buy macgregor or not?

[bffatcat]

I have sailed New England coastal waters for over 50 years My vintage 1975 Pearson 26W
is currently being completely re conditioned at a cost of substantially more than the price of a new Mac Gregor In my harbor Marblehead MA there are maybe 2 Mac Gregor`s out of 1500 boats. The reasons why have been explained by other posters. If your looking for a trailerable boat at a cheap price for a small lake you might consider a Mac Gregor. Their sailing performance leaves a lot to be desired. Your not going to see too many of them cruising the New England coast or the Great lakes. There are many suitable trailerable boats available. Sailing has never been a cheap sport. Most people that start out sailing with a Mac Gregor do not keep them too long. Enough said

 

[William12213]

I think a lot of it depends on what you want in a boat. Is this your first sailboat? Do you want something you can store at home? Are you day sailing or taking long trips?

My first sailboat was a Mac 26 D and it was a great boat to learn to sail on. They are light boats and very responsive. It is also easy to handle the sail and rigging. I used to be able to raise the mast and get in the water in under 30 minutes by myself. It just isn’t that hard after you have done it a couple times.

I live in Michigan and sailed it on some of the great lakes. If it was a long trip by water we would just trailer it close and then launch it and away we would go. You could go and explore Door County or Mackinaw Island in it with no problem. (we did)

Head room is a small issue. I am 6-1 so I was not walking around in the boat. They do have a pop-top that we used and it made it ok. Think of them more as a popup camper than a motorhome.

The boats can be fast because of the light weight. It is pretty easy to hit 8-9 with it and we pinged 10s often. That is GPS speed. I really can’t speak to big waves because like I said it was my first sailboat and waves were a little nerve wracking at the time.
They are very safe boats. You can’t sink them. They have a ton of built-in flotation which is enough to keep it afloat even when the cabin is full of water.

There are cons, they are not the roomiest of boats, they only have 600lbs of keel weight and you have an outboard motor but none of them were show stoppers for me.

I loved sailing that boat and I learned a lot on it. I think it is a great first sailboat. There are a lot of haters out there and most of them have never owned one. To each his own. You won’t find many owners or former owners that didn’t enjoy their MacGregor. If you doubt their seaworthiness there is a couple that sailed one from Toronto, Canada to Hawaii. You can do a web search and read about their trip.

 

[robertsapp]

This is pretty interesting:

http://www.macgregor26.com/index/gale_2_min.htm

 

[Nodak7]

This is pretty interesting:

http://www.macgregor26.com/index/gale_2_min.htm

All I can say is WOW!!!! Like he says this is a "don't try this at home thing". I am impressed! I would have never taken my Mac out in these conditions but it definitely makes the point that they can handle it. When the boat went down in some of those troughs it sure looked pretty small!

Thanks for sharing! As a previous owner I enjoyed sailing our Mac and it did everything we asked her to do. The best thing it did for us was to show us that we would love sailing and wanted to continue deeper into the sport. We have fond memories of her ("Mast Confusion" and it was LOL)) and it led us to bigger and better boats!

One last item. In terms of comparison. In an earlier post this was mentioned but I think of our Mac as our "Pop-Up" camper! We graduated to a nice 5th wheel with the 33 and then to the full fledged Motor Home with the 41. They all have their place (both good points and bad) and we have loved them all. I would not "bad mouth" our Mac. Though definitely not as comfortable as our other boats it always got us there and back safely on every trip. It taught us what we needed to know and for the money it was a good value. Enough said!

 

[Jackdaw]

This is pretty interesting:

http://www.macgregor26.com/index/gale_2_min.htm

From where I sit, that's pretty irresponsible and doesn't not prove anything, anything more than a single survived trigger pull does not prove Russian Roulette is a safe game. The boat is barely CE class C. Its simply not designed or built for those conditions. I think they are great for what that are designed for, but Rodger should have more sense than publicizing that stunt.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

i thInk people are saying if you buy one, expect to want out of it after a year!

My wife and I came within a moment of buying a 2007 M and then we realized that taking an hour to put up the mast and another to take it down would be non-starter so we bailed. (and lost a 500 dollar deposit).

We bought our Hunter and are thrilled with it. Next slip over is a Mac M and we are
So glad it does not belong to us!!!


My advice is ... Run away fast as you can.

don't Sugar Coat it, tell us how you really feel!]

BUT How Long does it take you to put up and lower your Hunter mast?

-or you decided to slip it instead...

Haters goin' HATE! LOL!

its good for what it is... a light powersailor, that can be towed by a family sedan, or mid size truck.

not an ocean boat, but with the engine it can do 15knts. - how many sailboats can do 10knts under power?


your skill level is the more important factor in sailing. its a good starting platform, for what it is...

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Truth in advertising?

Yes, the boat will float like cork even when there are waves. Is it responsible to build a boat and acknowledge that it isn't designed for heavy weather sailing, and then show that it will sail thru waves?

