Retrofitting your boat is easy. You can put in two holes or one large one as shown in the pictures on the right.

Melges uses a 3" hole saw to cut through the transom. This may require a drill with a 1/2" chuck while the 2 1/2" hole saws can be handled in your drill with a 3/8" chuck.

Start the pilot hole FROM THE INSIDE at the point where the floor just starts to curve up (about 10-12" from the center.) Allow the saw to rub the floor as you drill the pilot hole. Then go outside and finish cutting the hole through the transom. This procedure guarantees that the hole is flush with the floor. Repeat for the other side. Apply some gelcoat on the edge of the holes to seal the exposed fiberglass.

Placing a single 4" deck plate with a screw-on cover is another solution as seen on the transom of MC1554.
Flotation

How much flotation do I need in an MC?

MC1939 came from the factory in June 1999 with 6240 cubic inches (3.61 cubic feet) of Styrofoam per side. There is some additional foam under the front deck.

A loaded MC weighs a little less than 500 pounds, the same weight as 8 cubic feet of water. So if we can place 8 cubic feet of Styrofoam in the area behind each of the board wells, flush with the edge of the cockpit, we would displace sufficient water to prevent the MC from swamping when on its side.

Another way of describing that is: when your boat has capsized and lying on its side, we need to prevent water from filling the space behind the board wells. That is why the scantlings state: "...at least 8 cubic feet of foam located uniformly on each side of the boat where foam will be under water when the boat is on its side and swamped." The pictures below show the installation of foam in MC1939. The rectangular blocks represent less than half the correct amount but we'll see...haven't swamped it yet!

Note that the foam is not glued to the hull. Instead, it is held in place with shockcord; small plastic shields protect the edges of the foam from being chipped by the shockcord. Strips of fiberglass on the hull contain loops to which the shockcord is tied.
Attaching the foam this way allows you to replace it in case it becomes waterlogged or (heaven forbid) you have to remove it to have some serious repairs performed.

On MC1521, I filled the mast with long strips of foam. Bought a 1" thick sheet of 4x8 Styrofoam and used my radial arm saw to rip 2" wide slivers of foam that I then stuffed into the mast. That required that I first remove the top cap and bottom heel from the mast. After reassembly, I sealed all holes except one at the heel to allow condensation to escape. This process yielded a mast that would float. All new MC masts come sealed from the factory.

Sequel Sails sells a flotation panel (~$100, picture on right) that slips over the top of the sail's headboard prior to raising it. The total volume of this design is approximately 420 cubic inches. It is a smaller version of the panels used by E-scows; they have a rule that requires their use in heavy-air regattas.

Enterprising sailors at Windycrest Sailing Club in Tulsa built a Styrofoam clamshell structure that performs the same function. It requires a hole through the headboard/sail to attach the two blocks of smoothly contoured Styrofoam. (see picture on left.) During my first few years in MC45, I built these myself. After shaping the 2 inch thick Styrofoam panels, I would coat them with Elmer's Glue to strengthen and seal the surface. Then I would paint them with a couple of layers of white polyurethane outdoor paint. They saved many a capsize from turning into a turtle! The total volume of the two panels is about 375 cubic inches.

These structures have a minimal effect on boat speed but will provide extra time to raise a capsized boat. The foam in the panels keeps the tip of the mast from going much below the water line and greatly reduces the odds of turtling an MC.

Good luck and...See you on the starting line!

(Last updated on: