MacGregorSailors.com

Catigale wrote:Not trying to get political, but these programs should be colour blind imho and based solely on financial criteria....

This is why you MUST see an attorney to advise you. The bank might be bold faced LYING to you as to what you are elligible for - - - they are NOT on you side and they WON'T keep you where you belong. Ba*tar*s!

Rick Less in Las Vegas

Darren,
Don't feel bad that you sold cheap. The important thing is you sold it when you needed to, while others are sitting on the market for many months. I sold my boat in just over two weeks. I also feel that I sold it cheap, but the market is what it is. Those not willing to accept it are the people who's inventory sits on the market until they too are willing to "sell cheap."

Wishing you all the best to turn your situation around.

Leon

Hi Darren

Sorry to hear all of this.

I agree with Steph, this is temporary, and soon enough, everything will be right again.

You will always be welcome on my Mac.

Come and visit J and I whenever you want, even if you have to hitch it to get here.

Hey, you never know, maybe you would find a job with your name on it when you got here.

Best wishes

G

Sorry to hear your plight; I've been in your position (in the 80's). I changed my career from aviation to sales.

Just ask radio personallity Clark Howard what he thinks of B of A - one of the giant monster mega banks. B of A doesn't care what's good for its customer, only itself. Doesn't it make you feel great that you (we) helped bail out the giant monster mega banks just so they could turn around and screw the public. Without getting political, because of the actions of our Washington politicians, the mantra for the next election is: "If they're in, they're OUT."

Hello everyone,
I am the person who gave the down payment on Darren's boat 3 weeks ago. We had arranged a date for pickup but he had a family emergency. I have not been able to contact him for the past week via the phone number he had given me or e-mail. I hope he and his family are ok and I am also a little concerned for my money and the boat.... any information as to how I can get ahold of him is GREATLY APPRECIATED.

thank you,
Branden Raftery

grnwtrcruzn wrote:Hello everyone,
I am the person who gave the down payment on Darren's boat 3 weeks ago. We had arranged a date for pickup but he had a family emergency. I have not been able to contact him for the past week via the phone number he had given me or e-mail. I hope he and his family are ok and I am also a little concerned for my money and the boat.... any information as to how I can get ahold of him is GREATLY APPRECIATED.

thank you,
Branden Raftery

Well, Branden, I don't know what's going on in Darren's life - like you, I'm concerned for him and his family. However, although I don't know him personally, I do know he's always been a helpful and contributory member here, so I don't think your down payment is at risk. I'd give him some time... he's probably not responding because he's got more important things on his mind, and I hope they turn out for the best and that he's able to get back to you soon.

Thanks for all concerned.

The admiral had to have surgery and did not recover well. She is now 10 days later on the med, and feeling a bit better, and we hope to resume our normal life.

That has interrupted everything here. However, I am now 730 dollars poorer, and that is 42 hours of my life I will never get back in trying to make this boat ready to go.l

just to clarify for all concerned....the buyer requested a few electrical modifications to the boat before he picked it up.
I hoped to accomplish them in a simplified version in only 6 hours or so, but the old wiring was so corroded and brittle that it was unservicable. Somehow I doubt most others would have rewired the boat after it has been sold to another.

NOTE to everyone, DO not plan on modifying your boat after sale. messing with old electrics/electronics is expensive.

Note to everyone.......if you sell a boat.....sell it as is, BTW............I have his money in trust, and have not spent a dime, of his funds, which are still in their original wrapper locked up. I used my funds to obtain parts. (stainles steel costs more than silver these days....when you buy hardware)........

Most of the components worked when I started this task, however he asked me to change the wiring, and that wiring was not capable of being moved and changed. I could not in good conscious sell the boat with non workiing wiring, even if it was changed at the buyers request. The original goal was to just add a couple of terminals and sort the wiring......... Fat chance. Most of it broke when I went to move it. And of course, new marine grade components, tinned wire, connections, Heat shrinked connections, Corrosion resistant equipment, The project rapidly escalated, as most every wire was aged. There was a lot of labor involved, ordering parts, picking up parts, removing old material, fishing new wires throught the boat, cutting fiberglass, recessing panels, breakers, switches, terminals, installing flush receptacles, rotozipping, soldering, terminating, heat shrinking, testing, cleaning contacts etc.

The reason this boat did not have a new electrical system was because I knew it was a lot of work to do it. What I did not know was that even minor disturbances of the wiring would result in failed circuits. now I know.l

So, the following mods had to be done to bring the boat back to operating condition. If I had known that it was going to cost me so much time and money, I never would have agreed to change it. But it is done now, the boat is worth more, and the result is cosmetically far more appealing than the previous interior.

