MacGregorSailors.com

Thanks Russ!

Sorry for the delay in replying..!

*waves hi from Borneo

Regarding reconditioning, I can have a bash with a file or something but that's it.

There's nothing like a prop reconditioning service here. Indeed I'm having trouble finding any prop that will fit the Honda's 13 tooth splines. Happily I found a dealer with a 'Solas' of the same kind of spec, near enough, which I'm waiting for. It's been posted I'm told.

Say hello to Little Mac:




She is still being built, a 14ft by 4ft 'Whaler' design, for fishing on the river - because right now is the start of monsoon season, so sea trips are a no-go really.

Actually, sad to say, we just lost 2 boats locally, both capsized in bad weather. The 1st one had 10 people on a relatively small boat for so many. 9 survived but the 10th did not. Later the same day we heard of another boat, with 5 on board, lost completely.

Seems every monsoon people go out in these boats that are basically open tubs and are lost. While trying to find a link for this year noticed last year:

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/ ... n-two-days

This year:
https://www.theborneopost.com/2021/10/0 ... elaga-air/

People talk of how the Mac is not a blue water boat, but frankly the ballast tank and self-righting, coupled with an enclosed cabin and self-bailing cockpit, make it vastly safer than what most of the locals use - but I don't have to use it during monsoon, so I won't.

And when I do my rule is never more than 5 on the boat, presuming at least one of them is my featherweight father in law.

Talking of the ballast, as y'all know she's an old girl, early model with the center ballast valve and a small valve at the back. Later models use a larger rear valve and no center valve.

I'm seriously considering fiberglassing over that central valve entirely, rather than risk it leaking?

I'm not sure but am thinking if that fails it could flood the boat?

I already replaced it with a new one, before it saw any water here, but already I see the replacement shows a brown rust stain under the paint I applied with optimistic hopes of preventing rust...

Thoughts? Feelings? Advice?

Drifter wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:06 amIndeed I'm having trouble finding any prop that will fit the Honda's 13 tooth splines. Happily I found a dealer with a 'Solas' of the same kind of spec, near enough, which I'm waiting for. It's been posted I'm told.

Solas made the original props, including the supercavitating style on my boat. I also have a 4-blade Solas I use for towing wakeboards and stuff.

Drifter wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:06 am People talk of how the Mac is not a blue water boat, but frankly the ballast tank and self-righting, coupled with an enclosed cabin and self-bailing cockpit, make it vastly safer than what most of the locals use - but I don't have to use it during monsoon, so I won't.

That boat, with hatch board in and cabin sliding hatch closed, and will full ballast, will take far more the people on board can take, though I wouldn’t want to put that to the test. I have, in conditions not nearly as bad as I know it can take, and it was enough. I’m presently storing a very nice iCom hand help marine VHF on the bottom of Lake Erie to prove it.

Drifter wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:06 am I'm seriously considering fiberglassing over that central valve entirely, rather than risk it leaking?

I'm not sure but am thinking if that fails it could flood the boat?

I’m not clear on how it could flood the boat. You open ballast fill/drain valve(s) until no more water comes in, then close them all. If it fails, the water get no higher than it did when flooding the ballast tank.

Drifter wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:06 am Sorry for the delay in replying..!

*waves hi from Borneo

Regarding reconditioning, I can have a bash with a file or something but that's it.

There's nothing like a prop reconditioning service here. Indeed I'm having trouble finding any prop that will fit the Honda's 13 tooth splines. Happily I found a dealer with a 'Solas' of the same kind of spec, near enough, which I'm waiting for. It's been posted I'm told.

Say hello to Little Mac:




She is still being built, a 14ft by 4ft 'Whaler' design, for fishing on the river - because right now is the start of monsoon season, so sea trips are a no-go really.

Actually, sad to say, we just lost 2 boats locally, both capsized in bad weather. The 1st one had 10 people on a relatively small boat for so many. 9 survived but the 10th did not. Later the same day we heard of another boat, with 5 on board, lost completely.

Seems every monsoon people go out in these boats that are basically open tubs and are lost. While trying to find a link for this year noticed last year:

People talk of how the Mac is not a blue water boat, but frankly the ballast tank and self-righting, coupled with an enclosed cabin and self-bailing cockpit, make it vastly safer than what most of the locals use - but I don't have to use it during monsoon, so I won't.

Thoughts? Feelings? Advice?

Yep. Us fat, spoiled Americans are so safety concerned that we worry about a self-righting boat with flotation; while in third world countries they're going to sea in scrap boats that are barely held together. We need to send them some "aid" in the form of a cargo plane full of personal injury lawyers maybe... I'm sure that would make everyone safer?

In all seriousness, it is heartbreaking to see people losing their lives that are just trying to get by.

Like Tom says, no real danger of taking on water through a leaky ballast valve. What you need to concern yourself with is loss of ballast water due to a leaky valve. Partial ballast is bad. I don't know whether motoring will produce a low pressure at the center valve in your boat. But, if it will, loss of ballast due to valve leakage would be a concern. Is there a downside to glassing it over?

