Mystery Modded MacGregor 25

[drobrien]

Greetings all! Dennis in central VA here. I picked up a 1987 Mac25 from the Outer Banks a few years ago on a whim. Every spring I feel the urge for adventure and thoughts turn to sailing and exploring the Chesapeake. And each spring I've only managed to get the boat through a thorough pressure washing before I get distracted or demotivated for one reason or another. But this year is different! So I'll start with this post.

Most of my sailing experiences have been on Hobie cats and their sailing kayak/trimaran, on the sound-side of the OBX. I sold those to focus on the Mac25 last fall. I know the basics of sail and am constantly learning, but the prospect of prepping the Mac25 is still daunting.

As for the title of this post: a previous owner had replaced the stern railing with a custom-made framework that includes dual-rudders, a Harken car & track traveler system that spans the top of the rail, and a motor mount that can be raised and lowered via an integrated winch. I am having trouble uploading images at the moment, so hopefully the following Google Photos link will work: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EtctDXDXdrH4vKvq6



Books I am researching from:
Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual 4/E
This Old Boat 2/E
Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual

Todo:
- Fiberglass repair and bottom paint
- Stripping and epoxy coating the keel
- Service winches and obtain mainsheet system
- Rectify wiring + solar system install
- Outfit interior (galley, head, cushions)

Questions:
- Will a 5HP 4-stroke be sufficient to cope with the conditions of the bay and tributary rivers?
- What additional anchors and rode are recommended for the Chesapeake?
- Minimum communications and safety equipment to start with?
- What is purpose of the electrical box containing four relays that the anchor windlass is wired into?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[drobrien]

 
 
 
 

[Starscream]

Greetings all! Dennis in central VA here. I picked up a 1987 Mac25 from the Outer Banks a few years ago on a whim. Every spring I feel the urge for adventure and thoughts turn to sailing and exploring the Chesapeake. And each spring I've only managed to get the boat through a thorough pressure washing before I get distracted or demotivated for one reason or another. But this year is different! So I'll start with this post.

Todo:
- Fiberglass repair and bottom paint
- Stripping and epoxy coating the keel
- Service winches and obtain mainsheet system
- Rectify wiring + solar system install
- Outfit interior (galley, head, cushions)

Questions:
- Will a 5HP 4-stroke be sufficient to cope with the conditions of the bay and tributary rivers?
- What additional anchors and rode are recommended for the Chesapeake?
- Minimum communications and safety equipment to start with?
- What is purpose of the electrical box containing four relays that the anchor windlass is wired into?
 
 

 

Hi Dennis,

I hope you get sailing this year.  I hear the 25 is a sweet-sailing ride.  I don't know it well enough to give much advice, tho.  The way that boat sits on the trailer always makes me do a double-take.  It's normal and they're all like that, but it looks totally bizarre.

I also don't know the Chesapeake at all so I can't contribute much there either.  A 5HP would handle any conditions I have ever found myself in, but I'm on inland lakes and rivers.  But if your tides and currents are less than 3 knots, I wouldn't hesitate to try my luck on that Bay with the 5HP.

Anchor discussions aren't easy.  The answer is: it depends on when/why/what you are doing when you anchor.  It's hard to make out what you have on the bow roller there, but it looks reasonably beefy.  In my opinion anything in the 10 to 20 lb range would do fine for that boat under "normal" conditions.  Everyone's normal is different, of course.  And it's hugely dependent on the bottom that you are trying to hook your anchor into.  Mud and sand are great, weed and rocks are not.  Wind protection good, high winds bad.  Calm good, waves bad.  Alone good, neighbors bad.  Chain good, rope less good.  5th Gen Mantus good, imported Danforth knock-off with a fake label bad (but still probably fine for a 25).   If you plan to anchor for long periods with tide, wind and current swings, then you need an anchor that will re-set easily, like a Mantus or Rocna or any of the latest generation of self-righting, re-setting anchors.

The coast guard publishes the legal minimum requirements for safety equipment, but if you want to go actual bare minimum (laws be darned) then you need a personal-floatation-device and a floating hand-held VHF securely strapped to your person.  Better if it's GPS enabled with an SOS button.

No idea on the electrical box...need more info, photos, etc.  Wait, you have a WINDLASS?  What the h...  Luxury!  Sounds like the P.O. may have been physically challenged in some way, to require the windlass and motor raising system.  Not sure what your physical state is, but most of us 25 and 26 owners just pull the anchor and hoist the motor manually.

Good luck.  
 

[drobrien]

Starscream (and anyone else following),
My intent is to trial a liveaboard lifestyle on the Mac 25 this summer, so I expect to spend much of my time at anchor. Marina life is not in the budget currently. Your anchor suggestions are most welcome, will look into those. And it's good to know that the 5HP outboard that came with the boat should be sufficient. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it is what most would consider to be a dinghy motor.

I do not have any info on the previous owner(s) who performed all these modifications; wish I could just bounce all these questions off of them. I was definitely drawn to this boat by the craftmanship of the upgrades. I just hope they work well in practice. I never thought the anchor windlass to be a luxury. The installation makes it look as if it could have been stock. Anyways, it will sure come in handy for my proposed life on the hook. And at the risk of drawing your ire further, I'll let you know that yesterday I discovered chain counter leads in the wiring for the windlass...
(sadly, though, no instrumentation to read that sensor)

As for the windlass wiring, here is the documentation I've found:
https://www.lewmar.com/sites/default/fi ... 22iss2.pdf
https://www.lewmar.com/sites/default/fi ... agrams.pdf

The contactor (relay) box setup looks custom, maybe a cheaper alternative to the official equipment (?). And the only control I've found was a toggle switch, which only had the two blue wires connected. Something is missing or wrong.

