Rookie Sailer needing assistance

[lake norman mac]

First let me say that I have found this board to be very helpful in learning more about sailing a mac 26. Thanks for all your help!

My wife and I were in the beginning stages of boat shopping and were really intrigued with the mac 26. We like the fact that it can be used either as a power boat (her request) or a true sailboat (my request) - best of both worlds.

After reading this web page and many more - I had a few questions that I could not figure out but I am sure are very easy to the more intermediate and advanced sailers here on this board. They are as follows:

1 - What is a roller furler? What does it do?

2 - What is 150 % Genoa, 110% Genoa

3 - How do you control the jib? Is this sail more of a fixed sail? When do you use it? When do you take it down?

4 - What is the advantage of a spinnaker? Would you generally use it on a larger body of water - i.e. the ocean

5 - My wife wants a place to lay out and get some sun while on the boat. Are your wives able to lay out on the deck while the boat is under sail? How safe is this?

6 - I have seen some Mac26's advertised with an outboard motor with less than 25 horsepower. Is it possible to upgrade with a larger outboard motor? If so, how much does a 50hp outboard motor usually cost?

7 - Does anyone on this board sail on Lake Norman, NC - north of Charlotte? What is your experience on the lake with a MAC?

I think that just about does it for now. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

[mike]

My wife and I were in the beginning stages of boat shopping and were really intrigued with the mac 26. We like the fact that it can be used either as a power boat (her request) or a true sailboat (my request) - best of both worlds.

You know, I thought I was the only person who was in the situation of me wanting a sailboat and my wife wanting a powerboat... not to sound sexist or anything, but you'd think the ladies would be more into the peace and tranquility of a nice, quiet, afternoon sail on the lake, while us guys would want a big motor to go fast. In many cases, it seems to be just the opposite!

To be fair, now that my wife has experienced sailing, she's really coming around and likes it much more than she thought she would. That said, we still love the dual-purpose nature of the boat, as it allows us to move quickly when needed (for safety reasons, time constraints, or just for a different kind of fun).

We are relatively new to sailing too... we bought our 26x about 6 months ago. Your questions sound much like the anxieties I had, because sailing just seems so freakin' complicated at first glance. But once we did a little reading, and actually got out there and tried it, we discovered that the basics are really quite easy... of course, it's going to be a while before we can consider ourselves GOOD sailors!

2 - What is 150 % Genoa, 110% Genoa

Just to elaborate from Tripp Gal's excellent response (speaking as fellow newbie), the bigger genoas are generally used in light winds, while the smaller jibs are better for stronger winds. You can partially roll up a large genoa to reduce sail area, but I am told that performance is not as good as it would be with the actual smaller sail. But I get the impression that most non-racing folks simply keep the big sail on, and accept the performance trade-off if they need to roll it in some, though I suppose if you lived in an area that had strong winds most of the time, you'd be better off leaving the smaller jib up.

5 - My wife wants a place to lay out and get some sun while on the boat. Are your wives able to lay out on the deck while the boat is under sail? How safe is this?

Hmmmm... I'm not sure whether or not that's safe. With ballast in, the weight up on the deck probably wouldn't be a problem... my guess is that you'd just have to ensure she didn't roll off the boat while it's heeled over! My wife enjoys stretching out in the cockpit.

6 - I have seen some Mac26's advertised with an outboard motor with less than 25 horsepower. Is it possible to upgrade with a larger outboard motor? If so, how much does a 50hp outboard motor usually cost?

I believe a 50hp 4 stroke will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $6,500 (less for a 2 stroke).

--Mike

[mike]

Tripp Gal - sure appreciate your guest appearances.

Yeah, I think it's great that her and Schock Therapy are sharing their sailing knowledge here!

--Mike

[mike]

Thanks for all your input! All this stuff is finally starting to fall into place.

Can you suggest any good books or stores that sell books on how to sail a boat similar to the Mac 26?

While it's not really a "how to sail" book, this is one of my favorites:

Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat
by Jerry Cardwell

--Mike

[Frank C]

Just another opinion regarding sunning on the foredeck ...

• when in power-mode at moderate speeds, the foredeck would be fine as a sundeck. However, some jurisdictions consider this a safety violation, and issue citations. As mentioned above, she could lounge safely in the cockpit while you motor at moderate speed.
• when under sail, the foredeck would not be a comfortable perch under heel, and would not be particularly safe when you needed to tack. Remember that both the sail and the jib sheets would need to drag across the sunbather's prone form - not a good place to be. If you want to single-hand the sails, she could comfortably lounge across the helm seat.

At anchor, lounge anywhere you please ... some of the best times you'll find in warm weather, as long as the bugs are asleep.

[Mike Wallace]

I'm just down the road on Lake Wylie (Rock Hill) if you want to see my Mac. 2001 with 50 hp Murcury 4 stroke.

[marc ducharme]

hI I can recommend SAILING FOR DUMMIES as a good read, I am new at this also, just picked up my m26 on the 30th 0f April, We still hav eice on our lake, so I read and practice lowering and raising my mast

[Chuck Healey]

I would also recomend SAILING FOR DUMMIES, lots of good info for the begining sailor

[lake norman mac]

Everyone - thanks for all your feedback! I am going to purchase a few videos and look for a few of the books you all pointed out.

Marc - You mentioned that you recently purchased your Mac. Was it a used boat or a new boat? If you bought it used, how were you able to determine if you were getting a good deal on it?

I am afraid that a boat dealer would take advantage of me if I went right out and bought a used Mac.

[mike]

Everyone - thanks for all your feedback! I am going to purchase a few videos and look for a few of the books you all pointed out.

Marc - You mentioned that you recently purchased your Mac. Was it a used boat or a new boat? If you bought it used, how were you able to determine if you were getting a good deal on it?

I am afraid that a boat dealer would take advantage of me if I went right out and bought a used Mac.

You can start by reading through the classified ads here on this site, which will give you a good idea of the value of boats with various equipment. You might even find one close to you that meets your needs!

--Mike

[marc ducharme]

Hi, when I was looking for a boat, i read just about every site in the US and Canada that had Mac links. I did by a new 2004 M #443, so for me the deal was , who could give me the best price and the shortest travel time. Ghost Lake marine in Souther Alberta, matched Gerry Bergs price out of Vancouver. I got absolutly great service from the dealer. And i only had to do a 10 hour drive to pick it up, so in my case it was distance that determined the deal.
I found that prices for new Macs varied little on the base price, so the options are where the profit is made. this ranged up to a 1500.0 diference on new equipment when comparing apples to apples. Take care, i think i can hear the ice leaving the lake gotta go.