Repower and Repair or Sell?

[larryd97]

Gelcoat looks better than mine.

These boats used poor gelcoat due to environmental regs, or just to save money. Unless you find a garage kept northern boat, all the M models at this point will be having similar issues though maybe not as bad. I intend to re gelcoat parts of mine. I can use the best gelcoat and paint. I keep part of the hull painted because my use case is hard on the boat, and paints easy to touch up.
If I was you, I’d hire someone to do a basic clean. Throw away anything badly moldy. Then reassess. The boat needs to be clean anyway even if you sell it, unless you don’t care at all about getting a good price.
A used main is cheap. A gps is a few hundred. Used engine maybe three grand. Cabin leaks. Seal with silicone. Everything. It’s cheap and easy and takes about a day.
When I got my boat new it had leaks. I sealed all the hardware with silicon from the outside. I live on the boat half the year in all weather. Very few leak issues. Cheap dodge? Yea. Effective. Yes. I’ve had my boat 14 years now. Leaks? Silicon.
The cheapest M I’ve seen is 6000 (in fl) and it looked beat. It probably needs what yours does. Even a 20,000 m isn’t going to be perfect.

Ix

I have yet to find a used engine of this size anywhere near $3k. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong spot?

Same thing with a used main - where do you suggest I look? I'm not new to sailing but I am new to sailboat ownership...

I don't expect perfect. I want presentable with the whistles and bells that will maximize my enjoyment (larger engine, autopilot eventually, etc.). Agreed it can be spread out over years.

One thing I want to explore is painting vs re-gel coating. Need to haul it to a couple of pro shops to get their opinion. I found one local shop that paints using a similar method as cars. Two-part spray paint that ends up with a finish similar to modern cars. I haven't seen many modern cars require paint restoration. I'll take some money but could be a long term, low maintenance solution.

[OverEasy]

Hi Larryd97!

There is what appears to be a good used mainsail in the classifieds section of the forum you may want to take a look at.

Have you looked on Facebook Market place?
I was on there not a month or so ago looking for a good simple trolling motor (before things bolixed up and went down the budgetary allowance drain). Things might have changed in the meanwhile… but I did see a couple reasonable looking 50 & 60 four strokes in the $3k-to-$5k range. You might need to drive a bit, rent a van/trailer and may need to get hold of an engine lift (Harbor Fright?) but they were out there. It can be a bit of an adventure but it how I was able to get my JD 318 front end loader and a nearly new HF backhoe when I needed them on a tight budget.

Might I suggest doing a Google search for marine engine dealers within 100 - to - 200? Miles?

There is also the option of looking at 2-strokes too which could help with the budget and availability’s.

Personally I’ve found serendipity finds me once I get working on a project doing the things I can do like getting things cleaned up and fixed up on the lower cost and elbow grease side of the To-Do-List. It what works for me … a consistent bite at a time….followed by yet another bite. Soon it just all seems to get done. Jus a suggestion…..

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[larryd97]

An update to my trade-off on this 26M.

Pondering if the ROI is worth it to haul it down to Florida and fix it up there. I don't even own a tow vehicle at the moment, though a friend with a truck is willing to help me move it. Details below.

I'm getting divorced and got laid off from my job. We just agreed on terms - she's buying me out of the house and I'm moving out. I have a condo on the intercoastal in SE Florida about 12 miles north of Fort Lauderdale, FL so lots of opportunities to enjoy it if I get it down here and get it fixed up. Lots of marine services and independents with skills around there. Storage is likely to be pricey in this region. I can't store it long term at my condo though I do have a solution for short / medium term storage with easy launch options. Would need to find a storage solution. I suspect the farther I get from the beach the cheaper that will get.

If I haul it down here I would park it and throw a tarp over it for the time being. Then, once I regroup and life settles a bit more I can tackle getting her operational again. Or I could just sell it or donate it...

[Russ]

Wow, sounds like you have lots of life changes.

What exactly is wrong with the motor? Most of these are pretty hard to ruin unless you try hard.

Towing it to Florida could be a nightmare if all the things are neglected as you say. The trailer tires are probably too old. Brakes? Trailer condition?
A long haul like that on highways could turn into a big story.

For the most part, your boat needs some TLC. It can easily be cleaned up. My main sail is original, stretched, and tearing in places. But it works and I'm not enough of a sailor to really care.

If you like boating, keep the boat. Fix it when you get time and energy. Understand what the Mac 26M is. It's a compromise boat. Great for shallow water sailing and has the largest cabin for any trailerable sailboat I've found. But that might not be your thing. If you like to motor, fish, etc. than a pure powerboat would suit you better.

