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Anyone that sails on my boat has a job to do--the traveler trimer is given a pair of sailing gloves and has control of the heel of the boat. We practice dumping the traveler to give everyone a sense of control. The skipper has the weather responsibility and should anticipate gusty conditions. Only when the heel surpasses 25* do I uncleat the main sheet and prepare to dump the main further--If the gust lasts longer than 10 seconds we hove to and reef. I have never uncleated the jib because it is so uncontrollable and takes too long to harden up again. The aforementioned is applicable to green crews--normally the main sheet rarely gets dumped at 25, yes at 35.

I prefer to reef the main first, then the jib only because the reefed jib gets too baggy and raises the CE too high on the boat inducing additional heeling. When you reef the jib you should move your jib cars so that the sheets intersect the jib luff at mid point. The 150 makes this almost impossible as the sheets must be moved to the inside of the shrouds to the cars on the cabin top. A hove to is a good thing to do when dealing with the 150.

If you want your lady friends--whatever rank you assign to them--to sail with you, consider sailings on an instructor's boat. A little bit of confidence will go a long way. If the crew solely relies on you-a novice skipper-and is not part of the boat then you will probably have to put the sails away and enjoy your iron genny for awhile because no confidence means no Fun for everyone. :cry

For newbies/green crew, use the 110 jib until you learn to sail the boat-then go for the 150. If you have a 150, reef it to 100 before you set sail. Learning will be much easier, safer and quieter--remember, NO YELLING

Bob

I recently switched over to the 110 mainly because the 150 would always overpower the main in some wind, and a heavy lee helm isn't very safe, nor is it much fun for the passengers (most of whom don't like the 'tilting', in their words). Unfortunately, I haven't had a good breeze the few times I took it out sailing after swapping out the headsails, so more experimentation will have to wait for spring. The original 110 looks like it was hardly used at all, though.

Edit to add: The few times I had it out after swapping headsails, the wind was pretty light. Sure could have used that 150.

Get a spinnaker for the light days.
I have spent many an hour with sinnaker only anywhere from a full run up to slight hauling (slightly more to wind than a beam)

Trouts Dream wrote:Get a spinnaker for the light days.
I have spent many an hour with sinnaker only anywhere from a full run up to slight hauling (slightly more to wind than a beam)

A sinnaker! The mind reels with the imagery of that one.....

Sorry scaly one!

That could be a new pet name for the Admiral...

Get a spinnaker for the light days.
I have spent many an hour with sinnaker only anywhere from a full run up to slight hauling (slightly more to wind than a beam)

Yep the wife loves the spinakker and so do I, very relaxing but not if it's gusty and confused winds.

Yep, I agree, the gusts can be seen fairly easily scudding over the surface, but as you say it can all happen quite quickly and from a comfortable 10 degrees you're beyond 35 and the Admiral is shouting at you to "stop it", then you try and flick the main out of the jammer, and it it won't go and and and, then she won't talk to you and doesn't want to go out again unless there is NO wind, and where's the fun in that?

Every time I hear quotes like that I think of our trip to the Whitsundays when we got caught running into wind against tide on a headland and also the Mac dealer a very accomplished sailor running ahead of us in a Mach 28 which really can sail and motor but he got hit by a bullet off the hills and broached almost laying the mast in the water, his partner was very white when we drew alongside and she was of Greek? descent so fairly dark and tanned normally,(they may not have been paying attention to the sailing again) .

Ixneigh wrote:Lead. On the inside of the bottom of the boat. The 250 pounds i added kicks in at20 degrees and really helps. Its not even dead center bottom.
Can anyone do the math to tell me how much lead id need to replace the water? Not just pound for pound but also considering its much lower in thd boat then water.

Ixneigh

also extreme heel is not effective sailing. Reef earlier. These boats are quite as stable as they need to be.

Wow! This worked for you? I would think it would change the sailing dynamics too much.

The main reason I installed it is for more reserve stability without the water ballast. I also sail alone ergo, no rail meat. Yes it helps. But that's 250 lbs less supplies the boat can carry. Since I mostly daysail or weekend that is ok for now. I personally feel a little bit better lugging sail, since makes the boat stand up a bit better. I have sailed against a stock M but she had a genoa. Mine was slighty faster down wind, but on the wind it was not possible to directly compare the boats. Note my boat is fairly loaded already and has been bottom painted and the other M was stock sweet clean and light I am not bothered by heel but my dogs find it unpleasant so I try to limit it to 25 or 30 degrees.
ixneigh

I had the same problem with my Admiral. She didn't have a problem heeling when we had the San Juan 21, but with the Mac you're higher above the water, giving you the feeling that you're heeling more than you actually are.

She finally enrolled in a charter certification course on Lake Michigan. During the 3 day course, the winds were 30-35+ kts from the west (she was on the west coast of Lake Michigan) with very little swell. Her and the other students had a riot sailing with the rail in the water! She developed confidence and felt secure that the 34' keelboat wasn't going to broach. The instructor told them AFTER the end of the course that those were the highest winds in which he'd ever taken out students

Now she feels more comfortable when I heel over 20 degrees.

Keep in mind, the 26M should be reefed early as it easily gets overpowered, even with the jib.

Dale

Y.B.Normal wrote:I had the same problem with my Admiral. She didn't have a problem heeling when we had the San Juan 21, but with the Mac you're higher above the water, giving you the feeling that you're heeling more than you actually are.

She finally enrolled in a charter certification course on Lake Michigan. During the 3 day course, the winds were 30-35+ kts from the west (she was on the west coast of Lake Michigan) with very little swell. Her and the other students had a riot sailing with the rail in the water! She developed confidence and felt secure that the 34' keelboat wasn't going to broach. The instructor told them AFTER the end of the course that those were the highest winds in which he'd ever taken out students

Now she feels more comfortable when I heel over 20 degrees.

Keep in mind, the 26M should be reefed early as it easily gets overpowered, even with the jib.

Dale

Well thats news to me never had any issues being overpowered





J

It sure looks like they are in trouble when over 20 degrees but having spent the afternoon at 25-30 in very steady winds and fair water I can say that it doesn't feel as goofy as it looks...and never felt at risk. (its the gusting stuff that has serious pucker factor for me still )

We were out today on my in Gulf St Vincent. wind ahead of the beam. Put in a mainsail reef at 17 knots and rolled the jib at 19 knots. Sailed beautifully with an easily controlled heel of 20 degrees and average speed of 5 1/2 knots without forcing it.
We start moving the traveller away from the wind first so that we keep the mainsail shape for as long as possible. When the boat flattens out to 15-20 degrees we haul it up again. I've put an extra block in the traveller sheets system and so it is not heavy work. I only let go of the mainsheet when I can't settle the boat with the traveller. I would agree that the boat sails much more comfortably in 15+ winds with a reef. I prefer to sail on the mainsail rather than on the jib alone. It's much more stable.