calm, way sailing should be, what a day today, light wind, good ole southern California, I want bigger sails, taller mast, it won't blow again will it?
Mike Inmon

[waternwaves]

The breaking crests are the real problem....seems to hold the boat on its side for far too long.


Cant say I wouldnt go out tho....

We dont have 6 m seas in puget sound.... 4 meters is a pretty good blow...... saw 5 once.....

However 6 - 8 meters is frequent on the washington coast to the straights of juan de fu@ and west of Vancouver island in the winter....
and it is nice because the fog is gone.....(replaced by blinding driven rains that soak the sails and make waltzing on deck unfashionable.)

During daylight hours..... I still chance it.......

night is another story tho...... I have learned my lesson..... so the statement Coastal cruuiser...... Depends on the coast I suppose...... Some coasts I have learned to respect..... Newfy, Maine, Oregon/Washington, california/ alaska..... hmmmm is there a pattern here...lol

there are times it is safer than others...