Macgregor 25 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

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Bringing Control Lines Aft

posted 12-12-2010 by mac25wmo

This summer (June 2010) I added rigging to bring 3 control lines back to the cockpit. Heres a list of the equipment/vendors, some photos and a few notes on the steps I took to get it done.

Equipment / Vendor:
1) C-22 Mast Step Halyard Plate (#Z1898) / Catalina Direct (catalinadirect.com) This item is referred to in the steps below as the New Mast Organizer (NMO).

2) Spinlock 38mm Deck Org. 3 Sheaves (#SPIT383) / Mauri Pro Sailing (mauriprosailing.com)

3) LewMar Superlock D1 Triple Rope Clutch (#LEW29101308) / Mauri Pro Sailing (mauriprosailing.com)

STEPS:
1) Remove the exisitng SS mast step by taking out the three bolts that secure it to the deck. Clean up the mast step and the deck. My PO had a lot of gunk, that needed to be scrapped off.

2) Line up new mast organizer (NMO) under the existing mast step and mark location for drilling holes in the NMO.

3) Drill holes in the NMO using a titanium drill bit at low speed and plenty of lubricating oil.

4) Install the NMO and the existing mast step in position using the same deck holes and hardware removed in step one. Bed the hardware using good standard practice and bedding compound (see notes 5).

5) Dry fit the deck organizer and the rope clutch along the left or right side. I used a ruler to check for squareness and then taped them in place before marking the outlines of each piece in pencil on the deck.

6) Drill the mounting holes in the deck. Whenever possible, leave the piece taped in position and use the mounting hole in organizer or clutch to guide your drill. This will ensure your holes all line up.

6) Install the deck organizer and the rope clutch using SS hardware and bedding compound.

7) Add swivel blocks to the NMO and run your lines through the blocks, deck organizer and rope clutch.

NOTES:
1) Equipment item #1 is also called a mast organizer. I did a lot of looking, and was very happy with this choice. It fits perfectly under the stock mast step on my Mac 25.
2) Keep in mind the size lines you plan on using. Rope clutches need to be matched the line diameter. My clutch works with 1/4 to 5/16 diameter line. However,there are other sizes available.
3) I left room behind (aft) where I mounted the clutch for a winch. This will be a future project.
4) All the work is much easier done with the pop top up. One person can get at the bolt/screw tops and bottoms.
5) I followed the hardware bedding steps from Don Caseys book Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair. You can tell by all the blue tape you see in the photos. The bedding compound I used was Life Caulk from BoatLife (also recommended by Don Casey).
6) The deck organizer and rope clutch required five and six 1/4 screws respectively to secure them to the deck. I simply used two washers (regular and larger fender) and a nylon insert lock nut for each. They were attached directly against the fabric covered ceiling in the cabin. The fabric is very thin as does not compress much.


I hope this has been helpful. Most of what I included I learned from this web site and all of the helpful folks on the forums. Ive been taking for a long time, and it was nice to have a chance to give back.

Wade

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