Can the X be leveled on its trailer?

[Gerald Gordon]

I'm musing about extending the X by building a swim platform. I'll use a CAD program for my design nad Divynicell for a core material. My starting question is "how can I level the X on its trailer? Are there any places on the boat itself to check the level?

mahalo

[Chip Hindes]

Whatever anybody tells you, they're wrong.

On most boats I've seen, the black "bootstripe" toward the bottom part of the hull is roughly level with, though several inches above the actual waterline. It varies by a few inches, up and down, fore and aft tilt. Certainly, the differences are 100% based on the way each boat is loaded, number of passengers and where they are located, size and weight of motor, ballast empty or full, fuel tanks empty or full, etcetera.

Presumably, you're building this for your own boat. If you want the "correct" numbers, put it in the water in its normal configuration and measure it.

[Gerald Gordon]

Yes, that would be fine for getting the roll. How would you level for pitch?

[waternwaves]

Gerald, as an aside, are you looking at leaving the existing rudders in some sort of well, or moving the rudders farther aft??

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[Chip Hindes]

If you're talking about actual level, as far as from gravity toward the center of the earth as opposed to some external reference, exactly the same way. If you don't like the fact that floating it will give you a roll error if it's not symetrically weighted, a bubble level placed on any flat surface on the centerline, or a four or six foot carpenter's level across the cockpit seats or the gunnels will give you a mechanical level based on the features of the boat. Put a jack under the axle on the low side to adjust level; if you dont want it to move every time you shift weight on the boat, get the trailer off the springs and put it on jack stands.

[Gerald Gordon]

W&W,
I'm thinking about building around the standard setup. I have looked at hydraulic steering. It would work but it's $700.00+ dollars. I had modified my rudders once already--made them longer. But, I realized that the answer to good sailing performance is in balancing the boat. To answer your question, I plan on not changing rudder, engine or water inlet locations. I think a 6-7 feet sugar scoop transom might look good. I will integrate a swim platform, storage for maybe a head or LP gas and it just occured to me reading some of the responses to your post that it might be possible to install a daggar board. I guess!!! that a daggar board would improve the mac's sailing performance. By the way, I just finished my bowsprit and lifeline mod. Turned out niced. I added 32" to the sprit-all 1" ss tubing I will post some of the mods.

[Gerald Gordon]

Chip,
I'll probaly use a combination of the two leveling methods you mentioned.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Use the boot stripe for pitch, use the seats or the boot stripe at the transom for roll.

[Gerald Gordon]

I'm thinking about my X extension. 6 feet or so. I'm wondering if I could make a similar daggarboard head combo as on the M. My question is: Would a daggarboard on a six foot extension have a significant effect on sailing performance? What are the implications of a board at that location?

[waternwaves]

hmmm,

WEll, since a second centerline board back there would be aft of CP,CG, CB, and sail force vectors..... the number one difference I think one would see would be less wandering, and slower helm response at speed, given rudders of the same original size, the ratio of movable control surfaces to the immovable ones would decrease, slowing the steering response. This could be lessened by moving the daggerboard as close to the rudders as possible, (since that water is very slightly disturburbed already). At low, docking speeds, you wont really notice much of a difference and should reduce weathercock,(like a larger rudder) but if you dock in an area with strong currents, you could have some fun times with the extra area in the board,and the decreased rudder effectiveness. Since this also moves the slip CP aft, it should also improve the downwind performance, I wonder, do you really gain anything with that over a slightly moveable large rudder in that location...

For upwind performance I would try to lengthen the swing centerboard with a weighted drop foot...connected directly to the raising cable so it is retracted into the centerboard before raising..

My hydrodyanmics courses may be really old, but something reminds me that sitting that far back from the main Centerboard, one would not need a very large dagger board to have a very large effect for a neutral helm

Hmmmm, one reason I really like the idea is that throwing a board down for a few minutes may make the boat sail well and straight while letting go of the helm, so one could get a cuppa tea, or a brew, Something that 98% of the time I cannot do when sailing alone in my mac unless I am willing to let the boat follow her own lead (usually ending up in irons while sailing, or in circles while motoring) (So if you see a mac in puget sound or straights of georgia circling slowly with no one on deck.. heheheeh, I have just gone below for a moment, and shifted weight around). She is so sensitive to weight transfers, slight almost imperceptible wind shifts and rudder play.

In fact, i have motored through the entire narrow Swinomish channel 4 miles long, without so much as touching the wheel, steering only by side to side weight shifting at 1200-1500 rpm

with a 6 ft addition, you could even throw a mast foot on it, and have an occasional maccgregor yawl., That would be interesting to see and sail, grab the mast/boom of an Int 14, or a laser. hmmmmmmm. reversing the sail handling lines forward to the cockpit. or better yet, the sail rig off a walker bay 8 or 10, then you could use the sail with your dink in the harbors also., and it wouldn't interfere with the cockpit bimini.

This one should be easy to model, I'll see if I like the results...

[Gerald Gordon]

I'm thinking that an extension may be a way to address all of the "short commings" of the X. For example: bigger shower, bigger head (sorry got one already) daggarboard, place for kicker, watermaker, LP storage, nice swim platform and a bunch of stuff I haven't thought of yet. Perhaps, a prototype could be developed and manufactured professionally. Like a bolt on car kit.