MacGregorSailors.com

Hello all,

I searched the forums and can't find an answer to my question about my 88 Mac 26D. As a new owner, I throw myself on your wisdom.

Should the boom hang low enough that it bangs on the pop-top when it is up? There is nothing supporting the end of the boom and it hangs down at a downhill angle. I can't find anything that looks like I've missed rigging a cable. Should there be anything connected to the end of the boom to support it or is my sail cut wrong as suggested by anther thread?

Thank you for the help.

Jeff

PS...not ready for an autohelm yet, but a tiller tamer is life-changing for going solo.

A topping lift holds the boom horizontal when not using the sail.
It holds the boom so you can raise the sail completely.
Once the sail is completely up, it holds the boom and you slacken the topping.

You don't have one, so you aren't raising the sail completely. IIRC less then one foot between the top and the pulley.

A topping lift is like vgra-xd-TM for a boat (not vgra-xd-TM for Boat)

I went and looked up the brochure for the 26D, and sure enough, I could not find a topping lift.
http://www.ne-ts.com/mac/cc/cc-204bro.html

Ray

Ray,

I'm not opposed to buying and installing a topping lift, but how was the end of the boom kept up originally? Right now it is dragging and scraping on my pop-top. I am sure I am pulling my main sail up the whole way, but I am dodging the end of the boom while in the cockpit. Should the sail keep the boom up or am I missing a piece of rigging? I read on another thread where a sailor was having the same problem and it turned out his sail was cut wrong.

Thank you,

Curwen

I am not familiar with your boat, that is why I researched it. From the illustrations, I could not determine that there is a topping lift.

When engaged, the lift raises the boom and thus creating slack in the mainsail, and this allows the main to be hauled up with little resistance. When the sail is lowered, the only support the boom has is a topping lift. So I am just as confused. There must be some 26D owners who can enlighten.

Ray

I'm not an expert, I've had an for 5 months and it has a boom kicker. However, on my boat I always take the main hailyard off the sail and connect it to the aft end of the boom. I can then loosen the main sheet and lift the boom up out of the way.

Jeff

NiceAft wrote:I am not familiar with your boat, that is why I researched it. From the illustrations, I could not determine that there is a topping lift.

When engaged, the lift raises the boom and thus creating slack in the mainsail, and this allows the main to be hauled up with little resistance. When the sail is lowered, the only support the boom has is a topping lift. So I am just as confused. There must be some 26D owners who can enlighten.

Ray

I cant speak directly to the issue of toping lifts on 26D's but I do know when I first got my the only way to support the boom was with the mast crutch. It did not come with a topping lift of any kind from the factory. It was one of the first changes I made, and I got a topping lift kit from BWY.

So when you trailer a D, what do you use to support the aft end of the mast? Gotta be some kind of crutch, yes? is it approximately the right height to support the boom?

I am sure I am pulling my main sail up the whole way, but I am dodging the end of the boom while in the cockpit. Should the sail keep the boom up or am I missing a piece of rigging? I read on another thread where a sailor was having the same problem and it turned out his sail was cut wrong.

Sounds like a shrunk bolt rope. As the sail ages the bolt rope can shrink and the sail is no longer a triangle. With the shorter luff the leech is now disproportionately long and the boom end is low.

You can try and stretch it with a winch or cut it loose.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... =8&t=23552

Seapup wrote: Sounds like a shrunk bolt rope. As the sail ages the bolt rope can shrink and the sail is no longer a triangle. With the shorter luff the leech is now disproportionately long and the boom end is low.

You can try and stretch it with a winch or cut it loose.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... =8&t=23552

Bolt ropes dont shrink, sails stretch. But you can cut the bolt rope loose to help.

A boom kicker will do wonders but will eliminate the ability to "pop the top".

It's looking like your solution is to install a topping lift. The original owner may just not have felt the need to have one, or was not aware that his sailing life was nicer with one.
Ray

Bolt ropes dont shrink, sails stretch. But you can cut the bolt rope loose to help.

Ehh, Maybe, maybe a combo of both in real life. My understanding was since boltrope is typically 3 strand the strands often bunch up in relation to each other and can result in a shorter boltrope than when the sail was made.

Jeff, Your post says the sail is hoisted the whole way, is your problem when sailing or when the sail is down and not used? A topping lift or boom kicker will keep the boom up but not fix the underlying problem if it is a sail problem. A short line to the backstay will also hold the boom up when not sailing if that is what you are trying to do.

Does your sail kinda look like this (hopefully not as severly )
http://www.neil.fuller.dsl.pipex.com/v6 ... ltrope.pdf

A decent post on hoisting the mainsail:

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/sh ... p?t=120970

Seapup,

Not so severe as the image, but my mast is sagging enough that it is bumping and scraping on the pop-top when I sail. Last time I had it her out, the mast knocked my brand new hat into the water. I was able to grab it, but with would have been an issue if I had been hit in the head where I am recovering from brain surgery as the skull is a little soft there. Thinking about that, I should think about getting a kayaking helmet while I repair and harden the noggin. It is also a problem when not under sail, I do have a short line to the backstay to hold it up.

Thank you for the information. I will need to read it several more times before I completely digest the information and put it into practice.

Curwen

I'm going to throw my 2 cents in with the topping lift/boomkicker crowd. I run a topping lift on the M. With a roller main, it allows me to be the total goofball that I am without letting the boom fall on me, the bimini, or any of the crew. It would be a fairly simple way to solve your problem, and allow you to keep using the boat safely - even if you have sail issues. If you don't drop the mast every time like I do, the boomkicker might be an easier fix. Definitely get a helmet to protect yourself if your noggin is healing. Lots of unexpected head bumping occurs on a sailboat (at least on mine...). Good luck!

GUYS! He said his boom is dragging WITH THE MAIN SAIL UP!

That's just WRONG people - the main sail should keep the boom in the air no matter what kind of boat you have. You can put all the topping lifts and kickers you want on that thing but if the main is cut that bad or blown out that far it's gonna sail like crap anyways.

As for the "bolt Rope" the only way this would be caused by a "bolt ROPE" is if the "bolt Rope" cam out of the mast slot OR the "bolt ROPE" was longer than the sail at the top and was not going all the way up the mast.

Something is goofy with his sail - that probably should be addressed first. Sounds like a job for Judy.