MacGregor 26M - How we raise the mast and rig Galactica

[@wguisbert54]

Very nice addition to rigging the Mac 26!

[@jerrypauling7809]

Wow that's a lot of work. and things to remember

[@tomwilkenson3765]

Thanks Doug and Angie, I have watched this video at least once a year since I got my 26M a few years ago. I always learn something new that helps speed up the rigging process. This year I will be adding 3 carabiners to the mast raising tool and the mast gate. Awesome!

[@StarSloop]

That is awesome!

[@cliffordwilliams9597]

I just bought a 1991 MacG 26 -- first sailboat, really no idea what I'm doing lol -- this is very helpful !

[@StarSloop]

Awesome! You're going to have fun with that boat. Our Macgregor taught us to sail too.

[@bfarm44]

Wanted a Magregor just like this for a long time. This might be the year

[@charlescharles9625]

Purchased a 26M in Jan 2021. You will love it.

[@SailBeforeSunset]

I've watched all the MacGregor vids that they put out and always appreciated the engineering that went into these find vessels. Really nice to see one be rigged from start to finish.

[@StarSloop]

Thanks! We all rig them differently and constantly look for tips and tricks to make it easier and faster!

[@mikecrane6096]

All the lashing and unlashing reminds me of the job of the Nippers aboard 18th century ships of the line.

[@albertasailor8452]

Nicely done. On my 05 "M", l have to change out a lot of the bolts to pins with clips. It's a royal pain making sure I have the right wrench accessible and not freshly fallen on the ground. The Nylok or jam nuts require a wrench to be sure they are tight too. I have pelican clips on the raising system, but carabiners would be faster, easier and just a safe. I like the furler boot as well as the small boot around the main sheet blocks. The more stuff that can be left attached at at least one end, the faster the rig up will be. Being on the prairie a couple of hours from the nearest water and with slips having a waiting list and expensive to boot, speeding up the rig up and down will add greatly to the enjoyment. The whole thing is an evolution. I enjoyed your Lake Powell trip from the summer of 16. I have hopes again of a nice long cruise myself on Lake Diefenbaker for the summer of 17.

[@StarSloop]

Same here! We've tried to change out as many bolts/nuts as possible. Although we are 45 minutes from the largest lake in our state, we tend to sail on a lake that is two hours away-less crowded and better sailing. Thanks! We really enjoyed the Lake Powell trip. I want to do it again some day. So many places to explore--not enough time off of work to do it! We are planning on sailing on the Florida coast this summer. Something completely different! Enjoy your Lake Diefenbaker cruise!

[@markJones38133]

Thanks for the video, I have only drove my Mac26M under Yamaha 60 hp power since I bought it 2 yrs. ago. But this summer I plan to raise the mast to sail it and this video will help me.

[@StarSloop]

If you ever have any specific questions, ask and I'll do my best to answer and or show it. Macgregorsailors.com is a wonderful resource with a large active community who will bend over backwards helping each other.

[@juankrogulec759]

Greetings from Dubai. Very interesting video. Congrats!

[@pmacintyre77]

Even though I've been doing this for many years, it's always interesting to watch someone else improvised approach. Thanks.

[@StarSloop]

I'm always on the lookout too, looking to see any tips or tricks. :)

[@SGRyder-sh6dk]

StarSloop I’m trying to get in touch with you! I’m a new sailor and 74 yrs old. So I want to find out about your Mast raising system,Please.

[@dmo7815]

When looking at trailered sailboats, note the distance from the waterline on the boat to the top of the trailer fender. This will tell you how deep the water will be to launch the boat. Retractable keel are the best. When launching my McGregor 25 the truck tires are just out of the water ,the trailer fender is just submerged.

[@Squizart1]

Have been watching your videos for past year. Doing sailing lessons each Sunday. Just bought a 2012 26m. Put in the water last weekend. Managed to raise the mast and rig thanks to your instructions. Raised the sails yesterday in low winds. Realise the furler opening is facing forward so need to correct that. Ordered the transom plate so wil follow your lead on fitting it. Will get he rigging kit also as those bolts and spanners are painful. Looking forward to more videos. David, Sydney Australia

[@StarSloop]

Mary Cartmer thank you for the comment and we are really glad it could help! we have been there on the furler direction when we first started learning to rig it! :)

[@nancigrove2490]

Mary Cartmer j

[@tomegans858]

I've always enjoyed your videos. Thank you both. TRE'

[@roadrunner9887]

Very helpful vid. thank you!

[@himynamelscolin]

Very interesting video, can't wait to own a MacGregor 26!

[@ORINP76]

Good video this will come in handy when I go sailing ⛵️

[@alechamid235]

Hi, finally got my 26M and your video has helped me a lot to re-rig the boat as I know nothing about sailboats, thanks for this video.

[@StarSloop]

I love our 26M! Glad the video helped

[@jerryallen8086]

Thanks for the instructional!

[@jasonclark2626]

Awesome! Thanks for the quick response!

[@Estabanwatersaz]

Great 👍 video!

