Mac Mod Moron & Is this boat ever awsome!

[Mark Prouty]

I am doing a galley mod that is not complete, I neglected to put the sink drain hose back in before my sail today. Guess what, when she heels to port there is a big hole in the side of the boat where it drains - duh!! Dad we're takin' on a lot of water here

I live a block from Lake Wisconsin. After an exciting sail (even though the lake is a little small for a 26 footer), we put down the sails and powered up the river. I'm talking sandbars, camping and swimming. We had a great time. It was entertaining to watch the people's expressions seeing a sailboat powering up the river at power boat speed. A lot of thumbs up and hands in the air body language. She's a rare boat in these parts.

I can't imagine a cooler boat that a wiener like me could afford.

By the way the mast raising system worked pretty well for us. Pretty happy with ramp turn around time.

One bad thing, until I can get the first mate fully capable of operating alone and know this thing like the back of my hand, I can't imagine operating this thing at much less than sober.

We want to power full speed - don't forget the centerboard that we left down a bit.

Ok already to sail - oops forgot the ballast.

Kid suggested post-its.

Must be a good reflection on Mac owners that few deadly accidents have been reported.

[Tom Spohn]

Mark, after a really scary day trying to sail on an empty ballast tank (a stupid oversight!) I put together a check list that I made out of plastic labels and placed on the bottom of the pedestal. Now I check the rudders and centerboard, topping lift, ballast, etc. when converting from high speed power boat to sailboat or vice versa.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Mark - If you are going up a river that doesn't usually get any sailboat traffic, keep an eye out for overhead power lines.

[Idle Time]

looking for powerlines is a good suggestion for an area where few sailboats roam. We had friends on Grand Lake in OK. The first time we sailed there they invited us to anchor in their cove. We had a Catalina 22 at the time. A new sailboat bridge had just been put over the lake and our friends were on the side that most sailboats hadnt traveled. As we were coasting into their cove..checking for the big rocks they had warned us about...my husband looked up and saw our mast about 10 ft from a powerline, but the time the 5hp motor got us stopped and moving backwards we were only 3 ft from it. Now we look up first.

[Jeff S]

Ditto on the powerline watch. There was a pre teen kid sailing a dinghy in the Trent River near New Bern, NC who hit a powerline with his mast- killed him. Parents are suing the city. Sad.

Jeff S

[Sloop John B]

Power lines. Don't trust your chart. Motoring up the St. Marks River sitting under the bimini, and my mate is forward watching for manatees and she says, "Hey, what's this?"

I don't know, maybe a telephone line to a new house. Really low. Didn't see it or think of it. Power line charted way upriver at 63 feet vertical. Nice if they'd included this little wire that could have tore me up a bit.

So, narrow passageget out of the shade and watch out.

[mgg4]

Power lines. Don't trust your chart. Motoring up the St. Marks River sitting under the bimini, and my mate is forward watching for manatees and she says, "Hey, what's this?"

I don't know, maybe a telephone line to a new house. Really low. Didn't see it or think of it. Power line charted way upriver at 63 feet vertical. Nice if they'd included this little wire that could have tore me up a bit.

So, narrow passageget out of the shade and watch out.

You should also make sure your local US Power Squadron knows about this wire. The Power Squadrons are part of the Cooperative Charting effort to improve the charts we use and depend on. They can make sure this update gets to the right people. Once it is verified, it is posted in the Local Notices to Mariners as a chart update, and will be included on the next release of the affected charts.

Also, if it is new and a hazard to navigation, you might contact the agency who patrols and manages your waterway (USCG, Sheriff, etc). The wire may have been installed without a permit. The agency may be able to make the owner raise the wire to eliminate the hazard to navigation.

--Mark

[Max]

Ditto ditto!!
Came very close to power lines on River Severn, England. Been under them loads of times in my sports cruiser - never noticed them before - until I had a mast!! Very very close. Thank God for a 50hp engine!!
Max the Brit