How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

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Idiotfool
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How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Idiotfool »

Hello, all.

I’ve been a lurker for a number of years, but still haven’t but the bullet. I learned to sail on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin where we would race at least weekly during the short summers. Sailing without a boat of my own was easy and cheap, as every skipper in my town needed crew. Then, I took a job and moved North and could only make it out for annual Hook races in Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula.

Now, I’m in South Florida, land of power boaters and no marinas nearby, despite being right on the ocean, at the Gateway to the Keys of Homestead / Florida City, and the itch is growing. I’ve never been on a Mac, but I sailed some very tender racing sailboats that I imagine would be a good analog for tippiness, and I’m ok with that.

This thread is a bit of a what if, since I’m curious what the perfect boat would be, for you, if you could have changed something in the overall design that isn’t possible with your average mod, and how much you think the price should be for that.

For me, I think the 26x cabin layout for my Admiral is preferred, a hot shower option for the head, with the 26M hull design and mast setup, capability for a 100 hp engine, and an arch with an overhead traveler and full cockpit enclosure like a Hunter 31 would be the bee’s knees. Toss in a dual axle trailer and overall towing weight under 4000 pounds and I’m sold at 50k-60k. This would still be a milk jug interior, so people could personalize as they wish.

I do like the Odin \ Imexus design, especially the newer trim, but I’m not keen on the 80k euro price tag, and I don’t think there’s a NA distributor anymore, anyway. I also don’t like the faux planks on the hull design and think it would look sharper smoothed out. Something in between is my ideal.
K9Kampers
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by K9Kampers »

How to build the perfect $50K boat? Start with $200K!

I've spent a lot of time on and off the hook, dreaming and designing variations of a better Mac / trailersailor. In the end, just being on the water and having visited the variety of places in a factory Mac is worth more than having 'the perfect boat'.

You can spend a lot of time & money waiting for the perfect boat to come along, or you can get any used Mac and spend time on the water now!
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NiceAft
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by NiceAft »

I understand Idiotfool’s pain, but I could not agree more with K9Kampers reply. It’s time to take action. Get on the water.
Ray ~~_/)~~
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Starscream
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Starscream »

How would I design a trailerable power sailor? I have the perfect design idea. Here are the specs:

*available right now for $15k to $20K, depending on options
*6 ft standing headroom below
*comes with a trailer that can be towed by a standard SUV, less than 5,000 lbs all-up weight including trailer, and is legal width in all states
*Sleeps 2 in a king bed, or a family of 4 with the kids in a small V-berth, oh and also has a dinette that can be lowered for an additional berth
*Water ballast for easy towing.
*Can take up to a 90HP motor and cruise at over 20MPH, or up to 24mph without ballast
*Can be rigged by one person and sailed single-handed
*replacement parts are ridiculously cheap and easily available
*It would have a fantastic safety record, like thousands built and only two fatal accidents, both caused by idiots operating the boat incorrectly
*Leave the factory with simple systems, to keep the price down, and allow owners to easily modify as they like.

Oh...wait. Right. Already done.

Sure, everyone who owns an X or an M might wish for this little thing to be better, or that little thing to be nicer. But no matter how "perfect" the boat, it won't suit everyone, so in my opinion the Macs are already the perfect design.
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Jimmyt
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Jimmyt »

Only things I would change:

Trimaran conversion allowing more sail area, and eliminating need for water ballast. Better galley. Shower.

First one won't happen. Second two are in planning stage.
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adudinsk
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by adudinsk »

Big engine.. reallllly big engine.. (and beer on tap)

AD :D
DaveC426913
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by DaveC426913 »

It's 150 miles from Toronto ON to Kingston ON.
In a race, which will get there first? A factory Mac or your custom-designed dream sloop?

The Mac - because it can leave 2 years sooner! :D

(Just kidding. I know this is an exercise in design.)
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Idiotfool
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Idiotfool »

Starscream wrote: Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:13 am How would I design a trailerable power sailor? I have the perfect design idea. Here are the specs:

*available right now for $15k to $20K, depending on options
*6 ft standing headroom below
*comes with a trailer that can be towed by a standard SUV, less than 5,000 lbs all-up weight including trailer, and is legal width in all states
*Sleeps 2 in a king bed, or a family of 4 with the kids in a small V-berth, oh and also has a dinette that can be lowered for an additional berth
*Water ballast for easy towing.
*Can take up to a 90HP motor and cruise at over 20MPH, or up to 24mph without ballast
*Can be rigged by one person and sailed single-handed
*replacement parts are ridiculously cheap and easily available
*It would have a fantastic safety record, like thousands built and only two fatal accidents, both caused by idiots operating the boat incorrectly
*Leave the factory with simple systems, to keep the price down, and allow owners to easily modify as they like.

Oh...wait. Right. Already done.

Sure, everyone who owns an X or an M might wish for this little thing to be better, or that little thing to be nicer. But no matter how "perfect" the boat, it won't suit everyone, so in my opinion the Macs are already the perfect design.
Yea, these bad boys are pretty close to perfect, especially with the personal touches so many have done that I would copy. I missed out on a 26x priced well that disappeared last week, but I’m still on the hunt. There’s an Odin halfway across the country for 24k and a Mac 26x an hour away for 12k (on Facebook, though, so I don’t know the legitimacy). The Odin is closer in concept to my perfect boat, but there’s so few out there that I don’t have enough tribal knowledge to draw from. I don’t want to live in regret and wish I bought bigger, but I also am tired of waiting and the Covid pandemic is preventing that road trip to check out the Odin. If I did get it and it turns out it’s a lemon and sails for crap, then I’ll be disappointed in that, too.

