MacGregorSailors.com

eric3a wrote:Beluga caviar with Dom Perignon 64 on the stomach of a Playboy bunny.
The highlight of my sailing career!!

Eric

Nice.

But not sure I'd wanna share it with some 64-year old guy named "Dom", though.

Now if she had a girlfriend....

Frank

I open the valve while stopped, drop the hammer, with boat hook in hand, looking over the back intermittently, once the flow stops I use the boat hook to close the valve so I am not hanging over the back. Takes about 60 seconds at 28mph.... just yanking yr chain FC

I have been thinking about a Mod so that I could control that valve better from the helm without the boat hook.

An electronically controlled gate, kind of like an automatic sprinkler system, water on/off switch. Now that would be sweet. Push button control on the pedestal. Oh ya.... now you're talking. Top that one Highlander.

G

..

I wonder if the 26X differs markedly? In order to see the ballast exit stream I really do need to hang well over the helm seat. It's actually an unsafe trick when single-handing, especially considering the marginal benefits. Pulling onto the trailer with a few gallons leftover is a small penalty versus being pitched overboard and watching the boat speed away.

A couple of members here have added electric ballast valves. Roger's ballast valve is a standard item on the shelf in any RV store, a black-water gate valve ... the electric version of same valve is also a shelf-item, about $100. The problem is that any exposure to saltwater causes quick failures.

I have a cable actuator on the ballast valve that runs with the engine/steering cables, under the cockpit and up into the pedestal. I cut the plexi-sidecover about 8 inches down, making it into a drop-hinged door ... provides access to the ballast cable and pedestal interior. Got a picture somewhere on the backup harddrive.

Sounds great FC.

I forgot how the X has a much bigger area back there than the M. The back of my seat IS the back of the boat. I am directly over the valve opening where I sit.

Sorry I keep forgetting about the X M thing. To me, we are all one big happy Mac Family.

There are more differences than I keep track of.

G

Of course, using wireless BLUE tooth controls (to make it fill and empty faster)

Regards,
Shane

beene wrote: An electronically controlled gate, kind of like an automatic sprinkler system, water on/off switch. Now that would be sweet. Push button control on the pedestal. Oh ya.... now you're talking. Top that one Highlander.

G

Thanks for the advice. I went out Sunday, and you all were right, I wasn't going fast enough. I got to 8mph and it drained. I only have a 25hp, so I top out at about 11mph. Looked at the 50hp, and it is several thousand for a few more MPH.