Coastal Sailing Capabilities

[dlandersson]

All four of them?

The more Mac's the better

James
I have send u a PM.
These guys are trying to get all Mac owners in SA together.
http://www.excellentboats.co.za/
Renier

[SKIPPER2C]

All four of them?

The more Mac's the better

James
I have send u a PM.
These guys are trying to get all Mac owners in SA together.
http://www.excellentboats.co.za/
Renier

HA. HA.
You'll be surprised. At my yacht club theres 3 alone.
Renier

[Three Gypsies]

The admiral and I have just taken our 2000 with a 50hp Honda on it from Montgomery Ala to Key West Fl for a total of 1,696 miles .
Our Mac is loaded as we have been living on her continuously since April , 5 months ago .

Most of our cruise has been in sight of land . A lot of it has been offshore , such as when we crossed the Gulf of Mexico and as we made our way down the west coast of Florida . Due to the shallowness of the Gulf we were forced sometimes up to 50 miles off shore to be assured deep enough water .

We have weathered storms with 60 mph winds , numerous times . During our overnight crossing we encountered a storm in the middle of the night that sank two other pleasure craft that were out there with us .

I strongly disagree with anyone who says a Mac is just a fair weather trailer sailer ! We have proven it is much more than that ! This boat has carried us thru many storms that have sank other much more expensive , boats . I can't say its my offshore cruising abilities because up until this cruise , my experience was mostly coastal and rivers.

When we start our return voyage , we plan to leave the Keys and head across the Florida straits , open water ,to Cape Sable this will also be an all day cruise out of sight of land .
Sir , You are wrong ! MacGregors are stout ships and with a good captain can go anywhere , within reason .

[SKIPPER2C]

Can the hull do it? Sure. Can you do it? That depends on you.

MacGregors are stout ships and with a good captain can go anywhere , within reason .

Well said .
Thats my experience too.
Renier

[dlandersson]

The boats are well designed, but they are not designed for blue water sailing. If you hadn't made it thru, then we would not have read your post, you'd be another statistic.

We have weathered storms with 60 mph winds , numerous times . During our overnight crossing we encountered a storm in the middle of the night that sank two other pleasure craft that were out there with us.

[Herschel]

First, my hats off to all you good skippers that have taken Macs in waters outside of their designed operating conditions. Your accomplishments are testaments to both your skill and the quality of our boats. I mean no disrespect to either my fellow Mac sailors, nor our stout boats. My concern is that when someone, especially someone relatively new to Macs asks about the advisability of taking their Mac in waters (with which we are unfamiliar) which are described as having currents of 4-6 knots and conditions that could create 60 meter waves, and no safe harbor for 85 miles, we ought to advise a lot of caution. My main familiarity with arduous tasks of this nature is related, in the main, to military operations...crossing the Pacific twice in a destroyer, several months steaming in such paces as the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin, a year on the Mekong river as part of the Mobile Riverine Force, a month at the USMC base in 29 Palms in July...you get the picture. The perspective those experiences gave me was to be very cognizant about getting the right equipment for the job. I am all for adventure sailing. I just think that choosing the right equipment for the job is a critical judgment call. I think it is important for us to remain aware that our boats were not designed to be blue water cruisers. I have no doubt that many of us will use them for that purpose, but I think we have to do that knowing we are taking some added risk by not opting to switch to a boat built for that purpose. In my Hobie 18 days I read of two Hobie sailors who decided to sail their 18 from West Africa to the Caribbean. They made it, but they weren't raving about what a great idea it was. Another Hobie sailor took on the waves on the north shore of Oahu. He made it, too. But would you advise someone to try either of those? What I would like to see those of you that cruise safely on blue water cruises do is give good advice about the preparation you make, the redundancy you plan for, the emergency plans you make, and the routes that you think are worth consideration. And be frank about when you do run into limits. I think we owe each other accurate information and facts that we can use to make important decisions that may not only impact ourselves, but people we care deeply about, too.

