MacGregorSailors.com

One of the great aspects of the Mac, out of the "box", is how versatile it is. Day sailed, live aboard, weekend warrior, Amazon adventurer, The Great Loop, trailered long distances between the world's beautiful lakes and used as a land camper along the way. Then we take it (mod it) in many other new and creative ways. I really like the thought and level of execution you do in your projects. In this one, I really like the aspect of being able to load up the baskets in the house, transport them in the car and "just" plug them in and GO!

I apologize if you've already addressed this. Over time and readings so many other peoples opinions and stories, they get mixed up... What are your intended use(s) for the Mac? In this last post, you mention long term stays in a SC slip. I believe it was you that mentioned longer water journey's up and down the ICW. In that scenario, which way do you lean between... town hopping every night and staying in town or anchoring in deserted coves and only using towns for provisioning? What do you think might be a long "trip"? A weekend, week, month... etc?

In all my years with the Mac and no matter whether its dirty from hard usage or long periods of no usage, I never once considered hosing down the interior. Now I see why you want so many bilge pumps... house cleanings involve fire hoses, not dust rags.

Your transponder will still give you temperature, it will just be the hull temperature. My son's boat has a hull-mounted transponder (like you are contemplating) while mine is in the water. Our boats, side-by-side, don't vary by more than a degree.

Thank you for your comments, interest and appreciation of our efforts!

Getting this year’s preparations accomplished in the past two months has been an enjoyable experience that has challenged us and tested our logistical skills (as well as our memory as to what the heck was we doing there vs. where did we think we wanted to go vs. where are we ending up ).

Working through the sequence of needing to do this first, so that can do done next, revising plans due to the way things actually are vs. what they were thought to be, and pondering the original design intent to ensure that it isn’t compromised has been fun!

All the modifications we have made have continued to allow the hull to flex by utilizing a distributed pad and glide support approach. With the galley in particular it rests on a 1/4” layer of reinforcement resin and chopped strand on top of the port ballast transfer tube which supports a PVC wedge to provide a level surface for the front of the galley which is free to glide fore/aft and laterally. That way we aren’t applying a direct load on the original transfer tube.

At the back of the galley we made four 1-1/2” diameter wide flared posts of reinforcement resin and chopped strand bonded to the sloping curvature of the hull to provide a place to support a 1-12 x 3/4 section of PVC (fore/aft direction) that basically rests in a U channel on the top of the posts. A second wedge of PVC board does the leveling fore/aft and laterally which rests on the first. The back portion of the galley structure is attached to this wedge portion which is free to slide fore/aft and laterally on the PVC board resting in the top of the U channels of the posts. This should allow the relatively thin hull to flex pretty much however it needs to (as originally designed) without a concentrated load or artificial constraints.

The galley support structure ties into the pre-existing galley fiberglass shell at the front face perimeter cutout with SST pan head screws. These all have been predrilled through the galley fiberglass to allow for some differential thermal expansion/contraction between the PVC and Fiberglass. This also seals up the top flange to the base of the top box extension so nothing can wander out. The top riser box is bolted through the PVC board edge into the top of the preexisting galley fiberglass as a separate entity to avoid placing any unwanted rigidity to hull contact.

We are happy with the end results functionally, aesthetically, operationally and structurally.
The clear finished Maple split top adds a bit of clean warmth in a Scandinavian sort of way. (We are already considering what we can do aesthetically with the dinette seat backs (which are some sort of veneered MDF) and table top (which is fiberglass) that is functional but somewhat awkward. Those projects will have to wait for now .)

For a sink we are using a rectangular plastic tub that stores away inside the seat adjacent to the galley. This is where we plan on also keeping our fresh water containers. There is a small 5 gallon separate grey water container that for now we haven’t decided upon a permanent location as yet.

We laughed at the image of actually washing down the interior with a fire hose and using the bilge pumps to empty! That would have been one way to clean up after a party or extended trip that we hadn’t previously considered!!

We think that MacGregor’s original intent with having a fiberglass interior was to standardize production process and to provide an interior that was a simple wipe down to clean with soap and water. Little to no woodworking to make or maintain for virtually the life of the vessel. He thought about all the things that could go wrong, like a companionway hatch left open in a rainstorm or forward hatch open in a broach. In a Mac such an occurrence is an annoyance whereas in a vessel with a finished wood interior it would be a disaster and major disappointment. (Wringing out a couple of cushions and the use of a Wet-Vac is a whole lot nicer recovery than dealing with soggy woodwork and ruined finishes.) in the worst case of say having a rain leak from a chainplate or window seam where the moisture sit inside a closed warm cabin and things get mildewed of moldy one could actually consider taking a pressure washer to the interior to clean it up if one were so inclined.

We think this is one of the reasons there are so many Macs still being happily sailed decades after manufacture and by subsequent new generations of sailors. It is a clean, neat and functional design we all enjoy using and maintaining.

Our plans are to eventually travel the Atlantic Intra-Coastal Waterways to the North and South. Not all at once but gradually as we become more familiar and proficient with sailing/motoring Over Easy. In time we might go as far NORTH AS Nova Scotia and South to Key West. If we ever get REALLY good at this maybe to the BAHAMAS....with really nice weather and an half dozen other buddy boats. “The LOOP” is another long shot possibility? Up the Hudson River to Lake Champlain? The St. Lawrence Seaway? The Great Lakes? The Gulf Coast? The West Coast of California to Washington?

These are all nice things for us to dream about and ponder as our Mac26X opens up these possibilities with it being small enough and yet large enough to do these potential adventures in comfort and safely. Being trailerable is one of the most endearing features to us.

From a practical perspective we will “start” slowly, learn as we go along, enjoy the journey process and projects as much as the destinations.

Hi Be Free!

Thank you for that information on the transponder temps matching up in and out of the water!
That is very much appreciated!

If you don’t mind our asking, How does the depth/image resolution match up between an interior “thru-the-hull” vs “in-the-water” transponder?

OverEasy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:33 am ...

Our plans are to eventually travel the Atlantic Intra-Coastal Waterways to the North and South. Not all at once but gradually as we become more familiar and proficient with sailing/motoring Over Easy. In time we might go as far NORTH AS Nova Scotia and South to Key West. If we ever get REALLY good at this maybe to the BAHAMAS....with really nice weather and an half dozen other buddy boats. “The LOOP” is another long shot possibility? Up the Hudson River to Lake Champlain? The St. Lawrence Seaway? The Great Lakes? The Gulf Coast? The West Coast of California to Washington?

These are all nice things for us to dream about and ponder as our Mac26X opens up these possibilities with it being small enough and yet large enough to do these potential adventures in comfort and safely. Being trailerable is one of the most endearing features to us.

From a practical perspective we will “start” slowly, learn as we go along, enjoy the journey process and projects as much as the destinations.

Ah... I remember those words now on your range.

I think you and I have similar goals - Nova Scotia to Keys. Kind of a snow-bird thing on water and/or by trailer. Maine and north in summer, Keys and south-east in winter. I would really like to add Bahama's and even the Caribbean someday also. The Loop... I'm not so sure about yet.

I'll agree on the results of Roger's design choice of such an austere/plastic interior. However, I think the choice was purely economic for mass production purposes. Wood would be a hindrance to mass production and the variability of materials available and the skill of the wood working craftsman he could keep employed. It takes a lot less skill and training to have some minimum wage employee to spray jell coat and lay fiberglass in a production mold.

Set second part of my question was about how you want to live while on the boat... is it just transportation between ports or are the accommodations as significant for the journey as the sailing aspects. In my case, I think I would prefer to find the hidden coves and visit a port mainly for provisioning. If there is one port with lots of charm and we could find a nice B&B in an old antebellum mansion, then we'd spring for a night on land. With that in mind, I want a little nicer accommodations on the boat. Something that would be found on say a $500k production boat. As it is now, there is no place I would want to sit on the boat for any length of time. Eat at table yes, but to curl up with a book on a long rainy day... forget it. Maybe the is better in this regard. The back cushions are a total waste and of no use. The vinyl cushions are just plain uncomfortable to the skin.

