Will a Mac 26x plane with the ballast full and a 50 hp?

[escape]

Hello, we are wanting to keep the ballast tank full for safety but we do not know if the boat will plane or what kind of speed, if we want it, we can expect with the tank full.

(We have a 50 hp Mercury 4 stroke that was surveyed and alleged to be in fine working order and the first time we put it in the water the alarm sounds and won't let it go ober 2000 rpm-we are changing things out-impeller was broke, ec. The survey we paid for was a joke and we doubt it even took place-long distance purchase))

We will be gettinig the motor repaired but then we have no idea of what to expect with the ballast tank full.


Help and thanks!

[Chinook]

Stowed weight is the enemy of motoring speed. The addition of 1400 lbs of water ballast causes a significant reduction in top end speed. With the weight we carry on board for cruising, we usually top out at around 12 knots with WOT and no ballast. That drops down to around 8 knots with the ballast tank full. We're running a Nissan 50 TLDI hp engine.

[Newell]

Hello,

Yes it will plane, perhaps get 8-10 knts. I don't do it unless I was in a emergency hurry in rough water. I don't think it's particulary safe or smart. Others will promote the safety issue and ballast in always, to each his own, be safe.

Good luck in learning your new boat.

Newell
Fast Sunday 96X, Windancer 89D

[rwmiller56]

With ballast full, and my 50 HP 4S Johnson, my moves at about 11 kts at WOT. The boat is semi-planing, not quite up on a full plane.

[irayone]

Yamaha 60 I can't get mine to plane either. I have read on this site two different views.
1. The Mac is bow heavy put your water tanks in the rear.
2. The bow rides high put weight up front.
However if too much weight is up front the stability is an issue.

I have my spare anchor tools and dive gear all up front and the boat will not plane. Nor can I get seeds greater than 10 kts
Pulling a skier without a ballast with an empty boat..... maybe....... but highly unlikely.
Like I said before the Mac has limitations due to it's swiss army like character.....It can do all but with limits.

[vkmaynard]

Not even close.

Planing is around 21 MPH.

Empty balast with a 4 kids, no provisions, we get 17.5 MPH WOT on a Honda 50 with a 4 blade prop. No faster with a three blade prop. Throw in the balast and you will be lucky to get 12 MPH.

We would like to upgrade to a new Suzuki 90 which now weighs around 340 lbs (much lighter than 2008 that wieghs more than the 140).

Victor

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

It all depends on your definition of planing. If you consider planing going faster than a displacement hull speed as some here do, then the answer is yes. If you think of planing in a true small power boat sense, as I do, then the answer is no.

My definition of planing is what I think most of us have experienced in small ski boats. At low speed you are cruising flat just pushing the water out of the way, Once you get to hull speed the bow will begin to rise as you start to climb over the bow wave out of the hole. Eventually you are able to go fast enough that the boat is out of the hole, the bow drops back to a level attitude, and you get a speed increase as the boat is released from the hole it makes in the water and is now skipping along on the surface.

In a 26x the bow rises and starts to climb out of the hole at 7 knots (8.05 mph). The full release and drop in the bow on a full plane happens in a 26x at 18 knots (20.7 mph).

With a 50hp motor and the right prop you will top out around 12 knots (13.8 mph) with full ballast and around 16 knots (18.4 mph) with empty ballast. In a stripped boat with one person on board, no mast or anything else you may reach the magic 18 knots.

While many will argue as they can't let their ego admit their boat doesn't plane, with a 50hp motor a 26x is only a semi planing boat. It never reaches a full plane in either configuration. If all you have ever experienced is a 50hp motor it is hard to understand the distinction, but all you have to do is get in a 26x with a bigger motor (90+) and you will feel it in the seat of your pants. Last year when we installed our TLDI 90 it became very clear now that we can reach 22 knots (25.3 mph) with empty ballast.

Motoring with the ballast full is your choice, but you are giving up a big part of what a Mac is all about, the ability to be not only a heavy sailboat but a light powerboat. We're in our 9th summer with our 26x and are coming up on 2,000 miles in our cruising log and 90+% of that has been motoring with empty ballast in all kinds of conditions. The boat is very safe with empty ballast and I have never had any concerns about it's behavior under way. It has never done anything even somewhat scary and my family will cruise on it with empty tanks anywhere without a second thought.

I only motor with ballast for a very short distance or when the seas are over 4'-5'. In both those cases I'd never use WOT. All that would be doing is wasting quite a bit of gas and making extra noise pushing the full ballast tank around. If I have over 5 miles to travel under power or need to go faster than 7 knots I will always dump the ballast if it is full. Gas costs too much to burn it hauling around a big tank full of water.

[SkiDeep2001]

With ballast full, and my 4S Johnson, my moves at about 11 kts at WOT.

I never knew your Johnson had anything to do with the speed of an I learn something new every day

[gyroplanes]

Thanks for posting this timely thread.
I finally got my first attempt at open water under power. I have a 1998 26X with the Tohatsu 2cycle 50 hp motor.

Full ballast, 5 adults, 2 kids, WOT yielded 9.9 mph on my GPS. I was very disappointed, but after reading these posts, I'd say we did quite well.

The real disappointment came when I realized how loud powerboating is. I'm not used to shouting underway.

I can't wait to raise the sails for the first time (temps in the low 50's on Lake Michigan this morning)

QUESTION; I my trim control only functional while in neutral or at very low power settings? I tried to trim the boat from full down motor and the trim control wouldn't respond under power. My friends speedboat does.

[rwmiller56]

With ballast full, and my 4S Johnson, my moves at about 11 kts at WOT.

I never knew your Johnson had anything to do with the speed of an I learn something new every day

This is not that kind of forum

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I would think the trim control would work at any speed, I believe the one on my old Tohatsu 50 2 stroke did. But to be honest you don't need it. With the transom angle of a 26x and a 50 hp you don't want anything but full down. Trimming up at speed will only make the boat go slower. This isn't a rocket sled bass boat with a 250 hp motor on the back. Just trim it all the way down and leave it.

That was quite a crew you had on board, I'd say your speed was exactly what would be expected. I certainly don't miss the roar of my old 2 stroke, the Tohatsu TLDI motors are much quieter. It used to be talking at over 2500 rpm was barely possible if you shouted, now we can easily talk above the purr of the motor at 3500 rpm while making a nice 10 - 12 knots..

[kmclemore]

With ballast full, and my 4S Johnson, my moves at about 11 kts at WOT.

I never knew your Johnson had anything to do with the speed of an I learn something new every day

This is not that kind of forum

Yeah, just be careful there guys... I don't want to hear about anyone accidentally trimming down their Johnson.

[bastonjock]

The best that i managed was 16.9 knots with no ballast and two guys on board,i was hitting 15.5 knots when my buddy (C130 king) suggested that he would help the trim by standing at the bow,we hit 16.9 knots which i think is around 19mph.This was with the mast up and the sails furled.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Yeah, just be careful there guys... I don't want to hear about anyone accidentally trimming down their Johnson.

Sometimes the pitch is so fat, even the moderators cant keep the Forum out of the Pub...or vice versa...its taking all my self-control not to wrap the helm protection thread into this one...

DOH!! I did it by mistake...!!!

[aya16]

Duane is right about powering with out ballast, I cant speak for the x but the m rides really nice without ballast in calm water. He's also right about 50hp m or x, Its not going to plane.
It was a whole year reading this board and getting used to my new mac, many years ago, before I ran the boat without ballast. I was just plain to afraid to do it, with all the posts saying dont do it.
I also started taking advice here with as many grains of salt as the ocean kicks up without ballast on plane. Me included.
Mike