New Owner looking for setup help

[Bimmerguy]

Hello all, my wife and I just bought a 2004 MacGregor 26M, I learn t to sail on a 17' sloop, now this boat is much bigger but we are thrilled to learn, I've been searching everywhere for a complete start to finish setup video as the manual really is not very thorough, I sure would appreciate any help or suggestions you may have, checklist ect.... Thank you..

[NiceAft]

Bimmerguy,

If you go to the "user control panel" and then go to "profile", you can add your location. There might be a board member nearby who can give hands on help.

Also, here is a prelaunch checklist previously posted. Using the "search" box can be frustrating, and sometimes not. I did a search for "checklist".


Ray

[dlandersson]

And you are located...?

As for checklists, will you be using a ramp or renting a slip?

Also, since it's used...what's on it? My 1997 26X came with everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink courtesy of the previous owners.

Hello all, my wife and I just bought a 2004 MacGregor 26M, I learn t to sail on a 17' sloop, now this boat is much bigger but we are thrilled to learn, I've been searching everywhere for a complete start to finish setup video as the manual really is not very thorough, I sure would appreciate any help or suggestions you may have, checklist ect.... Thank you..

[Bimmerguy]

Hey Thanks so much for the offer, we are in the Durham region and plan to trailer it to every little nook and cranny.. We really hope to find the perfect bay for the kids to really enjoy not only the outdoors but the family experience. My passion for sailing runs deep, I watched my uncle build a 32' concrete hulled and from the first sloop I received from a Huntsville resort for free, I was thrilled, had a trailer and all, I drove down from Sudbury, cleaned it, sanded it, I had this thing spotless, practiced rigging it and tearing it down, only thing was I didn't know how to sail, "I owned to jet skis at the time", so I loaded it up, told my friends if I wasn't home by supper to send a search party. so I paddle out, and raise my sail, stuck in irons, had no idea at the time what it meant but man when the wind finally caught it was life changing, I've never felt so alive.. lol sold my jet skis two weeks later! Life work kids, it takes a lot of time, we finally have time to get back into it, wife has read sailing for dummies twice, so she's ready! lol, We bought a used 2004 26M loaded , full canopy and all,rail seats sold me, just a jib but Christmas is jibbing, I mean coming, 50 Honda, needs a good polish but I'm handy, pick it up Wednesday and I've read the owners manual 8 times now so I think I'll be fine, I had issues the whole mast raising and a roller furler looks incredible, can't wait to get out there, we're going to launch in Cooks Bay on Simcoe this weekend, I have no idea where to stay yet or launch but I'm sure I'll find something, was going to get a slip in Barrie for a few nights, the wife has also mentioned Balsam but I'm not sure if it's good for sailing.. Thanks for the comments and hope to see you out there, I'll post some pics after this weekend.

[Bimmerguy]

BTW found several checklist, will try them both, and where the heck is user control panel? Lol

[Catigale]

Get a slip for the first few times out. Be careful on inland lakes ..the wind can be gusty which is. The most challenging sailing there is.

If you are a polar bear like me you can sail a good two three month more in ON before retiring for winter.

[John McDonough]

Hey Thanks so much for the offer, we are in the Durham region and plan to trailer it, we're going to launch in Cooks Bay on Simcoe this weekend, I have no idea where to stay yet or launch but I'm sure I'll find something, was going to get a slip in Barrie for a few nights,

Dunham N.C.
Check the weather, I heard there is a Hurricane coming up the East coast,, Pictures.. Get us a picture of the EYe and 30` foot wavez breaking over the bow..
Good luck, battem the hatches...

[Crikey]

Good, another Canuck! Welcome!!

You'll find the downtown Orillia docks quite nice. We've gone through the entire Trent/Severn system from either end and had so much fun, particularly overnighting in the locks, that we'd do it again in a heartbeat! The Rideau is great also, if you ever get over that way. Lots of places to sail on the connected lakes in both locations.
Watch out for Lake Simcoe .... it can get very nasty if the weather gets up!

Blue hull

Ross

[Bimmerguy]

Well, we got the boat in at Crates marine in Keswick, had a great sail yesterday.. Today we leave and I'm not looking forward to loading up the boat with 30 km/hr winds..after the sail yesterday the winds picked up as we entered the marina and our slip was on the south side with a north wind so it was tricky, I missed on my first attempt and did a 360 between about 8, 300k plus boats, man was I nervous, as were the owners of all the boats, I pulled in nicely but my wife panicked when it was time to jump on the dock and I hit the dock straight on, leaving a nice souvenir from our first time out, just cosmetic and I'm quite sure it'll buff out, this week I winterize the boat as my job will prevent me from getting out anymore this season, will be a very long winter....

[mastreb]

I pulled in nicely but my wife panicked when it was time to jump on the dock and I hit the dock straight on, leaving a nice souvenir from our first time out, just cosmetic and I'm quite sure it'll buff out, this week I winterize the boat as my job will prevent me from getting out anymore this season, will be a very long winter....

The trick here is to countersteer the motor such that it's pointing at the slip beside you and then gun the motor in reverse. This will stop your forward motion and pull the stern along side the slip in one shot. If currents and wind are unfavorable, grab the cleats with a boat hook and have the admiral hop of with little to no movement to worry about.

[jschrade]

Jumping = bad

Check these out:
http://home.comcast.net/~duane.dunn/BoatHandling.htm

With the wind blowing towards the pied, it's easy - get some fenders out!

Really, use the boat hook, or one the docking loop tools to get attached or get a grip on the dock. You can get hurt really bad jumping.


Jim

[Love MACs]

Bimmer....any body who Hasn"t hit the dock either isn't trying hard enough or is lying

[mastreb]

I strongly recommend tying up alongside the ramp and line handling the boat onto the trailer rather than trying to motor aboard unless you are in perfectly calm condition and there's a lot of room. These boats are much longer and more wind affected than powerboats, and they like to twist while coming aboard the trailer on you.

[Phantom]

Hi Bimmer,

I hit the dock pretty hard the first time out too. I also almost rammed a couple boats while pulling into my marina for the first time. Luckily my wife was on board with a boat hook and was able to push us off of them before we hit them.
You didn't mention whether or not you had your centerboard and rudders locked down when you were motoring into the marina.
These boats are pretty much uncontrollable motoring at slow speed with centerboard and rudders up.
If you had everthing up try putting everything down next time and you will find that you will have a lot more control.
There is also a lot of lag before your boat will react. If you get a chance to take your boat out often maneuvering it will become second nature.
I still am the only one who drives our boat. Next summer hopefully I can teach my wife to also drive it just in case something would ever happen to me while we are out on the water.

[Bimmerguy]

Thank you all for your comments, I appreciate it, I am getting better every time, I got more insurance just in case! LOL