[mastreb]

I haven't seen any designation for the conditions for which a Mac is capable. I also have not heard any tales of MacGregors found adrift in open water or sunk.

What I have heard is a lot of Mac owners who have appropriately assessed the capabilities of their boat and themselves--and made decisions to go or not to go based on that combination of capability and skill.

To be frank, if you have to ask whether or not a Mac can do something, you lack the experience of your boat to attempt it. You should be slow-walking your way to increasing adventures trip-by-trip, not jumping into something for which a Mac may not be appropriate and for which you are certainly unprepared.

I'm three years into sailing my Mac and just now doing a full San Diego to Catalina trip. I've trailered to Long Beach and gone across open water to Catalina a number of times, but I've never beat against the prevailing wind for 90nm to get there before--in any boat. For the trip I've got new sails and have inspected and retensioned my stays, gone over the motor--basically I've made sure everything is bristol.

This isn't my first trip to Catalina, and its not my first aborted trip to Catalina. Take your boat slowly, learn your skills, learn your boat, and then you won't have to ask about capabilities, yours or the boats. You'll already know.

Matt

[yukonbob]

which are described as having currents of 4-6 knots and conditions that could create 60 meter waves,

Sorry, but I had to read this twice

[Catigale]

To be frank, if you have to ask whether or not a Mac can do something, you lack the experience of your boat to attempt it.

Perfectly sums up Most all threads on this topic.

Bravo Zulu.

[dlandersson]

Guess I'll re-think my plan to sail around the world - thru the poles - hitting all the high-pirate areas.

To be frank, if you have to ask whether or not a Mac can do something, you lack the experience of your boat to attempt it. You should be slow-walking your way to increasing adventures trip-by-trip, not jumping into something for which a Mac may not be appropriate and for which you are certainly unprepared.

[Three Gypsies]

In my post I ended it with 'within reason'

I wouldn't cross the Atlantic or pacific oceans , although I have read stories of Macs going from Calif to Hawaii

But offshore cruising ? Yes they are very capable .

As I wrote we have survived storms , bigger , better , boats didn't .

One afternoon , we were near Captiva Pass cruising across the bay , when a storm blew up out of nowhere . At first I was trying to hold our course , south . The storm was running east to west . It was blowing so hard and long it was slowly pushing the side of the boat into the water . We were leaning farther and farther over . I managed to turn the boat and let the storm push us out Captiva Pass and into the gulf . I couldn't get my lifejacket on , because I had to hold the wheel with both hands as hard as I could to keep us pointed away from the storm. The whole time I am screaming to Joanne "We are in Captiva Pass" in case it was Her that had to make the mayday call .

The storm finally passed us over . It blew us 5 miles out to sea . As we reentered the bay , a sheriff boat pulled up and ask if we had seen such and such , it was a boat larger than ours , that had done a mayday . Pretty soon a Coast Guard RIB came flying past .

We and our stout ship had survived with only minor damage . My biggest fear with all the pressure on the steering , that it was going to break , or the mast was going to come down , it didn't and I am here to write about it .

[Catigale]

I couldn't get my lifejacket on

[133bhp]

hats off, Post up somewhere else for those not on facebook.

but leaving aside anything else, its not the wind, its the waves it cant handle im my experiemce. no matter how big the engine.your limted by the slamming to make progress beyond a few knots.

I turned back the other day, although I had done a similar trip without the girlfriend onboard. But short sharp seas, motor sailing a to keep it moving meant 3 hours of prop out of the water, slamming and stopping with most every wave, just to do 7 nm. mixture of frustartion and anxiety. Other keel boats were upright albeit crashing through the waves but making good headway., thats the difference.

[dlandersson]

I make it a practice to always wear my PFD.

I couldn't get my lifejacket on , because I had to hold the wheel with both hands as hard as I could to keep us pointed away from the storm.

[JohnCFI]

I confess on a really smooth sea, I often leave the PFD hanging on the head door. But at the first sign of bumpy every one on board puts one on!! Basic sea safety!!