Today, I took advantage of the extra hour of daylight by stopping by the boat on my way home from work and went on an evening sail!
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The Official "What Did You Do To Your Mac Today" Thread!
- Thread starter Sock Puppet
- Start date
Today, I took advantage of the extra hour of daylight by stopping by the boat on my way home from work and went on an evening sail!
I've been considering adding a bow sprit to Miss Behavin'. I'm anxious to hear how it works.
Sigh... Sure would be nice to live close enough to the water to take an evening sail once in a while. Land sailing is fun but just not the same.
I receeived these fans from SBO http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?1209 and this is where they go. You can point these to either cool the seat location or point them towards the bed (2 axis of rotation). The current I measure matches the spec of .16 amp on low, .2 amp on medium and .27 amp on high. I think the low setting will be fine especially since there are two fans. Running both fans on low will consume 2.4 amp hours for an 8 hour night - or half that if only one fan is used. So my two golf cart batteries fully charged will last more than 41 nights before being half depleted. So far they seem to work well. I've been trying to keep that aft sleeping bed as open as possible (I need more room as I get older) and the fan location moves plenty of air plus they are completely out of the way for sleeping space. I still need to clean up the wiring but the pictures show where the fans ended up being located.
Those look like nice fans that Walt got here. They also have Caframo fans here.....
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?1208/Sirocco+Model+807+3+Speed+Fan
More expensive but I sure like them. Also extremely low amperage draw. I've used them extensively in Florida and the Bahamas and love them.
.. I have one mounted in the V-berth in the Mac and it cools both people and I've never had to run it on any speed other than low. I have another mounted in the V-berth of the Endeavour with the same results.
One nice feature they have that works very well and also saves the battery is that there are different timer settings where it will turn off after 2-4-6 hours which is hand as a lot of times after 2-4 hours it has cooled down to the point where you don't need the fan any longer. I use that feature about every night.
With the gimbal mount they point in any direction you want.
I also have a couple of the ...
Caframo 2 speed fans that I use in the cabins of both boats....
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?1211/Ultimate+Direct+Wire+Model+757+2-Speed+Compact+Fan
They work well and I just move them to where I need them. The base is a little different than what is shown above and they sit about any place you set them. Not sure if the ones here are for permanent install only??
The Caframo's seem to be the fan of choice of most full time cruisers. I haven't regretted buying any of them and have more about them here on my site...
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/inside-31.html
Also I've had really good luck....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/inside-31.html
... directing air down into the cabin with a simple use of towels. I use this during the day on anchor and then close the boat at night ....
.... with the screened pop-top cover at night if there are bugs..
Sumner
======================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
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Hey James, check that set up before you make any more holes - most of those little pumps are not self-priming. They usually have to be set downhill from the water tank so that they are always flooded. Probably just need to move the pump mount down to the fiberglass floor.Mistress got a water tank and electric pump over the past week. This will be plumbed to the original spigot and activated through a momentary switch. I still need to add a horizontal strap to secure the jerry can and modify the screw-on lid so it can be filled without wrestling it out of the area it's in. The sink will come out later, when I find something I like for a replacement.
The 5 gallon jug is for wash water only. I plan on using a separate cooler for drinking water.
I love these jerry cans. They are practically indestructible and light in weight.
- James
That's how mine is anyway. Yours could be completely different. It's a great addition, you'll love it!
Reasonably quiet and they dont vibrate. I can hear them running but think they are completely reasonable and I should sleep fine. Unlike the last small space heater I bought.. so loud that I cant use it.
.. Sumner, I dont know if you missed it but he Bora 748 (that I just installed) is also made by Caframo. Been running it more today and comparing it to an old fan, the Bora 748 puts out more CFM for lower power and noise and is a lot smaller. Seems great so far..
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Mistress is getting new wood. The lower piece obviously fits on the overhead above the galley, and the door replaces the lexan hatch below the sink.
