Check the wiring
Steve, Good luck on your new boat. The styrofoam is factory installed so your boat won't sink. Water LOVES to get into the bilge on your model. It comes in around the rubrail where the deck and hull meet, it comes in where the forestay, backstay and shrouds attach, plus it can splash in around the swing keel. Like you, I bought a Mac 25 used. All of the factory wiring had been compromised by the constant immersion in the bilge. The fusebox/control panel was corroded beyond belief. In my opinion here are some things to do: #1 check out the swing keel cable, winch and bolts. It is possible to actually lose your keel if the main bolt fails. If your cable breaks you won't be able to get your boat back on the trailer. #2 make sure the lights and battery work. You NEVER know when you will be out after dark. (see above ... or say to yourself "a three hour tour, a three hour tour") Also decide if you need an anchor light. It is NOT standard and may need to be added. #3 throughly inspect your rudder system, especially where it attaches on the stern. The Mac 25 has a swing keel which will swing up, if it is not locked down, BUT your rudder won't. Look for stress marks on the stern that may indicate weaknesses from previous groundings. Also the very bottom of your rudder could be ground away letting water in and rotting it. #4 before you put it in the water stock and re-stock your safety gear. #5 my boat smelled like a cave until I took out all of the styrofoam and washed the blocks with a mild bleach solution. Peggy Hall also suggested flooding the bilge with fresh water and a little detergent, then rinsing throughly. That fixed the smell and let me address my wiring issues. Ol'Dave
