MC Scow

Development
DesignerMelges & Johnson
LocationUnited States
Year1956
No. built2,760
Builder(s)Melges Performance Sailboats
Johnson Boat Works
RoleOne-design racer
Boat
Crew1-3
Displacement420 lb (191 kg)
Draft3 ft (0.91 m) with a bilgeboard down
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionFiberglass
LOA16.00 ft (4.88 m)
Beam5.67 ft (1.73 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board typetwin bilgeboards
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typecat rig
Sails
SailplanCatboat
Mainsail area135.00 sq ft (12.542 m2)
Total sail area135.00 sq ft (12.542 m2)
[edit on Wikidata]

The MC Scow is an American sailing dinghy that was designed as a one-design racer and first built in 1956.[1][2]

The boat is a development of the John O. Johnson-designed J Scow of the mid-1950s, significantly re-designed by Melges.[1]

Production

The design has been built by Melges Performance Sailboats and Johnson Boat Works in the United States since 1956, with a total of 2,760 boats completed. Johnson went out of business in 1998, but the boat remains in production by Melges.[1][2][3][4][5]

Design

The MC Scow is a recreational sailboat, with the reverse sheer scow hull built predominantly of fiberglass, with mahogany wood trim. It has a catboat rig with anodized aluminum spars, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and dual retractable bilgeboards. It displaces 420 lb (191 kg).[1][2]

The boat has a draft of 3 ft (0.91 m) with a bilgeboard extended and can be transported on a trailer.[1]

For sailing the design is equipped with hiking straps and has a mainsail window to improve visibility. It also has a 2:1 mechanical advantage, four-part mainsheet traveler, a Cunningham, a 12:1 boom vang and a 3:1 outhaul.[2]

It is normally raced by a crew of one to three sailors.[2]

Operational history

By 1994 the boat was being raced in 21 fleets in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. By 2020 it was being raced in over 100 fleets across the United States.[2][5]

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "single-hander? Catboat? Scow? Well, it has bilgeboards. The MC can be sailed single-handed, but it is a big boat and will easily carry more ... The MC is perhaps not quite as athletic as most single-handers."[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e McArthur, Bruce (2020). "MC Scow sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 70-71. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
  3. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Melges Performance Sailboats". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  4. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Johnson Boat Works (USA) 1896 - 1998". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b Melges Performance Sailboats (2020). "The Melges MC Scow". melges.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
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