MacGregorSailors.com

Floors:

Welcome aboard
Thank you for sharing these nice pics

Obelix

Obelix wrote:Welcome aboard
Thank you for sharing these nice pics

Obelix

+1

Great pictures !! and looks like you have done some nice mods to the boat . Thanks for the update..

millcity wrote:..... The 100w ran a 300w inverter charging batteries all day.......

I'm confused by the above. Are you using a normal MPPT or PWM solar charge controller or something else?

millcity wrote:..... Will test with a 110 fridge this year and see how long it can hold up.....

When you say a 110 fridge are you talking about something like a 'dorm fridge' running on an inverter? That might work if you have the boat in a slip with 110 and only day sail but if you want to go out for more than 2 days without shore power I'd really consider a 12 volt fridge, a real one that uses a compressor such as and EdgeStar...

https://www.google.com/search?q=edgesta ... e&tbm=shop

or an Engle....

https://www.google.com/search?q=engle+1 ... e&tbm=shop

or one of the other ones available. The dorm fridge's are not very efficient and I think that even with 200 watts of solar you will find that isn't enough to do the job. They are not insulated well and running an inverter is also not effecient. 200 watts will keep up with a 12 volt fridge if there aren't a lot of other high amp loads. The microwave being one but if it isn't used much maybe okay, especially if used on shore power and not an inverter. If you want to run the fridge or the microwave on an inverter you are going to need some serious wiring from the batteries to the inverter. An 800 watt microwave is going to have around 70 amps going from the batteries to the inverter. You will need something like the following or larger.....

https://www.batterystuff.com/inverters/ ... /9944.html

Good luck with the mods and have fun on your new sailing location,

Sumner

============================

1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Thanks so much for the reply sumner. I think Iv'e mentioned this before in a PM but I'll say it again; your website was the biggest reason I got into mac's. I read through all the mod pages and trip reports for hours and hours on deployment, thanks again!

To clarify:

millcity wrote:..... The 100w ran a 300w inverter charging batteries all day.......

I had a 300w inverter charging laptop, cellphone, camera and drone batteries all day (with radio) and the panel kept the batteries topped off.

millcity wrote:..... Will test with a 110 fridge this year and see how long it can hold up.....

Yes, I purchased a 110 fridge for $80, going to place it under the galley and see how long I can keep it running when I leave the shorepower for a day trip. Not going to rely on it but just see what I can get away with. A 12v fridge is the goal but I want to prove to myself i'll use the fridge over a cooler before I invest. I think you are right, i wont get much time out of it.

I don't have the numbers (maybe 600w?) but I bought probably the smallest microwave sold. My hope was it would make popcorn and melt cheese on nachos. I plan on upgrading the inverter, thanks for the suggestion. My plans will use it nearly always on shore power.

I'm sure ill reach out to you again when I jump on my electric trolling motor project. Thanks!

millcity wrote:.....

millcity wrote:..... The 100w ran a 300w inverter charging batteries all day.......

I had a 300w inverter charging laptop, cellphone, camera and drone batteries all day (with radio) and the panel kept the batteries topped off.....

My bad , I was thinking the wrong set of batteries . I think the dorm fridge will work for a day out if you just freeze water in it when you have shore power if that is possible and don't run it much during the day.

I wouldn't mind getting a drone but if I flew it anywhere like I flew model airplanes when I was a kid it would end up in the water the first time out . Are any of them equipped with floats for someone like me? You are getting some cool pictures with yours,

Sumner

============================

1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Sumner wrote:
I wouldn't mind getting a drone but if I flew it anywhere like I flew model airplanes when I was a kid it would end up in the water the first time out . Are any of them equipped with floats for someone like me? You are getting some cool pictures with yours,

Sumner

============================

1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Get this one. When it is available

https://www.lily.camera

Your mods, ideas, and boat are beastly. Welcome (probably late) to the best sailing forum on the net. This group was one of the single largest reasons I got a Mac instead of a generic sailboat

Thanks for sharing the great photos. Welcome to the crowd. Great bunch of folks here that have really helped me with my "new to me boat". Looks like you've been hard at work, and your rig looks great!

I second the "great pics" and also thank you. Nice useful mods, too.

I have spent 7 years in the Army (I know there are more than a few vets here) and have had the great opportunity to “study abroad” in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Been a little too busy with Christmas to follow much of your foray into the MacGregor world, but did perk up when I noticed your service in the Middle East. Did some "graduate work" in South Vietnam back in the 60's! Thanks for your service. When the holidays recede, I'll share my thoughts on the dinghy issue and others. Welcome aboard, and Merry Christmas!

I missed you coming last summer mill city, but I'm just a few hours west of you in ALB. Know the area well when I was a sakes grunt in tech. The University has a great EE program that I did a lot of work with as well as some other schools in Cambridge.

I'll have all of you guys/gals who served I graduated top of my class ROTC....Heartbreak Ridge? Is that in the big 10 Gunny?

One of my favorites,.....

I promised I would get back to you about dinghies and other subjects. Here is a good recent thread on the forum about dinghies. My experiences and notions about dinghies are contained in the first page.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 69#p305878

Sumner wrote: I wouldn't mind getting a drone but if I flew it anywhere like I flew model airplanes when I was a kid it would end up in the water the first time out . Are any of them equipped with floats for someone like me? You are getting some cool pictures with yours,

Sumner

Doug splashed his drone after bouncing it off Galactia's topping lift the first time out. Yes, they sink fast.

Modern quadcopters are extremely easy to fly. With GPS/compass and altimeters, they will stay in a geostationary position when you let go of the joystick. However on a moving boat, things quickly get more complicated. The quad may want to stay where you left it, but the boat is moving.
I've seen many float options, including replacing the entire body with a float. I'm not brave enough to fly mine off the boat.

Some spectacular video can be shot from above.

--Russ