MacGregorSailors.com

I thought I remember seeing somewhere that you can pull the mast down dockside by the shrouds, maybe if the ballast is out? Don't know but I'm pretty sure its in the Mac video.

Ballast out, take the jib halyard to the dock and pull the mast tip down to you.

~Rich

I was thinking that might be useful, but only as long as you don't have flooded batteries to leak, stuff to crash around inside the boat, or problems with laying the OB and/or gas cans over. All of which can be overcome, of course, though I don't know what you do about the OB, other than find out which side it's designed to lay over on, if any.

Certainly quick and dirty, though. Pass a line or two from onboard cleats, under the boat, and cleat it/them off to the dock so the boat doesn't side slip when you pull it over, and away you go.

Good point on the flooded batteries. I use AGMs now, so I didn't even consider the problem.

~Rich

I have used AGM group 24 and 30 on 3 pool sharks for our Water Park past 2 years. running them with a 40 lb thrust vac for 3 hrs each day has burned out 2 of them.
Before we had wet cells 30 group batteries. ($80) the group 30 AGMS $285. (Both types last the same time)
My boat I have 2 group 29 wallmart batteries and one group 24 engine all deep cycle , no problems. Just ck fluid every 4 mo. or when you run them down to 50% every week. No spillage at 40 degree heal.( my batteries are now just over 1 yr. old and just toped them off for first time tho I cked them often, took 1 pint of Distilled water for all 3 batteries, they didn't need to be toped off)
So cost over sealed batteries, $80 verses $280.
AGMS are good for 5 years and can do more 50% discharge than Deep Cycle batteries but I get over 3 years on my Wallmart batteries.
Both types are wet cell batteries.AGM is sealed.
Bottom line is, how deep is your pocket? And do we need AGM's or Gell batteries.

Dave

Hamin' X wrote:Good point on the flooded batteries. I use AGMs now, so I didn't even consider the problem.

~Rich

DaveB wrote: Before we had wet cells 30 group batteries. ($80) the group 30 AGMS $285. (Both types last the same time)...
So cost over sealed batteries, $80 verses $280.
AGMS are good for 5 years and can do more 50% discharge than Deep Cycle batteries but I get over 3 years on my Wallmart batteries.
Both types are wet cell batteries.AGM is sealed.
Bottom line is, how deep is your pocket? And do we need AGM's or Gell batteries.

Dave

My AGM's were no where near that price, $150 ea for grp 30's. If they were that much I wouldn't have bought them. Acttually they were that much for a local auto parts store to bring them in, I asked the guy if they bought each battery it's own seat on a plane, cause the shipping was about $150 ea. What happens after 40 degrees?

Please don't confuse AGMs with gel cells and AGMs are not "wet cells" like your Wal*Mart batteries. There is no free electrolyte in an AGM. Many advantages to this.

~Rich

I gotta say, that the insurance company sent out a professional rigger to help me with some of my lightning damage over the summer and he went up the mast, replaced all the lights, antenna, windex and even replaced a spreader tube that had a half inch hole burned through it. I was quite apprehensive about the Mac's light rigging, but he said he did it all the time and not to worry about it. So, I didn't, and he got the job done (even with one shroud disconnected to replace the spreader for a time). Now would I go up the mast on a 26X? No way....lol

I'll also tell you that this professional rigger was also a pretty light looking guy, like maybe large jockey sized. Probably about 5'7" and lean...maybe 140 lbs max would be my guess...which is about 30-35 lbs lighter than me. If he were a big guy, I don't think I would ever have allowed him to do it. And he always stayed very close to the mast too, at most reaching out a couple feet with his arm to detach the spreader, but still keeping his body close to the mast in the rigging chair. He ran his block for the chair right through the stock main halyard block at the top of the mast and I believe that is bolted on with 2 bolts I think.

