V-Berth mods

[Chris3720]

While brousing the MacGregor/Venture mod pages I noticed that a lot of Mac26 owners have modified the area under the V-berth for storage (and as you all know, more storage is a blessing on these boats). Is that area filled with foam blocks as it is on my Mac25, and if so, what did you do with it? I guess what I really want/need to know, is the foam up there necessary to have and will keep the boat from sinking or is it just to make the owner feel more secure? Thanks,Chris

 

[Dave M26D]

On your boat, the foam

is over the top of the V-berth and the bottom is prime for mods. If I could take a decent picture I'd show you what you can do.On mine, the foam was under the V-berth...and I stress WAS...right now it's in the garage...that baby's not going to sink.You are absolutely right about the storage needs...I figure if I'm gonna die, I'm gonna do it with the stuff I want with me.

 

[Chris3720]

foam

Acutally Dave, the foam in mine is under the v-berth bunk as well, large chuncks of it. I think it will soon be in the tool shed though. Any ideas for bracing around a soon to be new opening large enough for a cooler or rubbermade style box? Thanks. Chris

 

[Dave M26D]

Really?

You know, everytime I think I know something I find out I don't.I thought the '89 Ds and all the Ss had the foam over the V-berth...learn something new everyday.Anyway, I cut the hole and made a frame out of some fiberglass stuff (1/4" X 2.5" X 8') I found at my favorite chandlery, and epoxied it around the cut out...I did that because I think I know that the construction of the 26C is very dependent on the inner liner...it has no transverse or longitudinal stiffeners like conventionally built boats from the past and is reliant upon the inner liner for that.So, everytime I make a big hole, I reinforce it like crazy. However, I sail on man water...not those little mud puddles...so it might not matter in some cases.

 

[John S]

V- Berth Ice chest

I have a compartmentunder the v berth cushions. Put there by the previous owner. Is all of the foam there? I don't know/care, but there is a solid mass of foam forward to the bow. I just lined the comnpartment with 2 inch rigid foam insulation and covered it with aluminum metallic tape. I use ice that is frozen in a container, but I think that the icebox would hold ice water from melted ice. How well does it insulate? Don't know yet, but I am gonna use it this weekend. John S

 

[John S]

And

closed

 

[Chris3720]

Mine is an

83' Mac25 and as you said, there is no/very litle support under the v-berth bunk. I agree with you in that when I do cut out a hatch hole, I will support the heck out of it. Depending on how I cut the opening, I may cram as much of the foam into the very front as I can. Thanks for the advice (and the photos John).Chris

 

[Carl]

Fools

Taking out the foam is a fatal error. Your boats will go to the bottom on a dry rub rail, big heel, knockdown, etc. Call Bill at mac in Costa mesa, and he will tell you the same. Mac boats need the foam to keep it from being a bath tub.. don't learn this lesson the hard way fellas! I've done every mod/upgrade possible, yet haven't messed with the foam..

 

[Dave M26D]

Okay...I'll buy that...

I guess that means that 99.9% of the fools sailing on the big water are fools...include me please. The other .1% are pussies. Just kidding...don't want to encourage a flame here...but, the only boats with positive foam flotation are pretty lame boats in the grand scheme of sailing...most are real sailboats without a hope of staying afloat if you screw up and put a hole in it.The thing is, be a responsible sailor...pay attention to what you are doing...adhere to normal safety rules...and don't consume stuff that screws up your ability to think coherently while you are on the water. If you can't do that, then you fall within that .1% as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Chris3720]

I can't....

believe that I am going to say this, but I agree with Dave. Looking at the amount of foam under the V-berth, and the 3 pieces under the cockpit (M25), I don't think it would keep it floating anyway. Chris

 

[John S]

Insulation results

Just got back from a 4 day trip to eastern Idaho and I have to say that I now have the best cooler ever! I still have ice I purchased 5 days ago, and I have a big portion of the block of ice I froze up in the flexible water container that Mac provides. I am off again for another 5 days of camping and I don't need any more ice. John S

 

[gary]

foam?