Both are constructed of oak plywood. They'll be finished in clear gloss polyurethane.
The new radio will be mounted under the overhead since the screen cannot extend all the way when mounted in the overhead.
I still haven't replaced that incandescent light above the sink though.......
Such a fine day.. From Topock Gorge on the Colorado river to Lake Havasu spring breakers in the channel. Huge contrasts. We did over 30 miles, sailed half and motored half. The sailing was down the Colorado river wind in the same direction as the current..
Thank you very much for the info. I showed my wife and she said "GET IT!" I just placed my order.
A while ago Bud posted a picture of his Vberth - just used for storage (at least I think it was Bud) and it inspired me to get rid of the pads up there and just make that area a storage place but still somewhat easy to get to the batteries for maintenance (under the V berth). Also, when I put the fans in, they displaced a small hanging trash bucket. So today in order to avoid working on my taxes like I had been planning to, I worked on the new trash bucket. The pictures show the V berth storage area with the new hanging trash bucket. I use plastic bins to store "junk" up there plus an inflatable raft, folding chairs, Mr buddy heater, pop top tent cover.
When Im camping with this boat, Im always re-arranging the cabin between using the boat in the day and sleeping so I just made one big plastic bin specifically for moving stuff between day and night. It holds the stuff I use during the day such as a small ice chest or water or sunscreen plus it holds the BBQ which we use fairly often camping. During the day the bin slides into the aft bed area, at night it gets put on one of the seats or the ice chest.
When Im camping with this boat, Im always re-arranging the cabin between using the boat in the day and sleeping so I just made one big plastic bin specifically for moving stuff between day and night. It holds the stuff I use during the day such as a small ice chest or water or sunscreen plus it holds the BBQ which we use fairly often camping. During the day the bin slides into the aft bed area, at night it gets put on one of the seats or the ice chest.
Wow, Walt. I'm impressed. Yes, it was me who posted changing the v-berth into v-storage about a year ago. I think you'll like it that way. I totally understand moving stuff around all the time. It's bad enough with the 26c. It was a lot worse with the V-222.
I mentioned earlier that I had a 10 watt panel on the sailboat all winter and it was almost enough but that I was changing to 20 watts. I just put the 20 watt panel on and its small and light enough to just keep that very simple "cantilevered" mount where the back end of the panel is not supported. I think this will work nicely. FYI, someone on this forum posted about these Seadog braces for this type of mount http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/1746-rail-mount-brackets The ones I have are getting very old - I need to replace with the Seadog brackets sometime.
While installing the panel I did something DUMB and burned out my charge controller. I "had" a Morningstar PWM controller that did a great job for many years but.. I foolishly was swapping wire with the system hot, shorted the panel side with sun on the panel so the controller had the FET switch ON basically connecting the panel directly to the battery. I had a 6 amp fuse between the controller and the battery and both the fuse and the controller blew. I think the fuse should have prevented the failure.. but it didnt. Oh well..
So I just ordered a new controller. It is a Genasun GV-5 https://www.altestore.com/store/cha...-with-lvd-for-12v-lead-acid-batteries-p10623/. It has a ton of nice features including very low current draw at night plus it uses ceramic caps which will be good since this boat spends the summer in a HOT place - ceramic caps should be better than electrolytics for tolerating heat. It keeps operating all the way down to 7.2 volts which is an improvement over what I had - good since I leave the boat for months at a time. Its also MPPT which will give a little extra current. And.. its a very competitive price.
Pictures are of the new 20 watt solar panel mounted in the same spot and using the same hardware as the old 10 watt panel.
While installing the panel I did something DUMB and burned out my charge controller. I "had" a Morningstar PWM controller that did a great job for many years but.. I foolishly was swapping wire with the system hot, shorted the panel side with sun on the panel so the controller had the FET switch ON basically connecting the panel directly to the battery. I had a 6 amp fuse between the controller and the battery and both the fuse and the controller blew. I think the fuse should have prevented the failure.. but it didnt. Oh well..