Rich, I simply gave a quick opion on batteries/ costs and usage.
Getting into detail, Yes the AGM batteries do have a Boron Silicate glass mat that is saturated 95% than a fully soaked wet cell deep cycle Marine battery.
Use to be called Starved Electrolte.
The AGM's are much like the gell Batteries but thru the Glassmat and Electrolyte the AGM's are far supearior for deep discharge and recovery.
I tested them out and perfer cost from $75 group 29 deep cycle 98amp hr Wet cell over AGM's $250 + 95 amp hr.
I have used golf cart trojan in series on my Compac 19, loved them, used 2- gell batteries on my Potter 19, Been useing Kmart wet cells deep cycle on my Mac. 5 years.
Love them all, but would not go back to gell as agm's are now better i hear but not for my 3 sharks that clean the pools.
Dave

Hamin' X wrote:Please don't confuse AGMs with gel cells and AGMs are not "wet cells" like your Wal*Mart batteries. There is no free electrolyte in an AGM. Many advantages to this.

~Rich

Dimitri,
Imagine my 230 lb sober butt in a boson chair tally up the mast / don't think so... was your boat on a lift?
Are you still thinking of makeing the Keys Cruise end of Dec.?
Dave

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa wrote:I gotta say, that the insurance company sent out a professional rigger to help me with some of my lightning damage over the summer and he went up the mast, replaced all the lights, antenna, windex and even replaced a spreader tube that had a half inch hole burned through it. I was quite apprehensive about the Mac's light rigging, but he said he did it all the time and not to worry about it. So, I didn't, and he got the job done (even with one shroud disconnected to replace the spreader for a time). Now would I go up the mast on a 26X? No way....lol

I'll also tell you that this professional rigger was also a pretty light looking guy, like maybe large jockey sized. Probably about 5'7" and lean...maybe 140 lbs max would be my guess...which is about 30-35 lbs lighter than me. If he were a big guy, I don't think I would ever have allowed him to do it. And he always stayed very close to the mast too, at most reaching out a couple feet with his arm to detach the spreader, but still keeping his body close to the mast in the rigging chair. He ran his block for the chair right through the stock main halyard block at the top of the mast and I believe that is bolted on with 2 bolts I think.

Naww, it would be more fun to imagine your butt up the mast when we have been drinking Pusser's rum all night... Yea, it was on a lift so I guess that would make it more stable for going up the mast, but I still wouldn't do it....especially with one of the stays disconnected.

I doubt I'll be able to make the Key's cruise unless I can convince my wife and kids to go, or meet me at a hotel somewhere for New Year's Eve like she did last year. I won't give up until its too late cause that cruise was a blast last year. But I do plan to make the February cruise out to Indian River.

No problem Dave, it's why they make Fords and Plymouths, so we have choices. I just didn't want people to get the wrong idea, since terms like "wet cell" and "gel cell" are so abused and misused.

~Rich

DaveB wrote:Rich, I simply gave a quick opion on batteries/ costs and usage.
Getting into detail, Yes the AGM batteries do have a Boron Silicate glass mat that is saturated 95% than a fully soaked wet cell deep cycle Marine battery.
Use to be called Starved Electrolte.
The AGM's are much like the gell Batteries but thru the Glassmat and Electrolyte the AGM's are far supearior for deep discharge and recovery.
I tested them out and perfer cost from $75 group 29 deep cycle 98amp hr Wet cell over AGM's $250 + 95 amp hr.
I have used golf cart trojan in series on my Compac 19, loved them, used 2- gell batteries on my Potter 19, Been useing Kmart wet cells deep cycle on my Mac. 5 years.
Love them all, but would not go back to gell as agm's are now better i hear but not for my 3 sharks that clean the pools.
Dave

Hamin' X wrote:Please don't confuse AGMs with gel cells and AGMs are not "wet cells" like your Wal*Mart batteries. There is no free electrolyte in an AGM. Many advantages to this.

~Rich

Hamin' X wrote:No problem Dave, it's why they make Fords and Plymouths, so we have choices. I just didn't want people to get the wrong idea, since terms like "wet cell" and "gel cell" are so abused and misused.

~Rich

Don't think they make a Plymouth you can choose from anymore Rich.... But that was my first car when I was a teenager, some fun Mopar memories there!

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa wrote:Don't think they make a Plymouth you can choose from anymore Rich.... But that was my first car when I was a teenager, some fun Mopar memories there!

Ah, you're catching on.

~Rich