MacGregorSailors.com

what is the farthest you have gone or the longest you have been on your trailer sailor?

I was just interested to know what limits they have pushed their boat too or themselves too with these so called "Day Sailors" and did you have a head or not?
where you well prepared or went with the bare minimum? It would be cool to hear some of these stories.

What stories to tell?
Lynn and I regularly take two week trips in the San Juan Islands. However, every three to four days we make port to get ice, take a much needed shower, get supplies and empty the head. We try to sail as much as possible, logging around 400 miles per trip sometimes more. On those good wind days it's not uncommon to sail 20 miles in an afternoon sometimes on a single tack. The best trips are the ones where we let the current and wind decide where we go. Nice leisure pace with new places to explore and less fuel used. Heck, I'm so tired and worn out by the time we get to take a vacation I don't mind hanging on the hook a couple of days to "decompress." Breathtaking scenery, world class sunsets and great days under sail is worth the price. Sailing is the only fun vice we have now, we sold the trailer and motorcycles a couple of years ago.

For anyone wanting to view a "most interesting" Mac-X vacation...here are two well written long vacations with pics. concerning Mike and Sandy's adventures. Going over 2000 miles on the water via a Mac, in the wilds of Alaska is interesting. The other trip is their Baja trip.
These interesting trip logs include necessary provisions, and planning.

Here's the site: enjoy Proof that the Mac qualifies and is suitable for two folks on an extended vacation.

http://chinook.home.dyndns.org:8080/chinook/

Chinooks site doesn't even show their other adventures, Lakes in British Columbia, The intercoastal waterway, the Bahamas, and their most recent to the Chesapeake Bay. I hear more Bahama Islands are next on their radar.

Our longest was 3 - 1/2 weeks, 5 people on board. 500 nautical miles from Lake Washington up Puget Sound and across Juan De fu@ Strait, through the San Juan and the Gulf Islands, across the Strait of Georgia and up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls. Then roughly the reverse going back south stopping at different places along the way.


http://home.comcast.net/~duane.dunn/LogBook42.htm

Here's the full logbook of trips in our Venture 21 and our 26X (and one bareboat charter trip to the BVI's)
1994 - 2009: 187 Days Aboard 'Allegro', 'Windsong', and 'Koshari'; 2,239 Nautical Miles
Red dots are the places we have visited so far

http://home.comcast.net/~duane.dunn/Boating.htm

1994 - 2009: 187 Days Aboard 'Allegro', 'Windsong', and 'Koshari'; 2,239 Nautical Miles

I have been over 9000 miles in my '06 M. The longest was 14 months, about 6000 miles.

In order to do this you have to accept the limitations of the boat and what YOU make of it. Details. I overstocked with 500+ items and mod's. Read and study about small boats and then get on the water and work it out. The book "Cruising on a Budget" has a list of the most important things to start on first. Anchors and bunk and galley is most important.

Janes V you forgot one of the most important things the pottie or do you go overboard ? I am invious of that kind of freedom. We have only spent 3 weeks at a time out in Pudget Sound and the Sanjuan Islnds, about 25 miles sailing in one day was our best day and most of it was with our gennaker up in light breezes. Were looking foward to more extended time out sailing.

ahh the porta pottie ... This is always an on going debate in my head. Should I get one of these or not. I could make something in my v21 to hold such a thing but I don't know about that.

I see a lot of you have the larger Mac's on the extended tours. What do you all think of the smaller and older mac's for some extended tours?

I had a 2 gallon porta pottie in my V21. I built a companionway step that covered it when it was not in use. At night it and the step cover were moved out into the cockpit. This location gave you waist down privacy if you put the companionway boards in place.

You can see it in this picture. It is under the plywood with the grey non skid just inside the companionway.



As you can see I made a lot of changes to the stock interior.

I extended the galley to get room for a sink and place for the cooler. The butane stove was placed over the sink. The sink had no drain, just a dish pan that you lifted out and dumped over the side. This also let you get to the storage under the extended counter. I added a lot of storage along the wall as well for galley stuff and electrical things. I put a 10 gallon water tank and two batteries up under the vee berth.





Lots of other details here,

http://home.comcast.net/~duane.dunn/windsong.htm

This made the little V21 a decent cruising boat for weekends out with the family.

Once our second son was past the baby stage, while we were getting the boat cleaned up one spring my wife commented that we needed a bigger boat. Later that same afternoon we were over at the Mac dealer picking out our 26x.

Wow! you really have that v21 done up!

Do you have any photo's of everything you did to the V-berth? I am interested in how you added all the storage space in it. Seeing your V21 has inspired me to draw up a set up blue prints for how I want my boat and hopefully this winter I can start on it. I must ask though, with the carpet in the boat did you have issues with mildew or wet carpet most of the time? any leak issues?

