The Official "What Did You Do To Your Mac Today" Thread!

[RussC]

I deem my cooler project finished! I cut and fit pieces of the 2" Styrofoam to seal up the lower section beneath the bench. spray foam was used to fully seal all gaps and edges. then I sewed up a covering from the same material used for the boat cushions, and used a bit of super 77 spray glue to attach it to the sides of the portion of the box that's above the bench. for the cooler top I also cut a piece of the carpet runner material and sewed that onto a cloth edging. the foam top piece is attached to the hard cooler lid with several large pieces of velcro, so the lid lifts as one, as it should.
We stayed 3 days on the boat a week or so ago, before the lower portion was even finished, and the two 1/2 gal jugs of ice still had over 1/2 their ice when we got home, so I guess it works .

 

[ghochgraf]

Well, my girlfriend and I just purchased a Mac 26S. We have yet to get it wet, but hopefully in another week!
In the meantime we've been busy with mods. PO did very little to it, so other than removing and de-gunking old duct tape, there's little to un-do.
For doing, we're replacing incandescents with LEDs, new wiring, upgrading some of the rigging fastenings so they can be attached/detached more easily, and extensive salon mods.
We completely cut out both starboard and port settee benches plus the shelf for the head, and I have been fiberglassing over the new floor areas. West system epoxy and US Composites 7oz glass. I laid in 1/2" styrofoam to provide a smooth and level substrate for the glass.
Eventually there'll be a revamped galley plus dinette style seating on the port side. There'll also be a composting head.

 

[Sumner]

Sounds like you are making the boat fit your needs. How about pictures?

I feel some of the interior adds to the stiffness of the boat so have tried to keep that in mind when cutting into it. Sounds like you are probably doing the same.

With the dining area on the Port side how will you go forward?

Have fun with the mods,

Sumner

 

[RussC]

Well, my girlfriend and I just purchased a Mac 26S. We have yet to get it wet, but hopefully in another week!
In the meantime we've been busy with mods. PO did very little to it, so other than removing and de-gunking old duct tape, there's little to un-do.
For doing, we're replacing incandescents with LEDs, new wiring, upgrading some of the rigging fastenings so they can be attached/detached more easily, and extensive salon mods.
We completely cut out both starboard and port settee benches plus the shelf for the head, and I have been fiberglassing over the new floor areas. West system epoxy and US Composites 7oz glass. I laid in 1/2" styrofoam to provide a smooth and level substrate for the glass.
Eventually there'll be a revamped galley plus dinette style seating on the port side. There'll also be a composting head.

Yes. photos are a requirement on this forum when any project is involved or you'll be banned . sounds like interesting stuff.
Welcome aboard!

 

[walt]

Russ, nice ice chest by the way. When I built my custom ice chest, I compared it to a store bought ice chest and even though the store bought one looked like it had way less insulation, it still performed well.. So.. the idea of using a good conventional ice chest and then super insulating it probably will do a very nice job.

Sumner is right about the strength of the boat. All that structure works together for strength and of course the mast puts a large down force on the cabin top just from shroud tension and that down force gets higher with the sails wind loaded. I have done my share of cutting fiberglass however.. always trying to keep it to flat surfaces only. Maybe sometimes too much but it sure has been fun!!

Photos.. one of the reason I like this forum and try to buy stuff here is that it is the easiest place to post pictures. Best to re-size the picture first before uploading here so the file size is on the smaller end (like under 200 Kb).

 

[justsomeguy]

Best to re-size the picture first before uploading here so the file size is on the smaller end (like under 200 Kb).

Bless you, sir!

 

[BudGates]

Well, my girlfriend and I just purchased a Mac 26S. We have yet to get it wet, but hopefully in another week!
In the meantime we've been busy with mods.

Welcome aboard and Congratulations on your new boat! I hope you gain as much enjoyment from her as we have ours. So far I've spent a lot more time working on my boat than sailing her but I hope to change that real soon.

 

[ghochgraf]

Here's some photos. It's all white, so I hope you can see what we've done. It's amazing to have just a wide flat floor. But it won't stay that way.

 

[My Mistress]

Where are you going to put your bilge pump?

 

[Sumner]

Where are you going to put your bilge pump?

Good question as that is where water collects on both sides.

