Need a MacGregor or similar Trailer for Mac 26d

[Sail Wizard]

Hi, I just purchased a 1989 Mac 26d with a trailer that may be a bit too small; OK so whene I unhooked the trailer from my truck it slowly settled backend down in my yard. The good news is that if I back up to a boat shop I can put that back end into the shop without driving over the sidewalk.
I'm in the Everett area north of Seattle and I know there are a lot of Mac owners out there, and that they like to repalce the Mac trailers for something else. This is an early water ballast style and has the standard round bottom of the classic Mac. Does anyone know of one or of any shop that takes in traliers for trade ins that might have one for sail. I'd like to get one that extends a little bit so that I need not have a submersible to launch it. Or any other trailer that they have found that works well for their Mac 26's of the same type. Thank you

 

[finding41]

The factory trailer looks too small to begin with. You may have the boat too far back.
On solution is to move the axle back a foot. Search the threads under MacGregor owners and you may come up with the answer.
Here is a photo of how much of my 88 26D hangs off the back. And another boat different angle.
Note that the lights are about the furthest thing back on the trailer and in the 2nd photo... blocks of wood keeping the back of the boat from tipping back when you climb up on it.

 

[Sumner]

Do you have the outboard on? Lots of stuff in the lazarette?

Some people move the axle back some and other (we did) add a second axle. We did use...

..the boat on the orginal trailer for a year and towed to Canada with it but had a lot of stuff forward under the V-berth and such plus the spare tire.

Then...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/trailer-mods-index.html

...added the second axle and third bunk and better lighting. It might be less expensive to have a welding shop move your axle back as a starter.

If you do get a trailer I'd stay with transverse bunks with the water ballast tanks and don't use longitudinal ones. Saw a boat damaged with those,

Sum

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[alexco38]

You can actually use a air pump to push out the ballast water before pulling it back onto the trailer on the ramp. It saves about 4 inches of water line. Depends on the slope of the ramp, it may be 2 feet length. It only took 15-20 minutes to see the boat rise.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...P/Coleman+12V+Inflator+Deflator.jsp?locale=en

As I recall, the factory trailer has 2 sets of holes for the axle about 6 inches apart.

 

[tkanzler]

Hi, I just purchased a 1989 Mac 26d with a trailer that may be a bit too small; OK so whene I unhooked the trailer from my truck it slowly settled backend down in my yard. The good news is that if I back up to a boat shop I can put that back end into the shop without driving over the sidewalk.

Just so you know, the center of gravity of the boat, as outfitted and with O/B installed, is where it is. The axle should be in the neighborhood of 6-12" back from there, depending on the weight and balance of the trailer with no boat on it, the weight of the boat, and the location of its CG. Extending the frame of the trailer back won't change that, and by adding more weight back there, will actually decrease the tongue load, which normally is recommended to be about 10% of the gross trailer weight (loaded). Adding more frame can provide more support to the boat, of course, and may make it easier to load as far as goal posts and such, but that's not going to solve your problem.

With the trailer you have now, you either need to move the axle back to gain tongue load, or move some supplies inside the boat forward, or even move the boat itself forward.

If you know the total loaded (gross) weight of the boat and trailer as it sits, and how much tongue load there is now in it's travel attitude (frame level), it's easy enough to calculate how far to move the axle to gain the desired tongue load.

If you want a new trailer instead, I'm sure there are plenty of manufacturers who can supply one, but I couldn't give specific recommendations, as I've never had to replace one for any of the trailer boats I've had. In fact, they've all been original steel trailers, but I've only ever done that sort of boating in the Great Lakes, so small day sailors that have been in salt water are rather uncommon up here, I would think.

 

[watercolors II]

Overhang

Most state highway laws allow 4 feet overhang beyond the marker lights without having to have the load flagged, indicating an oversize load. Because your sailboat has no heavy motor in or at the stern, 12 feet of lineal support is all that is needed in the center of the hull, that leaves almost 6 feet of bow and stern without support. So, with the axle to the rear of the center of the weight that leaves less than 6 feet of trailer support beyond the axle, any additional trailer length is not needed and therefore more cost in construction.

finding41 photo looks like the overhang of his boat may be beyond that 4 foot length thus the red flags attached to the rudder gudgeon.

 

[tkanzler]

Most state highway laws allow 4 feet overhang beyond the marker lights without having to have the load flagged, indicating an oversize load.

That being a real concern, I mount a second set of tail/stop/turn/side marker lights right on the outboard, which is pretty much in line with the end of the mast, so no overhanging load issues. The trailer lights are permanent, and include clearance and ID lights, but are 6-8 ft (don't remember exactly, but pretty far) forward of the end of the outboard and mast. This way I have lights without the boat, and for travel I have legal load marking, so no need for a red light on the end of the mast. Plus, the brake lights are right in the eyes of someone following too close, in the dark, while it's raining, in heavy traffic, on the highway.

 

[finding41]

Most state highway laws allow 4 feet overhang beyond the marker lights without having to have the load flagged, indicating an oversize load. Because your sailboat has no heavy motor in or at the stern, 12 feet of lineal support is all that is needed in the center of the hull, that leaves almost 6 feet of bow and stern without support. So, with the axle to the rear of the center of the weight that leaves less than 6 feet of trailer support beyond the axle, any additional trailer length is not needed and therefore more cost in construction.

finding41 photo looks like the overhang of his boat may be beyond that 4 foot length thus the red flags attached to the rudder gudgeon.

Here in Ontario Canada the overhang limit is 1m. Over that you need a flag. At least for vehicles.... I'm not sure about trailers. (I always have a flag in every vehicle. Not because I'm a safety nut. I just happen to find allot of big things on the side of the road.)
I will have to look into what the laws are here. I just kind of figured that Roger would have known about the different state laws and made the trailers to accommodate the minimal law requirements. Did the boats come with a red flag on the end of the mast from the factory?
Here is another photo kind of from the side. It looks like it hangs over about 7'.