Any news on the Tattoo 22?

[NiceAft]

Stretching a Mac would not be out of the realm of possibility. Cut the boat at the cabin ladder and add two meet to it. Have a larger cockpit.
Ix

Expensive action. If you have that sort of need, and you can afford it, it’s time for a bigger boat.

Ray

[Hamin' X]

You can stretch almost anything.



~Rich

[miamistyle]

You know people have circumnavigated in boats smaller than 22'.

I think 22' is the perfect size for a great loop boat. Think of the money we would save every time we are at a marina and they charge by the foot.

[Chinook]

Doing the loop in a 22 would be a real challenge, if 2 people were aboard. I felt we were really stretching things, using our 26X on the loop for a full year.

[miamistyle]

Did you feel that extra 4 feet was need for storage or to just be able to get further away from the person you were spending way to much time with for a year?

[NiceAft]

Did you feel that extra 4 feet was need for storage or to just be able to get further away from the person you were spending way to much time with for a year?

Whoaaaa

May I suggest you place a laughing emoji at the end of your posting.

If either Mike or Sandy respond, let them be kind.

Ray

[Chinook]

In order to prepare the boat to accomodate us as live aboards, we needed to maximize every possible scrap of stowage space. Being on the boat for that length of time, and through a wide range of weather and climate conditions, meant we had to have clothing for both very hot and very cold conditions. We brought folding bicycles for land transportation. Snorkeling gear and fishing gear takes up space. We brought extra fenders, including a large ball fender and fender boards, for use in locks (we transitted nearly 150 locks). We stowed shoes in a pocket organizer which installed under the table, against the hull. Most of the clothing routinely worn was stowed in similar pockets, installed on both sides, in the vee berth area. Unused seasonal clothes were in a duffel stowed in the king berth. That's also where the bikes went. Spare parts, repair tools, souvenirs accumulated along the way, it all takes space. That extra 4 feet come in the middle of the boat, with full beam, so it adds a significant amount of space. You might be able to stuff enough things for the trip into a 22 foot boat, but doing so would necessitate simply cramming things in. The hassle and frustration factor of needing that one item which is completely buried in the deepest, darkest place accumulates over time. Convenience and accessibility become invaluable, especially when you're trying to live aboard for so long. If and when you need to repair or replace some piece of equipment, that mass of stowed gear has to all be hauled out of the way to make room to work. I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just saying that it would be significantly more challenging. And the amount of money saved in marina charges would prove to be a poor trade off.
Regarding the personal space issue, weather, sea condition, and quality of scenery had the most impact on crew relations. A squabble is going to be unpleasant regardless of boat size. Having the boat set up for greatest comfort and convenience goes a long way toward minimizing frustrations.

[Highlander]

Did you feel that extra 4 feet was need for storage or to just be able to get further away from the person you were spending way to much time with for a year?

Whoaaaa

May I suggest you place a laughing emoji at the end of your posting.

If either Mike or Sandy respond, let them be kind.

Ray

Did ray tell u about his resolve for this situation he puts a hammock up on the Bow while sailing & say,s honey I need a look-out on the bow & at night he hands her a sleeping bag & pillow to put on the hammock & tells her it,s part of her crew dutie,s to do the night watch , while he stays in the cabin securing his stock of scotch standing by as the second front incase of an invasion of the night creatures

J

[NiceAft]

Now John, can we let this thread go back on course

Ray

[miamistyle]

Thanks for the in-depth reply about the need for storage on the loop. It is one of the first things on my bucket list.

Did you use the bikes a bunch? Did you have Uber? Did you catch and eat a bunch of fish?

Did you use a guide book or just charts? Was the need for more gas ever an issue? Did you get to sail anywhere other than the great lakes?

I know that is a bunch of questions ( 6 in all ) but It is great to know someone who has done the loop on a mac.

[Chinook]

Your questions do cover a lot. Check out the blog, early posts, for pictures of storage systems. We used the bikes maybe 10 times. Nice to have when we used them, but a big storage space commitment and a chore to get out. I'd say they were worth having along, but we could have managed without them easily enough. We used all sorts of land transport, including Uber, taxi, marina courtesy car and golf cart, light rail, bus (highway cruiser and city), trolley, subway, rental car, borrowed bikes, shoe leather and probably a few others I can't recall at the moment. You get creative, but it's really fun, and not that hard, getting around without your own car. I fished a fair amount, but getting licenses for all those states and provinces is a hassle and becomes rather expensive. Some fished without license but I find I can't enjoy fishing when I'm worried about a game warden showing up. I fished while on the Tennessee River, only caught a big old gar and some shad, nothing worth eating. Things improved in Florida. During our Gulf crossing I trolled a jig and landed a 20 lb king mackerel which was delicious. Made some new friends giving half the fish away, since we couldn't eat it fast enough, and fridge space was limited. Fished in the Bahamas as well, and caught a couple nice mahi mahi and a small yelloweye tuna, also great eating. Problem with fishing on the loop is that you spend a lot of time on the move, often with big distances to cover, and fishing takes time. You don't often get to anchor in a place where fishing is good. Coupled with the license issue and lack of local knowledge, opportunities were limited. I did spring for a flyfishing outing with a bonefish guide on Andros in the Bahamas and had a blast. I had lots of cruising guides on board. Waterways Guides for the whole loop, plus a good number of others. Very helpful in locating marinas, services, anchorages, and places of interest. I had paper charts for the whole loop, probably 2 or 3 thousand dollars worth if all bought new. You can pick up a complete set for 5 or 6 hundred by joining the American Great Loop Cruisers Association and getting on their forum. My paper charts were a real mixed bag, but I really used them a lot in planning ahead, as well as page turning in the cockpit on those long runs. Regarding fuel, there are a couple of long runs where you need good fuel capacity. One is from Hoppe's, on the Mississippi just below St. Louis, over to the Tennessee or Cumberland River. That run is about 220 miles with no on the water fuel docks available. Another long stretch is on the Tenn-Tombigbee Waterway heading down to Mobile, a run nearly as long. The Mac allowed us to take our mast with us (most large looping sailboats end up having their mast shipped by truck all the way from Chicago to Mobile) and raise it once we were clear of low bridge areas (mast down on the Illinois River as well as on the Champlain, Rideaux, and Trent-Severn waterways. We sailed or motor sailed whenever we could, including on Lake Michigan, the Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico, coastal Florida, Bahamas, ICW, Hudson River, Lake Champlain, and Georgian Bay/North Channel of Lake Huron. Motoring most of the time though, since we were going to specific destinations and couldn't afford slow speeds due to poor wind speed/angle.

[kurz]

By the way: I just talked to EU dealer that sold very much MacGregors. But also the Emexus/Odin Yachts. He sayd the concept is still the same. You can trailer it and raise the mast on your own. But as the boats got bigger and have more facilities inside they are heavier (2 times a Mac). So you need a 3.5 tonnes trailer and car to tow. So this changes in feeling a lot. And with the max 90HP OB it is like you have an MacX with 40HP OB. So they have also a version with 130HP diesel inboard. But then it gets soooo expensive he said. And of course you burn very lot of fuel.

[miamistyle]

I was feeling lucky so I went on the Tattoo web page to look for any updates.

I did not see any.

Then, I clicked on the Facebook link at the bottom, and It said I could not see this page. Has anyone else had this problem?

I hope it is down while they update something, and that this is not the beginning of the end.