Extended cruising, my favorite topic. I'm drawn to it by my fascination with new waters and new places. I'm the same way about backpacking and canoeing. I rarely go to the same place twice. So many great places to experience, and no matter how you go about it, there's just never enough time to visit them all. Buying our Mac really expanded the potential horizon for us. I was no longer limited by how far I could hike or paddle, and trailerability meant that home waters would now include any place I could drive to and launch the boat. Shortly before retiring, I found myself sitting through a particularly boring meeting, and I started writing a list of the greatest cruising waters I could think of. In the 6 years since retiring, we've managed to put our boat on most of those waters.

I still am fascinated with focusing on a new place, one we've never experienced before. I love researching it, studying the cruising guides and charts, making contact with cruisers familiar with the area, and imagining the possibilities. Each destination generates specific new ideas for modifying or adapting the boat. We try to come up with little improvements or ways to respond to anticipated conditions. The first few days of cruising in unfamiliar waters always produce the same emotions. Eager anticipation, accompanied with a degree of unsettling disorientation. It takes a little while at the start of an extended cruise on new waters to get the feel of the place, and to begin gaining a sense of confidence in the adequacy of our preparations and the performance of the boat and it's systems. From there, confidence gradually displaces unease, and I can begin to really take in the essence of new waters. In extended cruising, problems and malfunctions inevitably crop up. They can be irritating and even cause for real anxiety. However, the ability to solve the problem or make do with resources at hand is satisfying. And in those few cases where assistance is needed, it's always reassuring to experience how generous and resourceful fellow cruisers can be. These motivations have thus far propelled us to some wonderful waters, and great roads leading to them, but we're a long way short of exhausting the possibilities.

Im not in the League of Gentlemen Cruisers like Don, Mike, and Duane but I go out with crews of 4-6 for one week at a time. My longest trip was 4 people for 8 days with 2 more joining us for the middle 4 days.

We use ice in 1 or 2 coolers, PortaPotty (5 gallon size), and stay on anchor in a protected harbor overnight off Cape Cod.

I found it took 3-4 trips before we settled on the gear we need, and the gear we dont need, just as important!!

Potty, I have one that Has the pump out option. I am set up for dock pump out and below water. If Staying in the states you will not need the below water pump out. An extra holding tank is nice. I like the Potty because it uses less water so you can get about 2X the usage for the same galons. The larger boats have good size holding tanks and use the head all the time. the smaller boats do not. It is not OK to go overboard when other boats are around. Peeing in the sink is OK.

I do not empty overside.

I have broken one (not the holding tank), If you go to the Bahamas, plan on replacing. You can get then there.

I never take the boat out for a day sail but do overnighters often and mostly 3-5 day trips.
5 days is the max. for 5 gal. porta potty tho we can go offshore to dump it. To dump you need to be min. 3 miles off shore here in the Gulf but I would sail at least 6 miles out but never needed to do so.
Block Ice only last for 4 days useing 6 day coolers so I use a 72 quart 6 day loaded with solid block Ice and use it to fill 2 other 52 quart 5 day cooler under setee and another 52 quart cooler,Vberth and a 12 pack cooler for cockpit. This will last more than 5 days in 94 degree heat. (just spent 3 of those 95 degree and heat index 106 degrees this long weekend.
All bottle water is frozzen and all meats as well.
If one can get a quick deep freezor it can make your block Ice last double time.
My next step will be installing a Engel 35-45, 12 volt cooler powered with a 65 watt solar panel. this will eliminate 2 of my beer coolers and extend trips for 2 weeks or more in the Everglades.
our 13 gal. plamas water tank is good for about 8-10 days and we store another 10 gal. water we use for showers in our 1 gal. pump sprayer.(good for 1 shower 2 persons)
This past weekend water temps were 89 degrees, air 95 degrees, with a 10 inch ac fan with a 75 watt inverter on low was great to cool us off in king berth, we have 2 other 12 volt fans mounted but the 10 inch was much better.(we use no-seems screens for hatches.
Bottom line is 5-6 days out without reprovision in the wilderness.
Dave

sailor ja wrote:what is the farthest you have gone or the longest you have been on your trailer sailor?

I was just interested to know what limits they have pushed their boat too or themselves too with these so called "Day Sailors" and did you have a head or not?
where you well prepared or went with the bare minimum? It would be cool to hear some of these stories.

When I had my mac 25 I almost always daysailed. Slept on it twice, once on the hook and once at the dock, both for one night. Both times I woke up with a back ache, one of which was extreme. So if you are going to be sleeping aboard make sure you have an adequate mattress/padding.

While I was in France for the last four days I was thinking of asking this similar question.

But more specifically I was going to ask what is the furthest anyone has sailed their boat (maybe a little motoring) in one non-stop period. I did about 34 (all sailing) miles last month in about 5.5 hours (well over 6 mph average).

Also, what is the furthest anyone has ever taken their boat on the water...motor or sail...non-stop. I have done nearly 50 miles once (15 sailing, 35 motoring).

I know there are some that have gone much further.

Keep up the great sailing stories...it is what keeps me going until I can get back to my boat.

Cheers,
Jim