New 26M owner and getting the boat home

[Danimal]

]I an in Alaska and the anticipated pick-up date for my new 26M is May 31.
Since it looks like having it shipped up here is going to be around $4000, I can drive to Seattle and trailer it home cheaper. I am a teacher, so I have the summer free.
But I am thinking, if I am going that far then how about picking the boat up and driving to South Dakota and visiting the parents for a week and stopping off at lakes along the way.
My question, Am I embarking on too long of a trip as my first trip with my new 26M?
In addition I was thinking I could probably meet up with other MacGregor owners along my route and drop the boat in their local body of water and gain experience. I would be towing with a Hummer H3.

Dan

[Sleepy]

From what I have read on this site I would replace the tires with a better brand than the stock ones provided! Reports of blow outs in short time are common.

[NiceAft]

If you have the time, then take the trip. I believe Kevin picked his up in New Mexico and brought it home to eastern Pennsylvania.

You will get used to pulling her real quick. Just don't get too comfortable when making turns in an urban area. Be aware of where the trailers tires are so you don't go over any curbs or people walking dogs

The other thing is there is a learning curve for setting up the boat. At first it could take you two hours to set-up and another two to reverse it. I tell you this to make you aware that if you are going out for a four hour sail, you need to allow time to set up and reverse it. That could total eight hours of time. With practice, you will shorten the time considerably.

Make certain you have a spare tire, a jack for the trailer, and blocks for safety. MAKE CERTAIN YOU STRAP DOWN THE BOAT TO THE TRAILER I use this

Also have these on hand to secure loose wires and lines on deck for transport after the mast is down.

Think about joining BOATUS.

Go for the joy ride Enjoy yourself


Ray

P.S. Get used to people staring and smiling as you go by.

[Catigale]

Join both Boat US and TOWBOAT US (for another 10 USD) - you can get trailer roadside assistance (trailers usually arent covered on 'roadside assistance plans')

[Shane]

Dan,

In hindsight, I think I would have found myself feeling self imposed pressures of trying to rig the boat under a travel schedule (the S.Dakota trip) for my first several times.

I'd suggest taking advantage of the PNW location, and some sailing around here. If pick up is in Seattle, I'll assume it's from BWY. Do some sailing around there for a week or 2, talk real sweet to Todd & Cheryl and see if you could store your boat with them and do a boatless drive to S.Dakota, then come back to Seattle for their Rendezvous at the end of June.

That's a long drive back home, I'd take 2 spares simply because of the distance between repair facilities along the highways up that way.

I think I might have to look at changing districts; out for May 31 & affording a Hummer and the M... I had to downgrade my truck and use a personal day to make to their rendezvous last year

Congrats & good luck

Regards,
Shane

]I an in Alaska and the anticipated pick-up date for my new 26M is May 31.
Since it looks like having it shipped up here is going to be around $4000, I can drive to Seattle and trailer it home cheaper. I am a teacher, so I have the summer free.
But I am thinking, if I am going that far then how about picking the boat up and driving to South Dakota and visiting the parents for a week and stopping off at lakes along the way.
My question, Am I embarking on too long of a trip as my first trip with my new 26M?
In addition I was thinking I could probably meet up with other MacGregor owners along my route and drop the boat in their local body of water and gain experience. I would be towing with a Hummer H3.

Dan

[Andy hipetrol]

To trailer my boat to Austin, Texas from Kemah, Texas which is about 4 hours away I bought a 4 way lug wrench, a small scissor jack, a piece of PVC pipe for a cheater bar, and a two inch drop hitch with a two inch ball, and a 5 prong adapter that plugs into your towing package for the lights.

Mistakes the two inch drop was too much and I had nothing to undo the ball to turn it over so I just gave my new hitch to the old owner and he gave me his old one and flipped it upside down.

The owner I purchased from had the yellow strap like is shown in the Post by Nice Aft. The key to that is knowing the correct length to buy I think I saw those at Lowes so take a tape measure. I had purchased a much smaller one at West Marine that was not big enough to go around the boat.

It took me at least two hours to rig up the first time then backing off the trailer was an ordeal because the ramps on my particular lake do not have docks to the side of the ramp so you cannot walk the boat on or off.

I have found the wind pushes harder sideways when backing or going forward than your progress in either direction. I hooked a layed over mast of a thirty foot sailboat in my life lines as I was backing off the trailer and out of the ramp the first time. I would recomend being patient and untrailer when there are no other boats around.