[@andredupuis5432]

Thanks for this great vid. I know you made it 2 years ago but it’s still very helpful to start my season! I wonder if you could do a few short videos série on various upgrades you made. For example I want to set up mine with cockpit lines like you have for the mainsail, add a lazy jack, an extra Block for the sock on the Genoa, etc etc. Could be a série on rigging upgrades, another on electrical/solar. Cheers to you 2

[@StarSloop]

I am planning to do some rigging shorts as we Prep Galactica for our next big trip in 2021. 2020 was a bust...no vacations.

[@j.d.3875]

greetings from Switzerland, just one on auction here...

[@jamesgrubbIII]

looking to get one this year. Thanks for the tips and instructions. Keep the vids coming!

[@fredheintz2526]

Love your videos. Very helpful! Thank you!!!

[@StarSloop]

thank you

[@tstoneami]

You made that look way easier than other videos - by far. Can you give specs on the winch you used? Did you make it or buy it?

[@StarSloop]

Thanks, we made a lot of changes that simplified the rigging process and sped it up. The winch on the MRS at 9:44 (Mast Raising System) is the kit from Blue Water Yachts out of Seattle Washington. It works extremely well. I sped it up by replacing the shackle bolts on the baby stays with high quality stainless steel carabiners to clip the baby stays (part of the kit) to the stanchions and the steel pin (also from BWY) to use in place of the 3/8" bolt at the mast.

[@WrenchAW]

Damn, you've got a great sic-fi boat name... I'm probably going to have to to with something influenced by The Expanse... maybe MCRN... something...

[@StarSloop]

Allen Wrench the expanse would be good. :) after i named her and people kept coming onboard and saying that its bigger than out looks on the inside, i thought i should have named her Tardis. :)

[@WrenchAW]

awesome! Last weekend, I was driving down the street in Costa Mesa and suddenly I spotted the old MacGregor factory. I had to stop to grab some pics!

[@2LV855]

Good old buck knife...110 folding hunter I still wear mine every day and I bought it at the navy exchange in Norfolk Virginia way back in 1975.!!!!!

[@itsmePassport]

Anyone know how to make the black paint near windows look nicer black shiny and fresh...as new..

[@SGRyder-sh6dk]

Did you make your Mast raising equipment. I’m a new sailor plus I’m an old man. So I would love to have a Mast Raiser so I can Rig alone. I would really appreciate you giving me a way to contact you please. Very glad I found your video!!

[@StarSloop]

you can find me on facebook search for StarSloop (private mesage) and via youtube. We learned on Galactica, now we have two boats for a while and are continuing to learn. The Mast Raising System (MRS) is the one from Blue Water Yachts. I modified it by removing the time consuming anchor bolts and use high strength stainless steel carabiners. I've re-rigged Galactica for solo-sailing. raising the mast is about the hardest thing to do alone because of the unwieldy forsail and furler. When solo, I raise it more slowly and clear any catches where the shrouds get stuck on a stanchion or the roller of the sail cradle.

[@jasonclark2626]

Wha-What??? Did you say about tire shine on the foe windows? The constant oxidation drive so me crazy! Does tire shine really work? Any specific brand? I was planning on buffing this weekend.

[@StarSloop]

Armor All's Tire shine. It definitely looked awesome but some of it came off in a thunderstorm. There are some Australian Mac owners who use it successfully. I'll try it again when our weather warms up and dries up.

[@andredupuis5432]

Hi. Is the tire shine trick for the rubber bumper, or for the actual black portion of the paint, near the windows ?

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

Have you read Sputh from Alaska? Same boat name.

[@StarSloop]

No I hadn't, I'll have to look it up. When we bought Galactica in the end of 2009, I did a lookup of registered boat names and the only registered Galactica at the time was a huge mega yacht. I'll see if I can find info on Sputh.

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

@@StarSloop I had meant to say South from Alaska.. Anyway, no harm done, I was only interested if you'd read the book, or read the blog. The blog was the first thing that got me keen on sailing..

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

It may have been galatica now I think about it.

[@StarSloop]

@@theowenssailingdiary5239 Thanks for clarifying. I'll look for the blog. It's always interesting to read/see what others are or have done. A blog about two Canadians who bought a 24' stripped sailboat, retrofitted, learned to sail on lake Ontario for a month then blogged their journey to the Bahamas for the next couple years is what got me motivated to switch from powerboat to sailing!

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

@@StarSloop another clarification, the blog is now called 'Twice in a Lifetime'. I'm still a bit of a fishing nut, and have owned a wharram 30' cat which I sold. Won't be long and I'm due a sailboat. The market is pretty expensive at the moment, but I guess that's an opportunity to save more.

[@cardinalfence6484]

Where can I get a mast raising pole like that?

[@StarSloop]

Blue Water Yachts (bwyachts.com)

[@lornesmith9068]

I may missed it in the video, but where did you get the dodger from? Great channel by the way.

[@StarSloop]

We bought our dodger from BWY (Blue Water Yacht). It was easy to install but we did replace the screws with quick release pins to speed up rigging and de-rigging times.