See https://photos.app.goo.gl/EtctDXDXdrH4vKvq6 for new photos

[Starscream]

Hi Dennis,

I can't help with that wiring. It looks well thought out, and high quality parts were used, but none of it is stock so figuring it out will be a challenge.

Your anchor looks to be well sized. It's an older style that does very well in sandy bottoms, but is not the best when it comes to resetting after a wind shift. If I were living at anchor in that boat, I'd change it to a 17lb Mantus. The resetting ability of a modern anchor is incredible, and gives a lot of peace of mind when heading below for the night.

The quality of the work does look good. Will take some elbow grease, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?

[Be Free]

I'm still digesting the existing wiring and the documentation but for sure you will need to replace those wing nuts with hex nuts and lock washers.

[Be Free]

It looks like your mystery box is replacing the factory contactor with four relays. As long as they are rated for the windless current they should do the same job. The only thing I did not see in your boat that was in the diagrams was the resettable breaker.

[beechkingd]

The boat doesn't need to sit that high on the trailer. I'd be willing to bet it's a trailer from a different boat. The 25 I had years ago sat like that and made if very difficult to get into the water. I made some measurements and shortened the uprights over the summer while it was in the slip and made it easy to load and unload. Welding skills were required.

[Wyb2]

The boat doesn't need to sit that high on the trailer. I'd be willing to bet it's a trailer from a different boat. The 25 I had year ago sat like that and made if very difficult to get into the water. I made some measurements and shortened the uprights over the summer while it was in the slip and made it easy to load and unload. Welding skills were required.

Did you have the original axle? On my 25 with the original trailer, it seems like the limiting factor would be the keel hitting the center of the axle. In it’s current (almost certainly original) form, there’s only a few inches between the axle and keel for suspension travel. I feel like not having more of a ‘trunk’ for the keel to retract into was kind of a miss on the design of the 25.

Looks like the OP’s axel has already been modified with a dropped section in the center, may give some more room for lowering, if it hasn’t been done already.

[Russ]

I have Nigel Calder's book. Very interesting and well done.

That custom work looks so interesting and professional. However, it also looks complicated.

I see a fuel line coming out the transom. Where is the fuel tank? I hope the compartment is vented properly.

[DragonflyMac25]

Hello! "Neighbor". Fello Mac 25 sailer here also in sorta central VA.

I redid my hull and keel in 2019-2020 and splashed her for the 1st time last summer at Lake Anna.
Still have a bit to go on my refit but making progress.

My boat, trailer, and riggging are factory oem for the most part.
Changed the hull to dark red stripes instead of the factory blue ones.

I hope to try the lower potomac and maybe the bay this year. We kept her in a slip at Lake Anna for a few months last year but plan to go lower cost and try dry sailing this year. IE, keeping her at marina rigged on the trailer.

I have a 6hp sail pro and its been great. 1/4 throttle cruises nicely around 4 knots and just sips gas.
5hp as long as its a long or extra long shaft should serve you well in normal conditions.

This is my 1st boat so have been learning as I go.

Gotta say, thats a heck of a set up the prior owner built. Looks neat!

[drobrien]

Starscream,
I will be on the lookout for a used Mantus. I need to be frugal with my savings until I know how much I'll have left over from the boat restoration and outfitting. I just checked out their website, am drooling now

Be Free,
Appreciate the advise on locking nuts and washers. Makes sense, given the sensitive nature of the wiring.
There is a 35 amp resettable breaker off the battery positive, currently under the vberth. Though the Lewmar V700 is listed as 45 amps (?): https://www.lewmar.com/Catalogue/GB-Pag ... 0LR.15.pdf
Just ordered a contactor switch from fleabay, Lewmar Guarded Rocker Switch 68000593. Do you know how I would wire it into the mystery box? And what points I can short to test operation right now?

Wyb2 & Beachkingd,
It wouldn't surprise me if the trailer is custom as well. If I recall correctly, the title specified that it is "homemade". Also, it has an extension bar with pintle ring.
See updated photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EtctDXDXdrH4vKvq6

[Russ]

It is not clear in this image what I'm seeing.

Is this a hole in the hull where a stand punched through?

[Be Free]

Your windlass reverses direction by swapping the positive and negative connections in the switch. Without knowing for sure what those (presumed) relays are doing I could not tell you exactly how to connect them.

[Wyb2]

Wyb2 & Beachkingd,
It wouldn't surprise me if the trailer is custom as well. If I recall correctly, the title specified that it is "homemade". Also, it has an extension bar with pintle ring.
See updated photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EtctDXDXdrH4vKvq6

Looks like a modified Mac 25 trailer, the main structure is identical to mine. Not sure about VA, but some places claiming a trailer as homemade is a workaround when running into problems getting it registered (like if trying to transfer from a state that doesn’t require a title to one that does).

I would second Russ’s question on what looks like a sizable hole in the hull, no point in troubleshooting the windlass until you fix that.