MacGregorSailors.com

Hi All!

The spirit of Abbot & Costello are alive and well in my boat prep projects

Well I’ve gotten the edge taping done and the keel dropped for the anti fouling painting … except there are barnacles lining both sides of the trunk that weren’t visible when the keel was in place. Another last minute project to be accomplished… I got an angle adapter for my pressure washer along with a long handle wire brush… unfortunately the barnacle foot crud does not just scrape off. I’m gonna have to allow another day after the pressure washing to allow the hull to dry out before actually painting it… Fribble… so much for an optimistic schedule…🫤

The keel pivot, now that it’s removed, shows measurable corrosion pitting of the frame and pin… fortunately I already have a new replacement frame and pin on hand from BWY. I just need to modify it with a longer lift bolt (which makes it more manageable to install/deinstall by myself). Yet another last minute project…

The keel was apparently repaired sometime in the past by one of the previous owners who only used a big chunk of resin instead of actual fiberglass . While that worked (give credit where credit is due) to a certain extent it gave up the ghost and fell apart at some point over the past season. So now it’s time to clean out the old repair attempt and get it done right with actual fiberglass… Another last minute project in addition to painting it with epoxy primer & anti fouling paint.

No way we are going in the water by the first of April at this point. More likely mid April or later at this rate not counting potential weather issues that may arise… Fribble.

Such are the plans of mice and men…

One day at a time…..

Best Regards
Over Easy

Tell the truth.

How long and hard did you research dictionaries and thesauruses until you came up with “fribble”

It’s my favorite penultimate phrase

Hi All

Well the bottom paint is nearly dune!
Second coat went on easier than the first.
Only the section where the back support bracket remains to be done once we get the boat back on the trailer.

Removed all the edge taping. Spending the time to roll the painters tape to the hull surface was worth it as there was a perfect edge without any bleeds!

Removed all the Stretch-tite from the trailer frame. Again it was worth it to protect it from any inadvertent paint spatter or spills.
Made it really easy to clean up by just removing the wrap… and boy the painting technique needs to be improved a lot if it was to be done without the protective wrap…

Modified the replacement keel pivot (Mac26X) bracket. The stock bracket hangar bolt as made require two people to install and also requires the keel to be installed at the same instant as the pivot pin isn’t accessible once the nut is even barely threaded on. One person inside to put on the washer and nut. The guy underneath needs to push the whole keel and bracket up into position in the blind. If you’ve ever done this it’s a PITA!
So what I ve done is to remove the OEM threaded bolt and replaced it with a longer 6 inch carriage bolt. The longer bolt allows you to just put the bracket by itself up first. That way one can see the hole you have to thread it into. As it’s only the weight of the bracket friction will keep it in place while you climb up inside and put on the washer and nut. The longer bolt allows the nut retained bracket to protrude below the hull so you can then put the keel up in place and insert the pivot pin. Once that’s done you can then go back inside and tighten the nut raising the keel up into place. A lot simpler and much less stressful.

I’m also putting on sacrificial aluminum anode washers on the pivot pin.
We’ve experienced measurable galvanic corrosion of the bracket and pin. (I’ll post photos later)
Last time I placed two zinc washers on the pin last time but they have entirely disappeared…either by corrosion or by breakage (as zinc is kind of brittle). As we spend a good portion of our time in salt water aluminum should be good.
(I’ll post photos later and in the MOD SECTION).

Rain is forecast for Tomorrow

Need a couple dry days to apply the polymer wax and buff the hull.
The top deck in only three weeks after pressure washing is already mildew spotted…
I’m hesitant to re wash and clean the top deck again now the bottom paint is finished as all the oxidized gel coat and crud will get down to the bottom paint and stain it. … fribble….
I think I’ll hold off and do that at the marina once we’re afloat…and have a second water hose to keep the hull rinsed while being cleaned…
We’ll have to see…. Next year it top deck prep and painting….

Best Regards
Over Easy

Hi All!

It seems that after following all the instructions that came with the polymer wax stuff I appear to have bolixed it…
Even tried putting on two coats … one by hand and one with a random orbit buffer…phhppptttttt!!!
Looks hazily and scratchily would be kind… my personal assessment if considerably less kindly.
FRIBBLE!

Well at this point it just that it was a wasted effort…. Two days of efforts gone…..and that’s not counting fixing it next go round…. Fribble…..🫣
Oh well…. Next year’s work list just got longer with the addition of a traditional gelcoat polishing & buffing paste wax task.
Disappointed but I’m the only one to blame as it must be me given others have had good results….. fribble.

Good thing we’re not trying to make Over Easy into a show boat… our intent from the get go has been to have a good sound clean well used boat to get out on the water in and throughly enjoy . So we’re cutting our losses on this aspect and moving on.. It’s Good Enough!

