MacGregorSailors.com

Mate, you would really have to have a bare boat to get it under 1800kg. I took everything out of mine to weigh it and got an illegal 1960kgs (did have three batteries and a small fridge in there plus a few flares Epirb, but no water, fuel or any other gear).

My car is only rated to 1500kgs and it actually tows my boat reasonably well LOL. Mind you I only generally tow it 200 metres to the ramp, except for the 200kms when I bought it.. .

My boat is hooked up to the car out the front right now ready to leave in the morning for three days on the bay. All fuel, water etc is onboard and I know it would currently weigh somewhere around 2200 to 2400kgs. Contrary to popular belief - these are not light Trailer sailers.... and once you add the ballast, they are probably the heaviest TS in Oz!

Hello Paul, yes I agree in all what you say.

One problem ist that the MacGregor factery gives in their papers so low weight that you start to calculate wrong.
They say: Boat weight empty: 1156kg, trailer incl. brakes: 261, so you get all together 1430kg. Adding 200kg for motor an being nice you get 1630.

So: Everybody of us realizes that this weight we never could calculate with...

Maybe they mean with "empty boat" a boat without daggerboard, without mast, without the table, without the coushons... dont no what all without... woithout rudders... Never could se anyone could saying the empty boat with trailer an motor will stay under 1630... An a motor is well calculated with 200kg...

If you trust the papers you think the stuck trailer with 1900kg is ok, but in allday use it is at least 300kg to small.

sunshinecoasting wrote:Hey kmclemore, I tried to go to the Australian forum and it says I am not authorised to view it? Am I doing something wrong? Can you help me with this?

Thanks, Dennis.

Dennis, go here:

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/ucp.php?i=167

And select and join the Australia user group (and any others you'd like to join). Post back here when successful and I'll move this thread.

Thanks for the info, I am now a member of the Australian forum so feel free to move it over.

Thanks for all the helpful advice about trailers everyone, it will be an interesting journey getting it registered once it arrives, at the end of the day they wont weigh it anyway and as long as I can tow it with my 4X4 I will be happy, I have no intentions of long road trips with it, I just need to get it to the local boat ramps here on the coast, I will sail her from there. I didnt realise these boats were so heavy, surely that makes for better sailing of a boat without a true keel? i guess I will find out real soon.

Cheers, Dennis.

Unfortunately many people base thier weight calculation on figures supplied by Mac corp.....DON'T....use a weigh bridge the same as the regulators ie police etc will use and I guarantee you will get a shock.The first thing that happens if you have an accident the trailer and boat will be tilttrayed away to holding yard and then it will go to weighbridge...if overweight....no insurance for you and who ever you hit....if over 2000kgs things get even more serious.And forget not getting weighed....there was a blitz on 12 month or so ago around Moreton bay boat ramps by the mermaids (scalies) and they knew exactly which rigs to weigh and many people got caught

Every used Mac I have imported, I have done 3 weights.

1. Had the crane suspend the boat in mid air and give me the weight.
2. Removed the boat from the trailer and put it over the weigh bridge.
3. Craned the boat back on the trailer, then put both over the weigh bridge.
MacGregors weights are accurate every time.

If you are going to load a Mac up so total weight is over 2,000kg, then the liability lies with you, not MacGregor.
He complied with the law (international) giving the 2 weights required.
That is exactly what every other manufacturer (car/truck/trailer) does.

As for the standard of the trailer.I believe it is a very well engineered piece of equipment, and will last many years.
When you look at the competition down here, you shake your head and wonder if there is any engineering standard regarding materials applied at all. The answer is 'No'.
When you consider the price of a new Mac trailer, why would you want one to last more than 10 years anyway.

S/S/Coast - I am at Caboolture. Main Roads always ask for a Weigh Bridge Cert. on the trailer. Lights are real easy -toss the American ones and start again.(don't save a thing - when you see their clip system, it is too easy - small expense too). I also toss the US hitch and put a local one on. The nightmares that will save you into the future will out-way the expense. It definitely needs a spare wheel.

Just my views guys.

Cheers
Phillip

I don’t really think it applies as much to our (Mac) boats for a few reasons (so I don’t want to unnecessarily alarm you Dennis), or to modern fibreglass boats as much as it used to, but older, often neglected, boats do increase in weight with age.

From past experience with smaller runabout powerboats, if water penetrates through carpeted floorboards, either from use in water sports, or from the rainfall or snowfall of neglectful storage, it can be absorbed into foam floatation or into plywood bulkheads, floor and stringers, and to a lesser degree into the fiberglass itself. Waterlogged foam weighs a lot, and is very slow to dry out because it is usually enclosed. Freeze-thaw cycles, aging, gas and oil from the bilge break the foam down, speeding absorption.

This can account for otherwise unaccounted-for over weight discrepancies in a boat (by hundreds of pounds on an 18-footer, that I’ve seen).

-Brian.

The foam blocks in our boats (or mine, at least) that I have seen are expanded polystyrene (or EPS, as opposed to extruded polystyrene, or XPS). When submerged these will become waterlogged at a fairly high rate (weeks, or months), but, because they are located high in the hull, and not in the "bilge" or lower areas of the boat, the risk of them ever becoming waterlogged is very low.

