BYYB Forums

I am planning on a cruise in my MacGregor 26 on St. George's Sound down in Florida starting probably on the 28th and launching from Carabelle. Let me know if any of you will be in the area!



In order to get the boat ready for a family of four cruising, I need to work on storage and organization. MacGregor's are nice basic boats but not much money or effort are expended in finishing out storage spaces. My first project was a storage rack to replace the mirror over the galley counter. I designed it to store cups, dishes, cutlery, my butane stove (hopefully Santa will bring me the exact model I got dimensions for), and CD's. Here is a picture before beautifying:



I decided to finish it natural so as not to darken the cabin much:



I decided not to sand while the varnish was drying so did my next project with a sewing machine and some duck cloth. Found plans for a hanging duffle in a book called "101 Fast and Easy Boat Projects" or something like that. The duffle attaches to the side of the boat with turnbuttons (I am trying velcro instead) and you are able to open it and access everything while it is hanging there eliminating something that normally winds up on the berth during the day and has to be moved at night. I have made five and plan on a sixth after I get another zipper.




Duckworks magazine sells these and below is a picture from their website of one in use:



http://www.duckworksbbs.com/gear/duffel/index.htm

Adventure begins!
And what an adventure it will be!

Here's wishing you fair winds!
Take lots of photos, won't you?

Scott get some good charts that area all has shallow spots. Try to keep track of exactly where you are. You are only about 15 mi. from where we ran out of water in the spring lo tide. Don't get hung out there all night for the critters to nibble on. Have fun . Bud.

Scott, glad you having a blast with your Mac..... looks like it fit the bill perfectly. I did not realize there were so many different models of water ballasted Macs. The only one I recognized as a Mac is the power/sail model, which I thought that is what you were getting. I am curious how much your boat weighs ballasted and dry and what sort of tow vehicle you use to pull it. I am intrigued by it, it really is an innovative idea. Do you have to treat the inside of the ballast tanks?

I am also doing several projects from Don Casey's book that you mentioned, 100 Fast and Easy Boat Projects. I am putting the pushpit seats on Windrose, creating more storage and making the same little duffels you made for my v berth (hope mine turn out as good as yours, those look great). He really has some great simple ideas.

BTW folks, this is a great little book for any sailor you know over the holidays. I had checked it out from the library and could not renew it because someone else was waiting on it so I picked it up at West Marine for about $14.

Bud, the part I am sailing in is not nearly as shallow as the area by Indian Pass campground. In fact, the cruising guide basically says not to take a sailboat in that other area hock: . Anyway, I have accurate charts and two GPS units including one that has detailed depth information. I also have a good depthfinder on the boat.

Angie, I absolutely love the 100 Projects book! I keep thumbing through it thinking of all of the things I want to do. I especially love the companionway drinkholder and the window shades for the portholes. I told Keith about the second one because of the difficulty he had sleeping in his boat on Lake Nicajack. The rain made him keep his ports closed but the heat and humidity quickly rose in the boat.

The water-ballasted boats made prior to the hybrid sail/motor boats are called the Mac 26 classics of which there are two basic models. The Mac 26D has a daggerboard that runs in a trunk down along the side of the galley as show in the picture below:



The Mac 26S has a centerboard that is contained within the water ballast tank so no intrusions into the cabin as show below:


The Mac26D is faster due to a better foil while the Mac26S is a little more comfortable to sail in very shallow waters because the board will automatically come up. I am glad I have a D as I value speed and can always keep the alarm on the depth guage. Both are beachable because their boards retract fully into the hulls.

The dry boat and trailer weigh in at 2200lbs as it comes from the factory. That is less than a Catalina 22! However, they come fairly basic from factory so owners tend to add stuff for livability and some stuff just stays on the boat. I tow it fine with a Honda Odyssey minivan. The MacGregors don't have any problems with the waterballast tank as opposed to the Hunters probably due to how simple the ballast system is. I have not had to put anything in my ballast tank but I have it slipped at a relatively clean lake. I plan on taking the boat out this month so I will report if anything unexpected comes out.

