MacGregorSailors.com

Hi, I recently picked up my first sailboat, a 1989 26D, and I'm working on getting it ready for the water. While getting the running rigging ready, I didn't see a pulley at the top of the mast for the main. As I looked closer, I noticed that at the very top of the mast, there seems to be two pulleys built into the hardware at the top of the mast. One for the main, and one for the jib?

They're nothing like I see in the manuals I see posted online. Is this typical for an 89'? Or a mod of some kind? Or maybe I got a mast off of another year? Thanks to anyone that can shed some light.

Moving the pulley for the main into the gooseneck is somewhat comon. You get a little better function that way. they other one not sure. Can you post a pic? You do not want to fly any head sail from the top unless you redo the spreders.

The mast, or just the chicken head, may not be original. Sheaves inside the chicken head are common on sailboats, but I don't think any of the Macs were made that way. But then, my not knowing if they did doesn't mean they didn't.

And welcome. Pepperoni. And sausage.

Thanks, I've only seen one other thread about something like this on a Mac 26:
http://macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewt ... 10&t=13713
Some of it makes sense to me, but I'm still learning the language. I will try to post a pic later today.

The two pulleys at the top of the mast, I would guess one is for the main and the other may be a topping lift for the boom.

there seems to be two pulleys built into the hardware at the top of the mast.

Sounds to me like a basic masthead with the main up the back over the top and down the front?

White line like on this one?



Jib attaches lower on the mac...

That would be it. Thanks for the help. One step closer to getting on the water. It didn't come with any halyards, so I'm off to West Marine.

Ok, so I've been going over the online manuals, confused about the bottom side support wires, and I finally figured out the problem. My mast doesn't have any.

The attachment points are there on the roof of the cabin, but there are not any attachment points on the mast. No hole for a bolt either. I've also seen these called the side support wires, or baby stays, used for raising the mast.

This is obviously a red flag of some kind, though everything else about the mast seems normal (besides the masthead). I'm not sure how I could raise the mast without these. Any thoughts? Is it as simple as a well-planned hole and some hardware?

And does anyone know the normal length of a 26D mast? I should probably check that too now.

lilboatsman wrote:Ok, so I've been going over the online manuals, confused about the bottom side support wires, and I finally figured out the problem. My mast doesn't have any.

The attachment points are there on the roof of the cabin, but there are not any attachment points on the mast. No hole for a bolt either. I've also seen these called the side support wires, or baby stays, used for raising the mast.

This is obviously a red flag of some kind, though everything else about the mast seems normal (besides the masthead). I'm not sure how I could raise the mast without these. Any thoughts? Is it as simple as a well-planned hole and some hardware?

It may be that for the D and S models, the baby stays were just short lines and you secure them to a set of cleats on opposite sides of the mast, maybe 5 or so feet up. I don't remember if they were secured to cabin-top or stanchion post, however.

lilboatsman wrote:And does anyone know the normal length of a 26D mast? I should probably check that too now.

Blue Water Yachts (BWY) says it's 28 ft, same as the .

They also sell all the parts for baby stays, mast raising systems (MRS), whatever. If they don't list an assembly you think you need, just call them and they'll both advise and supply. They don't sell the old-style MRS any more, though you can make your own. But if you buy or build the new-style MRS, you don't use the same baby stays, so you need to decide that first. And you don't need any MRS if you're young/strong/pain-free enough to just brute force it up, but from experience in days gone by, baby stays are really nice to have as the mast can get away from you before it's high enough for the shrouds to prevent disaster.

BWY is the main parts supplier for all things Mac, and an advertiser on this forum. http://bwyachts.com/BWYParts/PartsList.htm That site has problems with some browsers, and versions of IE, so if you can't get the drop-downs to show choices, try compatibility mode (IE), or another browser. But as a resource, it's worth a little effort to find what works if it gives you a problem.