I've heard people comment on the video ... it is strange that the wind is supposedly gale force, yet there are no white caps except the occasional roller in the large swell. Yes, the swell is rather large, but gale force winds would be ripping the tops off those waves. It appears more like the remnants of a storm with fairly light winds (yet the sails are reefed to near disappearance). The comments that I read indicated that evidence suggests that the wind during the time when the video was taken had to be pretty light.

Don't you think it is silly to promote a trailer sailer as an ocean-going sailboat? The promotion of flotation in the hull reminds me of the way my dad laughed when he realized he had been sold a sailboat that he clearly hadn't expected and what he said afterwards.

He bought a small dinghy-sized sailboat for my mom, because she thought we should have one at our summer home. The only problem was that it was so light that it would capsize when sitting anywhere except the center until counter-balanced by the wind with the sails up. He said he should have known better when the salesman showed him how easy it was to right the boat after a capsize. My mom never sailed the boat because she couldn't sit in it without flipping over (even though she never weighed more than 120 lbs). I was the only person to use that boat because I liked going for the occasional swim. It probably could have floated in those ocean swells just as readily as the MacGregor in the video.

This reminds me of how proud MacGregor is about the flotation in the hull. It just kind of scares me to think that this is what you should rely upon for safety!

 

[MrBill_FLL]

PS: that video is a LIE. (its not close to gale force winds... did you see the tops getting blown off the waves?)

and its not even that big of seas...

that said, the M is a pretty good boat, but not bluewater.

but there are not many boats that can motor at 10+ knts either... unless you look at some Cats.

PS: I have a laser, and it doesn't have ballast either... is it a bad sailboat? I don't think so, but its not for someone that doesn't want to flip and get wet on occasion. not sure how many dingy's are stable... FJ? 420?

but yeah, Roger macgregor told a big lie in that video. IMHO.

 

[Steve Dion]

From where I sit, that's pretty irresponsible and doesn't not prove anything,........

Jackdaw:

You did notice that there was a "chase boat" off their beam. Maybe not irresponsible but it would be scary if you were out there alone.

It does prove that they do have a marketing department that is will to take a little risk.

 

[gulfcoastsunshine]

to buy or not to buy?

We bought our Mac 3 years ago and enjoy sailing it whenever we can. Didn't get it up to Lake Erie last year as we had hoped, but sail it on the Gulf when weather and time permit. It is a great boat if you are looking for something that is easy to move and use. We keep it in the water most of the time, pulling it for major upkeep. We have not regretted buying it and
comfortably recommend it
See if you can find one to take a trial sail or two on first, and run through the set up several times with the previous owner when you buy.

Good Luck!

My husband and I have seriously been considering buying a MacGregor...however, we are getting a lot of different feedback on whether this is a good thing or not. One seller has told us it's not fun on Lake Michigan since it can't handle anything but calm waters since it doesn't have a keel.

Looking for all thoughts and facts that can help us make a decision on buying a MacGregor or if we should look at other boats.

 

[Jackdaw]

Jackdaw:

You did notice that there was a "chase boat" off their beam. Maybe not irresponsible but it would be scary if you were out there alone.

It does prove that they do have a marketing department that is will to take a little risk.

Of course they did. SOMEONE had to be taking the pictures.. ;^)

But will they issue chase boats to others that try this? A boat rated for these conditions would not need one. And its not their marketing department that I'd be worried about taking the risks.

As others have mentioned, they DO have a nasty habit of designing and building to a (rather low) spec and price point, but then saying (wink wink, nudge nudge) look what it can REALLY do. That's just not safe. For the average buyer its their first boat and they are novice sailors. They should be taking the high, safe ground.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I'll go back to the premiss that MacGregor is primarily a trailer sailer. The problem with that is Chicago is not condusive to trailer sailing. Surprising as it may seem to people who are chiming in from all locations, I think there are extremely limited opportunities to use a trailer sailer anywhere near Chicago. If they intend to use the boat near home, they would probably need to launch the boat far away and then keep it on a slip or mooring in the city. If that is the case, what is the advantage of a trailer sailer? I don't think there are any ramps to use or any place to keep the boat on a trailer.

Of course I might be wrong, but I've lived in Chicago and sailed there ... I can't think of any place where trailer sailing would be convenient or even possible ... unless the intention is to travel to smaller lakes far away.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

no opinion on chicago sailing... no idea what that's like.

but like most things, if you pick you weather it could be ok.

-what is option B?

for a trailer sailor, its not bad at all. but trailer sailors are not blue water boats.

Jack, those conditions (again) are not that much. I've been out in worse. (in my D).

but you are correct, the voice saying its gale force winds are very misleading. its not designed for that. (goes back to what is option B).

the one thing the power sailor has that most SAILboats don't it the ability to power thru rough stuff at 10+ knts. -but in that video I would guess you would be down to 6-8knts.

that video is 4-6' IMHO, and 15-18knts. maybe...

