MacGregorSailors.com

Winter can be a long time here in Ohio with a mix of good and bad weather. I have a heavy duty tarp on my boat that has access thru the stern so interior projects are doable.

Planning for a new motor well drain pipe
New rubrail around front hatch and companionway to cover the painted glass
Thinking of putting some vinyl thatch on the inside of the companionway hatch.
Add some washers to the cockpit ladder so it will swing up completely and stay up.
Make a roller furler support out of 4ft pvc pipe so I can leave it attached during the summer trips between destinations.

Early spring...
Pressure wash. Wax. Touch up barrier coat w rustoleum ablative.


What else do you have planned?

I can't believe you. Your boat is perfect, like mine! Why would I do ANYTHING to it? It's perfect

Except this:

Next Maintenance:
1. SailKote Mast (again)
2. Tie up wires above water line

----------Remaining Spring Startup List
1. Verify outer shrouds are properly aligned and not twisted at mast head
2. Fix Safety Lines -- I think this is done, needed a zip tie?
3. Investigate block at top of mast

----------Planned Spring Maintenance
1. Change Fuel Filter
2. Home Depot for PVC to Create new mast crutch: https://bit.ly/3BqqC54
3. Replace Bimini Straps (have purchased them and are in the boat)
4. Foam Blocks to stabilize batteries in well.
5. Replace Windows
6. Inspect Steering Linkage

----------FUTURE Short Term
- Test fit quick pin to shroud connectors
- Electrical System Upgrade
- Replace bolts for spreaders with clips (may already have the clips)
- Acquire Spare fuel line and possibly replace if chunks found in filter
- Repair mast head light electrical connection to deck
- Possibly glue in a nut and replace with a bolt to hold up the wood under the daggerboard trunk
- Replace Mirror in passageway outside head (acrylic mirror, just need the size)
- Possibly furler cradle
- Route lines through mast clasp

----------Write-Ups----------

- - - MOELLER GAS CAN FIXES
1. Honda PBT G30

- - - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM UPGRADE
- Bought: https://bit.ly/3yKAwx0
- Measure and Mount Switch and ACR onto plexiglass?
- Replace Perko switch with new switch and battery ACR
- Check Distribution Panel to review wiring
- Add the solar controller next to distribution panel for battery % reporting.
- Route 12V plug to distribution panel
- Verify fusing is sufficient
- References:
- https://tinyurl.com/4we657cs
- https://tinyurl.com/4fbzuzf3
- 12V AWG Reference: https://tinyurl.com/muduzhab

----------FUTURE Medium Term
- LED Bulb replacement
- Fuel Water Separator
- Consider head hinge replacement to allow for full opening/shutting
- Investigate new carpets

----------FUTURE Long Term
- Measure out life lines and take to West Marine to get new life line measured out and created (Pelican hooks are interchangeable)
- Investigate Bimini adjustment or replacement to accommodate boom and stern rail seats
- Storage Ventilation: https://bit.ly/3uX5FfB
- Daggerboard trunk carpet replacement

Allllllthoooough... Some of that will happen in the Spring when it's warmer out. In the winter I just come here to talk to you guys

pitchpolehobie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:58 pm Winter can be a long time here in Ohio with a mix of good and bad weather. I have a heavy duty tarp on my boat that has access thru the stern so interior projects are doable.

Planning for a new motor well drain pipe
New rubrail around front hatch and companionway to cover the painted glass
Thinking of putting some vinyl thatch on the inside of the companionway hatch.
Add some washers to the cockpit ladder so it will swing up completely and stay up.
Make a roller furler support out of 4ft pvc pipe so I can leave it attached during the summer trips between destinations.

Early spring...
Pressure wash. Wax. Touch up barrier coat w rustoleum ablative.


What else do you have planned?

Interesting topic, I always like to hear what others are doing.

P.P.H.: for the ladder mod, are you talking about the companionway ladder? On our 26X (2002) it's easy to adjust the nylock bolts that hold the ladder to the brackets to get the perfect friction so that it stays up by itself. I agree the inside of the hatches are ugly; on B.H. I repainted them with high-gloss marine paint and that helped a lot. I've also thought about the PVC pipe support for the furler, but after 14 years of trailering all over the place with the furler snaked across the cabin top and just propped up against the mast pulpit, taped in place and overhanging by 3 feet, I don't worry about the overhang anymore. I eventually broke the original furler extrusion, but not where it overhangs, and not during transport.

The big winter mod for me is to change the steering gear. I bought the upgrade kit from BWYachts, and will install it more towards the spring. It requires repositioning the wheel, so that means also repositioning the autopilot gear and re-fiberglassing the old hole. It's a big job and I want to be warmish and have light before I start on that.

I added two LED light fixtures from BWYachts as well, and they do a fantastic job of brightening up the cabin. Surprisingly, the wiring was super-simple; I just tapped into the existing circuit at the light over the table and slid the wires through the existing runs and hole caps. Not worried about the additional amps in the wires since all the lights are now low-amp LEDs.

