Chrysler Sailors Forum

I took the C26 out for a ride using the new to me 2021 Mercury 5hp sailpro outboard. I’m pleased to report that is was more than adequate for my sailing conditions. It wasn’t as fast or responsive as the 9.9 Yamaha with the huge high thrust propeller but that’s actually beneficial when I’m docking t...

Very interesting story. Thanks for sharing.

That’s exactly what my sole looked like except it was red instead of blue. Please be aware that you’re going to loose headroom if you raise the floor. I wound up re-fiberglassing mine and painting it with non-skid additive. Teak would be a good choice but expensive. Consider synthetic deck planks.

Turns out this is a non-issue. I’m having my sails made by Mack Sails in Stuart Florida. Since I have added a backstay adjuster. I can bend the mast to suit the sailing conditions.

I’m trying to buy new sails and the sailmaker wants to know the amount of mast bend. My standing rigging is currently slack. How much prebend should I put into the mast. I do have an adjustable backstay to increase bend even more if conditions warrant it. Can anyone recommend sailmakers?

Thanks for your opinion. Where I sail the river currents are not an issue. If a terrible storm caught me out I could anchor and ride it out. The river is wide but relatively shallow except for the designated channel. The truth is I only need the motor for exiting and entering my short protected cana...

My Chrysler is finally resting comfortably in its berth at my dock. However my outboard is shot. I’ve got an opportunity to get a great deal on a used, low hours, 2020 5-HP mercury 20” shaft sailpro outboard for $750. Does anyone think that this would suffice. I was hoping to buy a 9.9 but money is ...

I took the faucet apart and inspected the rubber flapper. Surprisingly it still was in good shape. I put everything back together. Moderate hand pumping still produced no water flow. So out of frustration I increased the rate of pumping and shortened the strokes. Lo and behold! The faucet primed its...

Can anyone suggest a replacement hand pump model that will cover the three screw holes in the countertop yet fit in the confined space?

Can anyone suggest a replacement hand pump model that will cover the three screw holes in the countertop yet fit in the confined space?

I’ve installed a two-battery bank down in the cabin, under the stairs. I’m not worried about the lead batteries off gassing. No one will be sealed up in the cabin while the batteries charge. I think the potential hazard is minimal. For decades car batteries have been located under the rear seat in s...

I’m internet friends with Erik. His advice has been a huge help with my restoration. He has invested a small fortune in upgrades on that boat. Much of the work being professionally done. His family has enjoyed sailing the Chrysler so much they decided to move up to a larger boat.

The rear locker and the port side locker were formed on a fiberglass mold. The gel coat side can be seen from inside the boat when you are lying in the rear berth. On the starboard side of the rear locker there was a piece of plywood tabbed onto the “floor” of the locker to support the weight of a p...

Thanks for sharing! I’m glad the boat didn’t tip over on its side. I should probably get a water separator.

My starboard dagger board is stuck in the down position on my LS13. If I find time to attend to it I will share what the problem was.

I have one if I ever get the boat into the water. Everything is done except rewiring the interior. I don’t wish to reuse the original location for my fuse panel. Decisions, decisions…… I’ll report on the backstay adjuster ASAP.

I’ll have to learn how to post photos. I have loads of videos and stills of the multiple repairs I did on the Chrysler. The hull blisters weren’t difficult, just labor and time intensive. The biggest challenge was the badly rusted and stuck swing keel. Closing up the transom and installing a motor m...

In a week it will be a full six months that I’ve been working part time on a full restoration of my 1978 C26. I could launch her now but I want to finish up the exterior painting, mount the replacement navigation lights and partially rewire the boat. I learned from a previous project on my 19-foot O...

Finally, swing keel repairs are completed. The boat’s back on the trailer.

I’m wondering, has anyone ever used their head compartment for a shower. In my boat the bulkheads are clad with Formica. I don’t think it would hurt anything to wet them but I’m hesitant to try it.

Good advice. A good thing to check when buying a used trailer.

I assume it’s just an inspection plate. I’ve contemplated installing a small 12v bilge pump in that spot but the problem lies with routing the discharge hose all the way to the back of the boat. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort. In my boat the area on both sides of the keel trunk is poured solid w...

Which side of the door is the floor plug on? Inside the head or in the “hallway”? Mine has a small round deck plate in the hallway. Beneath it lies the forward bilge. Not much room underneath the floor in that area for any type of tank.

The rudder bearing (only one!) arrived. I should have carefully read the fine print. The photo shows a pair but the price was for EACH. Fortunately they over ordered from the manufacturer and still had another one in stock. It arrived after a couple of days and me spending another $50. I now have th...

Great progress! I was able to beat the pivot pin stub out of the keel. I’ve extracted the two last stubborn seized shoe bolts and I ran a tap through all the holes. Next step is to epoxy and fair up the hull under the shoes and around the keel slot Then I can barrier coat and reattach the shoes and ...

On the C26, does anyone know if - when factory new, was the pivot pin free to rotate within the recessed sockets of the support shoes. Was the hole through the swing keel oversized enough for the pin to freely rotate within the keel? I’m almost ready to acquire a new pivot pin and reinstall the enti...

I’m dreading getting the remaining part of the keel pin out of the keel. So far a drift and a sledgehammer have no effect. I wonder if originally the pin was sized to rotate within both the shoes and the swing keel. On my boat it was seized up solid at all three points. That’s partly why the keel wo...

I’m making steady progress albeit slow. I cut both sides of the pivot pit with a sawzall. Then I used a floor jack to force the keel to rise a half inch then I let it fall 3/4 of an inch. By endlessly repeating this process and running a sawzall blade along both sides of the keel around the pivot pi...

Success!!! The keel is out. It’s in poor shape but definitely still useable. Getting the pivot pin out will be a challenge. Lots of delaminated cast iron flaked off the surface. It needs the rest chipped off. Then a sand blasting.

Update! I moved the trailer out and added cribbing beneath the suspended hull. After three days of frustration trying to remove the shoes I gave up and sawed through both sides of the pivot pin with my sawzall. The keel didn’t move a fraction of an inch! It was firmly seized in place by the expanded...