Help restoring Macgregor 25

Lost Horizon · Mar 14, 2011

savyauto said:
I am the proud owner of a new(to me) 1977 Macgregor 25.
I am seeking someone who is willing to communicate directly with me on the restoration of this boat. I can phone, pic, video , email. I just need someone with experience to help me go through it and get it ready for the water. I know I need to check the keel. I will need help with the rigging. Some pieces may be missing or damaged, etc. Advice on setting up the electrical system, etc. Thanks. PM me with contact info and I will get back to you.
Hunter

I'm not sure where you are, but there a a few good forums with some helpful folks. I'm not an expert but I have had several Macs. srcady@msn.com

MrMikey64 · Mar 14, 2011

Welcome

Congrats on the recent acquisition!

You can always find people here online from time to time who are going through (or have gone through) the same thing you are contemplating, so feel free to post any of your questions here in the forum. Sometimes you will get more than one answer or one approach, which can be a good thing

timebandit · Mar 14, 2011

Here is the measurements for the pop top cover, I don't think you can buy one anymore.

timebandit · Mar 14, 2011

I have a jib boom.

Your are welcome to look around here all you want for ideas
http://s361.photobucket.com/albums/oo57/Tmebandt/

timebandit · Mar 15, 2011

The same tang that the 2 wheeled pulley mounts is where the back stay pig tail hooks.

The backstay is not used to support the boom when sailing the sail holds up the boom.

Some people install a topping lift so that the boom can swing to one side when at anchor etc..

Fred Villiard · Mar 15, 2011

Savyauto,

That pole might be part of a mast raising system.

MrMikey64 · Mar 15, 2011

Savyauto, if you can, post a few pics of the items you have questions about. It might be easier for people to identify that way.
As to the pop top cover, TB is right in that they don't sell them anymore, but check with boat "scrappers" and even eBay. There was one on there for sale just a few weeks ago. You could probably do a nice job making one yourself, if you have access to the needed materials and equipment.

Irishguy · Mar 16, 2011

I have a 1974 Venture [Mac] 25. I have done a few mods to the interior during the ongoing course of restoration. I am still a bit of a greenhorn when it comes to these boats, but I would love to get a thread going about modifications and restoration of the older Mac 25's.

I would rather see a thread on the various subjects than private messages. If we have threads about the various subjects then they can be searched later and help others trying to restore the same boats.

timebandit · Mar 16, 2011

savyauto said:
So, I need to allow for a hooking point in my backstay to support the mast when the sail is down? I guess rope will do ok for this.
Yes
Then after the sail is raised, I unhook from the backstay? and the sail will support the boom.
Yes
I found pics of rigging for managing the swing of the boom (not sure on terminology).
This is called Main Sail Sheeting and is used to control the main sail angle wile sailing and is rigged like this--

What type and size rope should I use for that?
5/16 should do
Thanks for all the help. Mistakes are potentially dangerous (and expensive).

I hope this helps

timebandit · Mar 16, 2011

Mast raising system pole in use shown in last 8 pictures on the page--
http://sites.google.com/site/mac22valentina/mods

My bilge pump is mounted just under the compression post (that is the post that is inside the boat that carries the load of the mast inside the boat to the hull).

savyauto said:
I am having issues with the rigging. It seems that no backstay came with the boat , so I need to know what size cable to buy and how long. I also have an extra pole/boom I don't know how to rig. Is there a boom in the front?
Any pics of the rigging, and how to set the sails up would be helpful. Also, best location to mount a bilge pump.
Where can I get the camping cover that goes over the pop top?

Thanks...

timebandit · Mar 16, 2011

Here is a link to the factory manual
http://macgregor.sailboatowners.com/images/kb/pdf/647.pdf

Irishguy · Mar 16, 2011

savyauto said:
I am the proud owner of a new(to me) 1977 Macgregor 25.
I am seeking someone who is willing to communicate directly with me on the restoration of this boat. I can phone, pic, video , email. I just need someone with experience to help me go through it and get it ready for the water. I know I need to check the keel. I will need help with the rigging. Some pieces may be missing or damaged, etc. Advice on setting up the electrical system, etc. Thanks. PM me with contact info and I will get back to you.
Hunter

I just saw that you are on Lay Lake. We keep "Martini Time" up on Lake Guntersville. I have done quite a few mods on the interior, restored the inside, rewired, and basically got our 1974 sea worthy. We have just started to sail her in the last few weeks and are having a blast.

