Trawler / Mactrawler

[rsvpasap]

Considering turning my 2002 26X into a full-time trawler. The first photo shows the boat with the silver sunbrella enclosure as it existed for about 10-12 years. The second photo with the black enclosure shows the boat in its current configuration for the last year. The third photo shows the general configuration of what I am considering.

Proposed modifications would include:

Removing the sailing rig entirely.
Adding Lewmar Profish 700 windless.
Relocating the helm to the starboard aft companionway bulkhead.
Removing the sliding hatch and companionway board and replacing them with snap-in insulated fabric.
Pilot House / raised deck salon enclosure constructed of Divinycell or Corecell, Coosa, epoxy and AR2 windows. Total weight approximately 250-260 lb minus 120 lb for sails and sailing rig. This would also allow moving the 600 w of fixed solar panels, weighing approximately 95 lb including mounts, to the top of the pilothouse, as well as allowing rain catchment.
Would pattern the upper level seating generally in the style of the Bestevaer 36 (photos).
Impact upon resale value is not an issue.

I use the boat year round in Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Canadian Gulf Islands. It's modified with propane and diesel heat, rebuilt galley, hot shower in the enclosed head, large electrical system, etc. I have trailered coast to coast and might like to get back into boaterhoming, Lake of the Woods, Sea of Cortez. I think these modifications would make the process much more streamlined. I use the boat year-round, in fact in a lot of ways I prefer the winter, basically saltwater gunkholing from anchorage to anchorage. The only circumstances under which I man the helm are anchoring, trailering, inside marinas and to take emergency evasive action. Otherwise, the autopilot drives, 99% of the time.

It would be possible to do this pilot house type modification without removing the sail rig, but that would probably require installing a traveler on the cabin top and modifying the mast raising system. Also, the cabin top would only be accessible through the forward hatch.

Welcome any insight or tips from folks who have gone full time trawler or Mactrawler.

[NiceAft]

I like it

With the exception of while being above deck,the pilot house is where you are limited too. With the full enclosure, you can unzip all of the windows to enjoy the open cockpit.

Other than that, I like it

[ris]

RSV... here is a pic of our Mac we put in trawler mode the month after we bought it in 2016. Because of disabilities we wanted a small boat to do the Great Loop and sailing was not an option for us. Every mod we have made to the boat if changed would only leave a few screw holes and it can be converted back to a sailboat. We did put a 42 inch X 6 inch keel or skeg on the boat starting at the stern going forward, that would require a bit of grinding to remove. We still have everything we took off the boat, sails, mast, boom, rudders and a new set of standing rigging in original packages.
We did add a complete enclosure that is 6' 5" tall in the cockpit.



This enclosure is really nice for traveling in bad weather or just long rainy days. If you want a true trailable trawler get a 28 ft Marinette, or a Rosborough 24.6 or something like them. Not sure your idea would not be a bit tippy. I think an enclosure is the way to go as you can put it up and take it down depending on what you are doing.

[rsvpasap]

Very nice looking boat you have there. Great enclosure. And I agree that a large part of the appeal of the 26x or 26M is they are readily convertible depending on circumstances. In the end, chances are I'm just going to add the windlass and make some changes in the margins with the current enclosure to better keep the cockpit dry. From a weight perspective, the hard-sided pilot house is really only viable If one removes the sailing rig. I'm still considering the options. Thanks very much for your thoughtful comment.

Do you have any insight about stopping water incursion under the enclosure where the cabin top and cockpit connect, which is to say, water running down the aft face of the companionway bulkhead? I'm in a place where it rains 55 to 60 inches per year, so this gets to be a factor.

[ris]

Yes we put a large bead of caulk across that area which forces the water to drain off the cabin top about 8 inches forward from the caulk. Will post a pic tomorrow.

[ris]

This is a pic of how we keep the water from flowing into the cockpit port seat from the cabin top. It is simple but it works except in 20 mph winds and a downpour at the same time. Just a caulk dam. We remove and recaulk every 3 years. We haven't needed to make the dam any wider. Hope this helps.

[Gazmn]

I went Commando (mastless) a few years ago. Haven’t looked back. What a difference regarding wind resistance. I just use an oversized 8’x8 Bimini with screen sides. A powerful motor also greatly helps.

I think you’d catch a lot of wind with that pilot house setup. Much more difficult to dock and your bow may drift something awful. Sometimes when it’s windy & I’m coming in to dock, I’ll put down the Bimini and a rudder.

[OverEasy]

Hi RSVPASAP!

We’ve basically been operating in trawler mode since we got our Mac26X back in the fall of 2020.
Our primary objective has been getting out on the ICW and Lake Champlain.
Our region of the ICW here in SC has many estuaries and tidal rivers so motor cruising works for us.
We have just been using our Bimini which has worked out nicely for us but we don’t get as much rain as you do so I can really see the desire to get a more weather tight area. The side slide panel/hatches would get you side access and lots of ventilation. Very slick!

We like the graphic of the hard Dodger you made.
It looks nice!
As mentioned previously you may find that windage may be an issue as well as increased weight higher up which has the possibility of giving stability issues depending on how heavy it becomes. There is also the reduced visibility aspect to consider.

Like your concept of removing the pedestal and moving the helm to the starboard cabin bulkhead of the cockpit. That would make the aft cockpit much more comfortable. That new helm seat area is interesting although sitting sideways for protracted duration travel may tend to give me a krick after a while. But it really does look very nice. Definitely a beautiful look to it!

Keep us all posted on what you do.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi RSVPASAP,

Question: What/how were you able to generate your proposed hard Dodger image?


Best Regards,
Over Easy

[rsvpasap]

Thanks for your help. I installed a one inch high barrier a couple of years again which does an acceptable job interrupting water from flowing off the cabin top, down the companionway bulkhead and into the cockpit. Now I need to create an additional piece of enclosure, not large, maybe two or three square feet, to snap in and bridge the gap between the existing enclosure side curtains and the companionway. Obviously, at anchor, the boat always faces into the wind and rain, so water intrusion is an issue.

As far as the two images of the potential pilot house, I spent some time designing with AI, working on weight calculations, windage, trim, optimum materials and that sort of thing. The photos are a combination of things produced in those conversations plus my rudimentary image editing. I started with a photo Duane Dunn posted to the forum decades ago just because there was a clean photo of the boat without a mast, boom or rigging.

And the comment about windage and docking is really interesting. I always function as a sailboat, ballast in, all three fins all the way down, never more than seven knots. I read comments from folks talking about difficulty with handling the boat and it makes me realize that I would probably still always keep the ballast in and the fins down, with or without the sailing rig. I realize limitations that implies.

Also one of my biggest concerns about a hard enclosure is heating the additional space. I already have a Wallas 800 and a Dickinson p9000 and I'm pretty sure I would have to trade the diesel stove/heater for a larger forced air heater if I was trying to routinely heat a large glass enclosed pilot house. That does not appeal to me.