A New Journey Begins for OverEasy - 2020/2022

This is a place to document your trips with your boat. Tell us about your journeys. Share your experiences. Post your pictures.
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kmclemore
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Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by kmclemore »

Oh, and as for the table... it's documented, somewhat, in previous postings here:

viewtopic.php?p=210924#p210924

viewtopic.php?p=210990#p210990
OverEasy
Admiral
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Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

Hi All

So far we have spend TWENTY ONE overnights in our Mac26X on the water here on Lake Champlain!
Things are going better than expected! :) :)

Yes we are staying in a marina which isn’t the same as being “on the hook” or “ball” but it has been a great experience for us so far.

Very nice people all around us and a wonderful facility. We are very fortunate! :) :)

The geese have been forming up in ever larger flocks practicing their chevrons and changing places.
No doubt they will soon form up and head south. We will still have another week on the Lake we have come to enjoy so much. We hope we also will be headed south as well toward the end of October back to SC.

We’ve learned a lot about living in our Mac26X these past weeks. We are very happy with our mods so far and have a list of additional ones to plan on for incorporation in the months ahead. Lots to think about. :) :)

New cushions with thicker padding and sunbrella covers, fresh water storage and distribution system, grey water holding/drain/pump-out, better fridge(?), spotlight(s), courtesy cockpit and perimeter lighting, inverter, solar, front & rear arches, stepped mast, ….

All good stuff!

Hope you all are safe, sound, healthy and happy.
We hope you are all vaccinated and are looking out for one another as this COVID-19 pandemic continues to change. Just hope you are all doing well.

Best Regards,
Over Easy 8) 8) 🐩🐈
Last edited by OverEasy on Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:24 am, edited 2 times in total.
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NiceAft
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Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by NiceAft »

Thanks for great reports on your travels, and thanks for the good wishes for our world wide Mac owners. We are everywhere.

Have a safe trip home next week. If you’re anywhere near the northern suburbs of Philly on your way home, stop by for a shower and dinner. Kevin has my cell number, or send me an e-mail.
Ray ~~_/)~~
OverEasy
Admiral
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Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

Thank you! :) :)
OverEasy
Admiral
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Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

Hi All!

We had a stunningly beautiful day in and around Burlington Vermont.

Sky, Sun, Wind, Waters and Temps all aligned for a spectacularly BEAUTIFUL day.

Just wanted to share with you….

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It’s days like today that make it all worthwhile…

Best Regards,
Over Easy 😎😎🐩🐈
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Jimmyt
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Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by Jimmyt »

Stunning! Thanks for sharing!
Jimmyt
P-Cub-Boo
2013 26M, Etec 60, roller Genoa, roller main
Cruising Waters: Mobile Bay, Western Shore, Fowl River
OverEasy
Admiral
Posts: 2012
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

Hi All we’ve now spent 28 night on the water in Over Easy!
Two adults 👩 👨 and a miniature 🐩 and a 🐈.
So far it’s been working out great!

Lots of time out exploring our section of Lake Champlain VT.
So far we have cruised 3 hrs North and 3 hrs South of Malletts Bay.
(That’s roughly 30+ miles out in each direction.)

The water conditions can be quite changeable and dramatic!
Especially when the wind kicks up from the Southern or Northern directions.
The wind can really pile up the wave action.
We’re very glad our Mac26X has good freeboard!

Sunset cruises are beautiful and dramatic.

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We have been continuing our learning process about what works (&what doesn’t) for us while living aboard Over Easy.

1) We packed too much stuff!!! Bet nobody else does that on a Mac26X! 😉
Way too many clothes and then not enough of the right ones for the weather..🙄

2) Foul Weather Gear… even if not venturing out into rainstorms ☔️ a good set of sailing foul weather gear is on the shopping list. Splashing through waves in Late Summer and Early Autumn in VT in a stiff breeze can make one rather wet and chilled and is something that a good set of foul weather pullover gear could easily mitigate. Getting to old to feel that getting chilled to the bone while spray soaked is exciting!