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Do trolls live here?

Do ya think the posting was a troll (just to watch fireworks over the MacGregor debate?) ... that's what I'm thinking!

 

[dlandersson]

Newbie pride doth commeth outeth your eareth.

i thInk people are saying if you buy one, expect to want out of it after a year!

My wife and I came within a moment of buying a 2007 M and then we realized that taking an hour to put up the mast and another to take it down would be non-starter so we bailed. (and lost a 500 dollar deposit).

We bought our Hunter and are thrilled with it. Next slip over is a Mac M and we are
So glad it does not belong to us!!!

They are unstable with the water ballast. Slow (whether by sail or motoring standards). Our friend say they are very afraid of weather events.

The interior can not compare to even a H28.

The reputation of the MacGregor is so bad we were going to name ours "Leper of the Sea". People at our Power Squadron warned us not to buy one.

My advice is ... Run away fast as you can.

 

[dlandersson]

I can't speak for the north side, but there are LOTS of places that facilitate trailer sailing on the south side.

Having said that, I do prefer a slip, I can be on my way in 30 minutes.

I'll go back to the premiss that MacGregor is primarily a trailer sailer. The problem with that is Chicago is not condusive to trailer sailing. Surprising as it may seem to people who are chiming in from all locations, I think there are extremely limited opportunities to use a trailer sailer anywhere near Chicago. If they intend to use the boat near home, they would probably need to launch the boat far away and then keep it on a slip or mooring in the city. If that is the case, what is the advantage of a trailer sailer? I don't think there are any ramps to use or any place to keep the boat on a trailer.

Of course I might be wrong, but I've lived in Chicago and sailed there ... I can't think of any place where trailer sailing would be convenient or even possible ... unless the intention is to travel to smaller lakes far away.

 

[dlandersson]

Before I forget, slip costs IN Chicago run around 5-10k. Slip costs on the south side, in Indiana, run around 2k.

Lots of Chicago boats in Indiana marinas, plus some much nicer beaches.

I'll go back to the premiss that MacGregor is primarily a trailer sailer. The problem with that is Chicago is not condusive to trailer sailing. Surprising as it may seem to people who are chiming in from all locations, I think there are extremely limited opportunities to use a trailer sailer anywhere near Chicago. If they intend to use the boat near home, they would probably need to launch the boat far away and then keep it on a slip or mooring in the city. If that is the case, what is the advantage of a trailer sailer? I don't think there are any ramps to use or any place to keep the boat on a trailer.

Of course I might be wrong, but I've lived in Chicago and sailed there ... I can't think of any place where trailer sailing would be convenient or even possible ... unless the intention is to travel to smaller lakes far away.

 

[bria46]

The winds and waves on Lake Michigan can be very hazardous. Last year the Wind was from all points of the compass other than southwest! Wind is the only element in weather that creates waves. Except for earthquakes, etc. Last year the wave heights were higher than ever recorded. And just add the height times about 3 or 4 and you will determine the frequency of wave height spacing. I like your boat selection. However if you have a trailer, you can always try a large inland lake.

 

[dlandersson]

You must have been sailing on a different Lake Michigan than I was. :naughty:

Last year the Wind was from all points of the compass other than southwest!

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Looking at access points for Lake Michigan ...

Reviewing the stretch from Tower Road in Winnetka to Calumet Park at the far South Side of Chicago, there isn't much. This is about a 3-hour stretch by roadway. I imagine that the ramp at Tower Road is accessible to Winnetka residents only (and any resident of Winnetka would never have to economize when selecting a sailboat), so it probably can't be counted. There doesn't appear to be a ramp at Wilmette Harbor, Montrose Harbor, Belmont Harbor, Diversey Harbor is inaccessible to sailboats because of a bridge, or Monroe Harbor. Surpisingly (to me) there are 3 ramps at Burnham Harbor. This is right downtown (and technically the South Side) so this is probably the sole location of a ramp for the entire north shore that might be accessible all the way north to where? Waukegan?, the Wisconsin line?

Going south, there appears to be a ramp at Jackson Harbor, but if you launch a sailboat, you have to go under a bridge before you can step the mast. It also looks like there is a ramp at Calumet Park right on the Indiana border. So these are LOTS of choices for the South Side? Pretty slim if you ask me. Burnham would be a nice location, but how do you deal with loop traffic trailering a sailboat? Calumet is a fugly location if you ask me ...

It looks like there is ramp in Hammond, Indiana ... another fugly location ... and then Michigan City. What else is there except an industrial nightmare along the entire Indiana stretch?

That's what I mean by inaccessible for trailer sailing. A Chicagoan would have to travel a looonnnnggggg way out of the city to find an accessible place to launch the boat unless they thought Burnham Harbor was convenient or they could stand the smell closer to the Indiana border. (Not to be disrespectful of the industrial lakeshore).

I see dlandersson keeps his boat in a slip ... not exactly an endorsement for the accessibility of trailer sailing ...