Using the Mac as a powerboat only? No mast, no rigging.

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:35 am

Anyone ever used there Mac w/ no rigging, no mast for a season? I'm thinking of that this year.

If so, any suggestions?

Thanks,

Steve

pokerrick1 · Post by **pokerrick1** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:07 pm

And not be able to sail at all

OMG

Rick

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:35 pm

We did last year, and while we put the mast back on for our most recent 4 day trip we may pull it off again for the summer. We never took the covers off the sails and hated the extra 30 minutes it added each way at the launch.

As much as I enjoy sailing, the current reality of our family trips is that sailing is not a part of the equation. We love being on the water and find there are so many other things we want to do while out there that sailing never becomes a priority. It's not that we are blasting around at WOT from place to place, it's just that we find we are missing nothing of the boating experience by using the motor instead of the sails.

I've drawn up changes I plan to make for what we are refering to as a power conversion. Nothing irreversable, but changes that will stay in place for a few years and make the boat a better mastless powerboat. One of the big advantages is being able to have a lot of our canvas and other equipment in place ready to go. This takes us from a 35-40 minutes setup / teardown time to 5 - 10 minutes. You can pull up in line and launch just like all the regular boats, no extra work required.

Down the road when we are at a different place with kids and time the mast may well go back on, but it looks to be destine for the storage shed at this point in time.

Greg · Post by **Greg** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 1:55 pm

Our mast and sails spent the last year in our basement for much the same reason Duane listed. Last year was a busy year with other projects around the house so when I did take the boat out we spent more time on the water not rigging/derigging the sails at launch and retrieve.
Also last year we exclusively went to Raystown Lake in PA which is not good sailing waters because it is fairly narrow and in a mountainous region.

I do enjoy sailing and hope to do some sailing trips this year.
That’s the nice thing about the Mac- ya got options

My wife came up with the name for our X- usually when we get on the water the first question is “Do you want to sail or not”? When not sailing we can motor at more Knot(s).

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:04 pm

Duane & Greg,

"That's what I'm talking about" (from Napoleon Dynamite). I mean, I love to sail. On Lake Michigan three years ago, and likewise in the Florida Gulf. But on the lake where I live, and the Cumberland River? No thanks. Plus the extra time rigging and derigging sucks. Especially considering I sail for 10 minutes, then jibe or tack and 10 minutes later I'm doing it all over again.

Now, considerations for going sail-less? Empty ballast all summer? Full ballast? Anything else?

Thanks...

Steve

Robert · Post by **Robert** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:29 pm

I decided whether or not to sail each trip based on how much time we had. The first year very many times we went out after work for a dinner cruise. Dinner and the family on board and 5 minutes away to the lake. Most of those trips were just a couple hours from driveway to back on the driveway. During the week there is no boat ramp delay. So, before leaving home, I would shoulder the mast with furled 150% Genoa and hop off the back of the boat, run around behind the house and place the mast on a long brick retaining wall. We would then go and have a nice dinner in a cove or at some easy speed in the middle of the lake in case the bugs were out. To protect the mast and Genoa I would place them back on the boat each evening. I got used to carrying the mast on and off the boat at home alone since my Admiral was busy packing food and kids.

Post by **NiceAft** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:07 pm

It's amazing just how versatile the Mac is

Different strokes for different folks. (Sly and the family Stone, I THINK )

Ray

Post by **kmclemore** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:25 pm

This past season we had *planned* to sail the Mac, but due to a serious injury I was unable to sail her, so we took the mast off and ran power-only. Spent our summer holiday on Lake Winnepesaukee that way, too. Actually, I think she looks pretty sharp that way!

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Post by **Duane Dunn, Allegro** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:50 pm

We started going out on mastless trips for the first time in 2003. Since then 424.5 Nm of our 1,546.73 Nm in the log book have been mastless. We have been out on 10 trips this way. A couple were just play days on the lake, others were longer trips (6 days was the longest) for a total of 27 days. We may even shock everyone and show up at the BWY rendezvous in June without our mast

Pictures are here
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook26.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook35.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook39.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook65.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook67.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/logBook68.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook72.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook73.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/logbook81.htm
http://www.ddunn.org/LogBook84.htm

Almost all our motoring is with empty ballast, with or without the mast. I'll fill the tank onlyfor very short distances or in heavy weather (or those rare times we actually sail).

While I think the boat doesn't look bad without a mast, that empty step just says something is missing. One of the main thinks I plan to add is a stub mast that will fill the void, give me a place for a forward white light, and let me add some flair with flags at such.

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:13 pm

Duane Wrote:

While I think the boat doesn't look bad without a mast, that empty step just says something is missing. One of the main thinks I plan to add is a stub mast that will fill the void, give me a place for a forward white light, and let me add some flair with flags at such.

So Duane, how high is this stub mast you speak of? I still have 18'6" of M mast laying across saw horses at the side of my house and am only 15 minutes north of the 49th from Peace Arch crossing. It is thicker than the X mast but may still work, let me know if you are interested.

David Clarke · Post by **David Clarke** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:43 pm

My wife an I did a run around the Chesapeake Bay last year for about a week. We had such a tight schedule that even though we had the mast and sails with us we never found the time. We had planned to sail for a full day and get to know the boat while out in the bay. Most of our weekend/over night trips are local with other boaters and just south of the Mount Vernon area on the Potomac, so not always big open areas for sailing, so we have been going mastless, motoring here and there, learning and seeing all the new things on the river with the increased range of the Mac. Maybe had the sails up a couple of hours. I've sailed since around age 14 and still think it's a blast, so when we decided to go to a bigger boat in 2004 we didn't want to give up sailing. Right now we are just having to much fun, to rig up all the time and use the versatility of the Mac when the weathers not prime for sailing. It's a great boat to have the best of both worlds. We will be going to the Bay again this year with a few more new stops to see. We plan on sailing this year while we're out too, but we'll see how it all works out.

Night Sailor · Post by **Night Sailor** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:43 pm

It does look good without a mast.
Last time I launched (mast up) , a young fellow came up and complemented us on the new boat. When I told him it was a '98 he was impressed, and then said he bought a 2000X new down in Florida, took it sailing two times and decided he liked motoring better. He said he put a 90 hp on it, took off all sailing gear, life lines, and used it to jump off waves in the keys until the transom cracked and gave in. Until then he said, it was real chick magnet and the overnighters were grand.

on edit: afterthought for the speed freaks. He said he was getting 30 mph! per gps.

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:13 pm

Well cool. Didn't know if I'd get shunned or what bringing up the subject, but I guess I'm in good company.

I want to get the sails off, cleaned, and stored in the attic or garage. Clean the Mac, and then see what kind of looks I get w/o the mast.

The Mac is always a blast, such a versatile boat!

beene · Post by **beene** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 6:42 am

Actually, I think she looks pretty sharp that way!

KM
The Mac looks good ANY WAY

IMO

G

johnnyonspot · Post by **johnnyonspot** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 9:22 am

kmclemore wrote:This past season we had *planned* to sail the Mac, but due to a serious injury I was unable to sail her, so we took the mast off and ran power-only. Spent our summer holiday on Lake Winnepesaukee that way, too. Actually, I think she looks pretty sharp that way!

How do you protect your bottom when pulling up to shore like that? Do you use a keelguard or some other sort of protector? If so, how well does it work?

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Using the Mac as a powerboat only? No mast, no rigging.

Using the Mac as a powerboat only? No mast, no rigging.

No Sails?

I got used to carrying the mast on and off the boat at home

Stub Mast