Shakedown cruise - Mac newbie
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:14 am
We just purchased an '01 MacX a week ago, and here are a few things I learned / observed before /during / after the first cruise.
If your computer power fails (and all data is lost) during a long-winded posting on how your first cruise in a new-to-you Mac went, that is the boat god(s) saying "Keep it short!"
Solo mast raising, in the driveway & at dockside, really does work. Even without the side support wires!
If the owners manual calls for side support wires for mast raising, and the former owner didn't explain / show them, keep looking til you find them.
If you can't find a necessary piece of equipment when you need it, it will reveal itself after you've figured another way of doing something.
Even if the former owner shows you how to easily raise the mast with four people, the owners manual will best illustrate how to do it with one.
If a picture in the owners manual is worth a thousand words, then a paragraph in the owners manual is better than a black & white picture.
... Because the Admiral had a sore back last week, I did all the driveway prepwork of our new Mac, including solo mast raising & lowering practice, (future lessons to reveal!). When launch day arrived, the Admiral was out of commission, so it was up to myself and K9 First Mate - Abby the Aquadog to shakedown the Mac.
A late afternoon launch & dockside mast raising went off without a hitch. I discovered the side support wires in the bilge after the mast was already up. Thinking the side wires were additional rigging, I installed them unknowing, then continued to re-route the jib sheets to no satisfaction. Only long after trailering home, did I reason the necessity to use / not use the side support wires. I had it backwards - now it makes better sense!
A jib only sail across Wolfeboro Bay of Lake Winnipesaukee at the edge of darkness was a perfect first sail. Too much wind / waves / darkness, convinced me to motor the rest of the way to dock for the night at my brothers cottage on a nearby island. Sleeping aboard was fairly comfortable.
On Sunday morning, the winds that were promising at 8:30 am were gone by 10 o'clock. Hauled out at the start of an afternoon storm. When reloading the trailer, the bow pushed the right carpeted rotted block off the trailer frame, putting a gouge in the bow. Traveling with a rolling floor jack, jackstands and extra tools allowed me to lift the bow off the trailer and make adequate repairs before hitting the road.
The "Mac Bump" is still a myth (to me), even with wet bunks and abruptly stopping down a hill.
All in all my first experience with the Mac X was positive, despite last sailing a boat of that size 10 years ago. Everything felt natural and comfortable. I'm looking forward to cruising with my wife & K9 crew and meeting other Macs on the water.
Andrew
If your computer power fails (and all data is lost) during a long-winded posting on how your first cruise in a new-to-you Mac went, that is the boat god(s) saying "Keep it short!"
Solo mast raising, in the driveway & at dockside, really does work. Even without the side support wires!
If the owners manual calls for side support wires for mast raising, and the former owner didn't explain / show them, keep looking til you find them.
If you can't find a necessary piece of equipment when you need it, it will reveal itself after you've figured another way of doing something.
Even if the former owner shows you how to easily raise the mast with four people, the owners manual will best illustrate how to do it with one.
If a picture in the owners manual is worth a thousand words, then a paragraph in the owners manual is better than a black & white picture.
... Because the Admiral had a sore back last week, I did all the driveway prepwork of our new Mac, including solo mast raising & lowering practice, (future lessons to reveal!). When launch day arrived, the Admiral was out of commission, so it was up to myself and K9 First Mate - Abby the Aquadog to shakedown the Mac.
A late afternoon launch & dockside mast raising went off without a hitch. I discovered the side support wires in the bilge after the mast was already up. Thinking the side wires were additional rigging, I installed them unknowing, then continued to re-route the jib sheets to no satisfaction. Only long after trailering home, did I reason the necessity to use / not use the side support wires. I had it backwards - now it makes better sense!
A jib only sail across Wolfeboro Bay of Lake Winnipesaukee at the edge of darkness was a perfect first sail. Too much wind / waves / darkness, convinced me to motor the rest of the way to dock for the night at my brothers cottage on a nearby island. Sleeping aboard was fairly comfortable.
On Sunday morning, the winds that were promising at 8:30 am were gone by 10 o'clock. Hauled out at the start of an afternoon storm. When reloading the trailer, the bow pushed the right carpeted rotted block off the trailer frame, putting a gouge in the bow. Traveling with a rolling floor jack, jackstands and extra tools allowed me to lift the bow off the trailer and make adequate repairs before hitting the road.
The "Mac Bump" is still a myth (to me), even with wet bunks and abruptly stopping down a hill.
All in all my first experience with the Mac X was positive, despite last sailing a boat of that size 10 years ago. Everything felt natural and comfortable. I'm looking forward to cruising with my wife & K9 crew and meeting other Macs on the water.
Andrew
