is the boat worth the money?
- Thread starter Reggiemiah
- Start date
Who me scared
.Off the subject of this thread but...
... we went with the 3 1/2 since you can get it in a long shaft so it could be used in an emergency as a backup outboard for the Macgregor.
So the Zodiac could still be used in shallow water I raised the transom to get the prop the same depth in the water as a short shaft outboard. I talked to Zodiac and they didn't see a problem with this with the 3 1/2 or the 5 hp Nissan that was on it at first. I might not of done it with a higher HP outboard. We did get a 7 HP Yamaha 2-storke short shaft with the Endeavour so I then made it quick and easy to go with the higher or lower transom at that point but still haven't used the Yamaha...
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/zodiac-3.html
Sumner
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Our Endeavour 37
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Sumner: Have you got a set of those white plastic water pipes glued to your forehead? I bet you do! ha Hows that for being off subject? Chief
A comment regarding noise. An RL is a very light weight fast boat. It does extremely well in light airs, so I would not be anticipating needing the motor much. $2K is a pretty good price for an RL if everything is there and no show stoppers, like soft fiberglass. Other than checking the fiberglass, make sure the pivot bolt is not worn. Its not a bad idea to pull it and loosen it up, so it doesn't rotate when you lower the board, otherwise it will leak. Make sure the cable is OK. That is an earlier version, so it is probably lighter than mine. Mine weighs 3K lbs on the trailer.
An idea I keep toying around with mine is to buy a good trolling motor and get rid of the outboard. Then buy a cheap generator to charge the batteries or maintain power once the batteries are dead. If you have an on board generator, that allows you to run other stuff too, like a small AC unit. There is space to stash a small generator next to the motor well, so one would not have to hear it or see it.
An idea I keep toying around with mine is to buy a good trolling motor and get rid of the outboard. Then buy a cheap generator to charge the batteries or maintain power once the batteries are dead. If you have an on board generator, that allows you to run other stuff too, like a small AC unit. There is space to stash a small generator next to the motor well, so one would not have to hear it or see it.
Seems like we all end up at the same place eventually. I went down this road about 10 years ago. I got a trolling motor for my boat and then went looking for a generator. The trolling motor was a good deal for $600 I had a 55lb thrust motor, battery AND the battery charger that came with the motor. And a small trickle charger for $20 on eBay was enough to charge the battery over a week... so long as I only sailed on weekends it was perfect. I could push my boat at hull speed at 3/4 throttle and it would last several hours before it started to die off. It was fine so long as I only sailed weekends and only used the motor to get back to port when the wind died.
Then I started thinking about longer trips and the desire for a generator came to mind. I think I even posted here with a few questions.
To get a generator that is silent enough and small enough to be practical you are going to spend some money. Honda makes a really nice one. And now you have a gas powered device that needs a fuel tank etc.
Add up the trolling motor, solar cells, battery and generator ... you could have purchased a nice 6 hp Tohatsu with a 6A alternator already installed. A lot more thrust and it is much quicker to fill up the gas tank than it is to charge a dead battery. Also on a 10 gal tank of gas, you can run the Tohatsu all day. On a battery you are only going to get a few hours out of a trolling motor at 3/4 throttle.
I think if I ever get the desire to go down this road again (someone please kick me) I think I'd spend the money on bigger solar panels instead of a generator. Solar panels are 40% cheaper than they were 10 years ago. But honestly, if you want dependable power to spare, and the ability to charge the house battery, get the Tohatsu 6hp sail pro.
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With the help of jackdaw I ended up finding an O'day 25 with a 9.9 evinrude yachtwin. The RL24would have been nice, but i am planning on spending almost the whole summer on board so i thought i would get something a little bigger. Not to mention it was a very good offer. l will update my profile and post another thread in the next month or so on plotting a course and what to bring.
Thanks again everyone for all the info.
Thanks again everyone for all the info.
Yeah!
That is a nice boat.... and the 9.9 will serve you well. Does it have an alternator? If so all of your batter issues are also resolved.
Congrats on that and will be looking forward hearing more about you, the boat and the trip,
Sumner
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Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]
I might need that kick also
:cry:. I'm in the finishing stages of adding 360 watts of solar to power a 24V 80# thrust motor. I'll still have the 9.8 Tohatsu and even the 3 1/2 long shaft dinghy motor.The solar/trolling motor combo will be for some select times only. 120 watts of the additional solar can be switch between either the 24 volt MPPT controller (trolling motor batteries) or the 12 volt MPPT controller for the house bank that currently has 200 watts going to it.
Won't have any results about how this works until I get to Florida with the Mac,
Sumner
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================
Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]
Yep, for a trip of that length mo' room is mo' better. And there's no law you can't spend a little time off the boat when it feels too closed in. It's your adventure - your rules.
I might need that kick also
Okay Sum
But I expect you to return the favor someday..
cb: I had one of those Yachtwin motors and it was a fine 2 cylinder 2 stroke! I have an electric start 15hp Evinrude and they are great motors as well. Chief
So now we need to start a thread on what brand of baked beans to stow in the pantry...
I like the Trader Joe's beans, because they have a pull tab and can be opened without a can opener.So now we need to start a thread on what brand of baked beans to stow in the pantry...
Oh wow, you have pictures of all the repairs. That's awesome.
Were you still having issues with the keel being stuck? I'm not too worried about it either way. Anything that sits in the water that long is going to get a little rusty.