Too late to ask yet too important to ignore

[361099682]

Hello Macgregor-ers out there!

After laser-ing for 3 years, I bought a 1992 Macgregor 26S, my first boat, to fulfill my lifelong dream: sailing from one dry land to another. Many checks were done (i.e. title, lien, survey, etc.) on the boat but one question I had forgotten to ask.

Rather than resting on a trailer when it is not being used, could this boat be put on the water 365 days a year and not sink?

The reason is that when I tested the water ballast by putting fresh water into it through the air vent while the boat was on its trailer, even after I sealed the air vent and valve, water was still dripping down from the valve at the bottom of the boat. My boat is just a few days away from going to its moorage slip; so any thoughts you could share are welcome!

Kenneth

[bobaefa]

I have a 1988 D which has a valve you unscrew at the bottom of companion way step. Underneath the hull of the boat is a valve that is lifted into place as you screw it in inside the boat and lowers when you unscrew it. Is you leak inside the boat by the companion way OR are you talking about the valve under the Hull of the boat. I think you mean the one on the outside under the hull. I would NOT expect that to hold water on the hard with a filled ballast. The seal should not let water inside the boat once it is closed on the inside. IF it is leaking on the inside then you need to check the seal on the inside. It is a little rubber doughnut think that you screw down and it makes a tight seal. Might drip a little if healing over.

You might want to make sure your bilge pump is working or at least check on it every week or so. My D has a deep bilge on both port and starboard and only one bilge. I rigged a bilge to pump from port into starboard bilge line and out the hull fitting. Never got all the water out but I didn't install any kind of backflow preventer etc. I would keep it at my Dad's dock on an inland lake and it might sit for two months without me checking on it.

The rub rail was a BIG cause of water getting inside. I bought some white gutter chalk at Home Depot and ran a bead all the way around the top of the rub rail. I also took 5200 and sealed around the chain plates. This was quick. It took much longer to remove deck hardware and 5200 it. The rub rail and chain plates stopped most of the water. It stopped enough so that getting the berth and other personal items wet stopped.

Welcome to the Mac world!!

Bob

[Sumner]

..........The reason is that when I tested the water ballast by putting fresh water into it through the air vent while the boat was on its trailer, even after I sealed the air vent and valve, water was still dripping down from the valve at the bottom of the boat. My boat is just a few days away from going to its moorage slip; so any thoughts you could share are welcome! Kenneth

I'll bet ours would do that also and I got new valves from BWY's. I feel what you really need to worry about is that the ones in the boat seal well. We also replace those. As long as they seal good water is not going to get into the boat from the ballast tank.

With a lightly loaded boat the water should be below the the vent hole anyway. Our boat is not lightly loaded especially when it is loaded for a 30+ day trip and sets a couple inches further in the water than when new and empty.

I .....



...used some JB weld and put a higher vent in that I plug on the water. The water now comes up into it. The seal to the left holds though and doesn't leak. Doing this should not be necessary unless the boat is loaded down like ours.

Another area to make sure is not leaking is the tube....

.

.... under the sink that the uphaul for the swing keel runs through. Ours leaked a little where the hose clamp was when we got the boat.

Personally I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving any boat on the water without a working bilge pump. I've installed one...



... on the port side and will install one on the starboard side as the water ballast tank is like a dam between the two sides. If one side were to fill then the boat might list to that side and if the only pump is on the opposite side then the outcome might not be good. We don't leave the boat on the water, so our bilge pump is mainly for use while underway if we had a problem. I did buy two auto float switches and will install them for those times we are ashore and away from the boat.

Here is a link to that mod...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-29.html

Good luck,

Sum

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[361099682]

Thank you, Sum! Your reply is very useful!

I definitely will install one or two bilge pumps with float switchs, replace the washer currently on the boat, and check other possible leaking areas mentioned in your reply, for mine will not be lightly loaded either as I am taking a month off next year for my first-time sailing from one dry land to another.

[FinallySailing]

Kenneth, welcome to the World of Mac 26S, the bestest wee pure bred trailer sailor in the world
Where are you based ? Things to consider if you'd like to keep your boat in the water all year is to have a good antifoul, unless you want to put her back onto the trailer regularly and give the hull a good scrub down. Make sure that your bilge pumps are independent from the main electrical switch. You might otherwise find a sad and wet surprise if you come back to your boat (own personal experience ).

Fair winds,

Immo

[tomchitecture]

My 1990 26s sits in the lake all season (April to October.) I am a new owner but have new bottom paint. The topside valve is above the water line so the only way the water would push on that valve is if you were WAY loaded like another mentioned. Make sure you are not taking on water from the topside. Make sure you are not storing 83teen marine batteries in the bilge, and check on her once in a while and you'll be fine. Bottom paint keeps your gelcoat from blistering. I would think twin bilge pumps ould be all the insurance policy you need if everything else is ship shape.