As far as whether you should do it why not during the week the lakes will not be as crowded and your already going to be there. What better way to learn. You can only learn so much by reading, but Nice Aft is correct it just takes too long to rig up and down at first so make sure you have enough time to enjoy the experience.

[Divecoz]

From what I have read on this site I would replace the tires with a better brand than the stock ones provided! Reports of blow outs in short time are common.

I don't recall that being the situation with a new M
Its been a problem on the X's because they are if nothing else an older boat on an older trailer running older tires allowed to set most often on dirt sand what ever and after numerous years the tires ( 14" on an X BTW. . .15's on the M) They just dry rot.

[Catigale]

a piece of PVC pipe for a cheater bar

Does that really work? I didnt think PVC was strong enough for this..

[Russ]

]I an in Alaska and the anticipated pick-up date for my new 26M is May 31.
Since it looks like having it shipped up here is going to be around $4000, I can drive to Seattle and trailer it home cheaper. I am a teacher, so I have the summer free.
But I am thinking, if I am going that far then how about picking the boat up and driving to South Dakota and visiting the parents for a week and stopping off at lakes along the way.
My question, Am I embarking on too long of a trip as my first trip with my new 26M?
In addition I was thinking I could probably meet up with other MacGregor owners along my route and drop the boat in their local body of water and gain experience. I would be towing with a Hummer H3.

Dan

That's a long trip towing a boat with fuel prices what they are lately.

We're picking up our Mac in a couple of weeks in Seattle and will be keeping it in a slip at Canyon Ferry Lake, MT. It's frozen 18" thick right now and ice boats are enjoying it, but by May it should be all nice.

Our Mac will join a couple of others in the marina. You are welcome to stop by and talk with some other Mac owners. It's a nice lake, 30 miles long by 5 miles wide with few people around.

[Bluecrab]

Brought my 05M home to Minneapolis from Akron (800 miles). Didn't need the spare but was glad to have one. Feel the hubs occasionally and keep an eye on tire pressure. Was nervous about the road construction on 292 in Chicago but it turned out to be a breeze. My wife and I took turns in the F150 and it towed like a dream.

The wife wanted to take the time to try it out on the way home. I just wanted to get it home in one piece. Also I was not comfortable with this size of a boat yet.

DIDO on the in town driving, I almost got trapped in a MacDonald's in the middle of the night. I don't know about the newer ones but my 05M has key you put in the hitch to disengage the brake so you can back up. I was on a slope and could not get the key in. You can also wire it to the backup lights so you don't need the key, will do that before summer.

Sound like a great adventure, have fun.

Wally

[Russ]

Make certain you have a spare tire, a jack for the trailer, and blocks for safety. MAKE CERTAIN YOU STRAP DOWN THE BOAT TO THE TRAILER

What size tire/hub fits the new M trailer?
Is there a cheap place to pick one up?

[Catigale]

Feel the hubs occasionally and keep an eye on tire pressure

If you really want the trouble free trailer experience, make that occasionally HOURLY.....a good time to pull over and check everything for looseness, excessive heat (bearings and brakes) and low tires/tires disintegrating...

Also good for the driver to take a break too!!

[Andy hipetrol]

Catigale,

I don't know if PVC pipe will work as a cheater but have seen in the Oilfields ruffnecks pick up a piece of pipe or so I thought was metal pipe because it was covered in grease and grime and totally black. They use that pipe as a cheater on the end of pipe wrenches to break apart valves, wellheads etc.

I have picked that piece up later thinking it was metal and heavy and it turned about to be plastic pipe light as a feather just covered in grime. So to answer your question I bought a piece of plastice pipe at Home depot but I have never had to use it. I am hopeful it will work.

Andy

[Jeff P]

Much of the hardware on my alum trailer was quite loose but I had no dealer prep which would probably take care of it before you pick your boat up. If there isn't going to be any prep you may want to take some time to go over the trailer with your complete set of hand tools before setting out on your trip just to be sure all is tight and then a time or two into the trip to due some spot checks until your comfortable. Lastly have a great adventure! Thats the beauty of it.

Jeff

[Night Sailor]

I would not expect you to have any tire trouble if you don't run over nails, debris, potholes, curbs, etc. which could happen to any tire. Even though the factory goes cheap on tires, they are adequate if not overloaded and fully inflated.
Do heed the warning to have tie down straps and check tires and hubs and hitch and tie downs every hour.
Boats trail easily with littel wind resistance except side winds, so your fuel costs shouldn't be dramatically more. Put all gear you can in the tow vehicle rather than the boat to lighten the load on the tires. Inflate the rear tow vehicle tires to maximum pressure as stated on the side walls and it should be an easy drive.