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/inside-29.html

I have a pump on one side and want to add one on the other. I've never had to use the pump and consider them to be there for emergencies, but have had to sponge water out of both sides on numerous occasions,

Sumner
==================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

 

[ghochgraf]

With the new salon and galley layout, I had to move the centerboard cleat. I like what others have done (oft showcased in this forum) with leading the line aft and to the cockpit. The cable ends with a block giving the line a 2:1 advantage.

 

[My Mistress]

I don't think I'd dare run a pulley through that area above the galley on "Mistress" now. I brought every piece of wiring; every system, (fuse panel, AM/FM radio and S2S radio, voltmeter, additional switches, antenna leads) through there.
I like the idea though.

- James

 

[My Mistress]

This isn't so much "What I did to my Mac", but "What I did to the Engine".
"Mistress" Is powered by a 1990 vintage 8HP Nissan. The neutral safety switch and the stop switch were both looking bad.
Parts were getting hard to find, and in an area as large as San Antonio, you'd think that there would be more boat parts dealers.
I finally found the engine parts I needed though Boats.net.

The emergency stop switch on the left isn't THAT bad. Only the nylon nut is broken.
Do you think I can find a single nylon nut in San Antonio.....? Heck no.....
The switch itself is still salvageable.

The switch on the right is the neutral safety switch. I'm surprised that it lasted through last year sailing/motoring. In this pic, the crack is barely visible.

In this fuzzy picture, we can see that the neck of the threaded part is completely snapped, leaving the switch in a constant open position.

I was actually impressed by the simplicity of the repairs. I merely took the starter off, hung it over the side of the motor, disconnected the old, and added the new. 1 wire did need to be spliced due to incompatible connectors. Total time: 30 minutes!
Now to test it!

Still waiting for this weather to settle before putting "Mistress" on the water. Poor holding on the local lake nixes anchoring without being on board, plus, we have had some bad weather rolling in every weekend. Severe thunderstorms forecast for today. I don't want to risk a lightning strike after replacing all the wiring!

 

[justsomeguy]

After trailering the Mac back into the US from Mexico on Friday, I removed all the running rigging and gave it a good washing.
Today, I began the process of removing all the things that won't be going with her to her new owner in the upcoming sale.
Wife seems to think the boat is worth $4,000.00 . I'm not so sure...

 

[Meriachee]

4000 more than your price?

 

[justsomeguy]

4000 more than your price?

No. I'd be happy to get 3.5, and I think that's still a stretch.

But my monthly storage expenses on her are nil at the moment. Yay.

 

[My Mistress]

No. I'd be happy to get 3.5, and I think that's still a stretch.

Are you kidding?

 

[RussC]

I would not sell our M25 for 4K even if I wanted to sell it. no way-no how. it was a nice clean boat when we bought it for 3.2 and it's a whole lot better now.

 

[ghochgraf]

We went sailing! First time! Piscataqua estuary system in New Hampshire (local waters). We launched at Jackson's Landing, and it took forever to get the Nissan 9.9 started. And this just after a professional tune-up. Then we noticed one of the fuel lines was disconnected. Problem solved.

We motored down the Oyster River to where it opens up, then hoisted sail. Against a strong tidal current we headed toward Adam's Point. Tacking wasn't getting us anywhere, so we motor-sailed into Great Bay. Good sailing there on wide open water with a comfortable breeze.

With about two hours until low tide (8 feet, twice a day) we found a quiet cove near the wildlife preserve for burgers on the barbie and a night's sleep. Twas now that we realized we'd forgotten spices, plates, spatula and half the kitchen stuff. No worries, we enjoyed dinner anyway.

Morning comes and we're due at a party on Little Bay at 11. But the tide hasn't come up much, and their floating dock is perched on the mudflats. A Mac 26S draws little water and can beach, which we did. I was able to throw a line to an assistant on the float, and a nearby kayak got us to shore. The tide is rising, so every 5 minutes we'd give the line a tug and she'd come two meters closer. Soon she's tied properly.

After the party we tacked up Little Bay the the bridge, then ran down and back into the Oyster River to a borrowed mooring for another night out. Being close to home, we fetched the kitchen box. High tide came at the break of dawn, so I fetched the trailer while Kristen motored back to Jackson's and she came out and onto the trailer without a hitch.

We now have a two page list of tasks, additions, modifications, and purchases to affect for Eclipse.

 

[RussC]

It takes time to settle in on a new boat, which is half the fun. sounds like you did well and had fun.