In normal conditions, the ballast tank will not overflow into the cabin. By normal conditions, I mean no ballast tank punctures or cracks into the cabin, and the boat doesn't get overloaded with weight to the point that the exterior waterline lies above the air vent hole in the cabin. The next time you launch the boat, verify that the ballast tank doesn't overflow if left opened. The water should stop rising about a finger length before the vent hole.

I don't know the ballast tank layout in the older X but I see no harm in only using the fill valve in the stern and glassing over the hole in the bottom. If you can find the larger RV waste gate that the newer X uses and redrill the fiberglass, it should end up very similar to the newer versions. The smaller port that i think the older X uses should still work but will take longer to flood and evacuate the tank.

What motor is the whaler going to use? Are you going to use it as a dinghy with the Mac?

Where I live on the south shore of lake erie, the worst of our weather is in winter and consists of ice storms or white out snow storms and frigid temperatures. I've never experienced monsoon season. What exactly does that entail? I'm assuming unexpected high wind, heavy rain, etc. but how high is the wind? How heavy is the rain? How unexpected are the storms?

I had wondered about some of the comments. I understood that under normal conditions, the safety valuve/2nd valve isn't really an issue.

svscott wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 3:59 pm In normal conditions, the ballast tank will not overflow into the cabin.

By design MacGregor placed the internal (cabin) valve and vent penetrations ABOVE the filled ballast external boat water line.

So when the mid valve is actuated or the vent plug removed water can ONLY fill the ballast tank to a PREDETERMINED level and no more.

So NO you cannot flood the interior of the cabin.

This only allies to a vessel that has not been grossly overloaded.

The mid valve arrangement works reasonably well as does the existing vent. If the ballast fill valve is left in the open condition you could conceivably ram water slightly into the ballsy tank but just a minor leak would have little to no effect. Similarly with the ballast vent.

In all seriousness, it is heartbreaking to see people losing their lives that are just trying to get by.

I believe the 5 lost were local fishermen making a living. The 10 people crammed on a small boat were actually tourists from West Malaysia. The skipper should have known better than to take so many on such a small, open boat, but it's quite common here. It's one of the reasons I have my own boat rather than just renting, because if go on a rented boat there are usually a lot of people, with lots of yelling, laughing, drinking etc.

Great fun but not really my cup of tea, or my idea of peaceful fishing, and as seen, potentially dangerous too.

Regarding the middle valve thing, one update i haven't mentioned... I am planning on parking the boat at my local boat club, sitting on the mud/water, depending on the state of the tide.

I have used that club to park a boat before, my very 1st boat. It was very inconvenient in that only the highest of high tides allows the boat to actually float, and it's about 8 miles from the sea, so a lot of fuel and time wasted before you even get started on a sea-fishing trip. I also found the boat was always full of leaves, black widow spiders and twice a snake...

So for my 2nd boat I parked it at a different boat club, less than a mile from the sea and out of the water in a shed. That meant launching it each time but was OK... sort of.. but issues like too far to drive on a whim to check, invariably the owner turned the power and water off and was nowhere to be found when he was needed (and never answered the phone). It also started getting expensive, then the roof leaked and damaged my canopy (water on one side but not the other, bent it badly), then heard of others having stuff stolen from their boats..

In the end I built a boat porch beside my house, with an extra drive and gate, and parked that boat at home. The Macgregor is now in that spot - but I am now going full-circle and going to park it at the local boat club again.

Yes, it's mud most of the time - but the Mac has a flat bottom and will be happy enough to sit on the mud. Yes it needs a high tide to float - but the Mac only needs 1" of water, which increases the times it can be used. Yes it's a long way from the sea - but I intend using it for overnight trips so an extra couple of hours there and back makes little difference.

And when it comes into rainy season, like it is now, I can bring her home on the trailer and give some love and attention. Win-win, right?

But this does mean during the dry season she's going to be sitting on salty mud, so I'll have no option to even inspect let alone replace the valve if (when) it goes rusty.

Well later models don't even have that valve, right? So I guess it won't do any real harm to cover it over.

I think I've talked myself into it

MacGregor placed the internal (cabin) valve and vent penetrations ABOVE the filled ballast external boat water line.

That's generally my impression yes, but I'm sure I recall seeing something in the manual about being sure to close it before flooding the boat, which would suggest it's possible. Lemme find the manual... OK, it says to make sure it's closed when leaning or in choppy water, else could spill into the cabin.

Thing is, if that valve goes it goes completely, because the weld between the rod and the plate rusts and breaks, so suddenly there is no valve at all. And nothing you can do about it from inside the boat, even if you are aware of it.

If it were a case of it might go rusty after 10 years or so then sure, but I've literally only used this boat 2x and already I see rust marks coming through the paint. And again, if bringing her home every time and can check underneath to see the condition is not so bad, but in salty mud for the whole season..?

It's got to go I think.

Next question - my steering binnacle, steering thingy, seems a bit.. flexible?

I can move it around a bit, with a good push or pull. Is this normal or a sign it needs some reinforcing or repair?

