I've heard varying reports from non mac people about whether my mac 25 can handle blue water, what it's rated at, etc. Are they jealous, or should I really be worried about going from Florida to the bahamas and through the carribean on it?
Also, anyone have an idea what the best motor is for this little craft?
Thanks, I appreciate the help!
Best Engine for a Mac 25, and Can it go in the Ocean?
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livingstone
- Just Enlisted
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Catigale
- Site Admin
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Welcome aboard Livingstone....
we have beat the 'blue water debate' to death on this forum in past years - if you use the search engine on this (click the 'search all terms' button) you will find lots of material to skim...
It more a function of crew experience level than the boat - unlike keel boats Macs have some unique characteristics that need to be understood.
The Conch Cruisers make that trip or one like it every year - in a group for safety of course.
we have beat the 'blue water debate' to death on this forum in past years - if you use the search engine on this (click the 'search all terms' button) you will find lots of material to skim...
It more a function of crew experience level than the boat - unlike keel boats Macs have some unique characteristics that need to be understood.
The Conch Cruisers make that trip or one like it every year - in a group for safety of course.
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James V
- Admiral
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- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Key West, Fl USA, 26M 06, Merc 50hp BF "LYNX"
Hello livingstone, Bahamas for sure IF you watch the weather window well and stay in the shallow water a lot. Not really sure about the Carribean cruising. You need to make it to the other end before hurrican season or be prepaired to store it. I do not consider this "Blue Water" as it is going from harbor to harbor each day, in fair weather. I am planing to spend this winter in the Bahamas, crossing in early Nov, best time for weather window.
Engin - long shaft with the water intake on the botom with some battery charging and remote start and throtal.
Last year we had 2 - 25's on the trip over to Bimini Bahamas, however the weather was GREAT!!
As with other boats, all gear should be in good condition.
Engin - long shaft with the water intake on the botom with some battery charging and remote start and throtal.
Last year we had 2 - 25's on the trip over to Bimini Bahamas, however the weather was GREAT!!
As with other boats, all gear should be in good condition.
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Chip Hindes
- Admiral
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- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:13 am
- Location: West Sand Lake, NY '01X, "Nextboat" 50HP Tohatsu
The original Commodore of the Conch Cruisers has a Mac 25; he has made the trip to Bimini twice with the CCs and a number of times on his own, and the Dry Tortugas as well. There was a second Mac 25 on Bimini '03 and Dry Tortugas '04, and also a V22 and a Precision 23 on Bimini '03. We originally had a Mac 19 powersailor scheduled for Bimini ’05 but he had to cancel.
I don't believe any of them have gone farther in the Bahamas than Bimini. The PC's current motor is, I believe an 18HP Yamaha 4S. This unfortunately became quite a sore point on Bimini '05 when the nearly new motor refused to run properly, even after a rather expensive carb rebuild while we were in Bimini with flown in parts. He was towed most of the way from Bimini back to FL by a 26D which I believe also had an 18HP.
The original motor on the Commodore’s Mac 25 was as I recall a 9HP, and I believe that was marginally adequate for that boat . The other Mac 25 had a 6HP which was not adequate. One Mac 26X had a 9HP on Bimini ’03, which was inadequate for that boat, and one Mac 26S on Bimini ’05 had a short shaft motor of unremembered HP that was inadequate because it kept coming out of the water.
The above should give you some guidelines. Some may disagree but IMO there is no such thing as too much HP. Is there a recommended max for the 25? If so, that’s what you need if you’re contemplating taking it to the Bahamas, and there's no doubt in my mind there will be a time when you'll be using every bit of it and wishing for more. If you don't, again, there is no doubt in my mind you will be kicking yourself at some later date for picking less than the max.
Key #1, as James says, it to plan around a weather window, and build in some slop time. The CCs have never delayed the launch of a trip more than a few hours, but we twice put off the return from Bimini to FL for a day due to adverse weather. Even so, both return trips from Bimini and the return from Dry Tortugas were somewhat unpleasant, with gusty winds 15-20 on the nose, chop and swells in 6-8’ range. This was when it became apparent which motors were adequate and which weren’t.
