Discussions relating to the MacGregor line of trailerable sailboats
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https://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30357
My gf actually bought that ladder for snorkeling from the kayak, which looked like a great way to practice rolling the boat to me. The large metal clip on rings fit the bowsprit just right and are quite strong. While it’s listed as a ‘boat ladder’ on Amazon it’s more akin to a ‘bow stirrup’ where you get your left foot in to swing your right leg up on deck, but it works when I’m pushing the boat off the sand and need to scramble up from the shallow end!Russ wrote: ↑Tue Jun 03, 2025 3:11 pm Okay....so I had to google "Haboob" as I thought it was slang for something. It's real thing. Wow. Look like it can be scary stuff.
Was your boat from Vermont? The old registration letters look like Vermont.
It looks like you pumped over 22 gallons of fuel. That's over 130 pounds of gasoline. I couldn't lift my half full tank out of the boat onto land until I siphoned it out. Looks like you had to modify the compartment for clearance. The 26X doesn't let you drop it in from the top?
I've beached the boat a few times and the boat doesn't stay put. I find 2 anchors are necessary to keep it from crabbing. I've never tied to shore overnight. Afraid critters would walk the lines.
THIS is clever. How does it work. I carried a small folding ladder for beaching, but storing it was a problem.
Yours looks like it would do the trick and be stowable.
Me @this stage in life it’s more like 15 lbs ).
). It worth the ‘service’ charge for the convenience for us to save what I have left of my back! 
… it just ain’t. Thanks for the anchoring advice, the reality here is everybody runs a pair of stern lines to shore as 90% of anchoring is done in a submerged canyon, so your bow is on shallow sand and your stern is over submerged canyon walls offering little anchor purchase. I think we'll end up getting a heavier anchor option so we can 'wing-on-wing'' our anchor set-up as well. The bow and stern tied to a centered shore anchor kept us in place throughout the trip, just had to be careful that the stretch of sand we targeted had no buried rocks that the hull could rub on in wave action.OverEasy wrote: ↑Sat Jun 07, 2025 10:52 am Hi Tuxonpup!
Great trip you guys are on!
Looks like you’re having fun and enjoying it all!
Thank you for sharing!!!
More power to ya for being able to sheep this tanks onto & around your boat!
Personally I’m with Russ on the lifting bit!
60 lbs is well past what I’d consider or recommend personally.
I try to keep things below 30 lbs for the fit and able bodied…. (
30 lbs is equal to a 5 gallon can of gasoline (5 gal x 6 lb/gal = 30 lbs)… there’s a reason jerry cans were sized to 5 gallon capacities
We’re fortunate in that we can access a couple of marinas with fuel docks.
On the anchoring bit…
Can I make a possible suggestion?
While a Danforth is a pretty good ‘universal’ anchor (and is our primary use one) you might want to consider a second anchor like a CQR or a Rochna (with a retrieval line if you can) if your gonna mainly anchor in loose sand. I think loose sand and flat rock shelf are the two hardest conditions for an anchor to find valid purchase. To work in loose sand an anchor has to be able to ‘dive’ into the surface to find sufficient purchase. Some loose sands may never provide a grip. Flat rock is like trying to anchor on the interstate
There are lots of techniques for ‘beach’ anchoring to help preclude going sideways to the shore.
One is to drop an anchor off the stern well before getting to the beach and setting it.
One then slackens that line and drive in to the beach as best as the situation allows.
One then Carrie’s the bow anchor ashore and buries it (yes, like digging a hole with a shovel).
One then tensions the bow line and after that the stern line. (I’d suggest a Y-bridle on the stern to center the stern line).
This way you’ve got something to keep your boat perpendicular to the beach so it can’t turn sideways to shore.
The stern line also provides you the capability to haul yourself off the shore in a stable and controlled fashion.
Another approach to avoid going sideways is to use a three line shore anchoring approach.
After driving the bow ashore set the main bow anchoring line straight ahead securely.
Then run a line from each side of the stern at about 45 degrees if you can up onto shore.
Set each side line with a buried ‘deadman’ such as a log or sturdy board or a ‘mid choked’ duffel bag.
Then cinch up on the anchor lines.
This approach should also help keep your vessel perpendicular to the shoreline albeit a bit more difficult to get back out in a controlled fashion.
Yet another common approach is to drop and set the bow anchor well before getting to shore then swing the stern around to face the shore line.
Then go ashore and set one (in-line) or two shore anchors (at angle) to the stern.
This one can then leave the stern afloat or pull it ashore if desired with the shore anchor lines and slackening of the bow line appropriately before tightening everything up.
This approach tends to be a bit smoother a ride as the bow splits any incoming waves and ‘water-vanes’ and might be somewhat smoother a ride if left afloat rather than in hard contact with the bottom.
This approach can also allow for one to pull oneself off shore to deeper water in a controlled and secure fashion.
For what it’s worth… Hope it helps…
Best Regards
Over Easy
You're exactly right, the original jib furler line was too short for the new genoa, but I had ordered new running rigging for the furler that we brought with us, so much of that genoa sail was replacing the old lines with new ones. I'm still using a messenger line as our temp in-furler halyard, but we'll replace that while on the hard.Russ wrote: ↑Mon Jun 16, 2025 3:05 pm Nice video. At first I was worried you needed a longer furler line, however, I see you sorted that out and can now furl it in from the cockpit. Antyhing to keep me off the deck is a plus. This year I added lazy jacks to the main with a looped main haylard so I can pull the main down from the cockpit.
Tip: When furling it up, get a couple of wraps of the jib sheets around. I've seen a small tab of sail catch the wind from a T-storm and pull the sail out and shred it.
Maybe you already know this, but I teach my crew what to do in a man overboard. FIRST is to throw flotation to the person. Next mark it on the GPS if possible and lastly, they need to know how to turn the boat around and retrieve. This applies mostly to ME if I go over.
We have a similar problem anchoring on our lake. It's often too deep for a bottom anchor. Especially on the mountain side where it drops off quickly.
I see many folks using one of these Shore Anchors. I don't know how well they work, but it's designed for achoring on a beach.
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/bass-pr ... -101644539
Thanks for posting. It's always fun to watch boating videos.
as things would in short order have the place looking like Swiss cheese!
(But probably not cheap…) 