[sailingdog]

Dan-

The boat should have a HIN or Hull Identification Number on the starboard side of the transom. If you write that down, and call MacGregor, they can tell you exactly what model boat it is, since the model of the boat is included in the HIN.

Which specific model boat it is will change what specific weaknesses/problem areas that it will have.

I'd recommend you read the Boat Inspection Trip Tips Thread I started. I'd also recommend you read the POST in my signature. Welcome to the Asylum...

SD

 

[sailingdog]

Dan-

Glad to help... didn't violate anything AFAICT, but just did want to mention you should read it... it does have a lot of helpful information, including how to use Google to search sailnet's forums, since the forum's own search feature is less than useful a lot of the time.

Is there anyone there you can call to get the HIN number. That would allow you to do more, model-specific, research before going to see the boat. IIRC, several of them have a centerboard or swing keel, so it can be a PITA to tell the models apart. BTW, it is either a Macgregor M-26C, 26S, or 26X. Are you certain it has a water ballast system?

IIRC, the 26C and 26S are more traditional sailboats, and the 26X and 26M are powersailers-power boat/sailboat hybrids. Don't believe the 26C or 26S have water ballast, but I could be wrong. BTW, the 26 models didn't start until 1987 according to this website...so it may not be a Macgregor 26, but a Macgregor 25..

Good luck, and if you need anything else, just holler.

 

[sailingdog]

HINs were required after 1972... one is located on the starboard transom, a second is somewhere else on the boat, usually in a locker or such.

 

[sailingdog]

Dan—

First, it's called a HIN, not HID... Second, go to the Song Thread and post two times so you can post the photos... or reply twice to this thread. BTW, you can't PM back until you have ten posts.

 

[sailingdog]

I think that may be a 26s... since it looks like it might have a poptop.

 

[sailingdog]

The low cabin top and the big square on the cabintop where the sliding hatch is located are both pretty good indicators, IMHO, that she's a 26s. The cabin ain't tall enough to be an X. Could be a 26C, but don't know the headroom in that boat... so don't know how tall the cabin was.

 

[sailingdog]

HS makes some good points... However, I'd add that many towns and the state have loosened laws regarding "abandoned" boats, to make it easier for marinas and such to take title of boats that were originally stored with consent, but have exceeded those terms.

A boat that was a paying customer's is only given consent as long as the person has paid his bills AFAIK. If the marina/boatyard can't contact the owner, there is a timeframe in which the boat will sit in limbo, but after that time, the boat will be considered abandoned. In any case, if the owner doesn't respond in a timely fashion and owes storage fees on the boat, the marina/boatyard generally has the right to sell the boat to collect said fees.

BTW, Dan, if since you're in Massachusetts, if you want company when you go to look at the boat, let me know... at least if it is in eastern Massachusetts.

 

[sailingdog]

Dan—

I'd highly recommend you pick up a copy of Dave Seidman's The Complete Sailor. It's an excellent book for sailors of all levels, and covers a wide range of sailing terminology, theory, history and technique without being overwhelming. It is the book I generally give to new crew on my boat to read. About $15 at your local big book store chain.

Most sailboats don't have an after deck, since the cockpit is there, just aft of the cabin. The cabintop is the section that you walk on between the sidedecks and forward of the cockpit. This usually slopes down to meet the foredeck, just forward of the mast.

The foredeck is the forward portion of the deck that is usually used for handling the headsails, ground tackle, etc. It is often were the anchor locker is located. Often a hatch in the foredeck area, or just aft of the foredeck will allow you to drop headsails or spinnakers down into the v-berth for stowage.

 

[sailingdog]

IIRC, there were one or two that were prototype boats that had fixed keels. IIRC< the were made as a joint venture with MacGregor and someone else, just to see how well they could get a Mac 26 hull to perform.

hi sailingdog , you ever see a mac 26 with a fixed keel??? all the mac's i've seen all had swing keel or water balasted?? Tried to send picture of boat but no can do ?????????? Iam an idot when it comes to computer stuff

 

[sailingdog]

OK, I think I have a better understanding of what I'm missing in regards to standing the mast, which seems to be one of the first things I need to figure out.
I have a headstay (which also seems to be designed to hold the jib?) and a backstay, as well as shrouds (cables, in this case) that come from a short distance up the mast to chain plates mounted a couple feet to each side of the base of the mast on the cabintop. They can be seen in this pic.

Yes, those would be the lower shrouds, however you are missing the cap shrouds.

I appear to be in need of the shrouds that would come from the top of the mast to the spreaders and then down to the deck. I believe those spreaders would attach to the brackets shown in this photo? Can these be line, or will I have to have them made from cable?

The Cap shrouds really should be made of 1x19 stainless steel. Riggingonly.com or another good rigging shop can make them up for fairly little money. I'd highly recommend replacing them all at the same time.

Does it make sense the spreaders would be mounted to the mast toward the top, but not right at the top, instead at the same location the headstay mounts? Here's a picture showing where I expect the main sidestays would attach to the mast.

Spreaders never mount at the same point where the cap shrouds terminate, since the cap shrouds have to go over the spreaders as they go down to meet the chain plates.

Also, the spreaders do not seem as secure to the mast as I'd expect them to be. This could be the result of damage, or the way they are designed. Either way, they have play to pivot fore and aft. Below is a picture showing the spreaders attached to the mast. Also, there are brackets there that seem like they could be attachment points for more stays. Any ideas?

I get the feeling that the spreader bracket is turned 90˚ from what it should be. Spreaders generally don't have to pivot fore-and-aft, but up-and-down. The spreaders should ideally bisect the angle the cap shroud forms with itself, so that the shroud doesn't put any torsional forces on the spreader, merely compression. There may be additional shrouds, especially if the mast has more than one set of spreaders.

The part of the spreader where the stay would pass through is also broken. It looks like it could be replaced independently of the spreader itself, and may lend a clue to the more experienced eye if the stay that is intended to pass through it should be line or cable.

And for my last picture-question of this post, I have 2 pulleys (blocks?) at the top of the mast. Would I be correct in assuming one is for the mainsail and the other for the jib?

I think one of those is for the topping lift and the other for the mainsail. I think the Mac 25 is a fractional rig and the jib halyard comes out a bit further down the mast. Both of those blocks are on the aft side of the mast, so neither would make much sense for a jib halyard.

Again, thanks so much for the help. I feel like I'm making real progress already!

Disclaimer: The tarp is only lying over the mast like that to keep rain out of the cabin for now, I'll be building a wooden frame over the boat before any snow hits, to keep the weight of the snow from bending the spreaders, among other things.

Thanks again,

Dan

 

[sailingdog]

good point...

If the top picture is one of the chainplates, you may well find that you need the cap shrouds running masthead-spreader tip-chainplate; another set of intermediate shrouds running from the spreader bases to the other hole in the chainplates; and the lowers that you already have.

The big rigging suppliers sell a complete standing rigging wire set for many popular boats. You may want to compare the price for the whole set against the price for only the parts you need.

[Edit] Oh yeah. Shrouds go to the sides. Stays are for fore-and-aft support.