Search found 3913 matches

by mastreb
Wed Feb 03, 2016 5:33 pm
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Worst Nightmare
Replies: 106
Views: 25730

Re: Worst Nightmare

Hi Matt, Thanks for all the great information. Since sending my PM I've been told that I'll never get a carbon mast past the insurance company so will have to stick with Ally unless they decide to reject my whole claim. I'm now told that the suggested Ally replacement has a wall thickness = 2.6mm a...
by mastreb
Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:28 pm
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Worst Nightmare
Replies: 106
Views: 25730

Re: Worst Nightmare

Hi Neo, I think you should go with the spar your local supplier has found. It's more than close enough, and it's wing-enough shaped to function well. I explored going to a carbon fiber mast in detail, but ultimately decided that it wasn’t worth the expense. The problem is that there are no stock car...
by mastreb
Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:50 pm
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Rocna anchor
Replies: 25
Views: 13631

Re: Rocna anchor

Are you power-setting your Fortress? I've had excellent performance from Fortress on both my Mac and my 38'. However, here in Socal the bottoms are always sand, so it's the right anchor for that. I've anchored off the Coronados islands in Mexico in the open Pacific in 6' rollers, 1 knot of current w...
by mastreb
Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:17 pm
Forum: Performance & Tuning
Topic: Smartphone Wind Velocity Meters
Replies: 5
Views: 4015

Re: Smartphone Wind Velocity Meters

I have the original Vavuud before Ronstan bought them. They work well. There's no electronics to it; the shaft has two magnets on it which rotate, causing the microphone voice coil to move in and out. This creates a sinewave that the phone picks up as sound, and the app converts the frequency of the...
by mastreb
Mon Nov 23, 2015 10:19 am
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!
Replies: 153
Views: 60904

Re: Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!

Once you get used to setting your trim, putting the autopilot on "Weathervane" mode so it keeps the wind direction current, and then just kicking back as the very steady winds here in So Cal move you along with no attention whatsoever, you get pretty lazy I must say. Last time I went Dana ...
by mastreb
Sun Nov 22, 2015 10:05 am
Forum: Repairs and Modifications
Topic: Ballast Tank level sensor
Replies: 3
Views: 2568

Re: Ballast Tank level sensor

You should measure the tank from top-to-bottom straight up at the vent hole. There will be a little bit of change due to motion, but the change will mostly be due to back and forth hobbyhorsing (pitching) rather than heeling. Be sure to use a 12VDC voltage regulator: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDet...
by mastreb
Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:57 am
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: 81 year old dream
Replies: 10
Views: 4591

Re: 81 year old dream

One of my very good friend's father had always wanted a MacGregor, and was very excited when I got my boat. It was a great moment taking him out (at age 83) for the first time on a boat he'd been following for over 25 years.
by mastreb
Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:49 am
Forum: Performance & Tuning
Topic: Help with anchor
Replies: 18
Views: 8573

Re: Help with anchor

Consider deploying your anchor off the stern. It's much much safer to deal with an anchor from the cockpit than at the bow in a storm in terms of handling. The boat also hunts far less when anchored from the stern. The only issue is being pooped from waves coming to the stern of the boat; less of an...
by mastreb
Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:17 am
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Solar controller mounting on the M
Replies: 8
Views: 3104

Re: Solar controller mounting on the M

You really want charge controllers to be as close to your batteries as possible. DC power suffers from voltage drops rapidly as cable lengths get longer, and the large cables required to be efficient are really expensive. I would put the charge controller under the Starboard Aft dinette seat, as hig...
by mastreb
Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:10 am
Forum: Repairs and Modifications
Topic: Dolphins in my driveway, under the boat??
Replies: 12
Views: 4576

Re: Dolphins in my driveway, under the boat??

I think it's probably fine. You just got some weird acoustic effect from the sounder because you're boat's not in the water. Imagine the ballast tank is like the echo box for a speaker or the body of an acoustic guitar. You're probably hearing a harmonic of the sounder frequency that is sympathetic ...
by mastreb
Tue Nov 10, 2015 12:53 pm
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!
Replies: 153
Views: 60904

Re: Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!

Just curious - how would that work? Your autopilot would steer into an optimal heading for a fixed sail setting, not caring about hitting a particular destination? Or you would only let it adjust within a narrow band? Yep, you set the autopilot to "steer to wind", which makes sure that th...
by mastreb
Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:02 am
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!
Replies: 153
Views: 60904

Re: Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!

Yeah, I think the future is coming fast with this wireless stuff on boat instruments. I think one of the things I have been looking to get that may turn out to be very important soon is a wireless unit for the Ray Marine backbone. There are going to be so many cool wireless devices coming soon that...
by mastreb
Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:58 am
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Radar Love
Replies: 72
Views: 21982

Re: Radar Love

Every time I cross the San Pedro, I have at least one very close encounter with another boat. I wouldn't trust a night crossing under radar in that busy channel. I won't be setting a radar watch within 400nm of shore. I have and use a handheld FLIR for night sailing in San Diego bay. It works fantas...
by mastreb
Thu Nov 05, 2015 10:31 am
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!
Replies: 153
Views: 60904

Finally, a wind instrument that will work with a Mac!

http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3b35304600fdfa13455e1e6da&id=811177b1cb&e=8cea3d09d0 So this is a wind instrument that is wireless and solar powered, so there are no wires in the mast, and which needs no calibration and does not rely on mast rotation. It contains its own digital compass...
by mastreb
Wed Nov 04, 2015 1:50 pm
Forum: MacGregor Powersailor Discussion
Topic: What a $9000 2006 26M looks like
Replies: 31
Views: 7925

Re: What a $9000 2006 26M looks like

RussMT wrote:Is that a Garmin GPS in there?
Mounts to the pedestal?

Image
Yep, that's what that is.