For me, the ability to have those horses on the back to get me out of trouble is big. It's not a pure sailboat and as such doesn't perform well under sail. But I don't care. I'm happy to be on the water and letting the wind carry me someplace.

You have some decisions.

[OverEasy]

Hi Larryd97

Sorry to hear about the domestic turn of events and the job.
That’s tough. Even one of them is, never mind both and moving as well…
Hope things work out and settle down for you.

It sounds like you have a plan and have given things some thought.
That’s good! Sometimes in life you have to embrace change, learn from it, pivot and move on forward which it sounds like you’re doing.

Having a project can sometimes provide an outlet and focus when transitioning change.
There is something therapeutic to working on stuff with an objective in mind I’ve found.
I guess it’s the incremental problem recognition, solution planning and incremental accomplishments that helps people deal with life…

So your plan for the boat sounds reasonable.
You can just chip away at your ‘To-Do’ items once you get a bit settled.
The sails seem to still be on the classifieds section of the forum…and I noticed there is also now a spinnaker offered if that interests you.
There are a couple of engines on Facebook Marketplace up for sale… I haven’t checked Craig’s List but that’s another potential resource.
Engine size depends on what you want to do … maybe a smaller motor initially so you can motor about the marina or channels and later work up to something bigger when you want. A kicker motor has been a standard on sailboats for ages…so don’t discount it out of hand… one can readily adapt a mount plate to fit where the original engine was and with some thought one could rig something original to it so it even connects to the steering system. There is no “one best” solution to anything other than what works for you. Something between a 4-to-15 hp could work just fine and later, if you choose, be an auxiliary or trolling motor on a swing up off to the side. Just a thought…

If the gelcoat is bad off as you mentioned there is always the option to paint it… Awlgrip makes a nice self leveling paint that’s relatively easy to apply … no special stuff required. A good bleach wash a very through fresh water pressure I’m told it an acceptable surface prep if you’re interested in that option. It’s not rocket science. A bit of masking tape, a brush/roller and a bit of shade with an ‘I can do this’ approach can accomplish an amazing result.

Nothing is “perfect”…. nor does it need to be… just getting something into basic ‘usable’ shape and getting out and about using it can be really enjoyable and motivating. One of the important things is to realize about most stuff in life is that it really only matters to you. Accepting things as they are and working on gradually making things toward what you would find functional can be sorta fun and liberating on a whole host of levels.

As far as towing and stuff UHaul rents trucks and vans that can tow… both locally for getting launched/retrieved …. And for long distance. It’s a valid economical option vs the substantial expense of purchasing a reliable tow vehicle. The slight logistical aspects involved are worth it as real money in the bank vs years of loan payments in many cases for folks… to each their own.

Again, I hope you and your wife are ok and can amicably work through things for the both of you now and into the future.
I understand that this is a potentially difficult situation and very personal as well. Hang in there. You can.
Be patient with yourself….

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[larryd97]

Thanks Russ and Over Easy for the kind words and suggestions.

Russ:
The engine is toast - already thrown away. #1 cylinder was filling with water and it wasn't from the seals. Must be a crack in the block.

I agree trailering in the current condition would be dicey. Brakes are broken though I figure with a large enough truck you don't need them. I have a friend that's willing to haul it for me when and if I do it. He has a Dodge 2500 long bed with a 6L V8. I think it can handle it.

Storage in Florida would be much more expensive as well, even if stored on a trailer. It doesn't make sense to haul it down there until I have my own tow vehicle and a willingness to get the job done. I've decided the either sell it as is or park it near the house (there are a couple of small marinas with lots here and they are far from full). One spot with no services quoted me $85/mo over the phone. I can live with that for medium term storage. Since I have a few friends in the community, one of them would surely meet prospective buyer there to let them take a look if I'm not in the area.

That plan will get me through the move with minimal hassle and expense.

[larryd97]

Some of you asked that I post on the classified in this forum if I'm going to list it for sale. Well, here it is.

https://macgregorsailors.com/classified ... r-26m_i479

I have no idea what an engineless 26M is worth. I just know that I don't have the time or resources to deal with it right now. I found a place to store it close to my soon-to-be-ex home. Will put a tarp over it and sort it out in the spring or when I'm ready to roll up my sleeves.

[lelandmorris]

I just put a deposit down on a new 60HP Honda. price with controls and necessary hardware and installation about $10,000. This was the last of their pre-tariff inventory. My Evenrude was overheating and would only run about 10 minutes and quit. Salt water corroded the water passages.

Lee