[@mygodisaawsomegod8141]

Wow! You have to do all of that everytime you stop to sail. Then take it all down when you are done. Can you say power boat?

[@Hojson]

Can you say current fuel costs 😅? Wind is free, and I'm poor lol.

[@Lifes-Adventures]

Love the two axel trailer. Does it make the trailing a lot easier? Do you have your spinnaker halyard attached to where you jib fuller attaches to your mast. I am getting an asymmetrical spinnaker this spring and was thinking of placing the spinnaker halyard 1/2 way between fuller attachment and the top of the mast. Your thoughts? Thanks, Jim

[@StarSloop]

We love the dual axle trailer! This one is about 2 " lower than the factory trailer which makes it easier to launch--especially on shallow angled ramps. Galactica floats on and off where I used to have to crank it the last foot with the factory trailer. I only went 16" above the factory hound for the spinnaker halyard. This was my first sailboat and I wasn't sure what sort of forces would pull on that hound if I went higher. Although we push our 26M pretty hard in many conditions, I never fly the spinny in anything other than light winds so I probably could have gone a little higher. I mounted a padeye on the bow (actually on a 12" sprit plate I made to put a longer bow roller on. We have a block on the spinnakers tack line that clips to the padeye and allows us to raise or lower the tack of the sail. I wish I had a pole for it but our setup is effective.

[@Lifes-Adventures]

Doug thanks for the info. So what is the highest wind and angle you sail the spinnaker at? Did you buy yours from BWY?

[@StarSloop]

We bought our Hyde Spinnaker through JudyBSails online. Primarily because I wanted specific colors. I like the quality of ours. Although I typically use the spinnaker on a run, broad reach or beam reach, our primary lake has chaotic wind patterns and I've used it a little closer to the wind but once you pass a beam reach into close hulled, it becomes far less efficient and tends to flop and not behave when you change from wind pushing it out to trying to get windward lift. I think that the spinnaker and the main are about the only thing we didn't buy from BWY! :)

[@Lifes-Adventures]

Last question what size line do you use for the clew, Tack, & Head?

[@StarSloop]

chuckle. I bought the spinnaker rigging kit (with lines) from BWY. The sail itself was from JudyBsails. The lines are fairly small diameter, the clew lines are extra long so that you can jibe/tack without re-running lines. I think that the lines are 5/16". On the hardware kit, I replaced the 6' tack line with a 30' run aft.

[@davidharrison63]

Did you find the traveler made a noticeable difference beating to windward?

[@StarSloop]

David Harrison the biggest advantage of the traveler that i have noticed is that releasing the traveler will reduce the angle of heel while breathing and sail a bit better.

[@davidharrison63]

ok. Thanks for the info. Like Mary, I have been watching your videos, probably from the start. Finally was in a position in 2015 to buy a Tattoo 26. Have not done any trips like you, unfortunately. How did the transom plate work out? Did it stop the Engine exhaust smell?

[@ebyvids]

Thanks for the vid

[@johnefallis]

"When no one's watching, it slides right in" she say...lol

[@StarSloop]

chuckle :)

[@jasperhappensprat8526]

Nice video Doug, only one thing missing, (the bit that I really wanted to see), namely moving the mast from the pulpit to the mast location on the deck, that is the issue that I have trouble with. The stays are always catching somewhere thus moving the mast is a slow painful procedure. So how about it Doug care to show us how it is done and no snapping of fingers LOL. Always love your vids BTW.

[@StarSloop]

I am planning to add a few rigging shorts that cover that part too as we prep Galactica for our next vacation. We didn't get a vacation in 2020... That move is the hardest part--controlling the furler while moving the mast--AND not catching the shrouds on nearly everything! :) Thanks!

[@andyvan5692]

probably would help if you did everything real time, none of this clicky finger crap, if we can't see you do it, how do we know how/ what we are meant to do??

[@StarSloop]

Sorry, I was trying to keep the video shorter. I get it though. I may redo this video next year.

[@johnburkett521]

Where in Missouri are you guys from?

[@StarSloop]

Our ranch is closer to the Lake of the Ozarks but we sail on Mark Twain Lake the most. We sailed in sustained 25mph winds this weekend with gusts up to 30 on Mark Twain! I wish I would have videoed, we sailed off our anchorage in the sustained 20-25mph winds on a run and sailed past a no-wake buoy doing 6.6mph on just the foresail! :)

[@AlienSKP]

I love the pirate flag

[@dreamingofbeingfree1217]

What's the price for one

[@StarSloop]

price for the Mast Raising System (MRS)? Blue water yachts sells them for something like $175 I think. Ours came with Galactica. Price for a 26M Macgregor? That varies in age, conditions and mods--anywhere from $15k-35k U.S.

[@dreamingofbeingfree1217]

StarSloop I'm thinking of buying one. Thank you

[@StarSloop]

We absolutely love ours. In a couple I'll be working on the next set of long videos from our B.E.E.R. cruise in Pensacola and our sail around the Port Charlotte area. They are very versatile boats.