3) Fresh water supplies and grey water collection. We deliberately held off on these aspects with our mods until after our current trip to see how minimalistic we could make do with. So far it’s been okay and we have learned how little we can work with especially when staying at a good marina. We’ve come up with a couple good concepts that we will be working through in the coming months into actuality before next year’s season.

4) the Air Conditioning has been a great addition, even if it’s only the single hose type.
While the efficiency drops some due to the replacement air ingress that aspect does help keep up the circulation of fresh outside air into the cabin. The A/C also does a fantastic job of dehumidification at night without having to empty a dehumidifier tank. The unit has a separate dehumidifier function but the unit’s incorporated tank fills quickly and needs to be drained frequently whereas the a/C function does a great job of evaporating the condensate and exhausting it overboard with the waste air. We will also be considering moving the unit from the port side to the starboard side to better balance the boat (and see what we can do to possibly better control the unit’s need for incoming air.

5) Refrigerator… our thermionic Coleman Cooler chest is actually working rather well even at a 5 amp draw at 12 VDC. We have only been running it when we have had access to shore power to power it via the transformer. It does a good job of keeping things cool at about 38 F. We have also found it also functions as a low wattage heater for the cabin! :D :D So far we have not felt the need for an additional heat source even when using A/C as a dehumidifier!!! :D :D Definitely not what we had expected but pleasantly surprised. :) :)
The only downside is the fan motor vibration noise. This is an old unit that we picked up at a garage sale prior to getting our Mac26X and the original intent was to just use it on long car trips instead of using ice. I took it apart once to see if oil might help but it’s actually the fan motor bushings that have become worn relative to the shaft and there is no way to service them short of replacing the fan motor. :( :( We’ll see if we can find a replacement once our current trip is completed.

6) Storage…. We REALLY LIKE our storage bin solution using the clear sided Hefty Bins with Lids from Lowe’s. They have been working out great. We will be changing out some of the bigger units for smaller ones in the future.

The Journey Continues….

Best Regards,
Over Easy 😎😎🐩🐈
Last edited by OverEasy on Thu Sep 30, 2021 9:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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NiceAft
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Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by NiceAft »

Good information.

Theory is good, but it can’t beat your actual experience.

Again, thanks.
Ray ~~_/)~~
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Jimmyt
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Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by Jimmyt »

Good thoughts. Always good to learn lessons that don't stop the fun - just enhance future fun. :)
Jimmyt
P-Cub-Boo
2013 26M, Etec 60, roller Genoa, roller main
Cruising Waters: Mobile Bay, Western Shore, Fowl River
OverEasy
Admiral
Posts: 2012
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

7) Sleeping - Well for the past 29 nights I’ve slept on the dinette berth without any issues and I’m sort of a big guy at 6’1” (and too many pounds :wink: :wink: ) without any issues. The original fiberglass dinette top has been plenty strong for our experiences so far. (Over Easy is a 2001 Mac26X).

The Admiral likes the Vee Berth after I made a 12” extension as it’s comfy and snug and I like the dinette as it’s easier to get in/out of (Given my back issues and needing to change positions frequently during the night). This has works out very well for us.

As far as cushions go…. The Original cushions are in VERY good shape given the 20 years of vintage.
The POs did a very good job of taking care of them. (We suspect that the foam thickness has always been on the thin side though. :D :D )

What we do for the dinette is use the shorter of the bow cushion sections and the port side bench cushion (one of these is flipped over vinyl side up) as the first layer and fill in the small flat space remaining with a couple folded towels then put the dinette cushions on as a second layer.

The dinette cushions actually fit very nicely in the sequence from the stern moving forward of 1st the aft bench > then the fwd bench > then the aft back > then the fwd bench with the fabric sides facing up. A twin flat sheet fits nicely tucked in around the edges. This provides my 6’ 1” frame enough cushioning to stretch out fully. It also leaves about 10 “ of clearance at the fwd end for a small clothes duffel.

The Admiral uses the longer of the bow cushions on the port side and the back cushion from the port side bench across the extension piece. (Admiral is tougher than I am (aren’t they all?🙄 :D … really..anyone that carries a bowling ball around nonchalantly for 9 months multiple times is a whole lot tougher than I am hands down) and sort of likes a firmer bed 🛌.)

