MacGregorSailors.com

Here is a link to the post and thread about it please view the animation link.

Power Loading No No

Rich---Hamin' X---N7ZH

Thanks Rich.

That animation link is cool. I'd never thought about it before but it makes sense. Especially the way the stinkpots here gun the motor when getting on the trailer.

Trust me, the first time that the reservoir is low and you back your boat down the ramp to launch, feel the sudden kerwhump, hear a sickening screech of metal on pavement and come to a complete stop, you will be a believer. I couldn't back any further, nor pull out. The boat was not far enough in to float off and I was the only one around. Now what?

I got the Hi-Lift (Handyman) jack out of the pickup (2WD). Disconnected the trailer from the hitch and jacked up the tongue about three feet. This lowered the stern into the water just enough to allow me to shoulder the boat off the trailer.

Forgot to take the bow line off the deck and the boat was floating away. I got very wet getting to the stern and pushing the bow back between the guide posts. It stayed there long enough for me to get the line. Whew! Climbed in, started the motor and motored over to the bank (no docks) and tied up to a tree. Back to the trailer, lowered it back on the hitch and pulled it out...

Uh, not quite. Still can't move. Take the jack to the rear of the trailer and jacked it up. Got wet some more. Back to the pickup (did I mention that the seats were soaking wet by now?) and pulled forward. Worked great. The trailer went forward and fell off the jack and landed on the pavement. All's well that ends well, right...Uh...Welllll

When the jack went over, it tore off a tail light and ripped the entire wiring harness off the trailer. Crawled in, over and around the trailer for another hour fixing the wiring and tying the light back in place. (did I mention that water was draining out of the trailer onto me the entire time?)

Look at the time! No time for a sail now, so I load the boat back on trailer and go home...Uh...Wellll.

First I have to get some big rocks and try to fill in the drop off at the end of the ramp. Amazing how many softball to bowling ball sized rocks this takes, as they keep sinking into the mud and sand. (wet again)

Back the trailer down the ramp and check to be sure that the tires are going to roll out on the rocks. (wet again and it's getting dark) All looks good. Back to the boat, motor back to the trailer and ease it on. Looks good. Winch it onto the trailer, pull it out and strap it down. Now for home and a brewskie...Uh...Wellll

Cop pulls me over and says I have no tail lights (forgot to unplug the lights when I backed in again) and I cannot drive home that way. He escorts me to a chain-up area about a mile up the road, issues me a citation and summons to appear, then says he will be back in about an hour to check on me.

About an hour later he shows up, just about the time that I have things fixed again. I head for home.

Long story short, my planned three hour sail tuned into six and no sailing, a bad cold and a rotten demeanor the next day at work. A $500 fine for powering on your boat doesn't even begin to cover it.

Rich~

Rich...ure a man of infinite patients. I know you were just doing what had to be done but about two hours into ure ordeal I would have been ready to seriously hurt someone, anyone. And the cop showing up when he did would have probably just sent me over the edge! Sounds like you kept ure cool and when about ure buisness, taking care of business. You are a better man than I Gunga Din.



Allan

I load my Mac onto the trailer about 5 times a year, and so far I never have been able to get the bow into the "V", the bump did not work for me either. But my X had bottom paint, maybe that was the contributing factor?
Yesterday I took my M out the first time, and due to all the hints here on the board its seated perfectly without the bump. Lubricated the bunks with dishwasher liquid, walked the boat onto the trailer and gave her a real hard "crank". Stopped 3 times going up on the ramp, repeated to crank - and it worked perfect! Now I can release the tension of the winch, and she stays in the V.....Thanks...
Hans

We used to do the Mac bump but after seeing what happened to my friend when he had to brake for a deer I just lube the carpet instead. His Tanzar collapsed the front post on his trailer and kept going into his pickup topper.

Loefflerh wrote: ... due to all the hints here on the board its seated perfectly without the bump. Lubricated the bunks with dishwasher liquid, walked the boat onto the trailer and gave her a real hard "crank".

Stopped 3 times going up on the ramp, repeated to crank -

and it worked perfect! Now I can release the tension of the winch, and she stays in the V.....Thanks...
Hans

The real secret to loading forward (w/no Bump req'd) is Hans' comment, bolded ...
... repeatedly cranking the trailer winch as the trailer proceeds up-ramp.

As the stern gradually settles onto the trailer's rear bunks, Hans pulls the bow ever-closer to the v-block.
Problem solved~! (assumes, of course, that you have a Mate driving the tow-rig)

Maybe if the trailers had multi-rollers instead of flat bunks we would be able to winch the boat onto the correct position on the trailer without doing any of these dangerous activities.....neither drive-on nor Mac bump!

assumes, of course, that you have a Mate driving the tow-rig

No, sir! No mate - but what is the problem, stopping 3 times, getting out and crank?
BTW, I just duplicated my success, works great with soap and cranking...
Hans

I'm not a fan (any longer) of the Mac bump, and strongly advise against it.

I did the Mac bump for the first year I had my 26X until one time when the boat jumped forward faster than expected (though not doing it differently than any other time) and bent my ladder! I now winch up very tight, pull forward a foot, winch again, pull forward a foot, winch again, etc. (usually takes 3-4 times) to get the boat properly onto the trailer. It's a bit of a hassle, but I no longer consider the Mac bump to be a safe and reasonable solution to the problem.

A change from the rubber v-stop to a v-roller, as reported earlier in this thread, along with perhaps mounting the winch higher up, would probably provide a satisfactory solution, and I'm considering it as a winter project.

For the sake of padding my post count I must reference my post (#2)on the second page of this thread.

I love delayed reactions in responses. Dredging up old posts is kinda like breaking out laughing 5 minutes after the joke...or not. JK

Actually when they are good posts it is a worthy endeavor. In the case of the Mac bump it has in the past been a highly recommended procedure, in retrospect maybe not such a good Idea.

WHO pads posts just because they are sneaking up on Admiral - - - AGAIN??!!

Scott - - - you are correct about laughing 5 minutes after the joke - - - when I saw this thread I said "again"? - - - no, it's "still".

The Macbump still works for me EVERY time in my 2006 M and it is STILL in the manual as a recommended procedure, if you do it correctly (I was taught by Mike Inmon). Most common reason for failure is not hitting the brakes hard enough (be sure you are going in a straight line)

Rick

My reference was to all the reports of bent ladders and winch posts.

I would get a speed of about 30 miles per hour then apply more and more brake pressure till the boat sprang forward.

This seemed better to get just the right of amount of enertia to move the boat without over doing it.

I would let off the brake as soon as I felt the boat move.

Liquid detergent does help a lot.

I have never need to go as fast as 30mph fast for the Mac Bump with my ! I get up to about 10 kph (6mph)on a level surface then firmly apply the brakes. It has worked very time for me and no bent ladders.

The only time my ladder got slightly twisted was when an over-enthusiastic crew member put too much strain on the winch when getting the boat onto the trailer. He wanted to get it right up the the post and managed to wreck the standard lightweight winch as well as twisting the ladder post slightly. The winch was a write-off, but the twisted ladder post was fairly easily straightened with a bit of leverage from a length of wood.