I can’t recall ever seeing any polyurethane foam-filled spaces – anyone else seen any?

(Ply)wood has not been used in the lower areas where water would collect- it’s all fiberglass in the areas I’ve looked.

Someone on a thread in the last year here reported seeing foam inside the ballast tank. Being curious, I placed and inspection scope into the ballast drain port (insert your own proctologist joke here ) and did indeed see something that looked like exposed foam.

But on closer inspection I determined it was actually a foam-coloured and textured fiberglass structure (stringer? bulkhead?) for some reason of a different colour polyester resin than was used in the rest of the hull. Or possibly enclosing foam or something foam-coloured. (I did't need to snip any polyps - owwww )

A factory tour, on “the list”, will solve a lot of mysteries.

-B.

[mod="kmclemore']Topic moved to "Australia".

Amazingly short trip. [/mod]

Don't know about 1580kg's but our trailer is rated at 1900+- boats not here so can't check that was taken straight off the original plate and converted.
When travelling we carry no fuel and max 20l of water in the bladder and filled from storage in truck when needed, food is taken from truck to boat as needed as with anything else but we do have two batteries on board with the third kept in the truck as is the spare and both anchors and chains, still think we are over but not a lot but yes it should be upgraded.
Even the fridge and barbque is carried on the truck and loaded along with everything else just prior to launch, which is why I allow a day for launch and retrival even though for a daysail it would be less than 1/2 hour, our problem prior to getting the Dyna was the hilux was also overloaded and pulling a heavier than rated load, the Dyna is rated at 5 ton and 2.8 towing and a dream to drive and it only cost 6k these small trucks are very cheap.

Some port mix up in Yokohama Japan meant that our was left sitting on the dock instead of being loaded on the RORO carrier bound for Brisbane. So we are delayed about a week, no matter though, just adds to the excitement and anticipation I guess. Trailer permits and all other legals are completed so now I just have to wait and be patient. Expected arrival Brisbane is now 11 March and three day turn around by Customs/AQIS so pickup for me will be around 14th March, still enough time to have her ready for an Easter launch.

Cheers, Dennis.

Hi Dennis, It would be a bit frustrating having to wait a bit longer, hope things go better from now on. Hope also all this weather has passed by the time your arrives.
We are flooded in. We can't even collect are mail at the front fence our drive way in under 8 feet of water Another set back is that our house sitter has quit So our plans to be on the water for a few weeks are a bit up in the air now But looking on the bright side we are going to enjoy sailing when we do get on the water . Just have to find another house sitter

Cheers

Every used Mac I have imported, I have done 3 weights.

1. Had the crane suspend the boat in mid air and give me the weight.
2. Removed the boat from the trailer and put it over the weigh bridge.
3. Craned the boat back on the trailer, then put both over the weigh bridge.
MacGregors weights are accurate every time.

If you are going to load a Mac up so total weight is over 2,000kg, then the liability lies with you, not MacGregor.
He complied with the law (international) giving the 2 weights required.
That is exactly what every other manufacturer (car/truck/trailer) does.

As for the standard of the trailer.I believe it is a very well engineered piece of equipment, and will last many years.
When you look at the competition down here, you shake your head and wonder if there is any engineering standard regarding materials applied at all. The answer is 'No'.
When you consider the price of a new Mac trailer, why would you want one to last more than 10 years anyway.

S/S/Coast - I am at Caboolture. Main Roads always ask for a Weigh Bridge Cert. on the trailer. Lights are real easy -toss the American ones and start again.(don't save a thing - when you see their clip system, it is too easy - small expense too). I also toss the US hitch and put a local one on. The nightmares that will save you into the future will out-way the expense. It definitely needs a spare wheel.

Just my views guys.

Cheers
Phillip

I concur however it still comes back to the same problem (not blaming McGregor or any one else) a warning to the newbies...if you load more than your cut lunch on to your mac you are breaking the law as far as the road laws in NSW....one of my trailers is rated 1750kgs the other at 19xxkgs.I'm not saying the trailers are badly engineered (non galvanised steel is a concern) but to make the Mac fully useable you'd have to allow some extras and hence extra weight....granted we have gone the whole hog and will have to address the trailer problem but I tend to think the design of the mac means most users would add bits/mods etc.Comes back to the same old saying....boats are hole in the water which you throw money!!!!! but at least my boat is sitting at home and I do most of the mods myself.
My concerns are about the unsuspecting Mac purchasers and had I known of this site, I would have known more about my boat PRIOR to purchase.....all good no worries its done now....we enjoy our Mac immensely

Fresh Breeze wrote:Hi Dennis, It would be a bit frustrating having to wait a bit longer, hope things go better from now on. Hope also all this weather has passed by the time your arrives.
We are flooded in. We can't even collect are mail at the front fence our drive way in under 8 feet of water Another set back is that our house sitter has quit So our plans to be on the water for a few weeks are a bit up in the air now But looking on the bright side we are going to enjoy sailing when we do get on the water . Just have to find another house sitter

Cheers

LOL, if it rains any more on the Sunshine Coast (I have no idea why it is called that?) I am going to need my just to get to work. Here's hoping for a fine Easter.