Expanding Capabilities

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Where exactly did you mount the pump-out fitting? I couldn't quite tell from the photos....

On the top of the coaming on the port side at the head of the cockpit just aft of the cabin.

By opening or closing valves the head can either be pumped out with the macerator pump or by a facility that can pump your boat out. I've pumped water through it but haven't actually used it as we still like..

... using the other head with the double doodie bags. We take a 5 gallon bucket with a snap-on lid that are about $5.00 and put the bags in it and throw the whole thing in a dumpster at the end of the trip. The bucket keeps the guys picking up the trash from having to deal with them.

Two heads on the same 26 foot trailer boat might be a new thing :).

Sumner
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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
 
Jul 1, 2010
962
Catalina 350 Lake Huron
Yes, I noticed that seemed to be a weak point in comparison to some other trailerables. One person mentioned 1.5 hours to rig one for launching, which I agree is way too much. But I'm wondering what the potential is to improve on that? My Macgregor used to take me 45 minutes to rig and launch when I first got it, but I've refined the system and have it down to a fraction of that. I don't even step the mast on the trailer, I just pull up, launch like a power boat, and rig while I'm motoring out. (Which, to be fair, takes two people, but so far I've always had someone with me.)
I'm sure it could be improved on. We've just never done much with that. It really isn't any worse than most other trailerable boats that size. We have raised and dropped the mast while on the water, but I tend to get the dropsies, so I like to do that on land.
 
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Jimmy

.
Jan 28, 2018
176
Hunter 26 lake Powell lake mead
I always worry about boat rocking if raising mast on water?
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
20190118_071708.jpg

My idea is to use a hinged bow pulpit as the gin pole. Leave the forestay connected to the pulpit and pin the pulpit in place. Use a winch to pull the pulpit down into place or, in my case, I think it could just be done by hand. A transom arch would help a lot. I would run the pulpit back to the shroud chainplates and that way, the shrouds could be attached to the pulpit also. It would look a little more like a powerboat's speedrail, but I think the look would be ok. You should even be able to have life lines connected to the pulpit.

Step 1. Move mast from trailer position to tabernacle.
Step 2. Unpin pulpit from bow chainplate.
Step 3. Lift pulpit up to connect forestay.
Step 4. Crank pulpit back down into position while mast raises. Make sure all turnbuckles and stays remain clear, unhindered, and untangled.
Step 5. Pin pulpit back to bow chainplate.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 

JRT

.
Feb 14, 2017
2,039
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Wouldn't a new Mac 26X or M meet your needs? I thought they had stand up head room also.
 
Aug 22, 2011
1,113
MacGregor Venture V224 Cheeseland
View attachment 160321
My idea is to use a hinged bow pulpit as the gin pole. Leave the forestay connected to the pulpit and pin the pulpit in place. Use a winch to pull the pulpit down into place or, in my case, I think it could just be done by hand. A transom arch would help a lot. I would run the pulpit back to the shroud chainplates and that way, the shrouds could be attached to the pulpit also. It would look a little more like a powerboat's speedrail, but I think the look would be ok. You should even be able to have life lines connected to the pulpit.

Step 1. Move mast from trailer position to tabernacle.
Step 2. Unpin pulpit from bow chainplate.
Step 3. Lift pulpit up to connect forestay.
Step 4. Crank pulpit back down into position while mast raises. Make sure all turnbuckles and stays remain clear, unhindered, and untangled.
Step 5. Pin pulpit back to bow chainplate.

-Will (Dragonfly)


That looks pretty secure alright. Just too much for me to want to carry on the boat.

I just use my mainsheet and back stay adjuster (2 sets of 4 part tackle) as baby stays. Even with the boat rocking I haven't had my mast go off center except the time I forgot to tighten one of the baby stay tackles. So all I have to carry on the boat is my 6 ft gin pole that has its own brake winch.

ymmv
 

Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
View attachment 160321
My idea is to use a hinged bow pulpit as the gin pole.
Interesting idea!

I have a gin pole that attaches to the (otherwise unused) holes at the front of my mast deck plate. The gin pole is just long enough that it reaches the deck fitting for the forestay. The top clevis of the forestay turnbuckle has an extra long clevis pin that fits into a fork-like fitting on the top of the gin pole. To raise the mast (once it's pinned to the deck fitting) I hook the forestay to the top of the gin pole and then hoist it up with a block and tackle. When the mast is fully up, the forestay turnbuckle is perfectly positioned over the deck fitting and I just pop in a pin and the mast is secure. The block and tackle stays attached to the gin pole, which then tips up and lashes to the front of the mast.

For stability, I have baby stays that attach about six feet up from the foot of the mast. The baby stays run to pivot points on a tube that runs between two of the lifeline stanchions (on each side of the deck), so that they are in line with the pivot point of the mast. That way the baby stays stay tight as the mast goes up and down. The baby stays keep the mast from swinging as the boat rolls or lurches, and I've used this system up to about sea state 3 without any problems. I would probably avoid using it in conditions rougher than that.
 
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