Cabin Ladder

[They Theirs]

Amazing...Bill was correct!

Moe wrote:
I find it amusing she's strategically placed in the 26M pictures to hide the ice chest cut-out in the berth cushion.

[Divecoz]

I find it amusing she's strategically placed in the 26M pictures to hide the ice chest cut-out in the berth cushion.

So for what need or reason would there be? It did show a bit of the dinnette and maybe its the young ladies strong side but I doubt there is a need to "hide" anything .. .

[Moe]

Hi Richard. How's the built-in ice chest project coming along?

--
Moe

[Terry]

I do think the problem can be solved though, and Roger probably already knows how, but it cost too much to implement.

I believe the problem was already solved with the early '03-'04 models that had the galley between the dagger board and starboard hull. When Roger caved in to the whines of the dinette feature he moved the galley and seat to block access aft. I have the '03 model and even though I have the dinette tables for mounting I rarely if ever eat down there so they never get used, we always eat in the cockpit so I will be getting a dinette installed out there. I have spoken with a few other M owners and they say the same thing, that they do not use the dinette but instead the cockpit so some are modifying the dinette to make the table smaller or half fold down.
On another note I noticed a hump under the bottom ladder rung in a few of TT's pics, I believe this is the new location of the battery. I do not have this hump and the space below is empty while the battery is mounted way aft beside the rudder assembly (not the most accessible position). I put a rubbermaid box in the little hold under the ladder where I store my sailing equipment i.e. winch handle, jib - genoa blocks air horn etc.
The main upside to not having a battery there is that it is easily the most ideal spot for placement of a fluxgate compass for autohelm. I installed mine inside and below facing aft from the ladder bolts. I mounted it on a small wood block cut on an angle to compensate for the ladder angle thereby making it perpendicular to the water. It will never get damaged there and it easily falls within 1/3 - 1/2 the lenght of the waterline as per the instructions, it is exactly amidships and as close to the waterline as one is likely to get. At first I was going to mount it at the foot of the ladder with a thermostat cage over it so that no one would step on it but then I decided to just mount it on the other side.

[Moe]

Couldn't '05-later (or was it '04 for the battery box) owners mount the fluxgate compass on the aft side of the battery box under the berth?

[Divecoz]

Hi Richard. How's the built-in ice chest project coming along?

--
Moe

I have done very little to the Wind Wine & Song this summer . No Ice chest no dive ladder / platform. But we have been sailing just about every weekend and staying over night when ever time allows.
Mods just seem to take a back seat to actually sailing her this summer

[Moe]

Good idea. Just an opinion, but I think everyone should just use the boat for a season before actually embarking on mods. Those that seem like a good idea at purchase time often turn out to be not needed, or superseded by even better ideas.

[Divecoz]

As for the dinette? I wonder if its a difference in who, or how many are sailing/eating ? Audrey and I use the table a lot, we eat most the meals we have on the boat, down there.
Ah. . .but there is most often just the two of us, and we tend to eat a late dinner. There is BTW plenty of room for Plates, a vase of Fowers, Food Glasses a Bottle of Wine or two .
IMHO that is why its sooooooo important to look and see and sit and look some more before you buy. Yes the aft berth could use some changes in both boats . Could we fit the 38 ft SeaRay's forward berth on the Mac ? I would like that even better. But alas there will always be trade off's when trying to reduce size and cost.
Now if you really need to get that ladder out of the way. Install a compression post on the port side. Run a couple angle "irons" across the top and part of the bottom and drill and cut your ladder to be able to swing up or over or. . . . a million in one options depending on what suits you . .to a Tee

[edurbin]

Hey Simon.
That ladder is load bearing. I had mine out to install the rear shelf and got a bit of a surprise when it came time to put the ladder back in. It did go back in, but it definitely carries some load, more so with a cockpit full of people.

Catch up with you in a couple of weeks at Lake Maqu.

Craig

[scott vos]

Rockman,
I purchased two new stringers from the factory, moved over the fixed stringer on the port side (to maintain the structural integerity) and then hing mounted the second set of stringers to the fixed ones and with larger treads. It works great. I posted 1 picture to the mod page but have many more if you want me to email them to you
scottvos at aol. comm

scott

[They Theirs]

Scott Vos Ladder Change