I deserve the Darwin Award

[RandyMoon]

Ok, it has been an interesting first season as a Mac sailor. I bought the boat last fall, stored it over the winter and put it in the water in March for the first time.

Short version of the Spring Time story, I did it in 20 to 30 mph winds with no ballast, no center board, and no rudders. I thought it would be like a normal v-hull powerboat. I was blowing around the lake like a powered cork, screaming words my wife had never heard before, banging into docks. I looked like a guy with a JATO rocket on the boat destined for a fiery explosion. My rear end muscles still spasm when I think about the experience.

So I sailed all summer and could pull the boat into the marina slip perfectly with a one point landing, no matter what the wind conditions were. With ballast and all boards down, I redeemed my manhood with my wife with masterful control of the boat. In case I didn't mention it, my rear end muscles still spasm when I think about putting the boat in for the first time.

Winter is coming, so I put the boat back on the trailer for the first time last weekend. After a whole season doing perfect dockings into the slip, I thought putting it on the trailer would be a piece of cake. I went to Home Depot and bought 1 1/2" PVC pipe to do a Moe mode on the trailer's goal posts. I was ready to roll.

Long story short, no center board, no rudders, driving the boat in shallow water to the goal posts. Very little control, but I entered the goal posts and the wind gusted and turned to boat at an angle. I am stuck halfway through the goal posts, stuck across the trailer. No way to get off the trailer. I am stuck and again look like a Darwin moron. A fellow sailor came along and backed my SUV backwards and the boat finally backed off the trailer. Whew.

So I have been doing lessons learned for the first season. My solution will be to run a line from one goal post up to the front post of the trailer and back to the other post, forming a V for the boat to pull up into. There would be no way for the boat to go sideways, it would have to follow the V up to the front post.

Any thoughts on that?

[DLT]

That's what I have.

Your "no way for the boat to go sideways" is a bit optimistic, but it does help...



I've gotten spoiled. Yes, I can drive it onto to trailer most of the time with no big problems. But, I've learned that it is just easier to pull it on with a long bow line... My pride fought that for a long time. But, it just plain works better...

[Moe]

If the V posts up next to the bow roller are hollow, like those on the X trailer, I would drill the end caps on them and clean both ends up inside with a rotory file in a drill to prevent chafing a rope.

Then, I'd tie the rope to one PVC goal post, run it through a pool noodle (or maybe half a length of one), into the end of one of the V pipes, out around the front of the winch post, through the other V pipe aft, through another pool noodle, then back to the other goal post where it would be tied. Then, I'd slip the end of each pool noodle up on its respective V pipe, all the way up to the bow stop.

[Beam's Reach]

I tried powering it onto the trailer the first time...with a cross wind...couldn't even get it between the goalposts.

So I lined it in and have done it that way ever since. It's still about the biggest boat at the ramp every time, so nobody seems to concerned when I take a little extra time to line it in. I think they're just impressed that I can get it onto a trailer and out of the water.

[Jack O'Brien]

I ran 3/8" twisted nylon anchor rode between goal posts and the ladder to help center the boat on the trailer. Later, I added a second set of goal posts just in front of the fenders. With no dock alongside, tidal currents, wind and big wakes from the Intracoastal, every little bit helped.

My new Ace trailer has lengthwise bunks and two sets of goalposts. Haven't had it in the water yet. Should be interesting.

[Pouw Geuzebroek]

My solution will be to run a line from one goal post up to the front post of the trailer and back to the other post, forming a V for the boat to pull up into. There would be no way for the boat to go sideways, it would have to follow the V up to the front post.

In Fact that is also what my neighbor has in his slip, makes docking a lot easier, with side winds. I am thinking of making that too next season.

[RandyMoon]

Thanks guys. I think that is the way to go.

I did the rope V contraption in my slip and that kept lots of scuffs of the blue gelcoat and made it a simpler operation. I was assuming the same principle would apply for the trailer. I was also thinking having a line on the boat to throw to the trailer would be a good safety backup. Would that take second winch?

Oh well, this is how we learn. I just remember watching the 50 minute Mac video and how easy it is to get the Mac up on the trailer and all other boat owners were boneheads. Ha ha. They should have tried filming that at my lake. The Mac guy in the video would have to change his name to "Darwin."

[Robert]

But the Honorable mentions are. Here is a sailboat Darwin Award:
http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2002-01.html
..
And the rest of the Darwin Awards web page to fill up your day of web surfing.
http://www.darwinawards.com/
Check out the search feature.
..
How about threading that trailer guide rope through some swimming "noodles" that the kids use to stay afloat? That would make the rope easy to see and gentle to the hull, but would it keep the rope from flapping in the wind on the highway?

[Catigale]

I had to click on the Darwins as I hadnt done it in a while, but found this gem to share...Honorable Mention only as they guy didnt die, thank goodness..

Turns out that our Honorable Mention winner decided to siphon gasoline with an electric wet'n'dry shop vac. Amazingly, he had managed to collect and transfer an entire bucketful of gasoline before an electrical spark ignited the fumes.

Jeeesh - who thinks these things up???

[waltpm]

I have two sets of goal posts on my trailer with bunk boards between them at the top of the goal posts. The forward end of the boat fits tightly against the bunkboard. No way for the boat to go any way but straight.

[RandyMoon]

That is a great idea waltpm. Did you weld the extra set of goal posts on the trailer or bolt them on? If you have pictures, can you post them in the Mods section?

[Compromise]

My trailer had the original goalposts on the back before the corroded themselves off. P.O. installed another set about mid trailer. These really help, as the last few times I was out the boat ramp had a strong cross wind from the north. Once I can get the bow passed the mid section of the trailer she is pretty easy to winch in, even with the wind.

Randy,
my wife and I were cracking up at your introduction to the Mac in springtime. Fist time out we were in a similar scenario (minus the docks) thinking a Mac would behave like a power boat. What a night and day difference to go out next time with ballast, rudders and center board called up for duty!