Today we’re replacing the lift line, swing keel and pivot bracket.
The existing lift line is still in good condition but while everything is exposed I figure I may take the opportunity to put in a new one.
I’ll get around to posting pictures later… the weather (mid 70s, light breeze and clear blue skies) is too nice to be inside and not working outside on the boat.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

OverEasy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2024 12:15 pm It seems that after following all the instructions that came with the polymer wax stuff I appear to have bolixed it…
Even tried putting on two coats … one by hand and one with a random orbit buffer…phhppptttttt!!!
Looks hazily and scratchily would be kind… my personal assessment if considerably less kindly.
FRIBBLE!

Was it warm enough outside to do it? Often these products need to be applied in 70F weather to work well.

Hi Kmclemore!

Yeah… it was about 73F and I waited till the afternoon (about 1:30 PM) to get started and stopped about a half hour before sunset both times…. …… fribble………

Again, it musta been me…… …. as others appear to have had good success ……

At this point the stuff is on two applications so the hull should be protected …. It just isn’t pretty, or shiny, or “wet looking” as per the expectation ….. Time to cut my losses for this go round and get on with what I need to do to get the rest of the preparations and mods done so I can launch. Our slip rental started on the 1st of April and the three week delay on the bottom paint has blown our anticipated launch planning. This stuff is all a daisy chained sequence….make preliminary aft cradle, Raise boat up off of trailer & stabilize on cradle, wrap trailer in stretch tite to protect from cleaners and bottom paint, pressure wash the boat top to bottom to remove all the pollen and surface gunk along with any residual marine crud on the hull, drop the keel & pivot, pressure wash the trunk & keel to remove its marine growth gunk, let surfaces dry, apply masking tape to hull & roll flat, wait for bottom paint——wait for bottom paint —- wait for bottom paint (meanwhile top deck gets refunded with pollen ——too late to repressurewash, apply first coat of bottom paint after waiting for 2nd dry day, apply second coat of bottom paint, remove masking tape, give the bottom paint a day or two to setup, apply polymer wax first go round, buff, apply polymer wax second go round with orbital, buff with orbital, get disappointed , next day get more disappointed , remount goal posts on trailer, mope, move on with life…..

It is what it is …. Disappointing…. Can’t win them all and it’s all small potatoes anyway in the scheme of things.
Hoping to get the rest of the work to be done within the next week and launch only two weeks late instead of the three weeks we were delayed due to FUMBLEX’s ineptitude in handling packages… fribble…. Best laid plans of mice and men…….

Next year………..

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Go over it quickly with a quick, one step wax like Turtle Wax. You will have the protection of the Polymer wax, and the shine you are looking for. Not the way you wanted, but you will have a nice shiny boat.

Hi All!

Just a quick bit before going out to work on Over Easy…

I’m adding a traveling pulley block to my new Dynema keel lift line to reduce the amount of force required to raise the keel by half.
—> The Dynema is considerably stronger and slicker than regular braided line for a line diameter. Going from 3/8 to 3/16 inch diameter is still several times stronger and slides over the deck pivot pin MUCH more easily. We’re using 1/4 inch diameter replacing 3/8 inch line.
—> The addition of the traveler block allows me to use standard braided line for the handled portion which is much easier to grip. One end is fixed on deck then threaded through the traveler block pulley and then to the cockpit.
—> The frame of the traveler block is attached to the Dynema line via a SST thimble eye.
This will reduce the amount of effort to lift the keel by half which the Admiral will appreciate!
Maybe more given how much slicker the Dynema is over standard line.

Lunch is over… back outside…..

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

Hope everyone is well and happy!

As with most things in life the Murphy’s Law rule of “Everything takes longer than you expect” applies to boat projects too! (But we all know that….right? )

Okay…. Where are we….?
The bottom job is done!
The swing keel is installed with its new modified pivot bracket and sacrificial aluminum anode washers.
The new modified keel Dynema lift line with traveler pulley is installed and operational.
The boat is off the stand and back on the trailer.

Now come the interior clean-up and through wipe-down. Maybe launch this week???

Here are a couple pictures of some of the work done:
- Modification of the swing keel pivot bracket.
Start with removal of ~23 year old corroding bracket






This all happened in the past 2 seasons!!!
Then take the replacement bracket from Blue Water Yatchs and replace the existing 3/8” dia x 3 inch lift screw with a 1/2” dia x 6 inch SST carriage bolt that is locked in place with an interference fit of the square section under the cap head to the bracket’s slightly enlarged hole and held with a SST Lock washer & nut. This new longer lift screw lets one self install the swing keel by allowing one to install the bracket by oneself, go inside and place a washer and nut on the interior exposed threads, then go back under the boat with the pivot pin holes now fully exposed, wrangle the swing keel into position by itself, align and insert new pin with alternating SST & the sacrificial anode Aluminum washers on each side of the keel caputured by the bracket, insert the new prepared Dynema lift line, pull line up though to top deck, then go inside and tighten nut of lift bolt to raise the keel up into place. (NOTE: Nickel Ease thread lube was throughly applied to the lift screw threads to preclude possible galling).


















