You are correct that the constant thread through all Macgregor problems is an empty or partially filled ballast tank.JamesToBoot wrote: ↑Wed Sep 03, 2025 8:49 amIm thinking, just from my reading of the forum and vids, that each 26 has some sort of vent hole to check by finger.Be Free wrote: ↑Wed Sep 03, 2025 7:56 am On the X the ballast level can be checked through the vent hole. When the boat is level and the tank is full the water will be just below the top of the vent.
Some have installed mechanical or electrical sensors. Even if I had one I'd still probably continue to check the level "by finger" before hoisting the sails.
All 26 are filled w am underwater valve and are filled via the boats weight in the water... and to check the level you need to be flat/level/not on heel. In order to check it again, you must first come back to a flat/level/not on heal. In that case, the same amount of water that could be forced out by heeling could also have come back in once you stopped heeling? At least thats what I would gather.
So the question is, what gives you confidence that you haven't missed something and that nothing has broken?
-is it soley experience (it worked reliably previously, so it should continue working?
-is it confidence in the product and theory behind the product if fool-proof?
-is it a degree in fluid dynamices engineering?
The attempt here is to gain experience from your experience (as I don't have any yet w a water ballast). I have read carefully the threads, news, and articles on boats that have sunk (testiment to the product and engineering that there are so few after so many boats made and so many years of use). All appear to be a mix of several errors on the users part and all appear to be failures of the user to be sure the ballast was full.
So what do you do to have confidence
Keep in mind that I'm only personally familiar with ballast the X variants so you may need to adjust for your boat. In both the early and later model X the fill valve is in the transom below the water line. Early models have the vent valve under the companionway ladder; later models have it under the v-berth. I believe (but have no personal experience) that the M is similar if not identical.
As OverEasy mentioned the ballast tank is designed to be used full or empty, never anything in between. Never sail with a partially filled ballast. The hybrids (M and X) can empty the ballast under power (never under sail) if desired but that is the only time they would be moving with a partial ballast and only long enough to empty the tank.
The ballast tank is only filled at rest. It most commonly done at the dock and except for the motorsailers there is seldom any reason to empty it before pulling the boat out of the water. Some (not all) of us will drop our ballast in order to go faster under power on occasion but we always refill it before raising our sails again. I can't think of any reason why any of the "pure" sailboat variants would do so as a matter of course.
Just like checking the oil in your car before driving, it is a good idea to check the fill level before leaving the dock or weighing anchor. Once the tank is full there is no reason why the water level should change unless the fill valve or air vent is not secured just as there is no reason why your car's oil should be low unless you have a leak somewhere. The main difference is that low engine oil is not nearly as dangerous as a partially filled ballast tank. Get in the habit of checking it before you move the boat. It is a very important habit to develop.
If you were to sail every day for a month and remembered to check the water level every day I would expect you to find it full every time. You don't check it because it is likely to be down; you check it because it is so dangerous if it is not full.
Now, to answer your questions:
My confidence that nothing is broken comes from regular inspections and safety checks. There are a lot of thing I check but the on-topic check is to make sure that the water is at the correct level and that both valves are closed before I leave the dock or weigh anchor if I've been out overnight.
Because I've checked the tank level regularly and because I've never found it to be low I have every reason to expect it to continue to function as designed absent evidence to the contrary.
Because I know there is no such thing as a fool-proof product I continue to check knowing that some day it will show signs of failure and I will need to repair it (like you have done to your boat recently).
I expect the ballast system to work as designed because it has done so for almost 25 years now. I expect the ballast system to fail because my degree (such as it is) is in Physics and I'm a firm believer in the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
I check the water level every day because I'm a devout disciple of Murphy so I know stuff is going to break and and it's going to break at the most inopportune time.
I have confidence that the ballast system is working as designed because I checked it. I'm responsible for the safety of my crew, passengers, and vessel. If Roger MacGregor himself were on my boat and he told me the tank was full I'd still check the level and both valves myself.
I hope that helps.
