I just towed my "new" H26 from Oregon to Gabriola Is, BC. I have never had a water ballast boat, although I've had a few trailer sailors and keel boats. I would appreciate any advice on trailering, motoring, rigging, and sailing the H26. Has anybody added a wood or propane heater? Where did you mount it? If you have a propane stove or heater, where do you put the tank? My boat has an Origo 2 burner alcohol stove. Are they hot enough to boil spaghetti water in a reasonable amount of time? I have a friend with an older McGregor 26 (the slower one) who motors without the water ballast in the boat. He does this with the mast up, but only in settled weather. Will the H26 fall on its side with the mast up and no water in the tank? Thanks. This is a great resource.
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Always keep the ballast tank full
The H26/H260 is NOT designed to be in the water without the tank full. It is very unstable without ballast. The only time you want to empty the ballast is going off or on the trailer. Some people empty the tank in the water to facilitate getting on the trailer if the boat ramp is shallow. I have never had that problem. One tip, after winching onto the trailer and before pulling the trailer out of the water, open the drain valve. If you wait until the boat and trailer are out of the water to open the valve, it will be much harder to open due to the weight of the water ballast distorting the hhull shape once on the trailer out of the water. as to the heater question, I use a small unvented portable propane heater sometimes. always with ventelation and never when sleeping. In your climate you may want to go with a vented unit with an exterior tank. I have a 2 burner propane stovetop with a 6 lb aluminum tank mounted by the rudder post.
The H26/H260 is NOT designed to be in the water without the tank full. It is very unstable without ballast. The only time you want to empty the ballast is going off or on the trailer. Some people empty the tank in the water to facilitate getting on the trailer if the boat ramp is shallow. I have never had that problem. One tip, after winching onto the trailer and before pulling the trailer out of the water, open the drain valve. If you wait until the boat and trailer are out of the water to open the valve, it will be much harder to open due to the weight of the water ballast distorting the hhull shape once on the trailer out of the water. as to the heater question, I use a small unvented portable propane heater sometimes. always with ventelation and never when sleeping. In your climate you may want to go with a vented unit with an exterior tank. I have a 2 burner propane stovetop with a 6 lb aluminum tank mounted by the rudder post.
Fred
Hi there I have a 1995 H26 here in Manitoba and am having a lot of fun with it. If you did not get a manual with the boat there a lots of links on this web site that will help you out with rigging the boat. I trailer mine with a pickup, but the previous owner had a mini van. I find it trailers qite easy. As for sailing, the boat sails well in light air, but has a tendancy to round up in gusts. I have found that the stove works really well, and would not be in a big hurry to replace it. As for a heater, I have just hung a coleman lantern in the boat. It warms it up nicely and takes out the humidity. But we don't have nearly the amount of moisture to deal with that you do.
Hi there I have a 1995 H26 here in Manitoba and am having a lot of fun with it. If you did not get a manual with the boat there a lots of links on this web site that will help you out with rigging the boat. I trailer mine with a pickup, but the previous owner had a mini van. I find it trailers qite easy. As for sailing, the boat sails well in light air, but has a tendancy to round up in gusts. I have found that the stove works really well, and would not be in a big hurry to replace it. As for a heater, I have just hung a coleman lantern in the boat. It warms it up nicely and takes out the humidity. But we don't have nearly the amount of moisture to deal with that you do.
Nice Photo Soling42!
Thanks for the vicarious sail Michael and Kelli! It's currently 44 degrees, with high winds and heavy rains forecast for the Pacific NW. Our 260 is under wraps, but it sure is nice to one being enjoyed. Can't wait for summer!
Thanks for the vicarious sail Michael and Kelli! It's currently 44 degrees, with high winds and heavy rains forecast for the Pacific NW. Our 260 is under wraps, but it sure is nice to one being enjoyed. Can't wait for summer!
HEATER
Dickinson Newport Propane Fireplace works great on our 260.Fit perfectly on head wall with parts supplied. Uses no cabin air so no monoxide. One hole in deck above ,intake exhaust. You can see fire. Flexible hose to stern and tank near rudder. Small disposable tanks for now.
Dickinson Newport Propane Fireplace works great on our 260.Fit perfectly on head wall with parts supplied. Uses no cabin air so no monoxide. One hole in deck above ,intake exhaust. You can see fire. Flexible hose to stern and tank near rudder. Small disposable tanks for now.
