Looks like a Mac capsized in RI

[PatrickS]

Looks like someone forgot to fill the ballast.. and the mainsail full of water prevented it righting itself...

(hard to say for certain with the limited info/footage)

http://www.abc6.com/news/rhodeisland/69534687.html

[bjmeunier]

Wasn't too far from where I was sailing..breeze wasn't very heavy either....hopefully, the owner is a member here and can share the info. Good thing everyone was ok...

[MARK PASSMORE]

Wow! Glad to see that Macs really don’t sink if I ever capsize. Makes me feel a lot safer.

[Rick Westlake]

Wow! Glad to see that Macs really don’t sink if I ever capsize. Makes me feel a lot safer.

Pardeys' The Capable Cruiser devoted about a page's worth of text to the MacGregor boats and their foam flotation, and they included this quote:

My wife and I knew our boats were some of the least expensive ones being sold in the American market. We knew they would attract a disproportionate number of first-time buyers, the less experienced sailors. We added buoyancy as a standard item so we could sleep at night, not worry about people losing their lives or boats because of a knock-down."

And, yeah, even the 65 has this flotation - in the bow and stern, where it also forces people to keep weight out of the ends of the boat.

[rwmiller56]

So is this now the 2nd documented capsize of a Mac due to no ballast? (The first one being an overloaded boat in NY, that resulted in loss of life).

[kmclemore]

Let's see..... what we seem to have here is a MacX, with the front hatch wide open while under way, no center board down, and no water ballast.

If any or all of this is the case, then...

Root cause: Failure to RTFM.

*sigh*

Well, I'm glad to hear everyone was OK. Let's hope that they were at least wearing personal floatation devices. And that they all learned something.

[Kelly Hanson East]

A mac does not self-right without ballast, so this isnt a documentable event imho.

Someone with a strong stomach might want to check SA for their spin..

...or not....

[Don T]

Hello,
That MacX was sitting pretty low in the water. I think it did have ballast. The news report said they were knocked down so they probably took on water. With water in the cabin an X boat looses it's righting moment made worse with the sails full of water. That's why Roger modified the M boats with fixed ballast, they retain righting moment even with water sloshing around inside. They cut the video (twice) just as they were righting the boat in the background.

On EDIT: I went over to SA and there is a post at the end of the last capsized Mac (UK) thread and "it" hasn't started yet.

[Gazmn]

Someone with a strong stomach might want to check SA for their spin..

Who Cares What They're Saying on SA

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

No where in the write up or the video does it mention the ballast state. Don't assume it was empty, you can knock any boat down if you do the wrong things in enough wind. That includes our boats with their small amount of water ballast and keel boats with many, many thousands of pounds of lead.

[ROAD Soldier]

How about if the perpetrator is out there reading this they give themselves up and enlighten us on what they did wrong. Let’s get it from the horse’s mouth so we can learn from your mistakes and not make too much fun of you in the process; we promise. Come-on we know you are reading this. Own up to your mistakes its called integrity. Try it.

[Kelly Hanson East]

The wind on Point Judith never reached over 10 kts according to Wunderground.

I dont think you can knock down a Mac with ballast in 10 kts. of wind.

[beene]

The wind on Point Judith never reached over 10 kts according to Wunderground.

I dont think you can knock down a Mac with ballast in 10 kts. of wind.

X2

G

[Highlander]

The so called rescuers dont know too much about sail boats either they tried to right this boat with the jib & main full of water which tells you the jib & mainsheets were never released thats how they broke the mast trying to right her , So #1 too much heel you should be releasing the sheets & turn into the wind if you have to ! so was it inexperiece or a unatended boat ! or other !! I think she has no ballast at all because with the hatch open the cabin is full of water so she will be laden even heavier with more water than what is just in the ballast so I think the ballast is mty or half full because I believe if the ballast tank was full she would be even more submerged with about 1500# balast and another say #3000 of water in the cabin at least , with the ballast mty and the cabin full of water she will be port side heavy . I have had both my Macs over 65degee heel more likely 75degree a couple of times ease the sheets out & back in again and you can play with the heel very carefully , that much , not recommended ! but I can see it "knock down" can happen really fast if you are not paying attention and an inexperienced crew will multply the situation .
Yes it would be nice to know what happened !!! I'd say that if it were an experienced crew sailing without ballast trying to get some excitment & got knocked down the sheets would have gotten released on the way over or at least shortly afterwards long before any recuers got their & all the hatches would have been closed !
remember even the best of racing sailors get knocked down !!! trying too stretch the limit too far or wont let their common sense take charge because their Egeos got in the way !!! not funny I know

J

[waternwaves]

Does not look like there was full ballast. and tho I used to do as much dinghy work with the mac as anyone....

it will be interesting to see what the full story is.

and really, how tough is it to cut halyard and haul those sails in, and then pull the boat back up, and then pump, and then tow in.

rescuers and salvors need a little more training on that one.

having slapped the top of the mast into the water twice.....the boa does not fill up that fast.....especially with hatch and forehatch closed.

what happend.?????