Argh. Tough enough to choose an X vs an M. This thread was to see what features you wish you had on your Mac to help me lean one way or another, but I’m still just as undecided...


P.s. the 26x can take 90 hp motor?
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Starscream
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Starscream »

Both the X and the M can. Or even more.

Search the forum on this site for "90HP"
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Starscream
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Starscream »

Idiotfool
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Idiotfool »

Thanks. Saw that before, but thought this was a one-off. Nobody has had any issues going to that horsepower and speed?

This certainly changes things. Anyone ever race an Odin with similar hp motor? How about under sail? I’m leaning back toward the 26x, but want to make sure I’m not missing anything.

The admiral gets motion sick sometimes. Any idea which boat would be less tender and less apt to her chumming?
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John Christian
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by John Christian »

:macm: If it has a dinette you shouldnt worry about racing it!
Even with the 50 hp the Mac will get you in when weather pops.
As others have said, its an inexpesive boat that will do everything, but nothing great. Get out on the water!
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Signaleer
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Signaleer »

Idiotfool wrote: Tue Jun 30, 2020 7:43 pm
Thanks. Saw that before, but thought this was a one-off. Nobody has had any issues going to that horsepower and speed?

This certainly changes things. Anyone ever race an Odin with similar hp motor? How about under sail? I’m leaning back toward the 26x, but want to make sure I’m not missing anything.

The admiral gets motion sick sometimes. Any idea which boat would be less tender and less apt to her chumming?
There are only probably a few 100 mac's that run 90s... I'm one of them. If you have been lurking for years and haven't seen that, lurk better. :)

You aren't making a life or death decision here. Mac's are cheap. Buy one. Use it. You don't like it, sell it. Get another.

You are over thinking this.
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Jimmyt
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Jimmyt »

I agree with Ed (Signaleer). Decide on a budget, find a boat in that budget, and hit the water. After you've lived with it awhile, you'll start modifying it to suit you better; or sell it and find one with the features you have figured out you actually need.

You won't know what you really want until you've been on the water awhile.

And, if your Admiral gets motion sick, your next boat may be a Prevost or a Winnebago. Trailer sailers will bring out the motion if you are on a large body of water. Maybe a large cat or trimaran would be ok, but I'm thinking even those may be an issue in large bodies of water.

If you will only be on rivers and smaller inland lakes, maybe. But if you are thinking of sailing the gulf....

Two Odin 820s for sale today at $24k and $27k. Both up north. Both in the 2004 age range. One of them has a 115hp on it.

This one has a 75...
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2004/s ... 0-3547726/
Jimmyt
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Idiotfool
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Re: How would you design a trailerable power sailor?

Post by Idiotfool »

Jimmyt wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:24 am I agree with Ed (Signaleer). Decide on a budget, find a boat in that budget, and hit the water. After you've lived with it awhile, you'll start modifying it to suit you better; or sell it and find one with the features you have figured out you actually need.

You won't know what you really want until you've been on the water awhile.

And, if your Admiral gets motion sick, your next boat may be a Prevost or a Winnebago. Trailer sailers will bring out the motion if you are on a large body of water. Maybe a large cat or trimaran would be ok, but I'm thinking even those may be an issue in large bodies of water.

If you will only be on rivers and smaller inland lakes, maybe. But if you are thinking of sailing the gulf....

Two Odin 820s for sale today at $24k and $27k. Both up north. Both in the 2004 age range. One of them has a 115hp on it.

This one has a 75...
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2004/s ... 0-3547726/
I’ve made more than a few decisions that were good at the time, but didn’t pan out in the long run. I had a five acre property in the woods in Wisconsin, but we were attacked by deer flies every summer. Didn’t even know what those were until we bought the property. We then bought a toy hauler for trips and it was great, because storage in our yard was nothing. I got a hybrid mower that doubled as a 7500 watt generator (Raven mower) and I bought the biggest 250 cc cruiser motorcycle with the best hp because my tiny wife was going to get her license with me. Sold the toy hauler at a loss because I was spending 3 grand a year to store it and was rarely using it. Mower still works, but the company folded and now I need to fabricate anything I need repaired on it (not a fabricator) and the batteries are shot from lack of use/Florida weather. Motorcycle was too small for me long term and the wife never learned to ride. Since I live in South Florida, amongst the worst drivers in the US, I sold the bike at a loss, but reasonably so. Life changes and you have to adapt, but I’d like a major purchase to stick with me for awhile, for once.

Yea, I saw the Luddington-based Odin, along with a recently sold one in Illinois. Haven’t seen the other one you mentioned, though, and I’ve looked, but google isn’t giving me the results you guys seem to be getting.

I’m shooting for 25k or less, all in, on a sailable Mac needing no work to function, hoping for a better than 50 hp motor, with a cabin enclosure tent and shore power. Motor is the least important, as long as it has functional sails and a trailer in good condition. 35k for an Odin, equally equipped.
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