MacGregorSailors.com

Newbie here, did all my search tricks, but could not find an answer. Does anyone know what the probable load limit is on the factory main halyard sheave on a 2002 26x? I need to go to the top of the mast without lowering the mast and make some changes. Thanks in advance for the replies and thanks for a website that I'm sure will be indispensible to me!

I think I'd be less worried about the strength of the pulley and much more worried about the strength of the mast, stays and the ability of the boat to flip with a large amount of weight at the top of the mast!

Wouldn't it be easier and safer to just tip the mast down to you?

~Rich

Yes, and a time earlier, Mastreb had done some figuring on the overbalancing forces that become involved (search). Pulling it down is the only way to go if you can't lower it (?).
R.

I need to go to the top of the mast without lowering the mast and make some changes.

My experience over the pat 8 years with my 26X and with the good folks on this board is that it is probably a good idea to go ahead and say what you want to do at the top of the mast. We have all gone through our learning curve on these boats (and done some pretty crazy stuff) so go ahead and give us the whole story so we can share our experiences that pertain. It might save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run. But, just looking at the idea of sending someone aloft on a 26X sounds unsafe on the surface of it. I enjoy fantasizing these boats are full sized yachts as much as the next guy, but I know better. They are sort of like a yacht in many ways, but, in my judgment, we need to be mindful of their limitations in this and other meaningful ways.

I have no doubt that if I managed to get to the top of the mast the boat would be on it's side in no time.

I had to get to the top of the mast once while on the lake. Apparently I had drug the wind vane through overhead trees when launchign and didnt notice it was bent up until I was on the lake and it was daylight. I just backed the boat up to the bank and lowered the mast and was able to reach it to fix it. I just had to disconnect the boom so it would lower down enough. I didn't even bother taking the sail off.

Isn't there a bit in the Maggregor video, where they say that the boat can be held on its side by just 130Lbs at the mast head. Not a chance would I attemt to climb it..

But.... if you do make sure someone is videoing the attempt, must be worth a couple of hundred on one of those 'TV Shows'

some guys on the board can lower it in like 5minutes,why on earth would you want to go up that mast,most things are just pop riveted on.

And the pulley strength?

WILLIAME wrote:And the pulley strength?

I doubt anyone here will answer with a number to encourage you to potentially put yourself in harmful situation, especially on a 10 year old boat with aged hardware.

Short answer is, if you weight more than 200 lbs and you go aloft on a Mac in the water, you will tip the boat over. The right thing to do is lower the mast--it's also much easier and less work.

Matt

It might make for a great Youtube video of "guy geating his a$$ kicked by his own boat" I can picture it now…as he may only weigh in at 170 lbs (180 = force to hold mast down) he nears the top and a gust sets it off balance and clinging to the mast down he goes smack…then up half way…then down smack! This continues several times until he decides to let go at the bottom and the boat springs wildly to the other side then over again and…smack another on the head

Thanks for all the funny possible scenarios.I guess I just figured since two grown men right at 200 lbs standing on shore above deck level couldn't pull the boat over sideways, that it might be fairly safe to climb up. I forgot to say that I would put the boat on the lift to avoid the " boat kicks owners a** " scenario.

To clarify, I am trying to get to the top to return the bracket holding the vhf antenna to its proper position after the idiots at Olsen Marine installed it upside down (among other half a**ed repairs after a lightning strike) and now it blocks the white portion of the OGM trianchor light. Also I have to reinstall the windvane that they left off.

To accomplish these minor tasks, I was hoping to avoid having to lower the mast by myself while on/ over the water. I hope this makes things clearer and that there might be a "less humorous" solution that getting kicked by the boat.

You need to drop the mast. Not hard on or off water.

WILLIAME wrote:To accomplish these minor tasks, I was hoping to avoid having to lower the mast by myself while on/ over the water.

I raise and lower the mast almost exclusively while on the water. At the dock, I've laid it down, leaving it pinned to the tabernacle hinge, and worked on the top of the mast from the dock, though unpinning it and rolling it forward isn't that big of a deal.

The end of the mast is higher than when it's in its travel storage configuration, but the boat was lower than the dock by a fair bit, so I was able to reach the mast tip anyway. Now that I think about it, I layed it down so I could mount a Windex.