So I just ordered a new controller. It is a Genasun GV-5 https://www.altestore.com/store/cha...-with-lvd-for-12v-lead-acid-batteries-p10623/. It has a ton of nice features including very low current draw at night plus it uses ceramic caps which will be good since this boat spends the summer in a HOT place - ceramic caps should be better than electrolytics for tolerating heat. It keeps operating all the way down to 7.2 volts which is an improvement over what I had - good since I leave the boat for months at a time. Its also MPPT which will give a little extra current. And.. its a very competitive price.
Pictures are of the new 20 watt solar panel mounted in the same spot and using the same hardware as the old 10 watt panel.
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Mistress has a new navigation light to replace the original.
More importantly, a major milestone was reached. Mistress's motor was started and test run.
She is ready to be launched in a couple weeks! Everything else is merely window-dressing.
More importantly, a major milestone was reached. Mistress's motor was started and test run.
She is ready to be launched in a couple weeks! Everything else is merely window-dressing.
So, just in case folks are starting to think that all I do is ask for help and not really get much actually done, here is what I did, ok not today but yesterday.
I took off the wood from my motor mount and got that home to replace. I also starting putting Spar Varnish on the replacement wood for the slides that hatch uses and I starting building a new mast crutch. Alright, I can hear it now about my mast crutch which is 2 pieces of 2x4 redwood laminated together that will have a roller mount on the top. Yes, it will be heavy. But my skill is in wood not welding so I work with what I know. In the past few weeks I refinished the companion way wood slats and the side slats that they sit in as well as fabricate a new piece of wood for the front of the hatch. I will get pictures of those next time I'm at the boat. Oh, and for you fellow woodworkers out there I went to one of the local wood shops and in their "It's old and dirty and has lots of rat droppings on it but if you want it we'll give you a good price" pile I got 4 pieces of 14ft long, 3/4 thick, 6 inch wide, S4S Mahogany for $10.00 per board. I bought all they had!
I took off the wood from my motor mount and got that home to replace. I also starting putting Spar Varnish on the replacement wood for the slides that hatch uses and I starting building a new mast crutch. Alright, I can hear it now about my mast crutch which is 2 pieces of 2x4 redwood laminated together that will have a roller mount on the top. Yes, it will be heavy. But my skill is in wood not welding so I work with what I know.
In the past few weeks I refinished the companion way wood slats and the side slats that they sit in as well as fabricate a new piece of wood for the front of the hatch. I will get pictures of those next time I'm at the boat. Oh, and for you fellow woodworkers out there I went to one of the local wood shops and in their "It's old and dirty and has lots of rat droppings on it but if you want it we'll give you a good price" pile I got 4 pieces of 14ft long, 3/4 thick, 6 inch wide, S4S Mahogany for $10.00 per board. I bought all they had! 
I noticed that whenever I was down below for a break it really bothered me, not being able to see through the tinted windows. I don't get claustrophobic at all, but I guess it was more a matter of not being able to see what was about to run into us. anyway…. today I built and installed some clear polycarbonate on the rear windows. still deciding if I'll also do the forward two just so they match, but they would need curtains anyway as that's the head area. the hard part was cleaning up the old silicone off the opening, and the rest was more just time consuming. I masked and painted a 3/8" black stripe on the back side of the glass to hide the raw edge of fiberglass that was visible through the clear glass and I'm really happy with the finished product. just need to clean up a couple small areas of sealer ooze, once that sets up. the view from down below is now awesome
And she was christened "Silent Running" today as well.
Greengas. If you look back a few pages here you'll see several of my modifications, but I'll also take an overall interior pic for you here shortly. We love our "new" 25 and I'm sure you'll love yours as well. great boats!!
Greengas. If you look back a few pages here you'll see several of my modifications, but I'll also take an overall interior pic for you here shortly. We love our "new" 25 and I'm sure you'll love yours as well. great boats!!