Enjoying fiddling with new 26X. This and the Macgregor Sailers forums have been really useful. I have found some simple modifications/products that make the boat much easier to live with.
Already done
- clean inside and out with Aldi caravan cleaner - great stuff at £2.99
- new cabin flooring using Aldi outdoor interlocking mats - easy to cut, water proof and non slip - £26
- replaced tired original washboard with tinted black acrylic - £100
- moved cabin ladder forward about an inch using 1 inch square oak spacers - ladder can now be swung up and out of the way to allow easier access to rear bunks. Tightening the hinge locking nuts means that it holds itself in the up position nicely - 2x 100mm M8 bolts and a bit of oak £10
- discovered that the forward starboard removable seat back/cushion is designed to be used to extend the port v berth if placed on top of the port bench seat cushion.
- new 3" foam pad to cover table when the table is dropped to form additional bunk. My wife is not keen on enclosed spaces and this makes a much more open sleeping position. - £20
- new rescue bouy and light. New throwing line. £60
- sand and varnish cabin ladder steps- looks like new
Still to do
- additional battery
-Becket / cam cleat on cockpit track to allow Genoa/Jib sheet handling from steering position ( when winch is not needed)
- longer (40m) 8mm braid spiniker halyard running deck to mast head to pulpit to winch/cleat. Should work as a 2nd safety forestay/mast raiser using winch ( may need a bit of a hand raise for first couple of feet) /spinnaker halyard.
- handles on both sides of the sliding hatch.
- white rubberised spray paint to unfinished fibre glass in head and underneath hatches. For some reason this raw fibreglass bugged me more than anything else, looks like the boat was made with no pride. 6 cans £25 from eBay
- replace all clevis pins and rings
- use marine / aircraft grade quick release pins for spreader fixings ( under compressive load so should be safe). When I drop the mast I will uncouple the spreaders and use long heavy duty cable ties to attach mast.
Steve
Hello Steve, I am not familiar with raising the Asm Spinnaker. There is a halyard going quiet close to the top of the mast which I presume is for the spinnaker, also not clear where / how it attaches to the bow. Any advise or pictures to assist would be greatly appreciated. I have a 26X. Thanks
Micheal Walsh
-Becket / cam cleat on cockpit track to allow Genoa/Jib sheet handling from steering position ( when winch is not needed) - great mod. Almost never need the winchs and tacking can be done without leaving the helm position. Cost £30 on eBay
- longer (40m) 8mm braid spiniker halyard running deck to mast head to pulpit to winch/cleat. Works as a 2nd safety forestay/mast raiser using winch - gives a great sence of additional security. If the forestay breaks the mast is still secure. Cost £30 for the haylyard and used a couple of snap blocks I already had
- replaced shroud tensioner with turn buckles. Much better tension in the rig. Cost £40
- replace all clevis pins and rings. Cost £20
- fitted quick release pins for spreader fixings ( under compressive load so should be safe). When I drop the mast I uncouple the spreaders and use long heavy duty cable ties to attach mast. Cost £20 from eBay. I could not find marine pins so used U shaped tractor pins. I also now use the same pin to keep the rubbers up when trailering and to connect the boom goose neck. Cable ties securing everything to the mast when trailering much quicker and works great. Cost £5 from screwfix
- Plasimo fold down helm seat fixed to the fold up transom. Cost £40. Makes steering much more comfortable when motoring and visibility better. Also is a back rest in the folded down position when sitting behind the wheel
- Led lights in cabin. Bulb change did not work for some reason so I replaced the light fittings to ease battery drain. Cost £20 on ebay
- 3 way fuel valve ( automotive cut off valve) to allow switching between fuel tanks easy without having to disconnect / reconnect fuel lines. Cost £5 on eBay plus extra fuel line and tank connector which I already had. Simply the cheapest and best mod ever. Now if one tank is reaching empty I just twist the valve in the line and the other tank takes over, no need to prime second tank
- mountain climbing figure of eight used as boom brake. Run old halyard line from port stantion to boom to starboard stantion block and back to spare locking cleat by my cockpit winch. Cost £5. Prevents the need for a preventor and makes gibes slow and safe.
All in all the mods make sailing the boat much easier and safer and have cost very little. Difficult to describe sometimes, I am happy to answer any questions and will try and add photos when I launch the boat in the spring.
To steve.buiskool
Hi Steve,
Might you be able to post a link to that becket/cam on ebay? I cannot seem to find a stand-up one assuming the one you have is a stand-up to fit on the car.
Thanks
Graham
Graham
Not sure how to do photos but here is a link. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/barton-marine--track-end-with-sheave-and-...
I did not realise they were so expensive. I bought mine on eBay for about £50 for two new/old stock ones. I tapped out the holes and put stainless bolts in them to secure. Makes life much easier. I have not needed the winch since I bought them. They are flat not stand up. I might have been incorrect describing them as having a becket, the link calls it a sheave.
I think that BWY in the stated sell them at about $100.
I think you were lucky to get those, Steve!
They're a US product, not in the UK catalogue. They're also described as 28mm, whereas the Mac track is 25mm. Barton track in the UK is 20, 25 and 32 mm!
The UK Barton range is here: http://www.bartonmarine.com/products-genoa-cars-and-sliders-for-25mm-tra...
There's nothing that quite matches, unfortunately.
Rick Jones (Treasurer), former 26X & 19 owner, Isle of Wight
Haha. I feel very lucky. I was looking for a set of these for 2 years when I finally spotted some in the odds and sods section of my local force 4. ....paid 35.00 for the pair! Use them for my spinnaker lines.
Roly