I'm planning to slowly add critical things for our planned 2025 Bahamas trip. We'll see if that comes true. Mods will include:
-An aft solar arch/davit system that gets my solar off the bimini fabric, and will possibly use a rigid 350W panel
-Rework on all the factory thru-hulls; either re-plumbing or possibly fully replacing with real marine thru-hulls
-add an overboard discharge system to the toilet holding tanks. I know this is illegal to have on board in Ontario, so the system will have to include some way of quickly and semi-permanently disconnecting it.
-Add a fuel filter system and tank-switching hardware
-Playing with the idea of adding a small watermaker like the Katadyn Powersurvivor 40E. If we are going to be in the Bahamas I feel like the constant search for drinkable water is going to take over our daily thought process. It's not cheap (best price found so far is $5,200 CDN) but then again, as an investment in an EPIC life-adventure for my son(s), I'd rather spend money on life experiences with them than leave it to their inheritance.
-Going to need a better dinghy
-Going to need AIS receiver; looking at the Raymarine Ray70 to add to my Raymarine network.
-Going to need actual refrigeration. On CyberMonday I bought a real compressorized portable fridge/freezer on sale for $199 CDN. An unbeatable price if it's not a total piece of junk. I'll use it for our summer travels before deciding if I want to rely on it or something like it in the Bahamas. It can make ice, which can then be transferred to the main cooler if needed. Not sure what to do about heat rejection requirements, but I'll deal with that when I figure out how to install it.

Link to the compressorized fridge/cooler that I bought. I don't have high expectations but the reviews were very good and some of them even seemed to be legit reviews.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08TMF6NFK?ref ... tails&th=1

A recently completed addition to my sail arsenal is a drifter and homemade dousing sock. Both perform extraordinarily well - so well that even my wife is impressed! Once I get a proper set of photos and videos together I will post the results.

Figuring prominently in my planned winter mods are objects I plan to create with my early Christmas gift - my Ender 3 V3 SE 3D printer. For those contemplating a budget-friendly 3D printer, I can recommend this one without reservation. I have found it quite affordable (under $200) easy to operate and compatible with the standard PLA, PETG, and TPU filaments.

Things I plan to print:
Boat hook and whisker pole holders
Wine glass and improved drink can holders compatible with my hang-over-a-screw system
Collar for my drifter dousing sock
Sheet guides for my modified jib sheet swivel cleats

If I had had it before a friend made the wedges for my winches, I could have used it for that. More items to come, for sure!

Brewing in the back of my mind is a way to provide water to the little pump faucet that will be easier than the jug under the galley area. I'm thinking some kind of flat container that could mount inside the head enclosure.

Starscream wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 4:18 am
Link to the compressorized fridge/cooler that I bought. I don't have high expectations but the reviews were very good and some of them even seemed to be legit reviews.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08TMF6NFK?ref ... tails&th=1

The size of that cooler seems a bit small. It looks to be well insulated and should work well. It has an app. I wonder what you can do with that. I put my cooler on a 12v WiFi switch so I can turn it on before I head for the boat
I have a 48q Edgestar that seems about right, although it does take up a lot of space on the boat.


This one looks similar to what I have. Edgestar doesn't seem to be making them anymore. Wow, the price is amazing.



BTW, you can use this tool to verify real reviews

https://reviewmeta.com/

Starscream wrote:

Interesting topic, I always like to hear what others are doing.

Me too, but as a septuagenarian, I don’t desire to work on the boat in the winter.

As I write this, I’m in warm Phoenix’s airport waiting for a flight back to Cold Philly. I like the cold; I just don’t want to work in it anymore.

My sled.

Stickinthemud57 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 8:27 am A recently completed addition to my sail arsenal is a drifter and homemade dousing sock. Both perform extraordinarily well - so well that even my wife is impressed! Once I get a proper set of photos and videos together I will post the results.

Figuring prominently in my planned winter mods are objects I plan to create with my early Christmas gift - my Ender 3 V3 SE 3D printer. For those contemplating a budget-friendly 3D printer, I can recommend this one without reservation. I have found it quite affordable (under $200) easy to operate and compatible with the standard PLA, PETG, and TPU filaments.

Things I plan to print:
Boat hook and whisker pole holders
Wine glass and improved drink can holders compatible with my hang-over-a-screw system
Collar for my drifter dousing sock
Sheet guides for my modified jib sheet swivel cleats

If I had had it before a friend made the wedges for my winches, I could have used it for that. More items to come, for sure!

Brewing in the back of my mind is a way to provide water to the little pump faucet that will be easier than the jug under the galley area. I'm thinking some kind of flat container that could mount inside the head enclosure.

What softwaee do u use to design the 3d printer files?

pitchpolehobie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 5:53 pm

Stickinthemud57 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 8:27 am A recently completed addition to my sail arsenal is a drifter and homemade dousing sock. Both perform extraordinarily well - so well that even my wife is impressed! Once I get a proper set of photos and videos together I will post the results.

