These are the cabin modification we made to our 1991 26s. Our photo album has pics.

We recently purchased a 91 Mac 26s. The boat was set up for day sailing with a focus on the rigging. Underneath it was stock. We will be using the boat primarily for inland day and overnight sailing for 2 – 4 adults.

Our plan was to dress up the cabin areas without breaking the bank. We set a $1000.00 budget. I am not a handyman by trade so the work had to be able to completed with basic tools and skills. My wife’s sewing skills allowed us to tackle the upholstery projects.

It took some creativity and multiple planning trips to local building suppliers to come up with the ideas. In the end we are pleased with the results and came in well under our budget. I included the materials we used, cost and ranked the difficulty based on my skils..

Carpeted rear berth –

We used indoor/ outdoor carpet that was on clearance at Home Deport. The size was 6 by 8 which fit in the berth with some cutting. $15 on the clearance rack. We used carpet tape to attaché the back sections and industrial strength Velcro to allow the front half to be rolled back and gain access to the storage areas. We replaced the storage covers with 3/8 plywood and sealed them to provide water protection. The cushions we removed and replaced with Futon mattress pad we found for $30 on local classified ads. Being in AZ we do not have the humidity issues that many do so mold and mildew are generally not a problem.

Seating -

We wanted a thicker seat cushion and wanted the backs to be larger and mounted on the side of the inner hull. Since we replaced the rear berth cushions we reused the foam to make the seats. By doubling up the foam it gave us the thicker seats and the extra foam to increase the back pads width. My wife found some upholstery fabric and vinyl on sale at a close out center. The seat bottoms we built using 7/16 inch plywood and the seat backs was built using 5/16 plywood. The seats were attached using stainless piano hinge Due to the thickness of the seats we decided to mount the hinges to the front side of the seat so the seats fold toward the center of the boat. This design will give us the option to increase the under seat storage areas at a later date.

To mount the seat backs we used aluminum door thresholds. By mounting one to a board attached to the inner hull and one to the seat back it created an interlocking hanger. The boards are 1’ x 2”pieces of oak They we attached using stainless through bolts. The board gave us a straight section to mount the backs. This systems provided a low cost brackets that allows us to remove the seat backs. The seat backs will eventually be used to turn the cockpit into an outside sleeping area.

We decided to split the port side seating into two sections. The section between the seats is used as a storage cabinet for our two burner Origio stove. It doubles as an arm rest and drink holder. The cushion on top can be removed and put in place of the stove to convert the area into a sleeping area.


Galley
We removed the mirror, (It was warped and looked more like a fun house mirror), from the headboard and replaced it ¼”with sanded oak plywood. We installed a counter top. We relocated a stainless steel sink to the starboard side. This provided us more counter space and dressed up the area. The hand pump faucet was relocated and a top- fill soap dispenser was added. We added a magnetic storage bar to hang storage canisters. At first I thought this was going to be rather straight forward. Actually it was a major undertaking. It was not that hard to do the work it was figuring it all out. Getting everything cut to fit, arranged so not to impact the keel system, make the drain connection and get everything installed took multiple designs. If interested in doing on a Mac 26s, I can provide more details, now I know what to look out for.

Head door.
We removed the head door and designed a swinging curtain system. The curtain rod is galvanized electrical conduit, bent to 90 degrees and reinforced with 3/8 in steel bar. It is attached to the headboard support with hangers that allow the arm and curtain to cover the head or swing out, 90 degrees, to provide V Berth privacy. This has worked much better than the door and makes it much easier to move in that cramped space.

Additional storage.

For storage of pots and pans we added two stainless steel bread boxes from Ikea. We use Velco closures to hold the slide covers in place when vertically mounted. We can store all of our cooking utensils in these areas. On the aft end of each seat we added soft sided bags for towels and quick access items. The bags are attached using Velco and can be easily removed for trips ashore or as picnic bags. A hanging bar was added to the port side for sheets and small gear allowing quick access.

Flooring-
We installed waterproof vinyl planks on the sole from Home Depot.. Very easy to install just take time to get the cuts right and the seems tight.


Stereo system
In stalled stereo that is IPOD ready. We used a Gimbah housing for the stereo to ease installation and use existing wiring from a previously installed radio.
We built mounting boxes that fit within the lines opening.

Lighting

Installed LED lights around the cabin area.