MacGregorSailors.com

Hi all,
It looks like we'll be getting a Mast 28 from South Shore Marina.
My question is what are the essential pieces of equipment for a new boat?
Im trying to balance the desire to have a boat thats ready to go for bigger $ vs. bare minimum and adding later.
So here are my choices, feel free to add to the list.
Chart plotter/GPS
Handheld GPS and paper chart
Handheld radio or fixed mount
Transom mounted transducer or through hull
As usual, thanks for the input,
Joel

Joel,

Just need your CHECK-BOOK

Congragulations

Jack & Carol

Joel,

You're going to have to give each of the items careful study. I have had my boat going on four years and I navigate with a compass and paper chart. I also invested in one of those 'cheerleader' megaphones. Big orange cardboard one with a green F on the side. Also, a Rand McNally Atlas.

When I'm particularly desperate, I search out some goofs out there fishing and scream, "Hey, what's the name of that town over there?" Then I point.

If they come back with something like 'Wewahitchka' I'm usually screwed because I can't find it in the index.

You know, why dont these chart drafters put the names of the towns in there?

Joel,

To elaborate on Moe's recommendation of "piloting/navigation training", I would suggest that THE essential tool for a boat being commissioned is a properly trained skipper (especially if you will often have family or guests aboard). If you are relatively new to boating, I recommend the "Boating Skills and Seamanship" course offered by the USCG Auxiliary (actually, even some 'old salts' could probably use this as a refresher course).

I have been sailing an O'Day Day Sailer on a local lake for around 7 years and have, of late, been seriously considering moving up to a boat like the Mac 26 (first saw it at a boat show in '97... even picked up the video that year... might make me the forum's longest lurker ).

Even though I was fairly comfortable around/aboard boats, I knew there was a lot that I didn't know and thus recently completed the BS&S course. While some of the material is fairly basic, it covers a lot of ground and includes tons of detail on rules, regs, equipment, handling, safety and basic navigation (our instructor also covered the optional chart navigation section). I consider the course to be of great value to someone new(ish) to boating, especially someone considering a powersailer like the Mac 26 or Mast 28 (since obviously you will need knowledge on both sailing and power boating).

I look forward to more specific responses to your questions since I may be in the same boat (pardon the pun) as you shortly.

(Hey, my first post!)

I pretty much agree with all above, but see one omission: a toolbox with required tools. I don't know what the Mast28 includes standard; the MacGregor came with a little tool roll but it was the typical OEM junk. Once I had the boat, I initially was just using tools out of the car, but soon came to realize that there are only really 4 sizes of nuts on the whole boat, that I wanted both short and long medium sized phillips screwdrivers, etc. A 12' tape measure is invaluable, especially when the boat is new and every time you are on board you think of something else that "might be nice" and need to know what size to get, etc.

I also got myself one of those light toolbelts with a single pocket - pockets in swim trunks just don't cut it for holding the handful of tools you need to rig/unrig the boat. I can't tell you how irritating it is to be in the midst of rigging on the trailer, and have to set everything down to climb off the boat and retrieve the box wrench you just kicked over the side ...

I am also the sort of person who will leave tools in my pocket, carry them home from the boat, and then next time I'm on the boat they aren't there. So I've schooled myself to always leave the "boat tools" on the boat and never take them away.

- AndyS

Seem's like a good idea and I had not thought of it so I sent off an e-mail to get started ASAP. Thanks guys and Moe who encourages such evolvement.
Richard

I agree with the idea of having a separate set of tools on the boat. Something like this is not too bad:

Tool Kit

We have been very happy with our Power Squadron membership and classes. Many chapters of this organization are in the process of changing their names to "Power and Sail", as they wish to be known as inclusive to all boaters.

Many are going with Power and Sail Squadron. Our squadron wanted to keep the words Power and Squadron together as they have been historically used, and put Sail before Power in our new name, which USPS approved. Of course, it could have something to do with us having more active members who are sailors than powerboaters Nah! They didn't like it when I pointed out that the acronym for Sail and Power Squadron is SAPS. We're the USPS DSPS now.

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Moe

OUtfitting a new boat ??

Consider this...the CG says for a 26 sailboat you need 2 B-1 (equivalent to a 10 BC rating on shore) fire extinguishers on board. THese will discharge in about 10 seconds.

If you dont put the fire out in 10 seconds, you are SOL

I carry two B-II rated extinguishers which are each rated 6 times higher in extinguishing power than the CG requirement. They do take up more space, but fires on board suck......

Catigale

The CG requirements are only a minimum standard and in no way are they sufficient for a Mac. In fact the 2 unit minimum is for a boat 26 feet or more and the Mac measures 25' 10" and therefore will pass a safety standards inspection with only 1 B-1 extinguisher on board. That gives you the capability of putting out a mighty small fire. I definately recomend carrying several and mounting them both inside and outside of the cabin. Should a fire happen you don't want it between you and the extinguishers.

Maybe it's my aircraft background, but I don't like ABC extinguishers with Mono Ammonium Phosphate, because of the corrosion problem. I prefer the BC type that's just sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Water will take care of the A type fires. Really, I'd love to have Halon like we have in the main computer room at work, but it's expensive. We use CO2 in the Airstream.

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Moe

Moe,

You likely are already aware of this, but my CG Auxiliary manual states that Halon hasn't been manufactured since 1994 (you can only refill from existing stocks until they are used up) and is being replaced by others like FE 241.

Yes, I do know, but thanks. There's enough Halon in the world to last for years, and we have a spare bottle. It would cost us too much to replumb for FM200... we looked into it... would need bigger pipes and different heads.

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Moe

Nitrogen instead of halon where I am working in a Web Host facility.
Wonder what that cost ?