newly designed m steering pod

[Highlander]

Terry

How's this



sorry for the delay

John

[Terry]

Looks good, Did you have a tiller before and now changing to wheel?
I see there is more surface area for mounting other things compared to the SS pole of older M's like mine. How strong is it, do you think you could mount a grab handle on it to keep your balance while moving around or would your weght break it. My M is an '03 with the mast crutch holder in the pod, I'd have to get the arch too I suppose if I wanted the new pod, seems like a lot for earings and neclace (as AYA called it) but it does look cool. I have an awful lot of other jewery to get yet so that one will get relegated further down the list. The dodger is foremost in my sights right now and I am just finnishing up on the Autohelm, have lines aft & downhauls to figure in yet. Even though I don't need them yet I think new custom sails from Northsails would be the diamond earing/necklace set. The stern rail seats look awesome too but they will have to wait as they are not as functional as a dodger or new sails. Single handed sailing rigging has taken a priority lately. I wonder if anyone is creative enough to invent an instrument/utility holder that would be pole based to insert into the pod where the mast crutch goes and then put a bunch of stuff on that.
Looks like the aftermarket folks will have to make yet another cockpit table to fit that new pod. Dowsar currently has a nice one for my pod.

[Highlander]

Terry

I'll be making an off set pedestall guard out off 7/8" or 1" s/s pipe I'll make it the same width as the ped base and try to make it so that it follows the same paddle shape as it comes up the ped then widen it out to the same size as the top pod it will be on the same forward angle I'll install it in front of the ped then I'll be able to install one off these folding tables to it I maybe even make my own . I just sat the ped on the cock pit floor & took a pic to give you a better Idea of what it would look like I've still got to take my tiller off the mac19 comes with a tiller I'm converting to wheel steering the tiller takes up to much room in the cockpit . I also added 4ft of 1" genoa track to my cockpit gunwhales my bimini can slide 4ft aft or fore on it I'll be running my sheets back there later as I do most of my sailing single handed. Looking for a nice mature single blonde female who just happens to own a 26m & be her deckhand could'nt be that lucky though EH .
the ped is fairly strong but I'm making the ped guard anyway
I'll be coming out to Victoria BC on the 23-jun-06 to visit my daughter on the navy base for week so if I can get access to a computer I'll keep you posted ok I'll be posting more mods I took more pic's just takes forever to post them on dial-up . I'm working on plans for an arch davit to incorperate stern seats & my 15 amp 4ft solar panel & hold my 2 man inflatable mini dingi have started buying some of the material already

John

[Zavala]

John,

That pedestal looks cool! I kind of wish I'd have waited for the new model now... Course I didn't know it was coming, so there wasn't much of a choice. Anyway, I hope the mod is coming along well -- post some more pictures when you have a chance. I've been offline most of the summer, but am looking forward to seeing how this came out for you.

Kevin

[rockman]

Just saw the new pod at the Sydney (Australia) Boat Show. It looks good....but.

Its bigger than the old one, and with space at a premium in the cockpit, i would have thought that they would have tried to make is smaller.

Did also look at the new mack28k - its the larger version of the Mac26M, with a fixed keel, made by an australian company - check out www.mackmanboats.com.au

cheers
RockMan

[Captain Steve]

Can you still get a pedistal for a X or will this one work for both boats??

[They Theirs]

I like a new design with great function. Hearing the new Mac Pedestal design was implemented for the financial savings for “In-House” manufacturing gains. The cockpit floor makes for cramped foot movement around the pedestal base and more so when heeling over sailing. With the introduction of the 03’- 04’ large open M interior and reduction of pedestal footprint on the cockpit floor. I note the smooth, rounded shape of the X, and M pedestal being compared with the sharp rear facing the helm seat of the new design. I understand the base flange of the 03’ thru 06’ Stainless Steel pedestal mount, but viewing the newest pedestal base mount, why are the mounting flange and bolts not internally mounted with the clean look of the X pedestal base?