Set up and take down really isn’t a problem or challenge or time consuming but we’re actually more comfortable leaving the dinette down and using it as almost a real couch 🛋. We use our West Marine folding seats as adjustable back rests and they work as nice pseudo recliners.

We also leave the dinette fwd bench back in place as sort of a divider/hand hold for the Admiral getting in/out of the Vee Berth.

Our Coleman Thermonic cooler chest sits on the vacant port side bench extending the galley work surface (when needed).

NEITHER of us liked using the AFT Berth as it proved to be too awkward getting in/out :o :o and slightly claustrophobic for us :? :? … For us it works much better as a storage area especially with our storage bin system :) :) .

PS: The Fall foliage is just starting to change on the hills and mountains around Lake Champlain…. We might try and stay an extra weekend to enjoy it from the water… That’s something we have not previously had the opportunity to experience before :) :) .

The Journey Continues……

Best Regards to All
OverEasy
Admiral
Posts: 2012
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

Hi All!

As might be evident we’re trying to share the things we’ve learned from our current journey here on Lake Champlain VT.
We have been having a great time on this trip and are enjoying our Mac26X very much!
We are still hoping that our new engine comes in up here before we have to head south (hopefully before the snow flies or the ice forms :o :? :P :cry: :( ).

8) 8) 8 - Heating - The past couple days have gotten considerably colder! :| :|
🥶🥶 Nighttime temps down into the mid 40F range. 🥶🥶 Daytimes in the mid 60F range. Brrrrrrr!🥶🥶
(Yes I’ve become a wimp when it comes to being cold as we started this journey in the mid-to-high 90s little more than a month ago! :D :D )

The auxiliary heat byproduct of our Coleman Thermonic Cooler Chest at 5 amps hasn’t comfortably kept the cold at bay once it dropped below 50F.
We didn’t want to use a combustion type heater in the boat for three reasons, 1st the Marina has a no flames policy for cooking which we consider also applies to general heating, 2nd we’re really not all that comfortable with any sort of flames in a confined area (half a dozen years as a medic in an East Texas boomtown city gone bust in the late 1970s gave me enough examples of how things can go wrong 😑) and 3rd we are trying to do as much as we can in preparation to do things electrically inside our boat in preparation for the planned journeys on the ICW and staying at marinas where applicable and available.
To that end we have a single burner variable power rate induction cooktop which works great on shore power and should be able to efficiently run off our future inverter and house battery when on the hook.
Similarly with using the Coleman Thermonic Cooler when it is running to take the edge off on cool days and the (future) solar is available to help keep the batteries charged. We will probably try and get one of those Alpincool cooler chests as budgets allow. Meanwhile a timer system to cycle it on/off by time and or interior temp will reduce power consumption when not on shore power.

But general specific heating of the cabin had us a little perplexed.
We have previously used a small 1500 watt oscillating fan heater last November (2020) when we made our first trip South with Over Easy. That worked when we were in campgrounds and had shore power. But it was a bit of an overkill, it took up a lot of space and we had to keep a large area in front of it clear of obstructions when in use.
Those air activated ThermaCare Back Heating pads took the chill out of the sleeping bags when we were not able to stay where there was shore power. They are also a good option for times when we find ourselves in cold climates on the hook. They generate a nice warmth when in the sleeping bags and last over 8 hours to help make things comfortable.

But still we wanted to find an electrical means of heating the cabin if possible at a wattage our house battery and (future) inverter could handle for a while. While walking through the local ACE Hardware up here in VT we found a nice compact low power solution that for the past 24 hours has done a great job at keeping our cabin nice and warm at 350 watts! It has a digital thermostat adjustable from 60-90F, is small (not much larger than a standard wall outlet cover plate), has a 12 hour programmable timer, high/low fan speed settings, reasonably quite, safe ceramic heating elements, power “on” indicator lights, on/off switch, stay-cool plastic housing and an auto shut-off. It even has a variable position plug for horizontal/vertical orientation. It plugs directly into the outlet so there is no extra wires to contend with. The big aspect is the low wattage at 350 watts and it actually made our cabin nice and warm at a setting of 70F. Higher than that was slightly uncomfortably warm. We have a circuit breaker protected power strip over our galley and it plugged right in. During the night we had is run on the timer which worked perfectly. What a nice solution for us and our needs.

