1988 MacGregor 26D Live Abroad Inquiry

[Andraleela]

1988 MacGregor 26D Advice Please

Greetings.

I am new to this thread and seeking some advice from experts on the MacGregor 26D 1988.

I pray I don’t offend anyone here by telling you that the boat I am thinking about purchasing has been converted into a moored boat with a pilot house on top and the sailing rig and former hatch has been removed. The boat was lived in last year in Kingston Ontario and I was considering purchasing it to turn it into a vacation experience. The boat has been modified and I get that it would be top heavy now and not for its original intended use so I was not planning to drive it expect to take it to its summer home. The motor currently is an older Honda 8 Hp.

I have been dreaming up a house boat live abroad project for a decade. I currently live in Perth Ontario. I was busy researching all the legalities, costs, insurance and marina logistics when it occurred to me from talking to a boat surveyor that I may be being naive about the age of the boat itself. I began researching how to tell the condition of a fiberglass boat and about the make and model and hearing things like ‘wet fiberglass’, ‘leaky’ ballast etc and so on..

What should I look for in inspecting this boat; What concerns should I be aware of about the boat and condition of the fiberglass; Would the boat be stable for sleeping at a quiet dock or would it sway? How can I tell if the boat needs a new barrier coat and what is the length of time and costs involved to apply (my partner is a professional painter); How can you tell if there is a leaky ballast and what does that mean? Does the ballast always have to be full of water for stability even when it is moored? Does the keel always need to be down even when it is moored? Some docks have less water so what is the depth the boat needs to clear at the dock for the keel if it needs to be down for stability? Does the interior always smell like mildew even with the hatch removed?

The gentleman who lived in the boat said he didn’t have a problem with mold or mildew. He had redone the inside in teak and cedar and lots of cross ventilation he had with double doors front and back. He lived on the boat for one year as an experiment and claims to have bought an actual sailing boat he can sail. The answers to most of my inquiries is everything is good and I would like to know any real issues I should be aware of.

Any thoughts and feedback would be much appreciated friends.

Cheers
Natasha

[NiceAft]

Wow

Offend anyone au contraire. I believe you have just caught the attention of a bunch of us.

I am sorry to say I don’t have anything to help, but I will eagerly await to see the answers. I feel confident that this will be the envy of many here.

What a boat! What a project!

[Andraleela]

Thank you NiceAft for the positive feedback and enthusiasm about the project is uplifting. There are a-lot of Nay sayers out there and they can put the living fear into a person pointing to every pit fall or potential disaster. It's also needed to hear positive feedback to balance perspectives.

~Blessings

Natasha

[Maraquita]

Wow! that's wild!

My wife and I occasionally water camp on our 26D. I would bet that even with the sails and rigging stowed for the night, we have less windage than your boat does. In a breeze it will definitely rock you to sleep. Our boats are known to be "tender", and that includes at the dock, so I'm betting that you will want to keep the ballast tank filled, At that, it will still move more than heavier full keeled boats. The "D" only has a light weight hollow center board, not actually a retractable keel at all. While it will keep you from moving sideways while sailing, I have never found it to be of any help to slow down the rocking while at anchor or at the dock.

Some folks on the site here have had trouble with ballast tank leaks, but I haven't, that have all seemed to be more like "seeps" and fairly easily repaired with standard fiberglass work. Once you have the tank filled, you would close the valve, so it is never going to be an "oh my god, we're sinking!" sort of a deal.

While these boats have been around a long time, they were designed as light weight, cheap, "starter" boats. As such they probably won't take the kind of abuse that a "world traveller" boat would. That said, my "D" is only 1 year newer than yours, and was abused terribly by a very competitive racer. It still floats and keeps me dry when I sleep aboard.

I'm a fresh water trailer sailer, so I can't help at all with the bottom paint, but others on this site can.

That ought to be a fun project, keep us informed!

[Andraleela]

Your comments were all very helpful Maraquita. Thank you for the reply. If I buy the boat I will keep you all informed.

Cheers

Nat

[Be Free]

Kudos to the PO. He has to be the only person to look at a Mac and think, "That boat does not have enough windage."

Seriously though, you will want to keep the ballast full with all of that extra weight up high on the hull. I'm with Maraquita re: the board. The weight is not going to make much difference. If the water is deep enough it's not going to hurt to keep it down and it may help just a little. It's going to swing at anchor and rock no matter what you do but it's not the end of the world. You'll get used to it. If it is at a dock then you won't swing and won't rock much at all even with all of the extra superstructure.

If it's going to be in the water year-round you definitely want a good bottom paint.

Look for any soft spots in the cabin top, hull, and transom. Pay particular attention to areas around anything that penetrates the surface (bolts, through-hulls, etc). Soft areas may indicate rot and water damage. Check the hull for blisters. Blisters are an indication that the boat was left in the water without a proper barrier paint. Small ones can be fixed; big ones may be an issue.