Wood adequately protected with epoxy/polyurethane (and now ABS) is just as waterproof as plastic... with the exception, possibly, of it sitting down in it. My ten year old wood staircase gets the most abuse of any one feature in/out of the boat. It looks just as good today as it did when I put it in and it never required one bit of maintenance. I just like the warmth of wood and am willing to do it right the first time so I don't have to maintain it.

Maybe someday, we'll catch up with you on the ICW.

Hi Inquisitor!

Yes, I agree with you that making fiberglass parts in a mold set is more economical as week as production efficient vs. making an interior with carpentry skills in confined spaces consistently.

MacGregor’s approach allowed for a nice smooth easy to maintain consistent product that left plenty of room for individual customization.

The wood finishes of today are a far cry from those of the 1980s/1990s/2000s when MacGregor was in production. Carpentry skills were also in decline as well as an industrial skill. Material variability was/is also a concern aspect. Fiberglass was/is a consistent scalable process that MacGregor recognized and utilized to good effect. We’re on the same page here.

We like our options and keeping flexible to situations. We believe there is never just one answer to life aboard. Our POs were(are) very nice people who shared their experiences and provided us with several useful pieces for Over Easy. One of them is a nice simple “recliner-back-seat-cushion” that is way more comfortable than the original Mac26X cushions! I believe they said it came from West Marine. Eventually we would like to get several more when we can afford them to replace the dinette seats and cockpit seats. They have handles so they can easily brought out of the boat to the beach, park,etc...

Future project is to make ne cushion fill with thicker conformal exterior grade foam.
Currently we use all the cushions in a double layer to have a marginal night’s sleep....
We are also envisioning possibly making roll-up mattress pads. To reduce the bulk the thought is to put them in a vacuum bag and suck all the air out of them down to 1/3 or less volume. Just thoughts right now.

Empty coves, beaches to ourselves, nice marinas, occasional B&Bs (very infrequent as our budget is already in the boat!) are all in the frame.

An aft enclosure and dodger and solar tower and mini-generator and AC and a multi-power mini fridge/freezer are all on the creature comfort incremental wish list planning. We’ll see what floats up from the “might be nice someday” pool to the “we really need this” beach.

Aquatic seagoing snow birds ..... we kind of like that anology
Sort of like White Pelicans!!!

Yes it will be nice to meet up as we make our travels!
This is a great community of like minded people!

OverEasy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:41 am Hi Be Free!

Thank you for that information on the transponder temps matching up in and out of the water!
That is very much appreciated!

If you don’t mind our asking, How does the depth/image resolution match up between an interior “thru-the-hull” vs “in-the-water” transponder?

I've not noticed any difference in the depth readings but his boat is in a lake that's only about 20' deep at the deepest point. It's attached to a Hummingbird "fishfinder". It sees fish, so I guess it's working ok. Sorry. Temperature is the only thing we compared side-by-side.

Hi Be Free!

Thank you for getting back to us on this!
It is appreciated!


We have located our transponder location in the dinette bench seat area and gotten the wires run to the helm pedestal.

Did your son build a form box or something when he mounted his transducer? Or did he just press it into a pile of silicone? Per chance is there picture of his installation that you could share?

Today saw several tasks come to completion!

We finished neatening up the exterior exposed engine cables and resealing of the starboard feed through. The replacement of the throttle and shift teleflex quadrant cables was well timed! Found there was some chafing and binding so we made a larger gentler loop to hopefully minimize that for the future. We also found that the sealant at the feed through boot had aged out to dust and that the inter hull vinyl routing tube had become recessed within the hull leaving the cables and wire bundles to contact the edge of the fiberglass hole. Fortunately no damage had occurred. We worked the tubing back out, sealed it in place with the water resistant expanding foam then replaced the 5200 sealant and boot.