Drifter said:

if that valve goes it goes completely, because the weld between the rod and the plate rusts and breaks, so suddenly there is no valve at all. And nothing you can do about it from inside the boat, even if you are aware of it.

https://flexsealproducts.com/products/flex-tape

Who knows; in an emergency, it just might save the day Not doing anything, is a self fulfilling prophesy.

Drifter,
I look forward to your news and tales. Thanks for sharing and asking questions.
While I know exactly what you meant, let me have fun and jokingly ask you to send a video of your Mac floating in 1" of water.
<grin>
Opie

(ps - I may have you beat..... I sometimes tell folks my Mac can sail on wet grass.)

Drifter wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 2:49 am I also found the boat was always full of leaves, black widow spiders and twice a snake...

This would be the last time my admiral would go on the boat.

Russ wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:07 am

Drifter wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 2:49 am I also found the boat was always full of leaves, black widow spiders and twice a snake...

This would be the last time my admiral would go on the boat.

Same here. Even a daddy long legs would invoke a song and dance musical number.

Well that was a little open boat, with no way of closing the cabin.

In a rather silly 'pimp my ride' moment decided to line the cabin roof with fake red fur - was very dashing - to reduce the sun's heat from radiating through.

Seems 'redbacks' and black windows just LOVE fake red fur? Also seems if you don't seal around the edges properly, small but nasty-looking black snakes enjoy the very warmth I was seeking to block, and wriggle in-between the fur and the roof. Then, while you're anchored up 50 yards from land, they poke their heads out, wondering why the boat is moving around.

Worse, they then try to get away from the moving boat, going all over the place looking for an exit, and there isn't one...

(First time I managed to scoop it up and drop it into the live bait-well. 2nd time my father in law caught one in the landing net, and threw both the snake and my landing net overboard. I didn't mind a bit.)

The Big Mac has closing hatches, so hopefully there will be a lot less wildlife this time around!

Somehow I entirely missed Scott's questions, sorry about that:

" If you can find the larger RV waste gate that the newer X uses and redrill the fiberglass, it should end up very similar to the newer versions"

Yes... drilling a bit hole is scary though. I did actually buy a new gate, same size as the original, but it's glassed in place as well as the screws, and functions OK (I think) so have greased it with Vaseline and left it alone. There is a square area around it, so might need a bit more than just drilling for a bigger one?

What motor is the whaler going to use? Are you going to use it as a dinghy with the Mac?

I have 3 little motors for it, if including the 60lb electric trolling motor I recently got (which arrived broken, but I think I've salvaged it). A 3.3 Mercury, with no neutral (and a tendency to clog the carb if you don't let it run out of fuel at the end of the day), and a Tohatsu 9.8. Both are 2-strokes.

I've been trying to get hold of a long-shaft 4 stroke but no joy so far.

Nope, it won't be a dinghy; this is to keep me on the water while the Mac is tucked at home. I'm still hankering after a 'nesting' dinghy, or a very small RIB. I have found a company a few hours away that can fill an inflatable with some kind of foam? Turning it into an unsinkable puncture-proof sort of thing, that sounds pretty ideal.

I've never experienced monsoon season. What exactly does that entail? I'm assuming unexpected high wind, heavy rain, etc. but how high is the wind? How heavy is the rain? How unexpected are the storms?

Here it is quite common to get a thunderstorm in the afternoon, usually a small, short one, or to hear one nearby. The heat and humidity does it, and even when it rains it remains warm, so you just get a warm shower.

Monsoon means such a storm pretty much every day, bigger, longer-lasting, maybe at night or any time, sometimes the rain will continue for a few days without a break, leading to flooding here and there (happily I live on a hill).

I cannot really say just how bad it gets out at sea, as I've heard it's bad and so have never ventured to sea during the rainy season. My understanding is much of the danger comes from the way the weather can change very fast, and can change between you and the land. All i can say is it creates waves high and choppy enough to capsize boats on a regular basis, but most are open 'sampan' designs.

It occurs to me I haven't told you guys about my adventures with Spirit of Bapa?

Spirit of Bapa is the leaky boat belonging to my father in law, which I bought from him as he wanted some money, so now it's MY leaky boat.

You may recall the 1st trip...?

Drifter wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 7:38 am
Spirit of Bapa is the leaky boat belonging to my father in law, which I bought from him as he wanted some money, so now it's MY leaky boat.

You may recall the 1st trip...?

The one you welded together? Wear PFD with that one.

The Mac has plenty of gaps for critters to get into. With those kinds of pests, I would find ways to seal them all up.

Just a thought….

You seem to like fiddling with stuff and making things.

If you were to make a plastic or fiberglass replacement disc and shaft assembly for your ballast fill valve???

It wouldn’t rust and it should be capable of accomplishing what you want….

Just a thought…..

Russ is right! There are all sorts of access points on a Mac for the creepy crawler slithering to get in and even more places inside for them to hide.

Moth balls in a vented container in the various hideouts should help keep the critters and snakes at bay.

Regards,
Over Easy