Heat
Some makes a small portable propane for camping applications . The heater is connected to a flexible hose . The heater sits in the cockpit and the hose is routed into the cabin so the combustion takes place outside of the resting /sleeping area . Check archives also for posts about using a candle and clay flower pot as a source of heat in small enclosed spaces , our one burner origo works great, congrats on the new boat , Mike
Some makes a small portable propane for camping applications . The heater is connected to a flexible hose . The heater sits in the cockpit and the hose is routed into the cabin so the combustion takes place outside of the resting /sleeping area . Check archives also for posts about using a candle and clay flower pot as a source of heat in small enclosed spaces , our one burner origo works great, congrats on the new boat , Mike
H26 and Wallas 800 Stove
Space is at a premium on the H260 so replacing the existing stove with the Wallas stove/heater makes good sense to me. Wallas makes a wide range of stove and heating products for marine use. Check their website at wallas.com. The stove is made in Finland, but there is a least one distributor in the US. I'd contact them for more technical info. Here's a short description from the internet: WALLAS 800 Kerosene Stove with blower lid The 800 mini stove is designed for smaller boats where size is important. This stove is constructed of stainless and has features such as fast cooking and easy cleaning. All combustion exhaust gases and water vapors are vented outside, keeping the cabin moisture-free. It's easy to install and can also be used as a heater with the optional blower lid. This is the perfect stove for boats where safety and comfort are important. Heat output- 2,000 to 4,000 BTU Fuel consumption - 4 oz./hr. Current consumption - 0.4 AMP Dimensions - 11" D x 13-1/4" L x 6" H Weight - 18 lbs http://www.scanmarineusa.com/W800.htm Scan Marine Equipment, Inc. 2144 Westlake Ave, N., Suite D. Seattle, WA 98109 1-888-606-6665 (206) 285-3675 Fax (206) 285-9532
Space is at a premium on the H260 so replacing the existing stove with the Wallas stove/heater makes good sense to me. Wallas makes a wide range of stove and heating products for marine use. Check their website at wallas.com. The stove is made in Finland, but there is a least one distributor in the US. I'd contact them for more technical info. Here's a short description from the internet: WALLAS 800 Kerosene Stove with blower lid The 800 mini stove is designed for smaller boats where size is important. This stove is constructed of stainless and has features such as fast cooking and easy cleaning. All combustion exhaust gases and water vapors are vented outside, keeping the cabin moisture-free. It's easy to install and can also be used as a heater with the optional blower lid. This is the perfect stove for boats where safety and comfort are important. Heat output- 2,000 to 4,000 BTU Fuel consumption - 4 oz./hr. Current consumption - 0.4 AMP Dimensions - 11" D x 13-1/4" L x 6" H Weight - 18 lbs http://www.scanmarineusa.com/W800.htm Scan Marine Equipment, Inc. 2144 Westlake Ave, N., Suite D. Seattle, WA 98109 1-888-606-6665 (206) 285-3675 Fax (206) 285-9532
HEATER-1
Dickinson Newport Propane Fireplace has a built in fan. Not hooked up yet so don’t know how it works. Heater fits on the forward side of the head bulkhead about in the center port starboard and about 8” off seat, well within clearances. No modification of head door or table or anything except hole in deck and head bulkheads for gas tube was necessary on our 260. The heater takes sitting space to some extent. But it’s not in the swing of the original table. I have a totally new table. Plan where exhaust comes out on deck.
Dickinson Newport Propane Fireplace has a built in fan. Not hooked up yet so don’t know how it works. Heater fits on the forward side of the head bulkhead about in the center port starboard and about 8” off seat, well within clearances. No modification of head door or table or anything except hole in deck and head bulkheads for gas tube was necessary on our 260. The heater takes sitting space to some extent. But it’s not in the swing of the original table. I have a totally new table. Plan where exhaust comes out on deck.
Mac26 Accident
There is quite a bit of information available about the July 4, 2002 M26 accident on Lake Champlain in which the operator was convicted. The defense was unable to persuade the jury that design of the Mac 26 was the cause of the accident. There is an audio session of his appeal of the conviction in Sept 2005 before the Vermont State Supreme Court at this link: http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/audioindex/sept05.htm I was unable to find out if the conviction was overturned or not. Does anyone know of the resolution of this case?
There is quite a bit of information available about the July 4, 2002 M26 accident on Lake Champlain in which the operator was convicted. The defense was unable to persuade the jury that design of the Mac 26 was the cause of the accident. There is an audio session of his appeal of the conviction in Sept 2005 before the Vermont State Supreme Court at this link: http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/audioindex/sept05.htm I was unable to find out if the conviction was overturned or not. Does anyone know of the resolution of this case?
No news is bad news for defendant?