Remove 98 % (by weight) of the boat electrical systems.
1) Attached are the pictures showing the new electrical AC/DC switchpanel, 4 New AC breakers , 7 new 15 amp 12V breakers, 7 new single and double pole control switches installed. Spare switch installed for bilge pumps. Pic 1644
2) New DC relay and terminal box installed, contains existing low and high power DC circuits,
3) Install new spare 70 amp fuse panel,
4) Install 22 spare double terminals for all the modifications you might put in.
5) Install new Small resettable 50 amp circuit breaker located between battery isolator and 12 positive terminal block. pic 1625
6)Install new New AC feeder cable from shorepower conntector to AC terminal box. Now drops behind head and around stern of boat. Note….it would be much easier if that was 27 ft long and not 25 ft. long.
7) Install newNew AC terminal box. With spare contacts for charger inverter, and other devices.
8 ) Install 2 new battery isolator switches installed with removeable off keys. These feed power to the electronic battery isolator. And provide the 12V house bus. Pic 1643 showing red switches below the gfci
9) Also, all of the wiring in the head has been removed and installed new 4 AWG feeder installed to the Lectrasan/macerator pump control switch from the DC Relay terminal panel. 60 A Fuse for lectrasan is in the DC terminal box, right side.

10) Toilet switch separated from lectrasan toilet is now own whenever pressure water pump circuit is switched on.
11) Installed New AC receptacle installed on port settee adjacent to v-berth,
12) Installed new AC GFI receptacle installed on aft side of galley
13) Installed New AC rececptacle installed in aft berth adjacent to water heater. Pic 1639
14) Installed New 12 V circuit to VHF/Stereo location. VHF is connected, you will probably want to put a different stereo in than the 14 yr old rusty monster in there.

Existing Wire to instrument cluster on console is too small, you will want to replace with 14 AWG. But the new switch does put power to the instruments, they are flaky and intermitteant in their displays.

Battery compartment wiring mess removed. All 12Vdc negative termainals bussed into battery compartment via 4 lugs.I Pic 1641`

All the cables crossing the aft berth were removed,

boat still needs some light sockets, depth sounder display, gps and stereo wiring burnished to remove corrosion.

Now originally I was just going to move a few wires and give about 6 hours into it,
I have now over 42 hours into it, and it is done.

If the gentleman does not want the boat, there are 4 other potential buyers who have contacted me.

The boat is ready
fair winds, pleasant sailing.

Sorry my family/personal difficultes affected anyone else.
I was trying to do something nice for someone. but no good deed goes unpunished. I will post photos in the mods section. I gave up my time to get him this boat as soon as possible.

I dont think 42 hours of work was unreasonable for what was done. Perhaps if he picks up the boat today ,bettina and I can get some well deserved respite. good night, it is now 2:04 am and I am kind of tired......

Beene,

thanks for the invite. I think that would be great.

I'm glad to hear your wife is doing better and I appreciate the hard work you have done despite all your family has been going through. I would be able to pick up the boat this afternoon just let me know what time works for you... thank you

rereading my 2:00 am missive, there seems to be something I left out.

The boat wanted to be upgraded for a long time. she was probably just punishing me for not replacing those systems earlier. If I sounded upset at the the new buyer, I apologize. my frustration was directed at myself for getting myself into the situation. There were many elements to the upgrade. I should have known better. But like most of us, my tone at 2:00 am was rather burned out.

I know whatever work you have done on that boat it is top notch. Nothing I've seen you do is anything short of that.

But it is still just stuff and not as important as a spouse. Prayers for your wife to have a full recovery and both of you some peace.



-Russ

WEll, it may not all be top notch., cuz I dont like notches ........and specifically notches in panel faces.....

All I wanted in a panel was recessed switch faces, AC and DC breakers and switches, deep depth, black face, and the ability to fit in a tight mac galley aft cabinet side.

oh well.....wanting isnt everything. I found no ready made panel meeting all those requirements.. I have broken off switches, handles and other devices whenever they protrude past the panel face, especially with the mac.
I like the idea of what I built, but I will do the next one different. The recessed faces were cut from pipe sections then screwed and glued onto the panel face. Since I Was in somewhat of a hurry, the panel cutouts are not perfectly rectangular,
'
But at least all of the components are good, and can be remounted onto any blue sea, panel tronics, sea dog or other standard panel face..... And then they can break off again.... I was still suprised I could fit all that in there. and I am sure the spare terminals and the 70A 16 circuit fuseblock will come in handy for more mods. Probably is good for quite a few mods acutally. micro, Engel, solar, arch, hmmm........

damn its not my boat anymore......