For a brochure on the Mac26d: http://www.macgregor-boats.com/broch/bro...ac26d.html

For an awesome webpage on macs including brochures, manuals, and modifications: http://www.macgregor-boats.com/

Oh, when you are sewing the duffles, make sure you are sewing the zippers on the right way...don't ask me how I know. :oops: Also, I am using velcro to hold it onto the sides rather than the turnbuttons. Velcro is less expensive and doesn't hurt if you bump body parts on it.

Wow!!! looks like you hit a home run for your needs/wants.

The photos make the boat look huge, you do have to get more wood in there than the factory set up.... so were do plan to put the rack system you have made.

Like you, I love velcro and they make some HEAVY DUTY velcro these days. Did you know the guy got the idea from "beggers lice"..... seemed like they were ALWAYS stuck to me as a kid and now I can't remember the last time they were stuck to me..... HMMMMM, that ain't right ! I gotta get out more.

It definitely is a plastic boat! The only wood is on the step into the cabin, the bathroom door and bulkhead, and (unfortunately) the backing plates for the aft cleats. Oh, I forgot, there is plywood coring to the deck. Anyway, I kinda like the fact that there is no wood on the outside of the boat because it eliminates a maintenance headache particularily with a boat stored a a slip. I can't tell you how many boats have wooden trim that looks raggedy and forgotten at the marina even though I know the boats see use and care.

However, I will be adding wood to the cabin both for warmth and because it is a cheap and easy material for me to work with. The rack shown in this post will replace the plastic mirror over the galley area. I don't have the table that is in the picture so I will be building another table that folds flat to the port side of the daggerboard trunk. I plan on replacing the plastic windows (can't even call them ports) that have turned pink with age with opening portholes and will have to add wood trim to thicken the openings so all along the sides where the curtain is will have wood. Some folks have added wooden-look flooring (pergo or those self-adhesive squares) but I prefer the simplicity of indoor/outdoor carpet on the plastic floor.

Anyway, enough about my projects. Angie, what have you been working on in the line of boats? I have always enjoyed the look of your weekender with traditional touches like the deck prism.

No boat building projects at the moment, I am hunting and gatering supplies for some after the turn of the year. Currently, I'm simply trying to bring projects to closer in order to leave town for a few days.

We just finished all the framing (well I have one more closet to build) and pulling wire and are now hanging rock. We have hung the hardest part, 1/2" rock on a 18' valuted ceiling off two ladders and a walk board... it still has to be finished, but it's up.

Boatwise, I have a new Uniden transducer to install, have my main off and to the sailmaker, have 3 sails at Bacons hoping to sell to recut my genoa for the furler, have a top loading ice box that I salvaged and plan to rip out the front loader and replace it (you open the door and the cold air falls out so the ice doesn't last), a few more plumbing issues to finish, and a little wiring. Oh, and I bought a really nice stainless swim ladder for the transom at a closeout sale.

Then I also want to do a few of the projects from Don's book, I want to make those pushpit seats (you see these made out of Starboard at the Boat Show for a few hundred a piece hock: ), I figure you could make those in the book for around $20 and have canvas to spare. Then some of those duffels and for the grand finale, hopefully my skills will be better by then, new seat covers. Then to the outside for a bimini and a doger if I think I can make it look decent.

Then "Bay Breezes, french wines and cheeses...."

Delusions of grandeur..... a gals gotta have a goal.

Angie, I hate having to work over my head and to hang drywall on an 18' ceiling...OUCH! Is the sailmaker revitalizing your main or just doing some repairs? My mainsail is old and worn out so I keep thinking about getting a new one. However, I am doing pretty good in our clubs races so kinda afraid to touch anything. Wife would like less tendancy to heel though...

Toploader would be more efficient. I am trying to figure out cold storage on my boat but not enough room or power to run something. Probably figure out how to go with 2 coolers, one for drinks and one for food. Swimladder sounds like a great score and is something I need...they still clearing?

Don't worry about your sewing skills especially for the things out of that book. If I can do it you can do it. It is a lot easier to connect two pieces of cloth than it is to connect two pieces of ply!

I'm having slugs installed on the main... it had a bolt rope luff, I hated it.