Thanks for your backward idea!

[NiceAft]

Awhile back there was a thread where someone posted an idea that it is easier to back a Mac into a slip instead of pulling it in. Whomever you are, you are definitely correct! I have been backing my M into our slip the last few times out, and I am amazed how much easier it is.

Sooooo, whomever you are, Thanks


Ray

[Retcoastie]

Now, if I can just figure out how to back onto the trailer.

[Paul S]

when we had our powerboat..I always backed into the slip...was a LOT easier

[pokerrick1]

All I can figure from this post is that the new (2006+) M's steer much better than X's and previous M's. I had heard about steering problems on Macs before I bought my '06, but I was pleasantly surprised with the steering on mine. With the rudders and daggerboard down, the M steers magnificantly. To get into my slip, I go all ahead slowest entering the row of slips - - - then shortly after entering the row I shift into neutral and GLIDE into the slip. While it is gliding the boat steers perfectly - - - I couldn't ask for better!

With the rudders and/or daggerboard up it is a totally different story - - - and any steering difficulties I have are immediately traced to forgetting to lower one or the other before trying to steer (usually after higher speed motoring).

Rick

[Captain Steve]

It was I.....

[Chinook]

I had an experience entering a marina just north of the Lake Worth Inlet in West Palm Beach where, in hindsight, I wish I had backed in. The current through this marina is notorious, running around 3 knots and parallel to the directions boats have to moor in the finger slips. In approaching my assigned slip I was entering with the current, the problem therefore being able to maintain enough speed for steerage on the approach, but also being able to stop forward motion before ramming the concrete dock at the head of the slip. Reverse being highly inefficient, it ended up being a maneuver we barely survived without damage to the boat. In retrospect, I'm certain I'd have been lots better off by turning into the current, and then easing back on the throttle while remaining in forward. I could have steered against the current and eased my way into the slip. And if something didn't line up right, I could have easily given her power in forward and pulled away, to try again. It's something I'll definitely be trying the next time I have to enter a slip with that type of current.

[Catigale]

It took me a couple of seasons to tame the mighty Hudson and its combination of current and winds that swing and puff...you definitely want to make any approach you can INTO current, as opposed to WITH it, I learned pretty quickly.

Of course, approaching my slip was only possible from the South, so I had to learn to deal with both directions depending on tide. It gets really nasty on the strong North wind and south (flood) tide, since you come in fighting the wind, then in the last 15 seconds the wind drops and 3 kts of tide push you the other way....

probably the most important lesson learned was..."Going around again, honey...."

[NiceAft]

Thanks, Captain Steve.

Ray

[Trav White]

I learned on my 3rd outing to turn INTO the current. After a motor downtown for lunch, I headed east across the river to the gas station. As I tried to pull up to starboard, we had a strong current running north. My first approach left me drifting sideways up the dock toward an already docked boat. After some serious reverse, I tried again. This time I got the bow to the dock, the wife got the line on the cleat, and the current whipped the entire aft end of the boat around. I ended up tying up to port and facing south.

The last time we went downtown, I turned into the current and pulled right up to the dock with no problems.

[KayakDan]

First time with our boat in the water,we launched it,and were told to bring it over to a slip. The slip was about a foot wider than the boat,and I had 3 ft of clearance to the boat across from us. I figured this was gonna be a really bad experience,but the boat handled superbly(no fault of the captain!). We slid into the slip like veteran Mac owners. I was amazed.
On the other hand putting our boat on the trailer in a cross wind is a real rodeo!

[March]

Totally. We were at Devil's Island last August and we found a double dock set at an angle, kind of L shaped with the opening in between the two lines. Of course we sailed in, facing the beach, as far as we could go. At night, the wind shifted and we started getting our poop hit by high waves that were coming straight through the opening. There was no way to motor back, at night and with all those waves and fins/centerboard up. There was no way to move forward either--no place to turn. The waves in the gulf revealed rocks and boulders at the bottom at times, in line with the boat. We tied the boat to the deck cleats and waited... our two heavy-duty fenders popped in a matter of hours: we padded the side with life jackets, rocked on, and waited... The cleats were beginning to give out. We used all pieces of rope on the boat, including the two anchor rodes to attach the boat over the dock, to the boulders on the other side: nine different lines, artfully attached to take the tension off each other. And we waited... The morning brought no relief. The coastguard who was supposed to pick up the lighthouse keeper refused to sail in such a weather, even with their metal hull and two 150 HP Hondas. So we waited, watching longingly the opposite dock with was completely protected. It was only 150 feet away or so.

Had we docked backwards, facing the open seas, we wouldn't have had all these problems. Heck, we could have motored out at night and anchored on the opposite side of the islands. Funny thing is, we had had plenty of time to move the boat before the storm, or swing her around with ropes (the water was not so deep, like I said) but we never thought it would get so bad. In the end we lost the fenders, and several lines (severe rubbing against the boulders to which they were attached, even though we tried to pad them) but the boat came through all right (minor rash on the rubber line where it hit the dock--I'll silicone it this weekend)

No more forward docking for me

[Bill Warnock]

>With the rudders and daggerboard down...<

Hey Rick... (aka pokerrick1) I was wondering at what depth/length
you maintained the dagger board for docking purposes.

Needless to say we are dealing with extremely slow speeds if not
ultimately a drift in status... so I considered the dagger board settings
under these conditions possibly critical.

Woulde appreciate your opinion and/or others that have dealt with
the dagger board settings for a 26M relative to docking.

Note: I keep the rudders in their normal mode... it's the dagger
board that kind of has me wondering per the aforementioned
application (docking).

Bill

[Richard O'Brien]

Bill, I keep mine to full depth except at this time of year when our reservoir is low. Then I keep it about 1/2. When I'm coming onto my trailer I have a small Ronstan clutch instead of the original cleat. When the current or wind is too strong , and just before I get to the trailer, I quickly haul up the daggerboard from the pedestal. This works pretty well for me now, having clobbered my trailer once or twice before. Windqwest aka Ryan showed me if you gun the engine a little with someone up front, you don't have to do the "Mac-bump" later also.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

All I can figure from this post is that the new (2006+) M's steer much better than X's

I'm perplexed that you would think that since the originator of this post has a 26M.

I suppose theoretically it may steer a tad better since the hull angle is slightly deeper on a 26M but I think it is still basically the same type of long narrow fairly flat planing hull like a 26X is.

With my X, it is the same as what you describe. With the boards down, it steers quite well and with the boards up it steers quite badly. Actually, with my big foot, I usually only put down the CB a bit like a skeg and that is sufficient to get good control. I only need to put the rudders down if I am maneuvering in very tight quarters.

With CB down, I don't think it is too much harder than any other 26 foot boat, although it does have a lot of windage and it is light.