Key number 2: all the HP in the world won't help if the motor won't run. Even well maintained motors occasionally go on the fritz, so see the above story for why you should also travel with a group. For each CC Bimini trip, one or more boats had to be towed, each direction, due to an inop motor or other eqiupment failure. As I recall, The Dry Tortugas trip was without tow, but there were some rather hairy moments when the Commodore's 25 dropped the mast in adverse conditions due to a failed forestay turnbuckle. With the help of some of the other CC's, one of whom actually swam to the boat to give him a hand, he was able to get it back up and continue. Might not have turned out as well as it did if he had been by himself.
The Conch Cruisers are going to Bimini again this year around the last two weeks of June. If you have no sailing experience, you should not go this year but if you have some experience and you can get your boat adequately equipped in time, this is the way to do it the first time. See this forum entry by Larry, the new Commodore. Last count there were still eight open slots.
I don't believe any of them have gone farther in the Bahamas than Bimini. The PC's current motor is, I believe an 18HP Yamaha 4S. This unfortunately became quite a sore point on Bimini '05 when the nearly new motor refused to run properly, even after a rather expensive carb rebuild while we were in Bimini with flown in parts. He was towed most of the way from Bimini back to FL by a 26D which I believe also had an 18HP.
The original motor on the Commodore’s Mac 25 was as I recall a 9HP, and I believe that was marginally adequate for that boat . The other Mac 25 had a 6HP which was not adequate. One Mac 26X had a 9HP on Bimini ’03, which was inadequate for that boat, and one Mac 26S on Bimini ’05 had a short shaft motor of unremembered HP that was inadequate because it kept coming out of the water.
The above should give you some guidelines. Some may disagree but IMO there is no such thing as too much HP. Is there a recommended max for the 25? If so, that’s what you need if you’re contemplating taking it to the Bahamas, and there's no doubt in my mind there will be a time when you'll be using every bit of it and wishing for more. If you don't, again, there is no doubt in my mind you will be kicking yourself at some later date for picking less than the max.
Key #1, as James says, it to plan around a weather window, and build in some slop time. The CCs have never delayed the launch of a trip more than a few hours, but we twice put off the return from Bimini to FL for a day due to adverse weather. Even so, both return trips from Bimini and the return from Dry Tortugas were somewhat unpleasant, with gusty winds 15-20 on the nose, chop and swells in 6-8’ range. This was when it became apparent which motors were adequate and which weren’t.
Key number 2: all the HP in the world won't help if the motor won't run. Even well maintained motors occasionally go on the fritz, so see the above story for why you should also travel with a group. For each CC Bimini trip, one or more boats had to be towed, each direction, due to an inop motor or other eqiupment failure. As I recall, The Dry Tortugas trip was without tow, but there were some rather hairy moments when the Commodore's 25 dropped the mast in adverse conditions due to a failed forestay turnbuckle. With the help of some of the other CC's, one of whom actually swam to the boat to give him a hand, he was able to get it back up and continue. Might not have turned out as well as it did if he had been by himself.
The Conch Cruisers are going to Bimini again this year around the last two weeks of June. If you have no sailing experience, you should not go this year but if you have some experience and you can get your boat adequately equipped in time, this is the way to do it the first time. See this forum entry by Larry, the new Commodore. Last count there were still eight open slots.
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Mikebe
- Engineer
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- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:12 am
- Location: Ashburn Va. 2007 26M "Rain Dancer" Honda 50HP
The dealer I bought my mac from sailed the bahamas in his 26M. Check out this link, lots of great pics...one of his boat sitting high and dry on the beach, a good example of how not to anchor!
http://www.a1sailboats.com/bahama_2007.htm
http://www.a1sailboats.com/bahama_2007.htm
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John McDonough
- First Officer
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