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mastreb wrote:

GaryMayo wrote:A Helm for the Mac 25. That is a little bit bigger challenge. Hope to keep the total cost for that, including lengthening the boat, at under a grand.

You can have mine if you come up with a reasonable tiller mod for the 26M

You want a tiller? On your M?

GaryMayo wrote:You want a tiller? On your M?

I'm tired of the helm taking up the entire cockpit. I come from a tiller boat and I just don't see the point of loosing the entire cockpit to a helm.

I would take you up on that if we were not so far apart.

First thing is being able to make your cockpit look normal without a helm in it. That would require a plate on the floor.

Second thing is tiller placement. Where is your preferred place to sit while you sail?

The system I want will have no feedback, and no wheel turn VIA pressure from the rudder. The wheel will stay where you leave it. That has pluses and minuses, but it is what I want to build. The Mac system to my knowledge will not do that.

The gate latch works a lot better if you lube it with ETEC XD oil btw.....

Sorry if I am repeating a previous post. I didn't read through all 6 pages, but this one is too good to pass up. I love that latch. Yes, one thing I've found after owning a sailboat awhile is keep it simple. The reason its that way is it won't fail, need maintenance, replacement, or adjustment. There are so many things on a boat to maintain, adjust, and replace, my latch is not going to be one of them. I have replaced many of the "quality " locks and door handles in my house. None on the boat.

Look at any issue of Sail magazine gazine and you'll find dozens of simple answers to similar problems where more elegant solutions abound but would cost more and need maintenance.

The PO said if you locked your boat someone would break in just to see why you locked it.

If your worried about someone coming in while you're sleeping, I have a better idea. In a book I have on old sailing stories a skipper with no crew and precious cargo would spread tacks on the deck while at anchor. A simple solution.

Spend your winter planning a mod that will help you enjoy the boat more, like a nice stainless kettle grill.


Sincerely,
Wally

Catigale wrote:The gate latch works a lot better if you lube it with ETEC XD oil btw.....

50 or 100 weight? LOL!



Gary, that is pretty impressive!
if it makes you and your wife happy, thats great!

But its still the illusion of security... and for fresh water, probably fine, but I'd not put door locks on my boat, in saltwater... those internal springs would be rusted in a year.

but it will keep honest people honest! and that's about the best you can do...

Sooooo, now what are you doing about the bow hatch? ;p

I just could not take the combo tree house / garbage cans fence look that bent into place gate latch placed on my boat. To me, it screamed out ghetto. Very cousinish to bailing wire and Iowa chrome (duct tape). It is a door. Doors should have proper locks, or no lock, IMHO.

Sooooo, now what are you doing about the bow hatch? ;p

Troublemaker.....

p***** because I didn't think of it first.....

Catigale wrote:

Sooooo, now what are you doing about the bow hatch? ;p

Troublemaker.....

p***** because I didn't think of it first.....

That hatch seems just fine. I have not run into anything else that ticks me off yet, but I will be sure to let the group know if I find anything. That rudder tiller is a thing of the past. It will most likely never hit the water again without a helm. Have yet to decide if regulator helm or reverse. Reverse I could do o so easily and it would be out of the way. Leaning in that direction the more I ponder.

GaryMayo wrote:

mastreb wrote:

GaryMayo wrote:A Helm for the Mac 25. That is a little bit bigger challenge. Hope to keep the total cost for that, including lengthening the boat, at under a grand.

You can have mine if you come up with a reasonable tiller mod for the 26M

You want a tiller? On your M?

I'm thinking a tiller coming straight up from each rudder, port and starboard, that can flip back over the transom when not in use. I tend to like to go to the windward side on a reach to counteract heel anyway, so I'd just switch sides and tillers. Problem is I have the stern rail seats and I've not figured out a good way to do it with them in the way.

Likely I'll just leave it as it is, but I've not been happy with the helm or the steering. I understand it's quite a difficult engineering problem, but I'd rather have port & starboard outboards, a single rudder, and a center tiller. Easier access through the transom, two smaller motors with built-in redundancy, cockpit opened up with no helm.

I'm not much into the power aspect, so perhaps when my ETEC gives up the ghost I'll put twin 5hp electric motors on the current rudder mounts and put a single large rudder mounted on the transom.

mastreb wrote:I'm not much into the power aspect, so perhaps when my ETEC gives up the ghost I'll put twin 5hp electric motors on the current rudder mounts and put a single large rudder mounted on the transom.

You might want to have a conversation with Duane Dunn. He was doing research on electric propulsion on his boat last year. If you read the entire topic, you can get some info from this thread:

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... er#p186199

~Rich

Not to be nit picky guys ....But..........Its a Lock Hasp .. NOT .... a Gate latch...
as for the Residential grade ( read that PP) dead bolt.. how long do you figure that will operate in a salt water environment?? Even fresh water environment at such a declination as such to trap water in the inner workings.. Having Owned a home in close proximity of the Ocean in a Tropical Climate and having worked there as well. I saw lots of issues many folks have and had...with your typical Key Locked devices..

Actually those locks look great, I certainly won't be doing that mod but they do look good not sure for long for the reasons mentioned though.
Don't know what the sliding hatch arrangement is on the 25 but if the same as the how do you propose to stop someone just breaking either the end away level with the bolts and sliding it forward or bending the hatch and springing it out of the slides, on an you could put a steel brace across to fit the latches into and it would strengthen the sliding hatch but you would have to do it both ends.
Then the only issue is someone going through the hatch and unlatching the locks from inside.

Not to be nit picky guys ....But..........Its a Lock Hasp .. NOT .... a Gate latch...

Thank you, Divecoz, for pointing that out. I've been waiting 6 pages now for someone to do that.
I didn't want to be the one to do it because I'd be jumped on for being too "technical"!
- Brian.

You are correct, it is a Hasp!

Line, Rope, Latch, Hasp. It is all so confusing.

Deadbolt!