Making structural carbon fiber components is a highly involved job that requires a lot of background and a lot of prep/equipment. Starting with an autoclave the length of your mast. I've made some smaller flat stuff where I could use physical compression, but that's not gonna work for a spar. lol
Adding hard ballast, Perils and pitfalls?
- Thread starter HeelBoy
- Start date
That's odd. I didn't know the MacGregor 25 came with a fixed keel. Every one I have ever seen is equipped with a swing keel.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,261
I suggest you ask yourself what are you looking for in a boat.
The Venture/MacGregor 25 was built as a light boat. The intent was to design a light weight, economical, small sailboat that could go at 6.4 knots yet be pulled out of the water and trailered home.
These design features means the boat is not designed for big water and ocean passages.
That said the owner was known to put a big outboard on the stern and drive it out of the bay into the ocean and back to prove it could be done.
adding weight may make the boat less tender, yet compromise the sailing and trailer function of the boat.
Not saying you should do it as I feel it will compromise other positive features of the boat. It is your boat and I will follow the project with interest.
The Venture/MacGregor 25 was built as a light boat. The intent was to design a light weight, economical, small sailboat that could go at 6.4 knots yet be pulled out of the water and trailered home.
These design features means the boat is not designed for big water and ocean passages.
That said the owner was known to put a big outboard on the stern and drive it out of the bay into the ocean and back to prove it could be done.
adding weight may make the boat less tender, yet compromise the sailing and trailer function of the boat.
Not saying you should do it as I feel it will compromise other positive features of the boat. It is your boat and I will follow the project with interest.
I especially love this portion of the response. So much in the spirit of sailboat owners in general.
It might have been a C25 with a fixed keel. It was back in 1990 when I was looking for my second boat. I passed on it because of the height on the trailer and problems with launching. The MacGregor 25 I was looking at was an early model back when they were still called the Venture 25.
I ended up buying a 1980 C25 swing keel that had a very slick mast raising crane built onto the trailer winch post that picked the mast up, rotated it to vertical and set it on the tabernacle.
After reading this thread from the beginning I'm not sure we're still talking about the same Mac 25 that was converted by a previous owner.