For those not familiar with how a sacrificial anode material selection works here is a nice reference chart.
The ‘less’ noble metal will get consumed in an electrolytic environment before the ‘more’ noble metal.
So the further apart on the chart the metals are the more apt the ‘less’ noble metal will be consumed in an electrolytic environment.

As you can see Stainless Steel is at the bottom right as the ‘most’ noble metal on the chart.
As mentioned above zinc was too brittle and difficult to obtained… galvanized steel was out as after the (zinc) galvanizing is consumed the steel will rust (and making a Gawd Awful Mess in the process)…. So that is where Aluminum comes into play as a valid sacrificial anode.


- Now up to the addition of a traveler pulley system to reduce the pull required to raise the swing keel by half. Spliced in an eye to the end of the Dynema line then added a whipping to aid in locking the hollow core splice. Adden a whipped eye to the end of the old braided cored nylon lift line (which is easier to grip than Dynema ) and secured to a convenient stanchion. Thread the free end through the traveler pulley, connect the pulley frame to the Dynema lift line eye and then route the hand line so the winch can now be used (if desired) and to the open top cinching pawls.






We’ll break time is over…. On to the cleaning and wipe downs….

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

Is it just me or does anyone else develop a case of OCD when they do their Spring Cleaning of their MacGregors too?

The boat was already pretty clean inside to start with….just the normal dusting of the (ridiculous) pine pollen this region of the South Carolina is infamous for. So innocently I start with the vacuuming…. Then the Windex…. Then the Clorox Cleaner… then next thing I know all the cushions and pads and bins and hardware and life jackets and everything not naile or screwed down has come out and cleaned like preparing for a ‘White Glove Mother-in-Law Inspection’…. AND NEITHER OF OUR MOTHERS ARE AROUND ANYMORE!!!

Sheesh!

Literally every accessible surface and object has been wiped down and put back in the boat.
I didn’t even know that rapid onset Obsessive Compulsive Boat Cleaning Disorder was even a thing!!!
Never mind that once you get it the condition persists for a good week’s duration and that the only cure evades you until you run out of cabin stuff and surfaces to clean!

Fribble!!!

Well we’re finally done with that!
Boat interior all nice and clean now!

We hope to find a day near this weekend to launch …. We’re only 19 days and counting later than our original planned date of April 1st… guess the fates fooled me!

It’s all good! It’s all good!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

I’m currently raptly reading through Chinook’s blog of hie GREAT LOOP trip taken back in 2015 & 2016.
This is a great blog… we’re learning new things with each month’s entry!

Well we’re finally at a point where we can plan with some confidence that we will be launching Friday ( Admiral has to work tomorrow )
The Admiral is off work
The boat is ready (At least as far as getting launched that is….there are follow-on projects that will be done in slip at the marina)
Boat interior is spic-&-span
Bottom paint is throughly cured
The new tow van is ready
Dock lines are being washed with fabric softener as this is being typed
The interior is stowed for road travel & launch
Fuel has been checked and will be topped off and the way to the ramp tomorrow
Local tide charts have been checked (and double checked) for a mid day high tide launch
Local weather forecasts look excellent with partially cloudy skies, low breezes, calm seas and temps in the 70s
Sandwich fixings are at the ready for an inaugural launch day onboard picnic
Boat clothes are at the ready along with hats, sunscreen and sun glasses.

Our marina is ok with our extending our planned stay from end of June into the end of July (to make up for our unavoidable late start.
(I think next year we might just plan on a May launch time to start with rather than April to allow for preseason project time frame slippage… …. especially if we go ahead with a top deck paint job ….)

Hope everyone is having a great Spring and is soon to be out and about on the waters soon!

Best Regards
Over Easy

AWESOME

TADA! WE FINALLY LAUNCHED! WE’RE ON THE WATER!

High tide Friday was at about 11AM with calm winds.
We actually got launched at 12:30 PM on a receding tide and a 20 mph breeze blowing away from the ramp pier.
(The ramp we use has three slots with the far right side having the best depth, the other two slots collect sand and get seriously shallow, but is furthest from the sole pier.)
Well you can guess what transpired…. Once off the trailer the wind gust wind catches our Mac26X’s high sides an blows us into the weeds with the Admiral on board and me holding the bow and stern leads….Fribble…. which is why I wear water shoes and swim suit… so time to get wet an haul the Admiral (and the boat) out of the weeds…it’s fun when your up to one’s armpits in water (and wondering if there are any bull sharks nearby???)… eventually things work out and secured to the pier. Quick clean up to splash off the muck, start the engine and let it idle…go park the Van and Trailer… put up the Bimini and then we went off to re-explore our estuaries!

It is so enjoyable to be back on the water!

Five hours later the landing at our marina slip went without incident capping GREAT 1st Day!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Congratulations and I wish you many happy days this season.