MacGregor 26M Blog – A Beginner’s Journey

[kurz]

I use 200l flexible Tank under rear bed. So it takes ca 100l max. Öl so far.

[Russ]

My boat is happier with more weight up front (water)

I have 2x6 gallon jugs for potable water in v verth compartments. It helps having more weight in the bow.

As for the flotation, I’m not depending on my boat to not sink. If it gets holed a proper evacuation plan seems more reasonable.

With all the extra gear on my boat I assume it will sink if met with that fate.

I’ve never owned a boat that I didn't expect to sink. I feel the “unsinkable” claim is over marketed and frankly I feel too many find false comfort believing it will save them. Always have a plan to survive without a boat to cling to.

[Agi]

Thanks a lot for all your answers!!
I really appreciate it! I think I will buy a new 150lt tank and fill it about 50% for daily use. For longer journeys I will fill it fully

I am sending you the new picture of the interior.

Do anyone have experience with removing the wooden window frames? Because am thinking to remove them ...

Thanks in advance

[dustoff]

I would keep them. I have a later model and as a result of Roger MacGregor's continuous effort to reduce the cost of production, he did away with them. I personally wish I had them. I think the boat looks more plastic and less cozy without them. If you don't like the color/style, paint or resurface them. Many people have used them for little blinds and such. Search the forum for window blinds.

Dustoff

[NiceAft]

As too the water bladder, I also have mine in the bow area. It’s been 21 years now in my 2005M; purchased in 2004.

The one thing I have a concern with is bacterials and mold growth. I have noticed green mold in the clear vinyl tubing, if it’s in the tubes, then it’s in the bladder. I run some diluted bleach through the system once a season. Agi, you are in a much warmer, year round climate. I would be concerned about using water in such a system for drinking water. I no longer do. I use collapsible jugs of water attached to the hand pump faucet at the sink. The water in the bladder I use to refill the portapotty in the head after a pump out. I have a shower head at the stern, which I use for washing down the cockpit, and filling a bucket for refilling the portapotty tank.

I should mention that I am not the only one to mention mold in this sort of system. BOAT, a respected forum member also posted about this problem.

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

This is not a novel problem. Especially on boats. It goes back a looonnnnnggggg way in boating history.
Mold can be a difficult problem to adequately resolve in onboard water systems… especially if you’re planning to use it for consumption by people. The challenge arises in that there isn’t just one kind of mold… there are literally dozens and it seems that all are capable of making people sick! Some varieties more so than others.

Some just mess with your digestion…which can vary from mild discomfort to DEFED (double-ended-flaming-explosive- discharge)!

Some others can have organ systemic and/or neurological effects…

While a bleach solution may kill the active mold molecular activity at the time of treatment it will not be 100% and it (or another variety) can come back. A little bit of residual mold can go a long way in Recontamination of a water system. Some molds can leave behind residual harmful chemical contamination that can be dissolved into the fresh water and cause issues.

What we do is only utilize sealed bottled water for cooking and bodily consumption.
The limited Tanked or hose filled water we carry aboard is only for the holding tank, washing and cockpit/deck rinsing…not internal consumption. We’d rather just skip the risk factors for our operations.

If we were to ever consider using quantity tanked water for consumption I think I’d prefer to pretreat the water with an appropriate sanitizing agent (like a couple drops of chlorine per gallon of water) or maybe halzone tablets or something similar. I’d also be more inclined to have several smaller containers vs a single large tank system… that way if something were to go awry then maybe the other containers might not be affected. Smaller standalone containers might be easier to keep sanitized vs a larger single tank.

Mind you, that this is just my perspective.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[dustoff]

Some really good information about drinking water storage. I forgot to mention I don't use my plastimo stored water normally for drinking water either except for boiling water like for pasta or for the tea kettle. I have a Dometic water jug with its own food-grade silicone tubing and rechargeable pump that I put in where my old hand pump was. I know I can keep this well sanitized. I think if you're very careful and observant with maintenance and sterilization of the large storage water system, you can use it for potable water. But IMO that also means not letting water ever sit stagnant in it for a significant length of time (like the winter or for weeks at a time in the summer). Regardless, I put 1 1/4 tablespoons, or about 20 ml of bleach every time I fill it up. In the winter I put the alcohol-based anti-freeze through the entire water system. Pics of the dometic tank are below.