We finished tie-wrapping the wires and cables in the aft berth. What a nice improvement to not have to contend with if all that cluttering the area.


We finished the installation of the three initial bilge vacuum lines so that we can use the wet-vac to clean up and minor water that might accumulate. That way we don’t have to open anything up to check or clean up. Just hold the wet-vac to the vac-port!










We couldn’t find a nylon buckled web strap locally to act as a dual battery tie down so we bought and cannibalized a Fanny pack for it’s belt!

There was also the sealing up of the pedestal feed through with the water resistant expanding foam.




The list gets shorter and the water gets closer!!!

Looking forward to the final celebration announcement.

OverEasy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:10 pm Hi Be Free!

Thank you for getting back to us on this!
It is appreciated!


We have located our transponder location in the dinette bench seat area and gotten the wires run to the helm pedestal.

Did your son build a form box or something when he mounted his transducer? Or did he just press it into a pile of silicone? Per chance is there picture of his installation that you could share?

Sorry, no pictures and his boat is 90 minutes away from where I live.

I'm pretty sure his is just fastened to the hull with silicone. Just make sure you are in an area that is horizontal and not over the ballast tank.

Hi Be Free!

Thank you for looking into this for us!

Yes, that is good advice! We will make sure we are free of the ballast tank and transfer tubes.

We may go ahead and make a small protected box for the transducer to protect it from stuff getting dropped or banged into it. (It is a storage area ).

)Someday we would like to improve on this area starting with a raised “dry” floor above the transfer tube so we can possibly put in one of those multi power coolers others have talked about....)

Again, Thank you!

Over East’s 2021 spring preparation journey continues! (Albeit rather incrementally )

Getting through the punch list on the remaining details seems to tttaaaakkkkkeeeeee ffffffooooorrrrreeeeevvvvvveeeeeerrrrrrrrr.................

Some of the fortuitous extra projects that popped up were the addition of a new swing keel lift rope, a new fabricated swing keel pivot pin, adding a Fuel Demand Valve (new tanks don’t vent pressure build-up, only vacuum... ... Whoknew? (JimmyT knew!! ), adding a battery system inline 60 Amp manually resettable breaker, VHF radio RE installation and radio signal strength checks, installation of our sonar transponder as through the hull, installation and power-up of our new GPS Chart-plotter/sonar system, clearing out all the tools/surplus/debris, cleaning, RE installation of all the existing cushions, ropes/lines/fenders/bags and several other item appear to be closing in on completion this week! (It amazes us just how much stuff there is in 26 feet!!! )
































And we also added a new more compact WiFi / (& Bluetooth?) enabled automatic digital multifunctional battery charger with its own mobile/hanging mount.

Maybe we launch this week?????

The journey continues.......

Hi All!

Our journey with Over Easy’s 2021 Spring modifications continues on... as we finalize our detail punch list! Hope to be in the water within the week!!

Of the final items completed was our Battery System Manual Reset Circuit Breaker. We use a single breaker between the “USE” Selector Switch and the boat distributed systems including the 50 HP 2001 Tohatsu Engine.




It is a 60 Amp manual reset circuit breaker with sufficient capacity to handle starting our engine and adequately protecting our vessel distributed loads. (Note: We also have all our distributed loads on individual manual reset circuit breakers and switches.)

One extra modification we make was to ‘fix’ the annoying aspect of having to remove the cabin ladder to get into/out-of the aft berth area. We added 3-1/2x3-1/2x1-1/2 thick PVC Lumber spacer blocks and replaced the bolts with new 3/8-16x 3-1/2 long SST bolts. So much nicer instead of having to fumble around like before..












The Journey Continues!

I just attempted the same ladder mod with a 1.5" thick piece of wood, but my ladder now kits the aft dinette seatback. Devin (mtnman711) and I have our boats side by side installing etec 90hp outboards. I copied the size of his and his works.

How close does yours come to hitting the seatback?

Jeff