TAW02 wrote:Have you sailed aboard a Transpac 52? From the review you hand me ... I don't think you should comment on something you know nothing about. Read my original post. I have been aboard the Morning Light (A Transpac 52). Please do not degrade that of which you have no idea of what you are talking about. Thank you sir.
nuff said
-Tom
I'm certain she sails like a dream. I've done a substantial amount of investigation into canted keel technology because I really want it to work, but the boats are still quite rare.
Her handling characteristics were not the subject of my post. The subject of my post was that current canted keel technology is not inherently safe or even inherently operable without power.
New technology is always risky and I appreciate people who are willing to take those risks. Water ballasted keels are a newer technology that many people still don't trust, but the statistics bear out its safety.
The statistic bear out the danger of canted keels thus far. The Volvo canted keel race had 3 of 7 boats fall out with keel problems last year. Until someone figures out how to make a canted keel technology that comes somewhat near the reliability of other sail technology, it's not for me.
From the Wikipedia article on Canted Keels:
Problems
The current canting keel technology is far from perfect. At least three of the seven boats in the 2006 Volvo Ocean Race, one of the first major long term races allowing canting keels, had problems with the keels.[citation needed] One area in particular, the plates sealing the opening through which the keel passes, are prone to leaks. Unlike a centerboard or daggerboard trunk, the opening for a canting keel must allow significant lateral motion, which requires sliding seals.
The boat movistar had problems on Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race, 200 miles off Cape Horn, during the night on 2 March 2006. It sprung a significant leak when the sliding plates that covered the keel opening fell off in the middle of the night. This was a problem that had occurred earlier. movistar's aft keel pivot broke loose and began flooding the boat. They made repairs in Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel.[1] Later on, in Leg 7 the same problem occurred in the north Atlantic. This time the decision was made to abandon ship, and the crew transferred to ABN AMRO TWO. movistar continued to broadcast its position for several days, but an aerial search failed to find the vessel, and it was lost.
In the 2006/2007 VELUX 5 Oceans Race (a single-handed, round the world race), the Open 60 yacht Hugo Boss, skippered by Alex Thomson, had to be abandoned in the Southern Ocean due to the snapping of the hydraulic rams that controlled the keel, which caused the catastrophic failure of the keel. When this failure caused the yacht to nearly capsize, the boat was abandoned; Thomson was rescued by fellow competitor Mike Golding. On the 25th November 2006, the boat's Sat C transponder stopped transmitting, and the hull has to date not been salvaged.
Matt
Wow! Sure glad I didn't buy one. Not likely to buy one either. But like the title of the thread asks, "What if? What sailboat would I have if not a Macgregor", that is my answer. 
as well as the 
Hmmm
Some of my little mods I have actually done on my