Figuring prominently in my planned winter mods are objects I plan to create with my early Christmas gift - my Ender 3 V3 SE 3D printer. For those contemplating a budget-friendly 3D printer, I can recommend this one without reservation. I have found it quite affordable (under $200) easy to operate and compatible with the standard PLA, PETG, and TPU filaments.

Things I plan to print:
Boat hook and whisker pole holders
Wine glass and improved drink can holders compatible with my hang-over-a-screw system
Collar for my drifter dousing sock
Sheet guides for my modified jib sheet swivel cleats

If I had had it before a friend made the wedges for my winches, I could have used it for that. More items to come, for sure!

Brewing in the back of my mind is a way to provide water to the little pump faucet that will be easier than the jug under the galley area. I'm thinking some kind of flat container that could mount inside the head enclosure.

What softwaee do u use to design the 3d printer files?

Fushion 360. It's I guess what you call a "cloud" program which requires internet access. Free, but limited to 10 projects. You can save stuff to your computer though and upload it later so that's not a big impediment to the casual user. Lots of tutorials on YouTube, and pretty good help within the program. I used to use Sketchup when I did homebuilding and general contracting, but Fusion 360 lends itself to the job of creating small to medium parts far better than Sketchup, IMO. Also, you can order a print from within the program.

Starscream,
I bought this (similar) cooler https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VH ... UTF8&psc=1 earlier this year. I've not had any issues with it so far. I've used it a few times, once for over a week. It sure is nice having cold drinks and non-canned dinners!

Just in case you didn't know: the Ray 70 is "retired". That does not mean you should not install it if that's what you want. I have a very old ICOM and an even older Standard Horizon that do everything I want and have never failed me. Just making sure you know.

I would strongly suggest that you install an AIS transmitter and not just a receiver. It's just as important that the other boats see you as it is for you to see them. There's not that much difference in the price.

Good luck,
Bill

Being a fall/winter/spring sailor here in Florida, my project is to replace my Genoa with the working jib and bend on my mainsail. Hopefully the bats will leave my mainsail and its cover alone this year, and I can sail the boat like a regular sailboat rather than Genoa only sailing.

Russ wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 9:01 am
The size of that cooler seems a bit small. It looks to be well insulated and should work well. It has an app. I wonder what you can do with that.

Yes, it's not huge on the inside (just got it last night). But it looks well made despite the horribly translated English labelling, and for $200 cdn what can I say? The same supplier makes bigger ones for not much more $, but for us this one seemed right. Plus, it's a good size for day trips in the truck without the boat. With the EV, we can leave the new "fridge" running in the truck 24/7. I should probably post an update on the EV...I know there are a lot of haters but it's been an absolute blast.

The idea isn't to use it as our main cooler on the boat. We always travel with two coolers anyway; we have a big, well insulated Igloo cooler that fits under the dinette seat for the main cooler and we bring a second one for the stuff that we'll consume quickly, or doesn't necessarily have to stay cold in the long term. With this one being our second cooler we have new options. I'd love it if it could just be used as an ice-maker to keep our main cooler stocked, as that would eliminate our hunt for ice on trips. The main cooler can keep ice for between 3 and 4 days in our summer, but once we have to start adding ice from marinas it doesn't do as well, needing to be replenished every other day or so. I always start the trip with a well-frozen gallon-jug of water in the cooler, plus all the cubes on top, which is why the first 3 days are fine.

B.Free.. thanks for the advice on the Ray70. I do like the idea of a transmitter/receiver and will look into that. I liked the Ray70 partly for the seamless look with my other electronics, partly for its 2nd station mic option, and partly for seamless integration with the SeaTalk network.

Herschel wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 9:05 pm Being a fall/winter/spring sailor here in Florida, my project is to replace my Genoa with the working jib and bend on my mainsail. Hopefully the bats will leave my mainsail and its cover alone this year, and I can sail the boat like a regular sailboat rather than Genoa only sailing.

I'll (tentatively) be down your way for a few days next week. Let me know if you need a hand.

Be Free wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 6:55 am

Herschel wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 9:05 pm Being a fall/winter/spring sailor here in Florida, my project is to replace my Genoa with the working jib and bend on my mainsail. Hopefully the bats will leave my mainsail and its cover alone this year, and I can sail the boat like a regular sailboat rather than Genoa only sailing.

I'll (tentatively) be down your way for a few days next week. Let me know if you need a hand.

That would be great. I don't change headsails very often. A second pair of eyes/hands would be helpful. Wednesday - Friday afternoon next week best for me. Text/call for coordination. thanks.

My list this year includes:
1. New 12V cooler. I bought the Mossimo one from Costco, but it died after 3 years. I'd like the Dometic, but $$
2. New standing rigging. I'm pretty sure mine is original. It looks OK, but ...
3. New lifelines. The plastic coating is all cracked.

Not too much this year

Jeff