[deja_vu]

Based on those pictures it looks like the X pedestal is a quite bit wider at the base so an internal mount would provide a reasonable amount of lateral support. On the new M base it's pretty narrow, and while an internal mount would certainly look more polished, and would eliminate those plates and bolts to jam your feet into, I don't know that it would provide enough lateral support. At least it wouldn't provide as much if the bolts were mounted inside.

But then I guess the little base of the old M pedestal was even smaller, but it was integral to the post. In reality, it's more likely simply due to the fact that there's no way to reach the bolt heads inside the base of the new pod, so they'd have to have used some form of plate with studs, which would probalby be more expensive.

[They Theirs]

I have not seen the new design pedestal other than in photos. I was under the impression the aft plastic fascia was removable along with a plywood internal bulkhead structure. The removable bulkhead to provide access for steering, ignition and kill switch among other instruments and additional hardware. Surely access to the base with this panel open. Maybe there are owners with photos and better information.

[deja_vu]

On mine the plywood is glassed to the fiberglass box, then the lexan panel is screwed to the ply.

The fun part about mine is that the lexan, or plexiglass, whatever it is, didn't line up correctly with the box at the top edge so it was slightly bigger.

This left a razor sharp ridge along the top of the pedestal, I know because I have slices along one wrist and one forearm from where I placed my hand on top of the pedestal, then had my hand slip and my arm graze the glass face plate on two seperate occasions, one for each arm.

The first one happened whle I was installing stuff in the boat, the second the first time I took the boat out. It has since been covered with a bead of silicon so that can't happen again. I had planned on doing that before I took the boat out, but figured what are the odds of it happening again.

Lesson being, if you know something is unsafe, fix it as soon as you find it, otherwise you get blood on the boat.

You'd think they could have at least rounded the edges prior to attaching the thing.

[They Theirs]

deja_vu
Sorry to hear about the cuts, I’ve had my share from sharp edges and shards of fiberglass picked up poking around in the bilge. I purchased some expensive “Taco Stainless Cap rails” from West Marine, and knew the beautiful finish would garnish my teak combings. Problem was, I cut myself on installation, and later the long sharp edge cut a crewmember also. I knew they were sharp, but was late taking the edge off them for fear of taking something off the buff finish. My mistake… as well!

Thanks for the information; I was not aware the Helm/Pedestal did not provide access. How do you install steering and Engine Controls, etc? Maybe similar to the original M…with effort and care

[Highlander]

finnally all done been alway so much this summer thought I was never going to get it done "notice flush mount Suzuki controler & 20" none dished wheel " I hope you can blow the pic up for better viewing

John

[Alex]

John, how you solve a problem with helm seat? Do you have photo?

[Highlander]

Hi Alex.

I bought a single Todd bench seat combo with back rest cushion for $65.00 can. At Sandy Cove Marine in Barry Ont. they have a great marine flea market up stairs new & used equipment . It was the only "single" one they had , they still have some doubles & their all new . I'll make the back rest myself from a white plastic cutting board & 2 alum pipes the backrest cushion will snap onto it, the seat has storage under the front cushion which flips up to the rear enough for 2 six pac's "cans" Pop or beer your choice their is also a rear open storage area, the removable back rest fits into the 2 built in rod holders . W/M catalog pge 682 has a pic of them check out their price . Their is a removable pedestal mount on the base of the seat to mount on a pedestal but I'm thinking of either a flip up mount like the 26 X,M or a locking slider mount which would let me slide from port to starboard & be able to flip the seat back wards out of the cockpit which I would have to make or see whats avail. on the market but I've got from now to the spring to decide on what I'm going to go with. I've still got a 6" eng set back brkt to install & a spinnaker crane to make yet for a new CDI spinnaker furler I have yet to buy just priced one for my new custom 350sq ft spinnaker which should be delivered this week from BC . Can't wait to fly that sheet on my MAC19 should be exciting I've also got some other mods to finnish off this winter including the pedestal guard & a wing on my new CB. Hoping these projects make for a short winter

John

[Highlander]

Will post more close up pic's when I finnish my pedestal guard