Guess I have to learn how to sail now.

[Tomfoolery]

Ok, so they are further down the mast as you said, but at about four feet instead of six. Funny, the PO told me that the lines just hung over the lifelines to help keep it from falling either way, ha. There are clearly flat eyes on the deck where they belong, so I must be at least the third owner.

Looking at some of the other pics, it looks like the boom is low, too. And the mast cleats. And the spreaders. In fact, it looks like a couple of feet was cut off the bottom of the mast.



You can see the angle clips on the ends of the baby stays that engage the sockets on the deck, hanging over the sides. The keeper screws are even in them.

[taylormade]

Ok, so they are further down the mast as you said, but at about four feet instead of six. Funny, the PO told me that the lines just hung over the lifelines to help keep it from falling either way, ha. There are clearly flat eyes on the deck where they belong, so I must be at least the third owner.

Looking at some of the other pics, it looks like the boom is low, too. And the mast cleats. And the spreaders. In fact, it looks like a couple of feet was cut off the bottom of the mast.

You can see the angle clips on the ends of the baby stays that engage the sockets on the deck, hanging over the sides. The keeper screws are even in them.

Yikes, you think?? How long should the mast be?

Yeah, that's what the PO was telling me wrapped over the lifeline. Wow.

[LoHo]

About your leak: is it possibly a fuel leak into the lower cowling that just runs out a convenient hole? Check your fuel connections in and around the carb. That looks like a couple of old outboards I have that used to leak at the fuel connections. Gasoline makes a better rainbow than oil.

[sailboatmike]

The spreaders do look low but think its camera angle, photo is taken from above looking down.

I just compared a pic of my X and the boom looks about right as a rough estimate 5 foot above the cockpit floor and I would think the spreaders are around 14 feet above the cabin top, the Max X does have low spreaders compared with others that seem to have them around 1/3 of the down from the top of the mast, the X seems to be around 1/2 way down or up the mast.

[taylormade]

About your leak: is it possibly a fuel leak into the lower cowling that just runs out a convenient hole? Check your fuel connections in and around the carb. That looks like a couple of old outboards I have that used to leak at the fuel connections. Gasoline makes a better rainbow than oil.

Yeah, I appreciate the question and thought, but this was definitely oil. No question.

[taylormade]

The spreaders do look low but think its camera angle, photo is taken from above looking down.

I just compared a pic of my X and the boom looks about right as a rough estimate 5 foot above the cockpit floor and I would think the spreaders are around 14 feet above the cabin top, the Max X does have low spreaders compared with others that seem to have them around 1/3 of the down from the top of the mast, the X seems to be around 1/2 way down or up the mast.

Well it turns out Tomfoolery was right and the mast has been chopped short. About 3.5' by my count as this mast is only 24' 7". Wow. Looks like I'll be making a trip to the local salvage yard soon.

[sailboatmike]

The mast should hang out just over 2 feet over the transom when connected to the pull pit for travel.

Of course that means your sails may of been cut down to match the mast as the main is guess what 24 foot 8 inches from the boom to the main halyard

Here are the sail dimensions http://www.hydesailsdirect.com/MacGregor-Sails-s/32.htm

[Tomfoolery]

Mast extrusion on an is 28 ft., and the spreaders are around half-way up.

Sorry.

[taylormade]

The mast should hang out just over 2 feet over the transom when connected to the pull pit for travel.

Of course that means your sails may of been cut down to match the mast as the main is guess what 24 foot 8 inches from the boom to the main halyard

Here are the sail dimensions http://www.hydesailsdirect.com/MacGregor-Sails-s/32.htm

Thanks very much! Once this coffee kicks in, I'll go out and measure the sails. I'm betting that the main has been modified because the boat came with the main and two jibs. One of which was "set up for a roller furling" which probably means it's the original height sail.

Mast extrusion on an is 28 ft., and the spreaders are around half-way up.

Sorry.

Quite alright! I'm just glad there's a place like this where I can get answers and advice so quickly! I'm trying to keep a positive attitude as I find all these problems because I know I still got a good deal, although that good deal is chipping away day by day lol. There's nothing I can do about it now, the milk's been spilt. I'll trudge through it and we'll be better off in the end. Right now I'm looking at a new mast, probably new rigging (assuming all these cables have been modified) and maybe a new main sail.

[taylormade]

Ok, opened the sails and took some measurements... by my best guess and the link Mike posted, they've all been trimmed as well. Shame because the sails all appear to be in terrific shape!

[taylormade]

[Tomfoolery]

I'm not so sure. The boom looks low, so the main would have been lowered as the mast got shorter. In other words, it may be original size. Same with the jib/genoa; take a look at the top of the mast, and see if there is a lateral hole through it a couple of feet higher than where the upper shrouds attach. It's possible the PO simply shortened the mast and standing rigging, but moved the hound for the jib up to keep the forestay and sails the same.

It's worth a look at least. A quick glance would tell you - if the forestay ends at the upper shrouds (one through bolt), it was shortened. If the hound is higher than the shrouds (additional through bolt), it probably wasn't. Probably, because it could have been shortened, by not by enough to get the hound down to the upper shrouds.

And FWIW, someone here may have extra mast extrusion around, and you may be able to extend the mast from the bottom with internal reinforcement. Or maybe from the top, where there's little bending moment, since there's little main sail up there, and the shrouds terminate well below where the splice would be. That would allow you to move the boom back up, and the hound and spreader sockets. Not as clean as a new mast, but doable.

[taylormade]

Well, I took some pics of the mast... there are certainly a few "extra" holes in it without anything in them, but I'm not sure they're the droids we're looking for.

[Tomfoolery]

That is exactly the droid you're looking for. Look how close to the top of the mast the forestay and upper side stays terminate. I'm guess the forestay is the original length, and the sails are unchanged, too.

What's not obvious is whether or not the spreaders were moved. But a little more sniffing around should tell you.

[taylormade]

The spreader bars appear to be untouched. There's nothing at least obvious... the next nearest hole moving up the mast is around 5' up and it's a single hole and not the three that appear to go through for the spreaders.

The sails have definitely been trimmed though. According to the internet, the luff and leech on the main are 24' 9" and 25' 11" respectively. Mine is 21' 11" and 23' 4". The jib's leech is 22' 8" and mine are 20' and 21'.