Windvane on a M26 ?

[yukonbob]

Finally, there is no good place for an instrument panel on a 26, particularly for chart plotter and radar displays. Let's face it, the Mac 26 is a glorified day-sailor, and I would never have chosen to buy one (I inherited mine). Fortunately, I live on the Chesapeake Bay and am able to use the boat pretty much at will. But my quest to sail the Caribbean will have to be done in another boat; the Mac just isn't suitable for blue-water sailing.

Mark

Most chart plotters these days come with the ability to display radar through a network and most mid range to top end have direct plug and play radar. With the new touch screen cp's they act more as a tv or computer screen being able to display everything from, gas, tach, wind, auto pilot, radar, even wifi with xm radio all in a 7" screen or bigger. Some 5" displays do as well but the 7's would be the smallest I'd personally go.

[mastreb]

My chart-plotter on my helm shows me all my instruments, all connected via NMEA 2000. I keep my 9' dinghy upside down on the bow where it fits just fine and the genoa tacks over it perfectly fine. Numerous owners on this board have outfitted various autopilots, the most popular being the $1500 Ray-marine wheel pilots. Some have upgraded to inexpensive (<$1000) hydraulic steering.

While the amp draw of an autopilot will eventually kill your battery, an inexpensive small generator will easily keep up with it and they barely sip gas--certainly autohelm usage would be <1/4 gallon of gas per day to keep up with, which means a 24 gallon tank would last months. My brother's electric drive boat takes far more power and his Honda EU2000 can keep up with that. He's adapted the stock muffler from my motorcycle to it to keep an already quiet generator extremely quiet, and those mufflers can be had for free since most enthusiasts replace them.

I agree that the Mac 26 is not suited to blue water sailing. But the Caribbean isn't blue water sailing in my opinion--and plenty of people on this board have done it in 26' Macs of all flavors.

I'm glad I paid for my boat. Helps me appreciate it.

[BOAT]

Hi mastreb!!

Can I run my etec motor for a few minutes to recharge my batteries if I have an autopilot in my wheelhouse? (Or do I have-ta' buy a generator too?)

[kadet]

Can I run my etec motor for a few minutes to recharge my batteries if I have an autopilot in my wheelhouse? (Or do I have-ta' buy a generator too?)

The ETEC has between 3 & 25 amps available from the magneto for charging. i.e 3 at idle 10 at 1000rpm and 25 max.

So if your AP uses 5 amp/h you would have to idle your ETEC for about an hour and a half to replace the power or run at WOT for 15min for every hour you use the AP.

[mastreb]

Ditto kadet's advice. If you routinely do some running or trawling after you sail and you only daysail, then the ETEC will keep up with it under natural use. If you're cruising by sail and only use your motor for getting in and out of the harbor, forget it.

Best to go with a generator or a 90+ watt solar panel if you're using an autopilot. Keep in mind that 90 watts is what it actually has to continuously deliver, at all insolation angles, all day, partly shaded, whatever, so you're likely talking about 180 watts of solar necessary to reliably keep up with an autopilot.

When I get an autopilot I'll be adding the solar capacity to keep up with it.

[BOAT]

Wow, I did not know that. I wonder what Captain Victors autopilot draws under sail?

How much power do the little windmills makes? I notice all the big sailboats here in Oceanside have those little windmills on the back of thier boats. Is that so they can make electricity??

I like the windmill idea because it works at night time too. Sometimes we go out in the channel at night ( actually around here we go out at night a lot!)

[yukonbob]

I thought they were making flour?

Sorry couldn't resist. Lol

[BOAT]

Could be - I only see them on the really big sailboats. Does anyone know what they are? I will try to get a picture of it.

[yukonbob]

They are for making power. There was a good post not too long ago about some smaller ones that may work on our boats. I can't remember who posted it but they did some out the window car tests. I would find the post but I'm on my phone and its difficult to copy post ect. Sorry. It was within the last month tough of that helps.

[kadet]

Wind generators are normally rated between 100 & 500 watts or 7 to 35 amps/h, but this is at their optimum which is normally a wind strength of F5.
If you are in the trades or other high wind area they are good, if you are in the tropics solar is better. If you are stuck in the middle use both .

I only day or weekend sail and live in a sub-tropical area so 80watts of solar and running the ETEC now and then more than supplies enough power to keep the 105AH battery charged and run the AP, all the other electronics, MP3 Player and all the LED lights, I use ice so no fridge draw.

If I get a fridge and powered water supply I will just put in an extra battery.

It has been discussed before but an is just too small to mount a wind gen on safely. The small ones are toys and do nothing they produce less than a trickle charge.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... =8&t=21447

[BOAT]

Okay, I guess I will think about a generator or somthin' in the future because I definatly want a wheel house pilot. The crossings here to the islands is 45 to 50 miles. Even if I trailer north it's 30 miles from any decent ramp. And the Channel Islands are all lots of fun in the summer but it too is 20 to 50 miles out of Oxnard depending on which island your pointing to. I need a pilot.

[kadet]

Okay, I guess I will think about a generator or somthin' in the future because I definatly want a wheel house pilot. The crossings here to the islands is 45 to 50 miles. Even if I trailer north it's 30 miles from any decent ramp. And the Channel Islands are all lots of fun in the summer but it too is 20 to 50 miles out of Oxnard depending on which island your pointing to. I need a pilot.

Don't forget to match your petrol generator to a good 3 stage AC battery charger, the 12v DC of most generators is only rated at 5amp and again would take hours to fully charge a depleted battery. By match I mean rated output for the charger.

[BOAT]

So I guess I see why the guy that started this thread wanted to know if a Gandolf would work on his boat. (Sorry, I'm dating myself - 'Gandolf' is what Robin Lee Graham called the wind vane pilot on his 24 foot boat 'Dove' to sail around the world single handed when he was 16 years old - I would follow his travels in NG when I was 10 and he was my hero along with Charles Lindberg).


Anyway, back in the day a 'Gandolf' was the only choice because electricity was not available.

I need to think about this. I thin Captain Victor will know what to do.