Modifications
1st
best mod: roller furling. I installed a Bamar reefing roller with the 100% jib
I
replaced the factory forestay with a Bamar furling unit I got from SailCare
They also converted the 100% jib to the furler and installed the sun band to
match my sail cover
The furler is built to the proper length and requires sending them the old stay
Assembly is fairly simple and installs as you assemble
The fittings supplied are swage type and do not require crimping
What is different with this furler than most is that this is a reefing roller
allowing jib reefing when needed or turning a working jib into a storm jib
2nd
best mod was getting rid of the aft boom sheeting and installing a
Garhauer Marine MT-3 traveler system at the companionway entrance
I
did
not like the idea of controlling a mainsail behind my
back
I decided to install a traveler system and found the MT-3 at Garhauer Marine
The cabin roof will not carry a traveler unless you secure the top from lifting,
which rules out sailing with top up as many Mac owners like to do
Because of this I mounted it at the opening of the companionway
This location does not really interfere with cabin access
and also lets the traveler act as vang or a preventer
The bail is located off center and aft on the boom
and allows full movement of main without tangling on the cabin top or bulkheads
The
Companionway/Roof Hatch
The old drop in hatch cover never had a proper fit so I
made one
from cedar 1x8’s and it worked for a while
Then I saw the tinted one at IdaSailor.com and ordered it
It is a pre-cut piece of smoked 3/8" acrylic and drops right in
The guide rails for the companionway cover and sliding hatch were the original
mahogony with some soft spots from rot.
I also purchased a set (contains all 4 pieces of the HDPE guide rails)
from IdaSailor. I think they make the boat look cleaner and should be
maintenance free
Permanent galley with a reefer and sink
The
factory slide out galley was replaced with a semi-permanent galley
(4 screws hold it in place via ‘L’ brackets)
Since I installed a 30 amp shore power service on the boat,
the first question was how to put a reefer on this thing
I found a 2.7 cubic foot fridge at Lowes for $79
and built a single cabinet/unit around it
with a stainless steel sink and pull-out vertical drawer.
The cabinet front is made from a sheet of ½” oak and is one piece
As you can tell, I’m no cabinet maker, but ‘ya can’t lern by readin’
The support frame is made from 1x2 and 1x3 pine
and the ends are ¼” oak
The 'counter
tops' are ½” oak as well.
The sink is from Lowes and is their bar sink w/faucet deal
It is about 8” deep and is 15”x15”
I used the pump faucet from the factory galley
and connected it to a 3 ½ gallon water jug
The sink is ‘T’ed into drain the hose for the automatic bilge pump
downstream
of the pump’s check valve and discharges out thru the transom.
The counter top above the reefer is mainly a work area for preparing
meals
and mainly to allow quick access to the most important item on the boat … the
COFFEE POT!!
Almost all of the onboard cooking is done in the cockpit
on a 2-burner Coleman propane stove
This keeps from heating up the cabin, which can be a booger-bear in the summer
The main 'cooked' meal is breakfast; eggs, sausage (ground, no links) and bacon
Evening meals are grilled
In the Deep South
the best time to grill is ‘if it ain’t raining’
No ‘main’ items to grill, if it will fit on top, we’ll grill it
(haven’t figured out how to grill grits yet … but its coming)
Shore power, storage and bulkhead
-Future mods -
Install wood flooring
in the cabin sole, recover the cushions, paint the interior,
install a killer stereo system (clean sound, not this thump thump garbage), make
curtains,
connect the sink to shore water via a garden hose connection
and new windows from Idasailor