The future AC electrical mod will probably incorporate an outlet lower down in the cabin to help improve the thermal flow through the cabin. But for now this is working very nicely!

No doubt that this isn’t a solution for when temperatures drop below freezing but for what we anticipate for our needs it sure fits the bill!

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The Journey Continues……

Best Regards,
Over Easy 😎😎🐩🐈
Last edited by OverEasy on Thu Sep 30, 2021 10:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
OverEasy
Admiral
Posts: 2012
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

Hi All

We are starting to prepare for our transition off Lake Champlain… :cry: :cry: … this weekend…..
We have REALLY enjoyed our time here on the Lake, the Marina we have stayed at and all the wonderful people we have met.
We would REALLY like to return here next year if that is possible for the experience, scenery, people and for sailing school.
But the weather has been turning colder and other obligations are demanding our attentions.

As boats are being hauled out and placed on stands, frames and some very ungainly tall trailers here at the marina on Lake Champlain several owners of other similarly sized sailboats are fascinated (and more than a bit envious) that we can self launch & recover with a Dodge Caravan and then easily tow it 1500 miles each way back and forth to/from South Carolina and New England.

Local Haul outs and launching with the crane cost about $250 each way for a 26ft vessel. More for longer ones. And then being lake bound (but being lake bound on Lake Champlain isn’t really a limitation as it is an exceptionally beautiful and HUGE lake!!! :D :D ).

The aspect we can sail/motor/trailer/camp and have a 26 foot vessel that performs reasonably well at all of those features AND can accommodate 6 people has sparked several nice conversations. Though we’ve had to dig out the demo videos of the water ballast stability to convince some of its capability. ( :D :D :D The one curmudgeon groused “well you better not forget to fill it” to which another non-Mac sail boat owner replied “would forget to put your pants on again?” :D :D :D )

Others have really liked the very easy to use layout and spaciousness of our Mac26X even though thier boats are longer and broader. Many have mentioned that having a wide beam vs being a competent cautious sailor isn’t even a contest, narrower and smarter would always win. Even several of the motor cruisers (that’s a different league entirely) have been complementary of our (comparatively tiny) Mac26X and helpful with cruising suggestions. Some have mentioned how advantageous it is to be small and how that facilitates in even being able to get a marina slip in transit and that the shallow draft helps as well in that aspect. Deep and long and wide slips are at a premium in many places on lakes, rivers and the ICW.

The cruisers also complement the ability we have with our Mac26X to self transition by road to differing locales rather than by commercial haulage or circuitous waterways or prohibitively time consuming motoring.

The Journey Continues……

Best Regards,
Over Easy 😎😎🐩🐈
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NiceAft
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Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by NiceAft »

I had a chance to check out your little socket heater online; it looks to be a reasonable solution to taking the edge off chilly nights on the Mac. Chilly, not cold.
Ray ~~_/)~~
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pitchpolehobie
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Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by pitchpolehobie »

NiceAft wrote: Thu Sep 30, 2021 12:05 pm I had a chance to check out you little socket heater online; it looks to be a reasonable solution to taking the edge off chilly nights on the Mac. Chilly, not cold.
Makes me wonder If I should upgrade my expensive LED cabin lights to 100 watt incandescants for heat...
2002 MacGregor 26X: Remedium
Tohatsu 25HP
Cruising Area: Inland Ohio, Lake Erie
OverEasy
Admiral
Posts: 2012
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: NH & SC

Re: A New Journey Begins for OverEasy

Post by OverEasy »

Anyone who has raised chickens in the olden days will recall that many hen houses in cold climates were heated by 💡 light bulbs! :wink: :wink:
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