MacGregorSailors.com

RussMT wrote:Specs show a 24 gal fuel tank. With a 30hp diesel, that burns less than 3/4 gallon per hour that's a decent range.
Water shows 87 gallons. How much water do you need?

I agree, with the configuration, it should be easy to single hand.

The range is enough to motor to Catalina and back, which is sufficient for my near term purposes, but it is less than the MacGregor which I just thought was odd. Ultimately she is a sailboat, so sailing is how you range.

I honestly have no idea how much water we'll need yet, but I'd like to be independent for a week with five people, and I doubt 87 gallons will get anywhere close to that with showers. I'll be solving that problem with a watermaker though, since of course the point of all boats ultimately is to be able to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

I'm strongly considering doing an aft arch in SS tubing. It would be used along with the forward arch as a simple laced on tarp rather than a bimini, to support 600 watts of solar using standard panels, for dinghy davits, and as an antenna mount. Basically it'll turn a weekender into a long-range cruiser. Considering that the factory wants $7000 for the bimini, the 2nd arch will pay for itself in simply making that cheaper. We'll also put a dodger on it.

Otherwise it's pretty complete as is.

Any time any of you are in San Diego, look me up and we'll go sail! I'm willing to reschedule pretty much anything if there's an excuse to be mucking about in boats.

Matt and Bahama Bound,

A year or too ago(just after we got Whipsyjac home) a member of this board made the leap to a Gemini Catamaran. I was curious after all the congratulations and clicked on a link to see what the fuss was about...just as the admiral and crew entered the room. I barely avoided a mutiny as my girls saw the potential to have their own cabins and the admiral saw the galley and acres of deck space.

I am jealous Matt! But we're a little early in life to make such a leap ourselves, however it has quickly become our empty nest plan as separate cabins allow more comfort for family and friends.

Too bad about the impingement of the sight lines, I guess there is no perfect boat. I read the blog of a local couple who circumnavigated in a Gemini and again even with so much in its favor there are always shortcomings. Meanwhile on Whipsyjac we made our first power cruise and I'm very annoyed with the captains seat...it rubs the back of my legs if I stand and is too low to sit and keep good watch(I'm not vey tall) so it's probably coming off for the rest of the season.

Congratulations and enjoy your new yacht!

Willy

Whipsyjac wrote:Meanwhile on Whipsyjac we made our first power cruise and I'm very annoyed with the captains seat...it rubs the back of my legs if I stand and is too low to sit and keep good watch(I'm not vey tall) so it's probably coming off for the rest of the season.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll simply suggest that you put a throwable PFD cushion on the seat (two is better), and slide the companionway hatch closed. You'll be surprised how much closer to the bow your sightline of the water is with that sliding hatch closed. It's the only way I fly when using it in trawler mode. When sailing I'm usually off to one side when at the helm, so sight lines are different all the way around anyway.

mastreb wrote:

RussMT wrote:Specs show a 24 gal fuel tank. With a 30hp diesel, that burns less than 3/4 gallon per hour that's a decent range.
Water shows 87 gallons. How much water do you need?

I agree, with the configuration, it should be easy to single hand.

The range is enough to motor to Catalina and back, which is sufficient for my near term purposes, but it is less than the MacGregor which I just thought was odd. Ultimately she is a sailboat, so sailing is how you range.

I honestly have no idea how much water we'll need yet, but I'd like to be independent for a week with five people, and I doubt 87 gallons will get anywhere close to that with showers. I'll be solving that problem with a watermaker though, since of course the point of all boats ultimately is to be able to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

That boat will motor for well over 48 hours nonstop on a tank of diesel. My Mac will burn through 24 gallons in about 12 hours. You have plenty of range with that boat.

87 gallons is a lot of water. But with showers etc. you still must conserve. You are right, you will burn through it quickly if not careful.
I was in Honduras a few weeks ago and met some liveaboards on a catamaran. They were using a CruiseRO water maker. It tasted great and the manufacturer is a former Mac owner Rich Boren who is now living onboard his boat somewhere in Mexico. I'd give that a try for making more Dihydrogen Monoxide.

Please keep this thread going or make a blog of your adventures with it.

--Russ

mastreb wrote:I'm strongly considering doing an aft arch.... .for dinghy davits, and as an antenna mount.

Please don't mount the VHF on the arch. Put it on top like most sailboats. Arch is a great place for other tech, like radar,

RussMT wrote:

mastreb wrote:I'm strongly considering doing an aft arch.... .for dinghy davits, and as an antenna mount.

