I purchased a 26 from a gentleman in NY last year and have just started to sail her this year. When I picked her up weather conditions weren’t good enough to take her for a sail to learn what I have come to find out would have been valuable information. Here is a short list of my areas of confusion.
1. The main sail doesn’t have a traveler like the M and there is no vang so I am confused how to run the lines and how best to set up the lazy jacks and halyard.
2. It came with a spinnaker and a sock and plastic horseshoe looking piece that I have learned that goes around the furled Genoa sail on the furler. He did not use a spinnaker pole but I just don’t see how you could get good sail shape with it attached to the Genoa up close can without one.
3. The motor has the attachment to the rudders and it almost looks like the pole that goes back into the boat when turned to port isn’t long enough. By that I mean when you turn starboard you can turn the wheel all the way and make a full turn. But when you try and turn to port the rod goes into the boat as far as it can and the attached bracket from the motor hits the side of the boat. Anyone else have that problem?
I have figured out the Genoa and have loved sailing her in St. Andrews bay Panama City.
Any tips and pictures of your setup would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Will
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 4:21 am
by Jimmyt
Will,
Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you participating.
Here are pictures of my late model 26M steering setup. Haven't seen a tattoo 26, but hope they may be similar. Please post some pics of your setup when you get a chance. If I remember correctly, the steering is centered these photos.
My boat has an asymmetrical spinnaker which doesn't use a pole. Do you have a standard spinnaker, or an asymmetrical? In the event you have an assym, here is a reference
Post a pic of your main sheet rig when you get a chance, also. Also, I'm curious about the "horseshoe thingy", so if you could post a pic; I'd be interested to see what you're talking about.
You can order a vang from BWYachts.com if you want one. They know these boats as well as anyone and are a great resource.
Again, welcome aboard.
Jim
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:17 am
by dlandersson
"I purchased a 26 from a gentleman in NY" - I suspect you're simply being Foghorn Leghorn polite. Not many "gentlemen" in NY.
Willbonthewater wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:11 pm
I purchased a 26 from a gentleman in NY last year and have just started to sail her this year. When I picked her up weather conditions weren’t good enough to take her for a sail to learn what I have come to find out would have been valuable information. Here is a short list of my areas of confusion.
1. The main sail doesn’t have a traveler like the M and there is no vang so I am confused how to run the lines and how best to set up the lazy jacks and halyard.
2. It came with a spinnaker and a sock and plastic horseshoe looking piece that I have learned that goes around the furled Genoa sail on the furler. He did not use a spinnaker pole but I just don’t see how you could get good sail shape with it attached to the Genoa up close can without one.
3. The motor has the attachment to the rudders and it almost looks like the pole that goes back into the boat when turned to port isn’t long enough. By that I mean when you turn starboard you can turn the wheel all the way and make a full turn. But when you try and turn to port the rod goes into the boat as far as it can and the attached bracket from the motor hits the side of the boat. Anyone else have that problem?
I have figured out the Genoa and have loved sailing her in St. Andrews bay Panama City.
Any tips and pictures of your setup would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Will
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:41 pm
by Willbonthewater
So here is a pic of straight with motor up and one turned to port you can see where the pole bottoms out and does not allow me to turn anymore.
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:44 pm
by Willbonthewater
Here is the horseshoe thing that goes over the Genoa to run the spinnaker.
I will post some of my main next time I have it up.
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:21 am
by PSNA
That "horseshoe thing" is called a tacker.
An expensive piece of plastic made by a company called ATN.
It is supposed to aid in tacking a cruising spinnaker. It goes around the headstay/furled genoa.
A spinnaker sock can do the same thing without rubbing up and down the furled headsail and eventually damaging it.
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:32 am
by Willbonthewater
Ok now I’m confused even more. The spinnaker I have has a sock with a big wide mouth piece of fiberglass that goes over it. But I thought the mouth of the sock stays at the top of the mast while sailing and then gets pulled down the spinnaker. How can you use it to replace this devise?
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 4:01 pm
by Jimmyt
Here's how they work together... The tacker allows you to use the furled headsail as an adjustable point for securing the "tack" of your spinnaker. The sock manages the sail while you hoist or drop it.
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 4:23 pm
by Jimmyt
Willbonthewater wrote: ↑Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:41 pm
So here is a pic of straight with motor up and one turned to port you can see where the pole bottoms out and does not allow me to turn anymore.
We need to get your steering squared away, but you need to get the BWYachts quick disconnect kit to quickly, and easily, decouple your motor steering when sailing. Totally changes the sailing experience for the helmsman. https://shop.bwyachts.com/product-p/5712-1m0.htm
Do your rudders and motor align with each other? This question applies at center and through the range of motion. There is a fair bit of linkage involved, so it may take a few iterations to figure out where the problem is. Looks like it wasn't set up correctly, or someone has "worked on it".
How far is it from your steering connection on the motor to the center of the pivot point on the motor. Mine is about 9-1/2", and my motor steering is pretty well matched with my rudders, including full range of travel in each direction.
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 4:56 pm
by Jimmyt
dlandersson wrote: ↑Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:17 am
"I purchased a 26 from a gentleman in NY" - I suspect you're simply being Foghorn Leghorn polite. Not many "gentlemen" in NY.
We've got a few pretty good ones on this board.
Of course, they may not be native New Yorkers.
Hold my beer and watch this...
Re: New owner of a 2014 Tattoo 26 and need some help.
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 5:10 pm
by Jimmyt
The main sheet attaches to the eye at the center of the companionway. Hate they deleted the traveler on the Tattoo. We use ours all the time.
The vang would attach to the base of the mast and a hound on the boom 3 or 4 ft back from the mast end. If you need an exact dimension, I can measure for you. If you don't have a hound on the boom, you'll have to add one. Take a pic of your hardware on the bottom of your mast. I'm thinking it's probably the same as mine.
with a swivel brkt for the rotating mast so u,d have to make sure u tell them on the ph 