I have the cell numbers of the folks next to me and vice versa. That way, if there is anything wrong with someone's boat, we can contact our neighbors.

[Sumner]

My 1990 26s sits in the lake all season (April to October.) I am a new owner but have new bottom paint. ....... Bottom paint keeps your gelcoat from blistering. ...

Are you saying your boat has been barrier coated with epoxy paint and then had bottom paint applied over that?

Bottom paint used to stop growth won't protect from blistering. Sorry about being picky about this, but would hate to see someone apply a bottom paint thinking it was going to prevent blistering and then having to remove it all and fix the blisters, put on a barrier coat and then re-bottom paint, a lot of work.

Here is a link to when I barrier coated and bottom coated our boat if anyone is interested.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-39.html

Sum

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[361099682]

Hello (and thank you), Bob!

The leak was at the (outside) valve under the hull of the boat.

Where is the rub rail on a 26?

[361099682]

Hello, Immo, another Macgregor-er!

I am based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and moor my 26S at the Point Roberts Marina in WA.

Yes, for the first (this) time, I decided to hire the service centre at the marina to put on two layers of anti-fouling paint on my boat. Next time, I will do it myself. Thank you for the tips on the bilge bumps.

May I ask what happened to your 'sad and wet' experience?

[361099682]

Thank you for the tips, tomchitecture!

I like the idea of getting the phone number of my neighbour-slip...never thought of that. What do you mean by "...not storing 83teen marine batteries in the bilge..."?

[FinallySailing]

Hello, Immo, another Macgregor-er!

I am based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and moor my 26S at the Point Roberts Marina in WA.

Yes, for the first (this) time, I decided to hire the service centre at the marina to put on two layers of anti-fouling paint on my boat. Next time, I will do it myself. Thank you for the tips on the bilge bumps.

May I ask what happened to your 'sad and wet' experience?

Ahh, another Canadian Mac (my admiral is from the Maritimes)

The rub rail is the black rubbery streak between the deck and the hull. Apart from giving little protection against side impacts it does kind of seal off the junction between these two parts of the Mac 26S. My sad and wet experience happened last winter. Before moving "Rockhopper" to the West Coast of Scotland she overwintered on hard in Rutland (I used to work not far away and bought her there). I had nicely polished the boat for the winter, covered the cockpit with a big tarp. Unfortunately the tarp did not protect the boat but funnelled water into the cabin. The result was that I had water standing everywhere and the aft berth was a brown slimy and stinky mess, a mixture of rust, algae, and dirt. I've become obsessed with the subject of properly working bilge pumps ever since
I myself haven't come around anti-fouling yet, we have locally at our marina a drying out area, so can actually wash her off there if needed. I am looking into greener alternatives of antifouling, though, and would quite like to treat our boat to ultrasound antifouling. Unfortunately it is still quite dear. Something on the wishlist ....

[tomchitecture]

What do you mean by "...not storing 83teen marine batteries in the bilge..."?

Sorry, if you store a lot of gear, you weigh down the boat and lower the water line which raises the water level in your ballast tank (if there is a leaky valve) and puts pressure on the top valve. Batteries are the worst offender. They are heavy and people who make long trips or have microwaves on board may take 2-6 additional batteries with them. 83teen is my absurd way of saying "a lot."

[361099682]

I see. That's a good point; next year when I go on my one-month sailing, I shall watch the weight of my carry on and other things.

Thank you, tomchitecture!

[361099682]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Immo. I just ordered two blige pumps and two float switches, with the hope that I would not have to deal with any slimy and stinky berth ever; fingers crossed.

ps. Look forward to hearing more about your discovery of more greener alternatives of anti-fouling.

...The rub rail is the black rubbery streak between the deck and the hull. Apart from giving little protection against side impacts it does kind of seal off the junction between these two parts of the Mac 26S. My sad and wet experience happened last winter. Before moving "Rockhopper" to the West Coast of Scotland she overwintered on hard in Rutland (I used to work not far away and bought her there). I had nicely polished the boat for the winter, covered the cockpit with a big tarp. Unfortunately the tarp did not protect the boat but funnelled water into the cabin. The result was that I had water standing everywhere and the aft berth was a brown slimy and stinky mess, a mixture of rust, algae, and dirt. I've become obsessed with the subject of properly working bilge pumps ever since
I myself haven't come around anti-fouling yet, we have locally at our marina a drying out area, so can actually wash her off there if needed. I am looking into greener alternatives of antifouling, though, and would quite like to treat our boat to ultrasound antifouling. Unfortunately it is still quite dear. Something on the wishlist ....