Make sure that the trailer is up to the challenge of moving the boat to where you need it. There are several threads here about what to do to get a trailer ready for a trip so I won't repeat them here. I will add to the standard warnings that the trailer may need to be stronger than the stock trailer. That boat may weigh significantly more than a stock "D" with all of that extra wood on top. Make sure the trailer and tow vehicle can handle it. Pulling is easy; stopping is the tricky part.

Plan on taking it on surface roads and going slow. That structure is not aerodynamic at all and it will see a lot of force trying to pull it off. That force will go up (approximately) with the square of the increase in velocity. The forces at 60kph are 4X the forces at 30. Go slow!

In any case, welcome to the board!

[Andraleela]

Hello Friends who have replied to this thread. Thank you for your valued input.

I was curious about your thoughts on the verbal agreed upon sale price at 7500. This is with old Honda 8hp and trailer looks like okay condition for the tires and I believe trailer was rebuilt in 2009 and has a home made status at MTO.

I am feeling pressure to make a decision today, this week as the seller will be going away for several weeks. There are still so many questions I have unanswered and I am feeling very uncertain about buying a boat I have not seen in the water and I don't know if the motor works and I don't know if the trailer is safe and its not road ready yet (air in tire check, harness check etc etc.) . I did see the boat and thought the trailer looked in fairly decent shape however at that time I did not know what I was looking for in regards to the boat itself. I asked the owner if he could put it into the water with me and show me the boat and he said he didn't have time because he is very busy with his business trying to get ready to go away.


What do you guys think is a fair value to offer for this boat? The boat did not look like it had a recent barrier coat and old fittings were taken off with crude yellow repair goop that is bleeding down the sides. And the motor is not attached to the original transom and looks very old and the owner has not put it into the water this year and I don't think planned to checked that it was working for me as the boat is not stored near water at this time.

Outside of offering a lower offer to offset the fear and potential issues. I just don't know if I can feel comfortable following through with the deal as it is. I have not given him a deposit so I can still back out of this deal.. He has put together a bill of sale but I have not signed. I am feeling the pressure so any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank You

Natasha

[Be Free]

An "old" 8hp Honda (BF8A) is worth about $500 in running condition. An outboard you've not seen run is worth nothing.

A homemade trailer is impossible to put a value on without seeing it. If it looks well made, has new tires, and is rust free it may be worth something. Bad welds, rusty bolts and suspension, bad wiring, sketchy coupler, missing brakes (if they should be there), and dry rotted tires all add up to a liability, not an asset.

The care that was put into removing the old hardware may be an indication of the care that was put into maintaining the boat since. If holes were just filled with urethane foam (or something similar) it may suggest that the boat has not been cared for.

If you plan on putting the boat in the water, seeing it float and not leak would seem to be an important prerequisite.

Personally, I would never buy something without doing due diligence just because the seller is in a hurry. The price he's asking is about what a working 26D with all of the rigging and sails would be worth. As a one-of-a-kind homemade houseboat I personally don't think it is worth anywhere near that price. In the end though, it is worth what it is worth to you.

[Andraleela]

Hello Everyone.

I wanted to THank you all for your input. The deal on this particular boat fell apart for now. The owner wasn't willing to work with me to finish my due diligence process and when he tried to guilt and pressure me and when I wouldn't agree to buy the boat without finishing my due diligence he let his emotions get the better of him and became enraged. So I would say the deal fell apart. Too bad but I do believe all is for the best.

I wanted to thank you all for your time and input. It was refreshing to speak with others who are wise regarding this particular boat but also who have the enthusiasm in your blood to be connected with the movements and tides of the water. I too have that connection to the water and rivers is where my heart is at home.

I can see owning a sail boat or other touring boats are labors of love. I have an old vintage winnebago and it is also a very big labor of love from day one. I also pray to continue to follow out my dream of having a live abroad boat one day that I can share with others and I am confident the right boat and right timing will come along.

I appreciate the community you have here and a blessing the you have admins who administer and the willingness of others to help is a blessing.

Thank you and Heart Tidings to All

Nat

[Stickinthemud57]

Well, bummer. You made the right decision though. Anyone who does not understand a buyer's need for proper due diligence is not someone you want to buy a boat from, particularly one that unusual.

Living aboard a boat can seem very alluring, but I would encourage you to find a way to try that lifestyle before you invest in a boat. I am enamored with the idea of extended cruising, camping, and living aboard a boat as well. The reality is that I am a very light sleeper, so I am not sure I would ever be able to get a good night's sleep on a boat out on open water. Also, I get bored easily, and in reality I think an extended cruise would not be all that wonderful for me.

To each their own, and best of luck!

[NiceAft]

There was a fellow on this MacGregorsailors site by the nom de plume of Poker Rick. He lived aboard his Mac for years. It literally was his home in California, and then Mexico. He sold it when he moved to Las Vegas.

If this deal fell through, keep looking. An or an has much better headroom (if your not taller than 1.8m) without building a box on top.