Moe wrote:We've seen the staged pictures MacGregor provides of their boats floating, but here's a REAL LIFE example of how one floats in 10' of water after a hurricane.
This is the S/V C Opal owned by Don Fitzgerald, who bought our 26X. He got this shot after the hurricane with his cell phone camera.
Don says she was floating free, without support from any of the lines you see. It appears the weight of the 50HP Yamaha has her down by the stern considerably.
Here's what she looked like after being uprighted.
Purely from a point of curiosity, Don's boat seems a great project for someone wanting a 26X. I'm not sure what year his boat was - a pre-'98 balsa deck might have suffered immensely. But if it was '99 or later ....
1) the motor's clearly a goner, but many of us would judge that a benefit - choose your own!
2) many of us would be happy to replace all interior fabrics and cushions anyway;
3) clearing gunk & sludge from all bilges would clearly be a big effort;
4) replacing all flotation is another big job;
5) unsure how to clear the liner-to-hull gaps - perhaps impossible;
6) at least you'd have pull-strings available for replacing all wiring.
But this boat's biggest benefits seem a completely intact hull and rig.
What would be a fair price for a smelly but fully intact 26X hull?
I know you're joking, but a boat like that could be a good candidate for MAJOR mods... I wonder how much something like that would go for?
hull, once you removed all the foam blocks, you could just clean it all up with bleach...
Better yet, if you could find an M like that for cheap, you could mount twin jet drives between the ballast tank stringers under the rear berth...
Of course with an M, you'd have more work gutting and cleaning it up... That is a nice thing about the X's interior - relatively easy cleanup for even major disasters like that
Not so fast. Billy is the original big motor guy, and still to my knowledge the only one who actually did the 140HP Suzuki. Others talked about it but most ended up with 90s.
I talked to Billy about the concept of putting a giant stern drive motor in the aft berth of an X nearly three years ago and I believe he was at least half assed serious.
Yeah, I think you're probably right. I'd flood that puppy with clean water & a professional-grade biocide, maybe follow up with a steam-cleaning for all the areas you can reach, and then let her drain and dry thoroughly. Rip out all the block foam and maybe replace it with inflated air bags or blown-in polystyrene foam. Then have-at that motor swap... after reinforcing the stern.
Kevin,
That'a actually a great idea - flooding it, I mean. You'd need some sort of approvals, since sinking your boat is prolly a rather abnormal scenario at most lakes. I'd surely want to remove all foam flotation first, open those lockers for good circulation, and blow-up a couple of Seveylor rafts inside to support the hull (guess that would justify some advance-arithmetic). But with a touch of safety bleach, seems like a realistic way to begin!
I think the local authorities would not be to friendly to having a Mac26X full of bleach sunk in their lake. I also think filling the Mac26X on the trailer might destroy both boat and trailer. So how could you fill it up?
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I think I'd have a look at what it takes to remove the top and liner, the Mac26 brochure says its bolted through at the seam.
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If the top and liner could be removed, it would open up a lot of customization possibilities.
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How about spraying on a thin layer of an insulating material, kind of like the Rhino coat for pickup beds but lighter weight closed cell foam version. I know the Rhino liner people do boats, I wonder if they haev a lighter weight product? That layer would quiet down motor sounds and enable cabin temperature control with much less energy required.
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How about running some PVC conduits between the liner and top for pulling wires?
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The topless time would be the right time to do mods to the top with full access to both sides of it. Topless would also be best for making stern mods to include motor mounting and mayby sturdy points to connect a removeable / foldable water level swim deck. and tow hooks etc.. Maybe even route the control cables, wires, plumbing, or rigid links out of sight, but with some sort of maintenance access designed in.
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How about when the liner is out to install below deck fuel tank(s) with proper ventillation. That way the top side fuel lockers could be used for life jackets or other handy storage. While down in the belly of the Mac26 put in battery mounting points that help with weight in the right place for best stabiity.
