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Old 23-05-2021, 07:16   #16
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

It's a MacGregor !!! Sorry we had a Tattoo 26. Same as a MacGregor Just made in Vero Beach because California wouldn't allow them to continue producing them there due to pollution. They are now out of business. We had the 15th boat produced there. Use caution this boat is very unstable and weight and balance restricted. Also make sure the water ballast is completely full or you could be knocked down. We would sometimes have the same tacking issue, I don't remember is it was a port or starboard tack. When we encountered this we would start the motor to get us around. We sold the boat after a year and took a beating. Don't go out if the winds are above 15 kts and then make sure you reef.
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Old 23-05-2021, 07:25   #17
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

We were going to initially keep the boat at home. After the first time putting up the mast and rigging the boat we immediately went to the marina and got a parking spot for the boat on the trailer. Every time you lower and raise the mast you have the probability of bending or crimping some part of the rigging. Good luck, it's a fun boat if you understand it's limitations. We liked the ability to get into a foot of water in the Ten Thousand Islands.
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Old 23-05-2021, 07:33   #18
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

A Macgregor will be hard to tack under 2 knots boat speed so make sure you are going fast enough. After you start your turn do not release the jib sheet until you see the main fill on the new tack. You have to allow the jib to backwind to pull the bow around. There is just too much windage from the high freeboard (you have to pay for that interior space somehow). As soon as you see the main catch wind on the new tack release your jib sheet and immediately sheet in on the opposite side. Adjust your rudders for the new tack and you will be on your way.
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Old 23-05-2021, 08:37   #19
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

Joan Campbell,

Check your Private Messages, please.

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Old 24-05-2021, 09:29   #20
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

You shouldn't drop or furl your jib for a tack. If you do that before tacking you speed will be too slow. If you do it during tacking you'll probably be turning too slowly.

Inability to tack is usually caused by insufficient speed before luffing up into the tack. Just before tacking, with the boat already heading closehauled upwind and moving well, head off just *slightly* to build up maximum speed. The boat will heel a little more and you may notice an increase in speed - this will take only about 10 or 15 seconds. Now swing the bow up through the wind in a smooth motion - in your boat this will be pretty quick! Don't release the jibsheet yet! Allow the jib to backwind slightly by delaying the release of the jib sheet. When you see it backwind, quickly release the old sheet and bring in the new one and you'll be on the new tack.

But your problem seems to be going to one tack only, while the other direction is OK. Due to incorrect sail trim, poor sail shape, rig problems, wave action or some other issue, you may be achieving better speed on one tack than on the other. Look carefully at the sail shape and how the jibsheet lead is positioned on each tack, when closehauled. All should be identical each side.
Let's assume you are in relatively calm water so wave direction relative to the wind is not an issue (it can somtimes be a very big issue). If you have a way to measure your boat speed then see if the boat is making about the same speed, closehauled, on port tack vs. starboard tack. You could just judge this by the way the boat feels with some experience, or drop a wood chip at the bow and time how long it takes to get to the stern, on each tack closehauled.
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Old 07-06-2021, 06:32   #21
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

What is your rig tension at? Is your mast straight? Saying they are ok, is not ok. Get a loos gauge and find out what the tension should be. Make sure the mast is straight. Tighten up each shroud, then measure, then tighten then measure. If one side is 1200lbs, and the other side is 800lbs, you are going to have problems.

Also, check your water ballast. I would check the system.

If a newbie, you need to have some speed to tack, if you don't, fall off, build boat speed, then tack. With practice you will get it.

On my boat, I am constantly paying attention to the rig settings. With proper rig settings, you can point and tack much more efficiently.

On a friends boat I was crewing on, He had the same problem. I asked him to point into the wind to see what was going on. The mast was at least 6" bent to Port. Rig was not even and the mast was not straight. going to a starboard tack, was easy, Port tack was a challenge.
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Old 07-06-2021, 09:06   #22
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

It sounds more like a foil problem to me. The centerboard and/or one of the rudders could be pushing downwind on the starboard tack. Check to see if the rudders are aligned symmetrically. Can you shim the centerboard to center it?
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Old 07-06-2021, 13:22   #23
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

It is a motorsailor, so try a 'motor assisted tack' to help diagnose if you are not carrying enough forward speed.


To clarify, tack to port and note how fast your speed is. Now tack to starboard, is it too slow? Add enough engine power to achieve enough speed to carry you through the tack. Easy does it, that is a big motor, add enough just enough speed to get you through the tack.



If while under sail only your speed is always less on a starboard tack I agree that some kind of mast bend, centerboard alignment, rudder or sail trim problem is afoot.


How about the steering, look at your twin rudders during a tack do they look the same on both tacks? Same angle of attack?
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Old 07-06-2021, 21:02   #24
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

We measured the tension on the stays and they were almost the same (I can't remember the tension now). We used a level to determine mast rake and whether is was leaning to one side. We have not done this under sail. It is not that the boat won't come around on a tack, it is that the bow keeps going around so that we are facing down wind. We pull the jib in after the tack so that it stops us from turning. This only happens on the starboard tack.

As to the water ballast, I don't know how to check that one side is full compared to the other. There is one valve aft to open and when the bowl at the bow is full, we assume the ballast is full. If one side is not full, wouldn't the boat list or roll?
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Old 08-06-2021, 06:07   #25
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

You have a single ballast tank miships. You check the ballast level at the vent under the v-berth or under the step (depends on year and model).
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Old 08-06-2021, 06:09   #26
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Re: Tacking to starboard side difficult

V‐berth for your model.

Do you have both rudders and the center board down?
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