new mac owner- new to forum!!

[Wayne nicol]

hiya all,
i have been lurking here quite a while, and absorbing all the info that i can, and finally bought a new 26m.
picking it up next week. so many mods to do - cant wait to get started!!
thanks all for all the great info that gets posted up here.
i think a new mast bearing and motor quick attach for the steering befor it even touches the water.
then a new companion way door and a self bailing transom filler to keep solids in the cockpit and allow liquids out-oooh that sounds a little bizarre .

thanks all
wayne

[Hamin' X]

Welcome aboard, Wayne. You might want to edit your profile to indicate your boat and location. Makes answering your questions and trying to help you so much easier.

~Rich

[Wayne nicol]

tried to figure that out- bit of a techno peasant- will get right on it!

[Ixneigh]

Welcome Wayne
don't forget the Velcro sliding hatch thinghy too
Ix

[Wayne nicol]

missed that one Ix,
gotta link, or some pics etc
thanks

[mastreb]

I wouldn't bother replacing the mast bearing until you know you have a problem. The three oiled bronze washer work just fine.

Stern rail seats are a huge plus in my opinion--they open up more cockpit room than anything else.

Chart-plotter is a must IMHO. I like the low-end Garmin devices. Add an EMM cable and you've got a fuel tank level meter and all the performance info you need.

Beyond that, it depends on how you use your boat. A lot of people have their boat in the water most of the time or only trailer seasonally. For them, "heavy mods" make sense. I trailer and launch my boat every time I use it, so I go with "light mods" that don't add a lot of weight and don't complicate launching or rigging. Just about everything I do is designed to make rigging simpler.

Here's my list of mods I consider "important":

--Mast foot quick-release pin from BWY yachts. Way easier than the stock bolt to remove and insert.
--Upgraded vinyl lifelines with pelican hooks at both ends.
--Galvanized hitch pins on the spreaders so you can remove them easily for trailering.
--Replace factory stamped D shackles with forged shackles that won't get mangled on first use.
--I like a boom kicker vs. topping lift for trailering. Reverse that for boats that stay in the water.
--I use a Fortress 11 on 20' of chain and 200' of road. It's the largest anchor that will fit entirely in the anchor locker. Not perfect for all bottoms, but great here in So Cal.
--Brian (Seahouse's) Boom mainsail roller. Makes managing the sail simpler for a trailer'ed boat. Lazyjacks and a sailpack would be preferred for a boat that lives in the water.
--Shackle block at the mast foot (shackled to the mast raising ginpole hole at the foot) and a removable cheek block or spring block on the forward cabin-top jib track to take the halyard aft. You can then harden up the mast with the cabin-top winches.
--Swivel cam-cleats on the gunnel tracks for jib line control. No need to use winches under most winds with these boats.
--Additional cam-cleat and sliding cleat for roller-furler control on the STBD gunnel track.
--Tie 1' of line (bowline knots at both ends) between the bottom of the traveller and the traveller car. I also use a shackle for easy release. Keeps the traveller cam-cleat up off the deck and the mainsheet at the perfect height to manage while you're sailing. Allows you to take a few feet off the length of the mainsheet as well.
--Take 22' of 1" clear vinyl hose from the FWD ballast vent hole (looped right there along the side) back through the bilge and out the aft motor-well cable way. seal at the vent hole with 3M 4200, a pressure fitting, silicon RTV rubber, or butyl tape, whichever you prefer. This allows you to control the ballast vent right at the gate valve and without having to enter the cabin before setting off. There are a lot of similar mods that take it to the anchor locker, but this is much simpler and preserves the ability to plug it.
--You'll need a master on/off (perko switch) for the boat. I have a perko switch, but will shortly be moving to a high-current relay controlled by a low current switch so I can put the switch outside on the helm. My goal is to be able to drop the boat in the water and not have to enter the cabin at all.
--I'm currently adding a cable winch to the trailer with a 40' line so I can winch the boat aboard the trailer from the dock with positive control the entire time.

Good luck and most of all have fun!

Matt

[Catigale]

Wayne..welcome aboard and thanks for your patience while we work on the admin issues.

There is a great Mac group in BC of course - recent posts in the DESTINATIONS forum...

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... =4&t=21784

[Wayne nicol]

great mods, thanks mastreb.
lots to think about. we dont have any sailing shops here on island, and havent needed to buy any rigging for my other boat since i moved here 3 years ago., where is the best place to buy on line.

thanks all
wayne

[Wayne nicol]

so this is what i have coming with the boat, a lowrance G3 radar, and lowrance HDS 7 chartplotter( and chart package), heading sensor, shoot thru the hull transducer, all the network cabling to hook the radio and heading sensor into the setup.
we get lots and lotsa fog up here.
also got a dodger with the deal- wasnt really an option.
dickinson newport 12 000 heater and sea b que.
Achillies LT2, no sandy beaches here!
just gotta get a brace of northill anchors made up now, and will be set to go.

oh , and its in blisteringly fast lightning white!!!!, with an etec 60
cant wait to get it in the water!!

[mastreb]

The place for MacGregor-specific parts and mods: http://www.bwyachts.com

The place for typical boat parts: http://www.defender.com

The place for individual rigging items: http://www.westmarine.com

Also, not sure what you're doing for a dinghy, but (again because I trailer) I've been exceptionally happy with the RU-260 we bought at West Marine. Inflates easily in the cockpit, rolls up and fits to one side in the v-berth, can be kept inflated upside-down on the bow and the jib will tack over the top of it. Comes with a good set of oars. I'm still considering getting the Suzuki 2.5hp or Tohatsu 3.5hp for it and as emergency power on a jack-plate for the Mac.

It's been replaced by the upgraded RU3.

Matt

[dlandersson]

A very important "to-do" is a unsigned, sealed, blank envelope filled with non-sequential $10's and $20"s sent to me - I'll handling distribution.

[Wayne nicol]

yup, i got the achillies lt2.- its under 8' long, and thought about the fore deck too.-in fact i have been thinking about a s/steel "roofrack" for the front deck, for the tender and extra gas- or what other options for the extra gas.- am worried about forward visibility.

i chose it because it does not have a transom, my thinking was that it would carry 1, 2 or 3 people really well, when rowing.
its really not as well balanced to carry only 2 with a full transom, when rowing, which we will be doing a lot of.
it does have a wooden fold up floor- which i dont like that much- but its a compromise i geuss, as i wont carry a kicker.
it does have a strap on transom, but i dont think i will ever carry a kicker for it.
besides with steep an' deep anchorages, the shuttles are really short.
no marina's here.
and i will also be trailering.so will pay heed to the heavy mods.

[Wayne nicol]

hey,DL i went to my sack of gold, an was gonna send you some, but alas.... it was empty. spent all my money and then some on this boat, but its been in the pipeline for almost 2 years now- so at long last!!!
when i get some more- i will be sure to send ya some

[dlandersson]

hey,DL i went to my sack of gold, an was gonna send you some, but alas.... it was empty. spent all my money and then some on this boat, but its been in the pipeline for almost 2 years now- so at long last!!!
when i get some more- i will be sure to send ya some

[Russ]

Welcome aboard.

I disagree with the mast bearings. My washers were worthless. Replaced them with bearings and mast rotates nicely.
Get a list of mods and do them. Most of all, enjoy being on the water.

--Russ