"It's more difficult in practice than in theory" Tell me about it. Loading the car this morning for the 6 hour drive to San Diego, where we'll spend the next two days in a mixture of classroom time and out on the water on a J/24 learning all about sail trimming and tacking. Can't wait to ...

"It's more difficult in practice than in theory" Tell me about it. Loading the car this morning for the 6 hour drive to San Diego, where we'll spend the next two days in a mixture of classroom time and out on the water on a J/24 learning all about sail trimming and tacking. Can't wait to g...

I've sailed many boats that were not self-righting but all of them were small enough that they could be righted by myself without any additional assistance. I don't think I could right my "X" on my own and I really don't want to find out one way or the other. Hence me saying if you want t...

First Mac 26X I looked at locally, the owner talked about sailing it unballasted on the Sea of Cortez. I could see using it as a day sailor that way, with the engine removed and nothing inside that you can't afford to submerge or have float away, just assume you will eventually end up with the wrong...

Oh and the outboard still needs 12v right? So how do you deliver that? There is still a 12V lead acid starter battery connected directly to the motor, all the 24V house battery wiring would be run from the separate pair of LiFePO4s. Currently we just charge the starter battery from the alternator a...

You have given this much thought. That can be dangerous. I wonder how many TRUE 12v devices we have on our boats. You are probably right about LEDs being tolerant of dual voltage. I guess all this relies heavily on dual 12v batteries in a series. If one fails, the whole system might suffer. Or not ...

24v? Interesting. So those devices would have their own 24v circuit? You still need 12v for most other stuff. That will take some planning It would reduce the wire gauge required for the fridge. I had to run a heavy wire for my fridge because the voltage drop over distance. I hadn't managed to shak...

We only really considered two models when shopping last year, the 26X/M, and the Nimble 24. Really liked the yawl sail plan and shallow draft, interior headroom/space won out in the end: https://sailboatdata.com/listing/1989-n ... l-cruiser/

You are experiencing the cooling from a REAL compressor. I wish there were better tech, but so far this is it. Give it some air and it will be fine. I'm not familiar with the X but if it can vent out anywhere it should be fine. That area is subject to the hull heat transfer right? Looking forward t...

Hi Tuxonpup! Nice cooler! Great upgrade! An option to consider is to add a pair of strategically 4x4” or larger through ventilation grill holes through the side walls of the tub and bench seat for air to circulate. One aligned with where the cooler air intake is and one where the exhaust is. If you...

That looks like a good one. Keep an eye on it when you first start to use it. I think you said you were planning on putting it under the aft dinette seat. Just make sure that it is getting enough air circulation to work properly. Yeah, I really hadn't factored that in until I got it and saw the air...

It is interesting how some solar panels will drop 90% of their output if just a small section is blocked from the sun (like your boom). It's wise to clean them as I'm sure dust and bird poo reduces their output. My solar panel is mounted off the back of the boat over the motor. The :macm: mast crut...

Be Free wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 8:33 am Outboard <--> lead acid start battery --> dc-dc charger --> lithium house bank.
Cheap(ish), safe, easy.

This is what our configuration ends up as, just with the addition that our DC-DC converter has an integrated MPPT solar controller as well.

Sailing classes will be good for you. Just remember a J24 is a PURE sailboat and your Mac is a compromise boat that will never sail that well. This time of year seems like the worst time to be boating in Arizona. We are seriously exploring relocating to AZ, but I have no expectations of boating thi...

Since our panels are going on the bimini, they are mono flex panels that weigh 4.6# each. We're sewing eight velcro straps into the bimini aligned with the corner mounting holes. Looks like I only have one weekend off over the next eight weeks of shows, so we decided instead of going back to our boa...