I removed all the foam about two weeks after I bought the boat. The Coast Guard had a bunch of bladders that were used to raise boats and were being salvaged. I took a bunch of them and installed them in every compartment of the boat.I have a '88 26D so I have two up front under the v berth and one on each side and two smaller ones in the stern. They are three feet long and six inches wide. When inflated they will fill the area and then some. The inflation system works by water activation.

 

[Dave M26D]

Hey JohnS...

how was your trip? I just got back from mine yesterday and I'll probably smell like BenGay for the rest of the week...had a great time, but couldn't find that Macyawl...we looked hard too. We've dubbed it the Lake Superior version of the Loch Ness monster.

 

[John S]

Vacation Results

My vaca was great. I only got away once to sail and that was at sunset until about 1 AM. Due to general fatigue from our activities, the people I camped with went to bed early one night so I sailed out into the dusk alone. My friend warned me to wear a life preserver, not that it would do me much good in these cold waters, but so the insurance could be settled more quickly after recovering my body. Anyway, I beat to windward for about 4-5 hours, then turned and sailed downwind for about an hour. No one else on the lake, and a 3/4 moon to see by- good sailing. I have never sailed directly downwind for such a long time, it was great to walk around the boat and see what small changes that could make to the steering. At one time, on the windward beat, I decided to try to cook on my small BBQ. I set out all the sauces and spices and fired her up. Even had a nice glass of Merlot to sip. Every thing was going well and I was about to put on the Cornish game hen when a gust blew the cover of the BBQ over the side. I disconnected the fuel bottle and threw the rest of the BBQ over the side to join the cover. I wasn't that hungry anyway. I did live on the boat for 4 days and slept very well on my queen matress that replaces the stock cushions. My next vaca involved a 5 day stay on dry land. The boat worked well as a camper and a place to cook a quick meal. Again, sleeping in a clean and comfortable bed keeps me fresh and able to get going for an old, mid-50's guy like me. I am particularly happy with my new ice chest. The ice I put in it lasted over a week, although it was a 5 gallon piece of ice. As it melted, the water ran into the bilge, and I sponged it up every morning, no big deal. I think that it would work even longer if the hull were in the cold water up here, instead of on dry land like it sat for a week. I am certainly interested in the Macyawl, mostly from a technical stand-point. I would not do that kind of thing to my boat, as I am beginning to like the simplicity of the rig I have and am working to get better at trimming it. I really like to show off at the boat ramp by single handing this boat and having her off the trailer and sailing away in just a few minutes after launch, and I would not like to have a complicated rig slow me down. John S

 

[GregS]

Sounds Awesome, John

Except the part about only sailing once? Do you mean single handing once? You must have an autotiller?

 

[Dave M26D]

You know JohnS...

my quest for the MacYawl is technical too. When I look at that pic, I'm thinkin' "Okay to make that real, you have to move the main mast foreward...how do you support it?...I'm thinkin', that mizzen looks pretty tall, how do you stay it?Even being the open minded science maven I am, I allow for my own ignorance...so I still want to see it in action...before I believe it.We looked and looked for it...couldn't find it...next time I go up there, I'm hauling the scow (okay, semi-scow, it doesn't have a completely flat bottom...but almost)...maybe we can find it that way.Anyway, nice to hear you had a good vacation and thanks for the input on the Ida daggerboard, although I still have a couple of questions...don't worry, they're not very technical.Later...

 

[John S]

Vaca

I hate to admit it, but it was not a sailing vacation. I will get a week at Yellowstone Lake in August, but I was over in Wyo. for a cross-country hang gliding clinic. After that, I was at a major regional hang gliding contest, the King Mountain Meet.I do not have an auto-tiller, I just trim the boat and wrap a line around the tiller a few times and slide the loops forward to lock (someone named this the cajun tiller tamer).This weekend, I am traveling upstate for the 4th to camp on Cascade Reservoir with my family (4 of us), so I will get to sail a lot. Forecast is for winds!