Mac26X slow speed handling question.

[lhartje]

I'm considering buying a Mac26X and would like to know about the boats slow speed handling characteristics with a 50 Hp outboard. In a "no wake" zone at displacement hull speeds, how does the boat handle, i.e. steer? How maneuverable or controllable is it? Thanks in advance for your replies.

[smidnite]

in those conditions my experience is fair. It's easy to over steer but once you find your feel on the wheel she pretty good. These been some steering system mods done by some members on the board and they report that they better handling and less play. You can look in the mods section for the rundown.

[Rick Mathews]

There are many variables to consider, of course. For any low speed maneuvering you will want the rudders down. The Mac is difficult to control under engine thrust alone. Putting the centerboard all the way down will allow it pivot in a very small radius. If that's not practical, a small amount of centerboard down will give some directional stability.

The Mac's high freeboard means that it will want to drift to leeward in a breeze, particularly with no ballast and no centerboard. In strong current, beware of having the centerboard all the way down if the current is on the beam--we learned this the hard way.

As with any boat, it takes practice to become familiar with the Mac's idiosyncracies, and the multiple configurations of the Mac (board up or down, ballast full or empty, etc.) multiply the possibilities, but we have been happy enough with the way she handles at low speeds.

[kmclemore]

First, let me say that I do indeed love my Mac. But frankly, IMHO at slow speeds it handles like a barge. No wind, large open spaces, you'll be fine... however, any reasonable amount of wind, combined with navigating down narrow docking areas and you're in for a really fun time. Expect your vocabulary to increase leaps and bounds, particularly of the vulgar tongue.

I love my sons as well and wouldn't trade them for the world... but under certain circumstances they don't behave either, and I've been prone to say a few choice words when dealing with them, too.

Don't let slow speed handling alone make the decision for you... on the whole, the Mac is a great boat.

[Moe]

With the caveat that we've never even gotten our own X wet, and my only experience was helping an injured friend retrieve his X at the end of the season, in relatively high winds, my limited opinion is that the Mac handles like a pig under power at low speeds, even with the ballast full, rudders down, and centerboard slightly down. Part of the issue may be the limited swing of the outboard due to the rudder linkage.

The barge analogy is a good one. It takes a lot of control input to accelerate, decelerate or change direction, to overcome the boat's momentum. However, that control input must be for a SHORT period, because the response to it is slow initially, but once it starts, it's there in a big way. If you've held the input until the boat responds, it may already be too much. A healthy control input for a short "burst" and then waiting for the boat to respond seems to me to be the best technique to prevent overcontrolling.

I'm also a believer that 4-blade props, particularly when restricted to a smaller diameter, provide more low-speed control, at only a slight loss of top end speed (at our speeds anyway).

Maybe my opinion will change when I get some experience with ours, but that's it for now. It's not bad enough to discourage me to sacrifice all the boat's positive attributes.
--
Moe

[waternwaves]

Let me describe it as this.

even with the CB partially down for a little extra directional stability.....
The boat is light.... and I often have fun putzing through narrow channels such as the swinnomish or upriver, but leaving the motor at a constant speed and merely moving my body across the cockpit to steer....it is a tightly balanced boat that requires more steering awareness than any other boat her size.....

she also hunts at the speed where she just starts to crawl out of her bow wave.......that is a terrible place to cruise......too much fuel too wobbly in manner..... get her up to at least 10 mph for a much straighter ride....remember....all foils up.

And if you are going to do mostly slow speed motoring get the largest prop possible....and forego.....the speed...

I have to disagree a bit.....with the other owners here slightly....The boat is not a barge.....the problem is insufficient engine....lol. 50 hp..is the controlling issue.....most of the other toys have at least 280 hp...and even they are not instantaneous out of the hole....... (where will I mount that 5.7L ) naw.....stick with an E-tec 90.......hehehehe.... but you will notice the wind and less so the current than your regular Deep V. I guess it is a perception thing.....a 26 ft long boat......(OK 25'-10") is not a 16 ft runabout with a 125 horse..... IF you check my other posts....as long as the current is not 3-4 kts... on your tail......the mac is not too difficult to control......but around a dock, 3-4 kts going the wrong way......turn around and try it again......

but there is a lot of surface area to catch the wind......you will definitely be keeping track of both wind and current during slow speed ops.....

enjoy.

darren

[Jim Bunnell]

In one summer of use, I found my M was actually easier to back into a slip at low speed. Twice I got caught by wind while docking and just let it spin around and backed in. Unfortunately, I didn't do it smoothly enough to look planned. Embarrassment aside, it worked well.

