Buying Questions

[NewtoMacinTX]

Hi I am checking out a 26M that's come up for sale and need some advice on a couple of issues:
1. The seller told me he powerwashed the bottom to clean off the growth. Is this ok, or would that damage the gelcoat?
2. It does not have the main halyard led to the cockpit. For a technical novice, how hard would it be for me to install, or how much would it cost for me to have a boatyard do it?
3. It does not have roller furling, which is important for me for singlehandling. How hard is it to self install?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[dlandersson]

First off, welcome...and you should be aware that if you buy the boat, ya gotta buy the pizza.

The powerwashing - IF done correctly - should not affect the gelcoat - and gelcoat is not hard to apply. I get my boat -an - "prepped" every fall and spring. - but you can certainly use it as a talking point to drop the price.

Running a main halyard to the cockpit is not a big deal - but you can certainly use it as a talking point to drop the price.

I have roller furling, but I can't comment on how hard it is to install - sorry.

Hi I am checking out a 26M that's come up for sale and need some advice on a couple of issues:
1. The seller told me he powerwashed the bottom to clean off the growth. Is this ok, or would that damage the gelcoat?
2. It does not have the main halyard led to the cockpit. For a technical novice, how hard would it be for me to install, or how much would it cost for me to have a boatyard do it?
3. It does not have roller furling, which is important for me for singlehandling. How hard is it to self install?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Russ]

Welcome to the forum.

Hi I am checking out a 26M that's come up for sale and need some advice on a couple of issues:
1. The seller told me he powerwashed the bottom to clean off the growth. Is this ok, or would that damage the gelcoat?

Not a problem at all. Best way to clean the bottom. As long as the pressure isn't too hard, it won't hurt anything. If it does, you'll see chips and stuff, it would be very obvious.
It does bring up questions about the bottom. Are you going to keep the boat in the water for long periods? Bottom paint/barrier might be needed.
Does it have bottom paint? What's under it? What type?

2. It does not have the main halyard led to the cockpit. For a technical novice, how hard would it be for me to install, or how much would it cost for me to have a boatyard do it?

Very easy to do yourself. You'll need to replace it with a longer one, add a block and cam cleat. Probably $200 in parts. Add another $200 in labor for someone else to do it.

3. It does not have roller furling, which is important for me for singlehandling. How hard is it to self install?

I assume you mean headsail. Not hard to self install. Probably need a new headsail ($700) and furler gear ($500). Godd idea in my opinion. I hate being up on the foredeck.

The M is a powersailor and the most complicated part of the boat is the motor. I'd have that checked out as it could be pricey to fix if there are issues. Just about everything else you can visually inspect. Look at the bottom for blisters and such.

[Tomfoolery]

As folks often say, you're buying the sails, the engine, and the trailer. The rest is just a shell, and not where the big money is. Unless it's a mess, of course.

Oh, and I'll have pepperoni, please. Three slices. Super thin crust - so thin I can read the newspaper through it.

[u12fly]

You got all the right answers from the experts above.... All parts are easily found through blue water yatchs, they are the factory parts supplier and they have a number of sail handling kits with installation instructions for the do it your selfer. Here is there link: http://bwyachts.com/

[mastreb]

I did damage the gelcoat on my boat power-washing off a lot of barnacle growth. I had to immediately bottom paint before I put it back in the water. It can actually depend on the species of barnacle: The damage to my gelcoat came not from the pressure washer, but from the barnacle taking the gelcoat off with it. Their natural cement had grown into the gelcoat and so there simply was no way to remove them without taking gelcoat off with them. This occurred in six weeks in San Diego bay in the summer time.

Because you don't know what the PO actually did, you will have to inspect. Fortunately the solution is to bottom paint, which any salt-water boat is going to eventually have to do anyway.

[Paul S]

I led the stock halyard aft. it IS long enough (unless they shortened it from 2004). Could be longer, but it does work well. Just need 2 blocks and a cleat. done.

If you buy the flexible furler, not hard to install. You might need a different headsail, or have yours modified to work with a roller though..


here is my setup for the halyard:
Block at the base of the mast (can use the hole for the mast raiser at the front of the base as well as drill new hole if it doesnt line up),
turning block at the factory location. Harken makes a block that fits perfectly, as you can see. The bolts will be the right length unless they changed it. I intentionally did not put the cleat in line with the winch. I do not believe in using the winch on a Mac to raise the sail. Works like a charm

Also I moved the DB cleat back, and put a clam cleat in line, so when you are raising the DB, you can just drop it into the clam cleat, then tie it off to the regular cleat. makes life a bit easier. I also put a 2-1 block on the db line, makes life a LOT easier raising the DB (no pics of that, sorry, but easy to do)

check out my pictures (mixed in with all my pictures) - http://www.seeberg.com/piwigo









Paul

[wcole]

I singlehand regularly using a hank on jib. My jib halyard is led to the cockpit along with a jib downhaul. I can raise and lower the jib in the cockpit as well as tie the head down (by securing the downhaul). Tighten the sheet and the sail stays down and secure (in heavy winds, a bungee or two can be used to secure the rest of the sail to the bow pulpit/lifeline with access from the forward hatch, no need to go on deck). Though roller furling is more convenient on the water, this system makes it easier to erect and take down the mast. Since I trailer sail, this is an equally important consideration. I also have a Johnson lever to tension the forestay. This wouldn't be an option with roller furling.

Bill

[chuck]

I also have a Johnson lever to tension the forestay. This wouldn't be an option with roller furling.

Bill

Why would it not be an option. I installed a Johnson Lever with my CDI Roller Furling on my 26S, and will install a Johnson Lever on my 2007 - 26M with my CDI RF. Works great.

Chuck 2997 26M

[yukonbob]

I also have a Johnson lever to tension the forestay. This wouldn't be an option with roller furling.

Bill

Why would it not be an option. I installed a Johnson Lever with my CDI Roller Furling on my 26S, and will install a Johnson Lever on my 2007 - 26M with my CDI RF. Works great.

Chuck 2997 26M

What size/ brand did you buy and where? Been thinking of one for a while now. And how did you install it? Pics?

[wcole]

I installed the Johnson Lever about 10 years ago. I believe it is the larger one shown in the West Marine catalog, #246167. I paid about $50, so the current price of $73 is probably about right. In order to use it, I purchased a new (shorter) forestay, another $50 by my memory, to accomodate the lever and reduce the mast rake. The lever is permanently attached to the forestay and I attach it to the bow when raising the mast. After attaching the forestay to the bow, I tighten the lever. It avoids having to tension the forestay with the mast raising gear. Sorry, no pictures.

It might work with a furler. However I would be concerned about the clearance in the drum for the lever and the clearance necessary to open and close it. Its about 9 inchs long.

Bill

[yukonbob]

And a shorter headsail and furler. On well. Will just have to use what I've got.

[dlandersson]

Should we get this thread back to the intent of the OP?

And a shorter headsail and furler. On well. Will just have to use what I've got.

[yukonbob]

I'd say it still applies somewhat to the " It does not have roller furling, which is important for me for singlehandling. How hard is it to self install?" If he's interested in a furler and a Johnson lever (which would make single hand set up easier ) he'll have to think about his before buying new sails, forestay and furler.

[wcole]

Or, which was the original intent of my posting, he can run the jib halyard and a downhaul to the cockpit. He can now go sailing singlehanded and defer the decision on the roller furler.

By the way, I still use my original jib with the Johnson Lever. It does not interfere with the hanks.

Bill