This is my first sail boat, and we are not experts by any means, but I am a structural designer, a gear head and I have a pretty good bit of experience in restoring/retrofitting stuff.

If you would like to contact me you are welcome to and if you want, you are welcome to come look at and go for a cruise on our boat. I will probably have her back in the driveway this summer for some more retrofits, deck refinishing, and bottom paint. PM me and I can send you my contact information.

If my schedule works out I would be happy to come by your boat and offer some pointers if you need any. Heck if you are not too far, we might can chip in and help each other with our boats. I have a lot of stuff planned for mine, but right now I'm just taking advantage of the spring weather and sailing her.

Irishguy · Mar 16, 2011

savyauto said:
Thanks for the replies so far. Now I have pics to show and I need you guys to tell me how to "fix" my rigging based on what you see.

Issues I am not sure of ...

1. Mast looks like it is bent aft. (is the forstay in the wrong place, do I have it too tight.)
2. main does not go all the way up or back along the boom.(is the boom in the wrong place on the mast?)
3.small jib looks good to me. (yea!)
4. big jib (genoa?) doesn't fit right.( If I had a forestay at the top of the mast would it?)
5. What are the hooks on the bowspirit?
6. do you just hang the boom on the backstay like I did or is there a better way?
7. Is there an easy way to gauge tension on the rigging and what should it be.
Amazing, I found very little (almost no) detailed info on setting up the rigging on this boat. Hope this post can help other "wet behind the ears" sailors.

https://picasaweb.google.com/savvyauto/Macgregor25#

1. Yes. It does look like it is bent. I would seem like it would be difficult to pull the forestay or backstay tight enough to bend it like that. There was a thread somewhere about a guy that straightened his mast by making a jig out of wood and using a hydraulic car jack.

2. I would drop the mast. and check the channel in the mast and the boom. It almost looks like someone cut off the boom [damaged perhaps?] and then added an extension. Mine looks nothing like that. On second thought... Your's [with the extension] goes farther back than mine. It must be a previous owner mod. The rope edging on the bottom edge of my main sail slides in the channel.

3. Yep. Jib looks like mine. You have it rigged up correctly. Through the eyelets and then to the cleats on top of the rear of the cabin.

4. I can't really speak on the Genoa. I have not had mine up yet. You should have rails on the side with eyelets [I don't know what they are called?] and then winches on either side of the cockpit with tailing cleats. Those are where the lines on the Genoa run to.

5. I think the hooks on the bowsprit are for an anchor to hang from. They should both be on the front.

6. If you look on the port side of your mast about 24" from the top there is a block there. It is for your topping lift. There should be a line running through it. One end attaches to your boom and the other end lashes to a small cleat on your mast about 5' off the deck.

7. I'm not sure, but I will check one of my sailing books when I get back to the house. I can tell you mine are not tight like a banjo string or anything. I wouldn't think that they should be in constant tension.

I hope all of that helps.

timebandit · Mar 16, 2011

savyauto said:
Thanks for the replies so far. Now I have pics to show and I need you guys to tell me how to "fix" my rigging based on what you see.

Issues I am not sure of ...

1. Mast looks like it is bent aft. (is the forstay in the wrong place, do I have it too tight.)
Backstay to tight
2. main does not go all the way up or back along the boom.(is the boom in the wrong place on the mast?)
Need to pull the main sail all the way to the top and all the way back, the roap inbeded in the sail need to be in the tract.
The pin goes into the big hole in the sail at the boom.
3.small jib looks good to me. (yea!)
4. big jib (genoa?) doesn't fit right.( If I had a forestay at the top of the mast would it?)
The genoa needs to be pulled all the way to the top of the forstay (then it will look better) about 50 pounds of pull to pull it to the top the same with the main sail.
5. What are the hooks on the bowspirit?
Danforth anchor
6. do you just hang the boom on the backstay like I did or is there a better way?
Yes and no, the pig tail is aboout 3 feet lone and mounted higher. The way you have it is putting to much pressure on th back stay. Your missing an end cap and get rid of that pole sticking out of the boom, it does not belong there.
7. Is there an easy way to gauge tension on the rigging and what should it be.
Try a deep base sound on all but the back stay.
Amazing, I found very little (almost no) detailed info on setting up the rigging on this boat. Hope this post can help other "wet behind the ears" sailors.

https://picasaweb.google.com/savvyauto/Macgregor25#

good luck