[ESPERANZA]

Moving at slow speed in calm conditions, I use rudders down and full center board. It isn't bad but, it's still a pig...

[Erik Hardtle]

Before I got my X I had a 20 ft ski boat with an Inboard/Outboard... it steered badly at slow speeds. I find that the X does better with the rudders down... as does anyboat that has rudder.

Erik

[ronacarme]

See my 7/1/04 post re " Motoring unfer 7.5 mph....", including "In shallower water not permitting all boards down, I...run 2-3" CB line out and one shoal piggyback rudder down..."- if thin water is a problem, as in my lagoon and slip.
Also, my slip is located so that the best way to leave it is to back out of it and down a line of adjacent slips to an open area wide enuf to allow turning and going forward. Boat tracks better backing than going forward and tracking while backing is OK even with only 2-3" CB line out and one shoal rudder down.

[Rolf]

The x handle excellent at slow speeds-- like anything, it depends on the captain's overall experience. ALL rudders, c/b down is a must, along with water ballast. I have docked in the windiest and most crowded conditions you can imagine, and don't even flinch anymore now that I know what i'm doing. The boat will pivot 180 degrees out of a tight docking situation with experience, I know, I've done it with nothing but 10 feet in front of me being land and a boat directly behind while launching. The overall light weight of boat even with ballast is a factor, but with experience easily compensated for by the boat's narrow beam. In extremely windy condition backing into a slip is a no-brainer. The extra torque of a larger motor like my 90 definitely helps as well, but not necessary.
Rolf

[Catigale]

I learned how to 'back and fill' Catigale last season - basically spin her on an axis without forward or backward progress...kind of the ultimate handling tool...

[awolfe]

Look, I know I'm a little pollyanna about the Mac. But I agree with Rolf and Erik. Our X steers better at slow speeds than our previous Reinell 19 w/ a Mercruiser 180 hp I/0. I/0s 'hunt' if not on a plane and its real annoying for long periods of time. The Mac doesn't do that. But everything is relative. And you need to practice docking at an empty dock with and without wind. After a short while you learn what works and doesn't work. The Mac is generally very easy to handle, even in wind. But you have to get your "flaps" down and ballast in and slow down in a blow...and practice. The big engine can overcome about anything, giving much more control than we had on a previous Cal 25.

Its a real ego booster to watch people around the launch ramp with their power boats run into eachother and the dock, trying to dock their little runabouts. Its unbelievable to me how people can appear so ignorant about how a boat handles. Just practice - someplace safe...

Tom
Annie's Song
Denver

[Rich Plumb]

Try this: Pivot the boat about it's centerboard. Pick a clear area. Have the centerboard and rudders down. With boat stopped, turn the helm all the way to starboard and give the throttle a good bump ahead. When the bow is swinging to starboard, shift your rudders putting the helm hard to port, and bump the throttle astern. Try to keep the fore & aft motion to a minimum. By repeating these steps, you can spin the boat completely around, in little more than it's own length. I find myself using this maneuver a lot in tight marinas.

As a side note, I find myself operating in one of four modes:

1. Sailing with motor up and all foils down.

2. Motoring at hull speed about 5 knots with engine RPM at 2000, rudders down and centerboard up. I get about 6.5 MPG on my Nissan 50, in this mode.

3. Docking, with all foils down, and with engine at idle or using short bursts.

4. Motoring at high speed with all foils up and engine at 5000 RPM or as fast as the sea state will comfortably allow. I get about 3.3 MPG in this mode.


Rich Plumb

[Catigale]

Try this: Pivot the boat about it's centerboard. Pick a clear area. Have the centerboard and rudders down. With boat stopped, turn the helm all the way to starboard and give the throttle a good bump ahead. When the bow is swinging to starboard, shift your rudders putting the helm hard to port, and bump the throttle astern. Try to keep the fore & aft motion to a minimum. By repeating these steps, you can spin the boat completely around, in little more than it's own length. I find myself using this maneuver a lot in tight marinas.

Thanks Rich, this is the classic 'back and fill' maneuver I mentioned above. In a keelboat you get a pronounced effect from the prop walk, which is the wash of the prop on the hull. I dont see a big prop walk on my . Im guessing this is because the prop sits pretty far from the hull.

Im in between a beginner and intermediate in skill level, but with an afternoon of practice I learned how to pull this one off pretty easily. I guess for this thread I would say if I can make an do this it cant be that hard to handle....???

GOt a nice compliment from my dockmaster when he saw me flip Catigale bow for stern in between docks with about 10 feet to spare total (5 feet on each end!!)..."Not going to worry about you docking anymore..."

The Admiral was impressed, which was even better!!!!