I've been looking around for a used Macgregor 22 or 24. In my internet travels, I've been in communications with someone at a Mac dealer her in Seattle that said they may have a trade-in boat coming any day now. No photos of the boat yet, the women that I've been emailing said she was concerned that the boat might be "icky" which is why the owner may be slow to send photos. She told me that I should watch out for Macs without a keel (obviously) and make sure to examine the keel carefully since they aren't made anymore. She said watch out for seized keels that don't move since the lead inside the fiberglass may have "swelled" and jammed the keel in place. So, what is there that I should look out for? I figure when I examine boats I'll just start from the bottom - check the keel, tap on the hull and check for delamination...etc then work my way up until I've reached the top of the mast. What exactly are the keels made of? Are they a chunk of iron, lead, do they have a fiberglass coating...? What should I be checking? Do they get rusty and covered with salt water crud that should be aware of?? Tom - Seeking my dream ship
Keels - what to look for?
- Thread starter tegwilym
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This has all been talked about before
The keel is iron with a fiberglass coating! If it is an older boat, the fiberglass will have probably peeled off and the keel all rusty! This is common! Be sure there is a keel with your boat! If the keel is jammed due to the fiberglass and iron swelling, well you can get it down for repair with a bit of effort! some people like myself dropped my V222 keel and refiberglassed it! Next time I drop it I will just remove the rust and epoxy coat it! Everything is fixable! A new keel could be fabricated from steel, so the fact that they arent made anymore is no real problem!
The keel is iron with a fiberglass coating! If it is an older boat, the fiberglass will have probably peeled off and the keel all rusty! This is common! Be sure there is a keel with your boat! If the keel is jammed due to the fiberglass and iron swelling, well you can get it down for repair with a bit of effort! some people like myself dropped my V222 keel and refiberglassed it! Next time I drop it I will just remove the rust and epoxy coat it! Everything is fixable! A new keel could be fabricated from steel, so the fact that they arent made anymore is no real problem!
Keels ?
Some keels are of "both" fiberglass and iron,,,mine..."74 Mac 25"is all iron,,,the keel and wench and cable replacement,,is not to bad of an item to deal with,,however,,it can be a bit of a job, and should be done right,However,,,if it is a "project boat",,you may want to wait for other deals ,,, there are a lot of Mac's around,,,and always,,,the best boat for the dollar out here,,,from the old 17"s to the new 26m,,,,,,good luck,,, and this site here is great!! stay tuned...
Some keels are of "both" fiberglass and iron,,,mine..."74 Mac 25"is all iron,,,the keel and wench and cable replacement,,is not to bad of an item to deal with,,however,,it can be a bit of a job, and should be done right,However,,,if it is a "project boat",,you may want to wait for other deals ,,, there are a lot of Mac's around,,,and always,,,the best boat for the dollar out here,,,from the old 17"s to the new 26m,,,,,,good luck,,, and this site here is great!! stay tuned...
V-222 swing keel
Lots of confusing information here. Dennis is right that its an extensive subject in the archives. I'm not quite sure when the construction of the keel changed. The early ones were plates of steel welded together, and I believe those are the ones that had a fiberglass case to provide shape and dryness. Most of these are prone to buckling and splitting apart as water inevitably corrodes between the plates, and expand to make movement difficult. Deterioration can be very dramatic with these. The later ones were solid caste-iron and uncoated. I have this in a 1977 V-222, which was the designation until the early eighties when the fractional rig was adopted. Unless badly corroded, these are much less trouble. Some have enough corrosion to make movement poor, or the combination of sea growth and corrosion have frozen them in. You should certainly inspect the keel and determine which type it is. Either one in good condition will do, but hopefully its a later type. Consider the extent of corrosion and how much weight (ballast) has been lost. In extreme cases the strength itself may be compromised. Also examine the pivot pin to see if the pin is bent or worn, if the gaskets around it are shot, and especially if the holes in the fiberglass have become elongated from keel movement and trailer bounce. There are volumes in the archives about removing, repairing, and/or replacing and reinstalling the keel, all prefaced by the advice that it is HEAVY and should not at any stage involve holding it by hand. Don't worry about the cable or winch, they are stock replacements from hardware outlets. In fact most things are repairable or replaceable except for the keel and poptop, which are rather unique to the boat and not readily obtainable, other than by cannibalizing. To examine the keel, it would be best to have the boat where you can lower it, so that means not in the water or on a trailer. On stands or in a sling is best. If it is floating, you can at least check for freedom of movement and leaking seals. Obviously you want to check everything else; these are lightweight boats so defects and damage should be taken seriously. Look at the deck/hull joint and any significant fglass cracking. There will be lots of minor crevasing and spidering but the basic integrity should be intact. Hope this helps. The V/Mac 22 is a fun boat.
Lots of confusing information here. Dennis is right that its an extensive subject in the archives. I'm not quite sure when the construction of the keel changed. The early ones were plates of steel welded together, and I believe those are the ones that had a fiberglass case to provide shape and dryness. Most of these are prone to buckling and splitting apart as water inevitably corrodes between the plates, and expand to make movement difficult. Deterioration can be very dramatic with these. The later ones were solid caste-iron and uncoated. I have this in a 1977 V-222, which was the designation until the early eighties when the fractional rig was adopted. Unless badly corroded, these are much less trouble. Some have enough corrosion to make movement poor, or the combination of sea growth and corrosion have frozen them in. You should certainly inspect the keel and determine which type it is. Either one in good condition will do, but hopefully its a later type. Consider the extent of corrosion and how much weight (ballast) has been lost. In extreme cases the strength itself may be compromised. Also examine the pivot pin to see if the pin is bent or worn, if the gaskets around it are shot, and especially if the holes in the fiberglass have become elongated from keel movement and trailer bounce. There are volumes in the archives about removing, repairing, and/or replacing and reinstalling the keel, all prefaced by the advice that it is HEAVY and should not at any stage involve holding it by hand. Don't worry about the cable or winch, they are stock replacements from hardware outlets. In fact most things are repairable or replaceable except for the keel and poptop, which are rather unique to the boat and not readily obtainable, other than by cannibalizing. To examine the keel, it would be best to have the boat where you can lower it, so that means not in the water or on a trailer. On stands or in a sling is best. If it is floating, you can at least check for freedom of movement and leaking seals. Obviously you want to check everything else; these are lightweight boats so defects and damage should be taken seriously. Look at the deck/hull joint and any significant fglass cracking. There will be lots of minor crevasing and spidering but the basic integrity should be intact. Hope this helps. The V/Mac 22 is a fun boat.
Keel photo
I'll go see the boat on Saturday. Here are photos and you can see a few of the keel. Seems ok from the photo. http://home.comcast.net/~tegwilym/boat/
I'll go see the boat on Saturday. Here are photos and you can see a few of the keel. Seems ok from the photo. http://home.comcast.net/~tegwilym/boat/
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