Please don't mount the VHF on the arch. Put it on top like most sailboats. Arch is a great place for other tech, like radar,

Yes, I was referring to the radar radome. The boat already has a topmast VHF antenna. It's a non-rotating mast that doesn't get unstepped, so all those issues are gone.

But hey--my arch mount 8' VHF on the MacGregor could receive and talk to Catalina from San Diego, so...

Whipsyjac ,we went from a 33 hunter to a 41 Morgan .Some times less is more I keep telling myself there is a reason we bought this boat .I know what its like to have a tropical storm or a hurricane bearing down on charleston and feeling helpless with no way to move the boat out of harms way .I know how unforgiving the inland waterway can be with sandbars lurking right below the surface just waiting to snag the next keel boat that draws 4 or 5 feet .I love the look on peoples faces when the etec 90 puts the boat up on plane .I LOVE the fact I can be in Charleston today and Key west tomorrow. If I had to choose between my Mac and a 40 keel boat I would take the Mac hands down .there is nothing like the ability to pull it out of the water at will .we really don't have do it yourself yards here anymore .bottom jobs have sky rocketed in cost and I don't need a diver once a month with the Mac .we do wanna take off and cruise in the fall maybe 6 months maybe a year ,who knows we will either get it out of our system or it will become a way of life .I do know sometimes less can be more .

That is a serious boat! Well Matt it looks like your going to need to spend a LOT more time in the ocean now - all the keelboat people here always do their weekend sailing between San Diego and Oceanside - we follow them down to about Torry Pines and then we turn around and come back because we can't berth the night in San Diego yet. We just don't have the time but kids go off to college in September and then we will be pulling into your bay for the night after that.

BOAT wrote:That is a serious boat! Well Matt it looks like your going to need to spend a LOT more time in the ocean now - all the keelboat people here always do their weekend sailing between San Diego and Oceanside - we follow them down to about Torry Pines and then we turn around and come back because we can't berth the night in San Diego yet. We just don't have the time but kids go off to college in September and then we will be pulling into your bay for the night after that.

Giving serious thought to Oceanside Harbor, if not immediately then within the year. It puts the rest of Socal two days closer. It's MUCH closer to the house as well.

I love San Diego bay, but I've been sailing it for twenty years now and frankly I've seen it. There's plenty of 72 hour anchorages down there and free docks we could utilize for the weekend, so the idea would be to spend a long day sailing down on Friday, Saturday in San Diego Bay, and then Sunday and maybe Monday sailing back.

I also want to do a lot more heavy seas sailing and get good at heavy weather sailing in preparation for serious cruising. San Diego bay's just not any kind of challenge weather wise, but Oceanside is often times minutes from some serious seas.

Oceanside appears to be less expensive than any of the bay marinas. Also giving some thought to Quivera Basin in Mission Bay as well as a mid-way compromise.

Mind if I crew with you whenever I miss my Mac?

Not a problem - I know someone selling a CAT 34 on B dock in a nice slip in Oceanside that would make a good location for your new boat - all you need to do is buy the CAT 34 and get rid of it.

Matt,
Congrats on the new boat.

Pedro

PS: no more excuses for drinking warm IPAs on board

What IS and IPA?? I have been drinking those every time I meet Matt and I still have no clue what IPA means or stands for!

India Pale Ale

LoL--Yep, it has a triple fuel fridge, so I guess I have no excuse

IPAs are "India Pale Ales" which were originally brewed before the advent of refrigeration specifically for the long sailing trip between Britain and India because they taste good warm. Their specified service temperature is 68 degrees, as compared to 52 for a typical lager.

Their two defining characteristics are a moderately high ABV of around 7% and super-bitter hoppiness which makes them palatable warm.

Double IPAs, also called "Imperial IPAs" or IIPAs are the same thing but higher ABV of 8% to 10%, and a Triple IPA or IIIPA is anything over 10%. These tend to be a lot more palatable because the sweetness of the alcohol moderates the bitter hops.

Session IPAs are very hoppy but low ABV (<6%) versions designed to not get you sloppy.

Pale Ales are less bitter moderate ABV versions, of which the classic "Sierra Nevada Pale Ale" is the archetype.

For those who appreciate beer onboard but have no fridge, you can't do any better than the only style of beer specifically developed to be drunk warm while sailing!

Matt