New project boat!

[SailingLoto]

Picked up a free Macgregor 26s yesterday. Been in a yard for 15 years or so. Cleaning up pretty nice so far! It's going to need a little deck work at the mast step, and it's missing the tiller and tiller head. Otherwise seems to be all there.

Has some nice upgrades. Self tailing winches, harken traveler, all lines ran after.

I am curious to see how it sails. I think the is sailboat number 9? I have 4 right now. First mac and first water ballast boat.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

That's one hell of a free boat. If anyone can turn it around in a reasonable amount of time it's you!

Is that a Spartan brand trailer? If so, beware that the metal tubing they used is rather thin. They did some strange stuff. Overall, not a great trailer but it worked. Mine was from '73. I ended up replacing one of the beams that supported the leaf spring in a 20 hour straight marathon

 

[rgranger]

I've owned three different Macs. They are the Chevy Chevette of the sailing world but they get the job done and can be a lot of fun. People like to poo-poo the Macs but... those nay sayers paid many thousands of dollars for their sailboat and probably sail it less than the Mac owners sail theirs. I've done many long summer trips off the coasts of Virginia and the Carolinas with mine. Great memories....The are also very easy to work on.

Post pics as you go.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

How is the mast step supported?

 

[RussC]

I sailed a Mac 25 for 15+ years and had 4-5 other similar size boats during that time also, thinking I'd get something "better" but never did. the Mac is just a great _all around_ sailboat that's pretty hard to beat. the only reason I bought my current Merit 22 was because I've gotten more into racing and less into camping out on the boat. As long as you can tolerate the nay-sayers you'll enjoy the Mac a lot.

 

[SailingLoto]

How is the mast step supported?

I'm digging into that in the next couple days. Deck is definitely compromised, but we will see how bad.

 

[SailingLoto]

That's one hell of a free boat. If anyone can turn it around in a reasonable amount of time it's you!

Is that a Spartan brand trailer? If so, beware that the metal tubing they used is rather thin. They did some strange stuff. Overall, not a great trailer but it worked. Mine was from '73. I ended up replacing one of the beams that supported the leaf spring in a 20 hour straight marathon

Not sure on the trailer brand. It seems pretty heavy duty for an 1700lb boat

 

[SailingLoto]

I sailed a Mac 25 for 15+ years and had 4-5 other similar size boats during that time also, thinking I'd get something "better" but never did. the Mac is just a great _all around_ sailboat that's pretty hard to beat. the only reason I bought my current Merit 22 was because I've gotten more into racing and less into camping out on the boat. As long as you can tolerate the nay-sayers you'll enjoy the Mac a lot.

I've got a 1989 hunter 27-2 and a catalina 25 that I regularly sail. I tend to bring a sailboat back to life every spring. It's fun to play with something different for awhile, experience a different boat, and save one from rotting in a back yard. I am excited to see how it does! Reviews and opinions are all over the place on MacGregors.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I'm digging into that in the next couple days. Deck is definitely compromised, but we will see how bad.

Good luck! Hope it’s just the deck but most boats have a bulkhead structure which supports the mast base compression. The deck is generally the least significant concern.

 

[SailingLoto]

Good luck! Hope it’s just the deck but most boats have a bulkhead structure which supports the mast base compression. The deck is generally the least significant concern.

The deck is just a skin of glass, 3/8 plywood, then the liner. There is a compression post that goes down to a fairly a stout fiberglass cabinet that's part of the hull liner. It's not a very impressively built boat...

 

[SteveHughessails]

I am quite impressed with our Mac25. The abuse ours takes rocking on the trailer down the roads and boat launches. Forever pulling the mast up and down, tightening/loosening the rigging, setting the rigging every time out. Loading unloading, the list goes on and she still doesn’t take on any water and weighs nothing. The best part, when she does have water in it, she’s being used.
You have a worthwhile project for sure.

 

[SailingLoto]

Nothing but a thin skin of glass and soggy 1/4 plywood. She's cut out, new wood cut and edges ground down. Hopefully I get the new wood fitted and tabbed in this evening.
I'd like to try and have it back together by then weekend.

 

[Timm R Oday25]

It feels good to see progress being made

 

[SailingLoto]

It feels good to see progress being made

It always does. I think a lot of people lack that in their lives. It is always good to work with your hands and see a project progress.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

It always does. I think a lot of people lack that in their lives. It is always good to work with your hands and see a project progress.

This is what keeps me sane but ironically, can cause a bit of insanity

 

[SailingLoto]

Step 42

 

[kappykaplan]

Lookin' good, SailingLoto!

 

[jaysweet]

Step 42

Hey: congrats for saving something that would have ended up in a landfill, and turning it back into a real sailboat! Doing stuff like that always gives ma a good feeling (not that I've done it with a boat...).

 

[SailingLoto]

Hey: congrats for saving something that would have ended up in a landfill, and turning it back into a real sailboat! Doing stuff like that always gives ma a good feeling (not that I've done it with a boat...).

Thanks! I try to save one from the landfill or from being neglected until it sinks every year. I think this is sailboat number 8 that I've breathed a little life back in to. This one is being done out of curiosity more than anything. It's a cheap water ballast boat. I've never had one of those before! Let's see how she sails!

 

[SailingLoto]

This morning's progress.