My searches of the Burlington Free Press & Rutland Herald in the boating accident turned up nothing for ’05 or ’06, so I think it’s safe to assume any appeals did not go in the defendant’s favor. That would have caused quite a public reaction/media coverage, don’t you think? Interestingly, while googling for an answer, it seems this might not have been the first time this guy had serious legal problems. A man in the same area of the state with the exact same name had been convicted of 4 counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. On September 17, 1996, a jury found George Dean Martin guilty of all charges. On May 19, 1997, Martin was sentenced to fifteen months' imprisonment, two-years' supervised release, and a $5,000 fine, and ordered restitution in the amount of $16,929. On March 10, 1998, the US District Court of Appeals upheld the conviction. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=2nd&navby=case&no=971341 However, it’s certainly far from certain it’s the same man & one might think that were it the case, some mention may have been made in the boating tragedy coverage.
My searches of the Burlington Free Press & Rutland Herald in the boating accident turned up nothing for ’05 or ’06, so I think it’s safe to assume any appeals did not go in the defendant’s favor. That would have caused quite a public reaction/media coverage, don’t you think? Interestingly, while googling for an answer, it seems this might not have been the first time this guy had serious legal problems. A man in the same area of the state with the exact same name had been convicted of 4 counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. On September 17, 1996, a jury found George Dean Martin guilty of all charges. On May 19, 1997, Martin was sentenced to fifteen months' imprisonment, two-years' supervised release, and a $5,000 fine, and ordered restitution in the amount of $16,929. On March 10, 1998, the US District Court of Appeals upheld the conviction. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=2nd&navby=case&no=971341 However, it’s certainly far from certain it’s the same man & one might think that were it the case, some mention may have been made in the boating tragedy coverage.
Great Posts!!!!!
More great posts. The Wallas looks better now that I know it vents outside. I'm leaning toward a bulkhead mounted solid fuel stove, though, partly just because I like the feel of the wood heat. Price is a factor too, but if my big boat sells..... Anybody looking for a liveaboard in BC? Sorry, off topic. I have also thought about constructing a metal cover for the Origo stove with a vent pipe that goes to a deck fitting, or perhaps to a vent through a metal plate that fits into the opening portlight abovr the stove. a small flexible metal pipe like the one for propane heaters would probably be adequate. blow a fan across the metal or through a 6" pipe built into the metal cover (we're getting fancy now) and it's a bit like the portable propane "tent" heaters mentioned earlier. Link below One thing I noticed in the boat falls over posts is this; The tank should be filled when there are more than four people on board, MacGregor said. The tank on the boat driven July 4 by George Dean Martin was empty, according to the prosecutor in the case. It sounds like the Hunter is not designed for any operation with no water in the tank. I mean it's designed for no operation without any water in the tank. From the articles, the MacGregor had 14 people on board, so there was a a lot of weight on top, which tipped it over. From all accounts it didn't sink. The tragedy occured when the kids inside got tangled in lines and couldn't get out in the dark. It also stayed on its side rather than come upright once it had no weight on it. Not a good sign of stability.
More great posts. The Wallas looks better now that I know it vents outside. I'm leaning toward a bulkhead mounted solid fuel stove, though, partly just because I like the feel of the wood heat. Price is a factor too, but if my big boat sells..... Anybody looking for a liveaboard in BC? Sorry, off topic. I have also thought about constructing a metal cover for the Origo stove with a vent pipe that goes to a deck fitting, or perhaps to a vent through a metal plate that fits into the opening portlight abovr the stove. a small flexible metal pipe like the one for propane heaters would probably be adequate. blow a fan across the metal or through a 6" pipe built into the metal cover (we're getting fancy now) and it's a bit like the portable propane "tent" heaters mentioned earlier. Link below One thing I noticed in the boat falls over posts is this; The tank should be filled when there are more than four people on board, MacGregor said. The tank on the boat driven July 4 by George Dean Martin was empty, according to the prosecutor in the case. It sounds like the Hunter is not designed for any operation with no water in the tank. I mean it's designed for no operation without any water in the tank. From the articles, the MacGregor had 14 people on board, so there was a a lot of weight on top, which tipped it over. From all accounts it didn't sink. The tragedy occured when the kids inside got tangled in lines and couldn't get out in the dark. It also stayed on its side rather than come upright once it had no weight on it. Not a good sign of stability.
Wood Stove on small boat
Wood stoves are common in larger older boats, but for smaller boats, finding room for the stove AND the wood seems to me to be more trouble than it's worth, especially when there are other alternatives. That said, different strokes for different folks...send us a picture of your installation. You might want to consider putting your pics on the H26 knowledgebase.
