MacGregorSailors.com

Per last two replys,

You can find most of the info. on the outriggers & centerboard starting at the beginning of this thread & yes this type of centerboard requires a different trailer. The boat has a 2kw Honda Genset, air marine windturbine, & solar panels. The mast is forward in the pix only so that it does not extend into the yard behind where I store the boat. When trailering it shifts back about 6 ft. Also, per the above questions; #1 yes the sink is still there, #2 when trailering or when using the A/C I sleep in back, otherwise the settee converts into a gimbal double bunk with leeboard. The small wing is basically only ballast to keep the board down & the modified board creates no problems with the twin small 4 stroke engines that I use. MM

The A/C unit is vented into the port cockpit storage locker usually used for gas (I have internal tanks). This was done by drilling multiple 1" holes in the bulkhead, sealing the unit against them & supporting the unit on SS all-thread. A 12 V exhaust fan helps move the hot air out into the cockpit. The holes are covered with a fiberglass & rubber gasket system when sailing. This is removed when the unit is in use. The actual A/C unit is a K-Mart ($59.95) 5200BTU unit that I fitted with a hard start kit ($29.95) so that I can get it started off the inverter (which will run the unit with my 2 4D batts. for about 4 hrs. before reaching 50%). Usually, the unit is run using the Genset when charging batts. In most cases with the boat sealed I can switch from low A/C to high fan after about 1 hr., then usually about 4/5 hrs later I turn it back on for an hr. (on the inverter) & then back to fan until morning. This system worked great on the Amazon where sleeping without a breeze & lots of bugs made the system a godsend. It has been in place for about 3 years & when the ($59.95) unit dies I'll just remove the hard start kit & replace the A/C with another like unit (much less than fixing an expensive 'marine A/C unit). MM

MM,
I'm interested in hearing a summary of the overall route you took including the inner passageway, up to the Mackenzie, then down to the Amazon and also how the portages were accomplished. Quite a trip! I saw on the old site you were originally planning on attempting the Straights of Magellan. How far South did you make it?
Thanks,
Greg

Mike,
Thanks for the answers.

Is the boat heavy on the port side, with all the heavy gadgets over there, or did you put water/fuel or batts on the starboard side to get balance ?

Maddmike wrote: "The actual A/C unit is a K-Mart ($59.95) 5200BTU unit that I fitted with a hard start kit ($29.95) so that I can get it started off the inverter....

I have never heard of a "hard start kit". Can somebody describe this to me and where to get it? Thanks.

The Batts., Pressure fresh H20, spares & tools are starboard. I usually fiddle around with trim at sea all the time. However, at anchor without anyone on board the boat balances.

Will go over the full route south with portages soon. However, as indicated on my website I initially intended to trailer over the Andes to the Chilian Inside Passage. I did not do this, because I ran out of money/time & as I had alreasdy done this part of the trip on other boats, getting back down there was not that important to me (the origional idea was that after getting to Punta Arenas I would buy a trailer and tow back on the Trans-America Hwy, Didn't happen-turns out gas & a trailer are a lot more expensive than running back downstream, guess that's why I call the boat 'Zeno's Arrow' (I often only get about 1/2 way to where I intend to go-just so many interesting things to see along the way).MM

Jack,

Check with any HVAC guy or shop. Basically, compressors like those in A/C units take about 2.5 times the amp draw to start as they do to run. Thus, many inverters & gensets can not 'start' a unit, but could keep them running after being started. A hard start kit is basically a capasitor (sp) that stores enough 'juice' to kick over the unit. These come in different sizes based upon the hp (amp draw) of the compressor you are trying to start. Most are pre-wired & color coded for simple installation (but, they may void any warrenty you may have on the unit). I'm sure a 'real' HVAC guy out there would cringe at my quick description but this should get you pointed in the right direction. MM

My head is a large volume permanantly mounted 'Porta-Potti' purchased from West Marine (I believe the actual brand is not Porta-potti). The head has a 1&1/2" fitting for attaching a pumpout line. I attached a macerator pump directly to this outlet and plumbed it overboard using the outlet origionally designed for the head sink. This outlet has been sleeved and threaded so I can attach a line from it to a sewer line (I use this setup in Koa Kampgrounds, etc.). When FAR at sea a pump directly overboard. When on Tahoe I attach the pumpout line to an adapter to the local pumpout station. This system gives me the option of having only a porta-potti, by disconnecting the pump, a direct pumpout for at sea, a sewer line when in campgrounds, and a pumpout attachment when on Tahoe and other such locations. MM

I had a hard start kit installed on a home unit once that was on its last legs.
it consists of capacitors that improve the power factor during startup, which reduces the inrush current considerably. The capacitance offsets the inductance of the motor windings, resulting hopefully in a near unity power factor, as opposed to a lagging power factor that is probably well below 80% during startup (I don't know the real number, it might be way worse than this) . you can roughly equate this to a >20% inrush reduction, that might help keep from tripping a small invertor or genset during start.


I'm also not an HVAC guy , so maybe someone else has better info than this.

All this AC talk is making it easier for me to stand the winter sailing shutdown in the Northeast...where AC in the summer is opening the hatch!

I launched two winter projects yesterday - replacing the stock galley front in birch and also a new table/bed

I dont think Kevin will suffer much competition from my efforts, but I think it will warm up the cabin a bit..

Catigale,

Nice to hear about your winter galley & table projects, post some pix when you get it finished!

FYI, Sri Lanka: Current temp. 87 F, Sunny, winds from the NE at 10 knots,
now where the heck did I go and put that darn suntan lotion?

(ha,ha,ha!)

Cheers, MM

Off for a few days, going sailing. Will get back to posting by the weekend. MM

Hey Mike,

I'm pretty impressed with your mods, and your adventures too.

and I can understand why you would choose the X for the platform.

BUT I do wonder what kind of boat I could get with the investments you've made in your boat....

do you think you have over 50K in the boat?

(this kinda goes toward the question of live aboard suitablility of a mac, vs a keel boat)

thanks! mrBill in ft lauderdale.

Hey Mike,

When you're out for weeks in open ocean, what do you do for sleep? Do you heave to and hope for the best? I can't imagine that you can anchor 800 miles from land. (Sorry if this has already been asked.)

Bill,

That is a really good question. I purchased Zeno's Arrow in Oct. 1995 from H&R in Newport Beach for $12,990.00 (with some options) and transported the boat directly to Oregon (no sales tax). Most of the modifications on the boat I did myself with material purchased at a deep discount or provided through Northsails (my current employer). Also, keep in mind I use small 6 hp.engines (1239.00 ea.) and some of the things like the microwave, flooring, wall material A/C & paint were not that expensive (even the 2kw Honda gen was only $899.00). However, there are some rather expensive items on the boat (outriggers $1800.00, stainless chain & oversized anchors, Bluesea A/C & D/C panels, radar, autopilot, custom trailer, etc.) All together I figure I have a shade under $40,000.00 in the boat (not counting my time & labor). One thing to keep in mind is that the ability to trailer the boat was important to me so a keel boat was not an option. Additionally, if I should ever purchase a new boat, almost all the things on Zeno's Arrow like the AGM Batts, inverters, chargers, watermaker, icemaker & freezer can be moved to the new boat.
The reality is that most boats are the cheapest part of living aboard. If you think of improving a boat over the years like you would a house, then the cost does not seem that much. MAC vs. keelboat is a personal call. I believe in the end both boats (MAC/Keelboat) of equil quality, age and condition would pan out to cost about the same as a liveaboard after all is said and done-you just loose the option of hanging out in campgrounds & exploring inland waters. MM