Why does everybody seem to think you need to remove the flotation? Most of the flotation is captive and that means cutting a lot of fairly large holes in the liner, not to mention how hard it would be to put it back.
You don't want to do it in an open body of water either; probably illegal most places anyway, and you wouldn't be able to maintain a concentration of any chemical for long. You need a big tank not too much larger than the boat; maybe an unused swimming pool?
Anyway, put several hundred pounds, enough "real" ballast in it to overcome all the flotation once it's full of water- bricks, rocks or like that. Then put it in the pool, and pump it full of treated water. If you need to you could roll it on its side and let it sit for however long it takes to kill the bad stuff. Then roll it on its other side and do it again. You might even want to forcibly turtle it (after removing the ballast) for a few days as well.
Believe what you'd save in labor and materials in removing and replacing the flotation would pay for the crane to lift it in and out.
Here is a thought, just for fun; something I've been toying with for some time.
After you fix it up, install a set of mounting brackets like the ones I use on Zeno's Arrow so you can bolt the boats together (catamaran style). The second boat, though fully functional would only need an engine and minor daysail type equipment. Then off you go (not in heavy seas), when you arrive at your next destination, unbolt the two boats, use one to generate a living as a 'daysailer' or board & breakfast, without having to have people tramping all over your home. Basically, a way to turn your MAC into a business that allows you more room & to move about the country (Carribean, world?). By the time someone asks you to get a business permit, your off to the next Island, state, or bay. Just a fun thought???? MM
Yeah, swimming pool seems a good option. If the deep end is seven or eight feet, then the bow and most of cabin might go under. It would need to be a mighty deep pool to submerge the cockpit too.
But I'd still want to cut open every locker and remove all flotation, for two reasons. First, after 8 weeks underwater, I'm suspicious that it's "float" has been compromised. But more importantly, I just think it would be the worst smell-magnet after the interior fabrics and foam, already disposed of.
As for possibly submerging it in a lake - much better to seek forgiveness than permission~!
Sounds like MM has been down that road before, regarding local business licenses, eh Mike?
Now, Now, Frank,
I would never, ever, want to be in violation of laws relating to using my boat for comercial trips in other countries or locals where a US 100T ticket and Oregon sticker were not acceptable. I only take old friends (who I happen to meet at bars & on the beach) out for day sails or overnight B&B trips, no charge. If they happen to want to buy a signed copy of my novel 'Stone Pigeons' for say $300.00 or so, well thats another matter.
Yo, Billy, could this be the starting point for your world's fastest, 500HP stern drive sailboat?
Hey, Chip, you know me better than I thought. That idea was running through my head before I read your post. Like you said a good starting point. I was thinking about one of those 275 Merc. You know, the one with the supercharger. Kind of hard to justify an engine that cost more than a new Mac.
I'm actually working on something bigger that I hope to share later on.
I wonder how much of the Mac can be dismantled? The deck is simply bolted on, and could be removed. Isnt most of the floation material in the upper areas of the boat? If one could get the parts apart, and reinstall new floation before reassembly...the boat could be as good as new (with a bunch of work, lifts, hoists, cleaning fluids, and helpful friends). The factory assembly of the boat makes it look quite simple...after all, the Mac consists of only a hull, hull liner, deck, and a deck liner. If the units are "bonded" together, that would be a problem.
It would be interesting....
Not sure you want to start un-bolting major components. . . The deck is bolted but an adhesive caulk is also used and if its 5200 ? For-Get That Idea ! An M might well be easier to repair than an X here as there is no liner to contend with and removal of the fabric could be easy... Graffiti remover removes anything and everything as do a lot of less harmful products . . But this X might well have self righted as expressed earlier if it was the M do to the fixed / permanent ballast . . on the New M 's
Just a thought.....a few months sitting in the hot dry desert without any rain exposure would surely kill off any mold/ mildew/ bacteria and leave the boat ready for an easy clean-up. I kill shower mildew with a heat gun, same principal, right?
