Mac26x as a Trailerable Mini Trawler

[Cedarsailor]

Try an RV supplier or industrial valve supplier as they are used for many other purposes. I recently saw them used as drain valves on giant tanks used for sturgeon research. I wrote the name of the manufacturer down from a box at the job site. Of course I put it in a safe place where I could find it ...

dht

[81venture]

Found a great buy on 26x
But need to replace gate valves for the
Ballast
Any one know of a source for them
Thanks for any help

I got one at an RV store (Campers) and it was such a common thing it was out in the retail section on the shelf...cost was $17

I had brought my old one and was surprised it was same manufacturer and same numbers on it

It is called a "waste gate valve" and ours are 1 1/2 inches

[Campwood1920]

As an olde man
I have owned several larger sailboats w Diesal
Inboards
10- 20 hp
Infact most displacement sailboats have
Small engines n I have never seen anything
Larger than a 9.9 on sailboats upto say 30'
So why do I need more than 9.9 on a macx
I have friends that moved by water a balboa
26 fm Annapolis to Galveston w a 5 hp honda
Like I said Iam olde
Iam going to buy a Mac. 26x so please
Keep talking to me please
As Iam olde
Thanks

[ris]

Difference between a Yamaha 9.9 and a 25 hp high thrust is 90 lbs. and about $1000. 9.9 hp has no rectifier/regulator have to have it installed (have to add this to cost of motor) and it only puts out 6 amps only part of which will go to charging batteries. 25hp puts out 13.5 amps so you should have 8 to 10 amps for battery charging. Not sure but think trim and tilt for 9.9 is by hand and 25 is a switch. You can run the motor at lower rpms for a given speed. The yamaha only has high thrust in the 9.9 and then the 25. 15 and 20 do not have high thrust. That high thrust is helpful at all times but really nice at slow speeds and backing.

[Wayne nicol]

good point Ris,
also the way i see it- these boats design will n ot weather a storm like a good keelboat can. they are designed to run and get to a safe anchorage.
they can really handle some rough stuff, especially with the ballast in- but not with the safety or comfort of a keelboat. personally i would be a little apprehensive about only having a small motor, that i couldnt make safe anchorage in a pinch.
also depends where you are boating i guess!

[Three Gypsies]

After my last posting on this subject , I remembered an incident in Hollywood Fl .
As I wrote , draw bridges tend to funnel the current down the middle . A sailboat was approaching a closed draw bridge , but
got caught in the current . His 20hp inboard could not stop him and He hit the bridge , knocking down his mast .

I am NOT a person who believes bigger is better , just the opposite .
But I do believe in having the right tools for the job.
You need horsepower to control a heavy boat , and if you are living aboard , its going to be heavy .
There have been many cases that I have had to power us out of a bad situation .
There are a few cases where my ability to power out , may have saved our lives .

If your idea of cruising is some gentle lake , then a 9.9hp may be all you need ,
but if you plan some serious cruising , get more horsepower !

[Tomfoolery]

As an olde man
I have owned several larger sailboats w Diesal
Inboards
10- 20 hp
Infact most displacement sailboats have
Small engines n I have never seen anything
Larger than a 9.9 on sailboats upto say 30'
So why do I need more than 9.9 on a macx
I have friends that moved by water a balboa
26 fm Annapolis to Galveston w a 5 hp honda
Like I said Iam olde
Iam going to buy a Mac. 26x so please
Keep talking to me please
As Iam olde
Thanks

It's not a fair comparison between inboard diesels and outboards. My H340 had a Yanmar 3GM30F, outputting 24 hp continuous and 27 hp 1-hour rating, with prop speeds of 1303 rpm and 1380 rpm respectively. And the 'standard' prop was a bronze 2-blade, 16 in diameter with 13 in pitch. That's a lot of prop for 24 hp if thinking in terms of outboards, but it runs slow, and isn't intended to push beyond hull speed, and is almost certainly more efficient in terms of slip and thrust than a small prop operating at high speed.

The math works out to about 16 mph at zero slip, and with a cruising speed of about 7 kts or 8 mph, that's about 50% slip. A similar OB at 25 hp will have a much smaller prop running at much higher speed (like 2640 rpm for the Yamaha 25), and at low boat speeds, I don't think you could put a big enough prop on it to develop the same thrust as an inboard swinging a big prop at low speed.

Just thinking out loud, but presumably an 8 hp inboard (like the one-lung Yanmar at 8 hp continuous) would outperform an 8 hp OB on a light boat like a Mac or Balboa 26, especially at low speeds when powering up and over large swells and against wind and/or chop. Sort of like comparing a tractor to a car.

[Sumner]

I think I'd trust the Tohatsu extra long shaft 9.8 HP for use like this. It comes with a 4 blade 4 pitch high thrust prop. It is what I've been using and was designed to power boats larger than a Mac. Yamaha and others probably have a comparable outboard.

I took the 4 pitch prop off and keep it as a spare and switched to a 7 pitch 4 blade. I only used full throttle once under a bridge in a high tidal current situation and then only for a few seconds. With the higher windage of the X or M vs. my S I might start with the stock 4 pitch.

If I'm going through a tidal cut for the first time I do try and time things to not be doing it during max. current events if possible.

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Gazmn]

As an olde man
I have owned several larger sailboats w Diesal
Inboards
10- 20 hp
Infact most displacement sailboats have
Small engines n I have never seen anything
Larger than a 9.9 on sailboats upto say 30'
So why do I need more than 9.9 on a macx
I have friends that moved by water a balboa
26 fm Annapolis to Galveston w a 5 hp honda
Like I said Iam olde
Iam going to buy a Mac. 26x so please
Keep talking to me please
As Iam olde
Thanks

Your mind seems made up for purchasing an , Congrats good choice.

It may or may not need a new engine. It's probably going to come with a 50HP, & if it's higher horse, probably won't be carbureted. Why not try the motor it comes with. See how you like it.
Also, our hull shape is semi displacement - for a reason.

[Three Gypsies]

One last post on the subject , and I'm done .

When you say trawler , then I assume you are removing the sailing gear and plan to cruise on the motor .
A sailboat has a small engine because its designed to get its propulsion from its sails , but a trawler relies on its motor all the time .

As someone who has lived on a Mac 26X for long periods and traveled many 1000s of miles , you need more engine than 10hp if its to be your only propulsion and you plan to cruise the ICW and other tighter spots .

But as said , you seem to have made your mind up , so good luck with your choice .

[Tomfoolery]

A sailboat has a small engine because its designed to get its propulsion from its sails , but a trawler relies on its motor all the time.

And to your point, it's why a sailboat's engine is referred to as 'auxiliary power'.