Wood stoves are common in larger older boats, but for smaller boats, finding room for the stove AND the wood seems to me to be more trouble than it's worth, especially when there are other alternatives. That said, different strokes for different folks...send us a picture of your installation. You might want to consider putting your pics on the H26 knowledgebase.
wood Stoves on small boats
I have had several wood stoves on boats as small as 18 feet. I lived aboard for almost 40 years on at least 20 different boats. Almost every one had wood heat. There is nothing like a wood stove to make a small boat cabin cheerful on a wet nasty day. It dries things out too. There are several small bulkhead mounted wood heaters (link to Dickinson below) Force 10 makes a nice inexpensive one. I have also built several small stoves from steel and a couple out of ferro cement. Details on request. One of my most successful cement stoves was moulded over a 1 gallon paint can. It heated a 21 foot steel lifeboat (cabin added) very nicely Most of my liveaboard wood stoves were also the cook stove, with a kerosene portable for when it was too hot for the "big" stove. There used to be a wide range (pun intended) of small cast iron stoves from a foundry in Seattle, and another in Lunenburg. Some of these stoves are a similar size to a 2 burner propane or alcohol stove, and some are the size of a one burner. A couple of burlap coffee bags with plastic garbage bags over them will hold a weeks worth of wood, and there's lots of it around here on the beach. They're not beautiful on deck, but neither is a propane tank. I still want to experiment with a metal cover (vented outside) for my Origo alcohol stove that would be adaptable to other propane and alcohol stoves. I'm not living aboard any more, and these days I can afford the relatively expensive alcohol fuel if it's more convenient. I will certainly post pictures if I get off the BS level. For the price, it would be very easy to buy that little Dickinson bulkhead mounted heater and hang it on the back of the head bulkhead.
I have had several wood stoves on boats as small as 18 feet. I lived aboard for almost 40 years on at least 20 different boats. Almost every one had wood heat. There is nothing like a wood stove to make a small boat cabin cheerful on a wet nasty day. It dries things out too. There are several small bulkhead mounted wood heaters (link to Dickinson below) Force 10 makes a nice inexpensive one. I have also built several small stoves from steel and a couple out of ferro cement. Details on request. One of my most successful cement stoves was moulded over a 1 gallon paint can. It heated a 21 foot steel lifeboat (cabin added) very nicely Most of my liveaboard wood stoves were also the cook stove, with a kerosene portable for when it was too hot for the "big" stove. There used to be a wide range (pun intended) of small cast iron stoves from a foundry in Seattle, and another in Lunenburg. Some of these stoves are a similar size to a 2 burner propane or alcohol stove, and some are the size of a one burner. A couple of burlap coffee bags with plastic garbage bags over them will hold a weeks worth of wood, and there's lots of it around here on the beach. They're not beautiful on deck, but neither is a propane tank. I still want to experiment with a metal cover (vented outside) for my Origo alcohol stove that would be adaptable to other propane and alcohol stoves. I'm not living aboard any more, and these days I can afford the relatively expensive alcohol fuel if it's more convenient. I will certainly post pictures if I get off the BS level. For the price, it would be very easy to buy that little Dickinson bulkhead mounted heater and hang it on the back of the head bulkhead.
yeah... that scope!
Yes... that's what 75 feet of 3/8" chain rhode does in 10 feet of water with no wind! ...hmmm, I wonder if I've got room for a windlass?? (just kidding!)
Great to "see" you Michael! *bzz Brian
Yes... that's what 75 feet of 3/8" chain rhode does in 10 feet of water with no wind! ...hmmm, I wonder if I've got room for a windlass?? (just kidding!)
Great to "see" you Michael! *bzz Brian
Tell me Steph isn't haulin' all that chain by hand
I've got a feelin' that it won't be a "position she'll readily assume". If she is...beware her right hook. Imagine all the cool elec stuff you have onboard and you havn't crammed a nice little chrome windlass in there(yet)? I know it's not for lack of power onboard, eh. Keep up the good work sparky. More power to ya'. Aloha, Michael and Kelli PS may have some more sailin' time soon as a long held position is possibly winding down in Sarasota. Cntrl and NE Fla are looking pretty tempting for a change of pace.
I've got a feelin' that it won't be a "position she'll readily assume". If she is...beware her right hook. Imagine all the cool elec stuff you have onboard and you havn't crammed a nice little chrome windlass in there(yet)? I know it's not for lack of power onboard, eh. Keep up the good work sparky. More power to ya'. Aloha, Michael and Kelli PS may have some more sailin' time soon as a long held position is possibly winding down in Sarasota. Cntrl and NE Fla are looking pretty tempting for a change of pace.
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