Would the Mac be a good first boat for a family?

[easye]

Considering the above unless money is no object I'd try a 26 S or D. The D would be fine if you are going to be in the sound, but if you think you might explore new and different lakes in the mountain west I'd go for the S. It has a swing keel and that can save some heartache in unknown waters if you run aground (saved us more than once).

The kids are still small enough that the S or D would be big enough and if you like it and later want to upgrade to a X or M you could probably get your money out of the S or D if you buy wisely now. X's are getting less expensive though. If you think you would like the power option look for an X.

Ruth and I have been extremely happy with our S and use it for longer trips. If you like camping you should like this even better. On the water about any anchorage can be a 'remote' campsite. We are more explorers/camper ourselves than sailors.

Good luck,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Is there somewhere I can go to review the differences between all the models? I'm hearing S, D, X, M, and 25 and 26. The one I've been on (dry land) was, I think, an M.

And, holy cow, I took a look through your website of modifications on your boat. What an amazing transformation! I'm particularly impressed with all the new storage upgrades and the extended bow bunk. Fantastic!

 

[easye]

Thought I'd add my 2 cents. My husband has never been on boats, I have some sailing experience. We live on Lopez Island and watch the boats go by every day... I want to sail. In our research, we found the MacGregor to be the absolute best choice for us - dollarwise, convenience - all the things you list. We have just purchased our boat through BlueWater Yachts in Seattle. Talk with Cheryl and Todd there. They have LOTS of experience sailing with kids on a MacGregor and are the top MacGregor dealers in the world - they know their stuff and are super people. We have small grandchildren who will learn to sail on our boat - it is perfect for a young family, too. You can sail day one - but if you get industrious, you can outfit your boat to go for weeks in the PNW waters... that's what we will be doing in the next few years - then it's trailering it to Florida, making stops along the way to enjoy various waterways - and then launching for a sail to the Bahamas! You can do all this with a Mac...
Just spent 3 days at the Seattle Boat Show - can hardly believe the big bucks people spend for huge boats that cost even more money to use and maintain - and except for big ocean crossings, we can do the very same boating for 1/100th the cost in some cases... sure we won't have a washer/dryer on board - but we will have water and we will have the wind! And we will have a safe, fun, wonderful way to getaway and enjoy our beautiful backyard.

Yeah we saw the Mac at the boat show as well. Although to be honest, I'd had my eye on the MacGregor for a couple of years, so it was a welcome surprise to see it in person. Kind of rekindled the interest though- especially when comparing against the size (and cost) of cuddy cruiser we'd be looking at that would be trailer-able. At 26 foot cabin cruiser is one thing, but a 20' cuddy is quite another. Compared to the alternatives in amenities, cost, and convenience, the MacGregor continues to come out on top in our evaluations.

 

[easye]

I thought I'd check in and ask if you sold the trailer yet and got a MacGregor sailboat.
I was talking to a guy in Aliston Ont. a couple years ago about his Mac 25. He told me that on long trips with the boat on the trailer he and his family would sleep in the boat. kind of makes sense. Have to say I haven't seen any trailer sailors used for accommodation at any park I've stayed at.
One thing. Its allot quieter sleeping in a sailboat at anchor than in any park I've ever stayed at. Allot easier to pick up and go if yahoos anchor near too.

Ha! Never would've thought of that. But I could see that being appealing on a long haul. Wonder how Wal Mart feels about that?

Yeah the sleeping aspect would be great when anchored out. I imagine we'd miss the campfires, but maybe there's a way to pull that off on the nearest shore?

 

[easye]

In general to all-- thank you so much for the response you gave me to this thread. I am frankly shocked to see such a quick and enthusiastic response. This must be a very lively and helpful community of owners.

All in all, it seems the answer here is a resounding "YES" that the MacGregor will meet or exceed our needs. I have learned that the lack of sailing experience is nothing to fear, so long as I get proper training and experience beforehand. And that some have towed with vehicles smaller than mine (did someone say a 4 cylinder? Incredible). You all have confirmed the "floating RV" aspects of my question, and Sumner's incredible modifications have shed light on just how spacious this boat can really be when you put in the time to maximize it.

Sounds like there's some room for debate on whether our family would be best suited with a 25 or 26, and which specific model may be a matter of personal preference, but frankly I expect it'd come down more to availability of the specific boat on the secondhand market. My understanding is that MacGregor is moving production to Florida under a new brand, so even if I wasn't already leaning toward used, our factory options may be changing here soon.

I'm particularly encouraged by the 3 or 4 folks who said they were in the same/similar situation at some point in the last couple of years. There are those who had never sailed, never had any time on boats at all, those who grew out of RV camping, and those with young children.

All of this is very encouraging, so thanks for sharing your experience with us.

I'll keep monitoring this thread... and the classifieds for some secondhand MacGregor's.

Thanks all

-Erik

 

[centerline]

easye,
this is only my opinion so take it for what it is... others may have more informed opinions of what sailing lessons should be...

for formal lessons, you can call around to the local yacht sales yard and get the names of sailing clubs in your area... almost all the sailing clubs offer lessons and boat rentals, all for a fee....

but you can also advertise to find someone in your area that likes to sail and has a boat in the size range that your looking for that would be willing to take you out and show you how easy it is... once you get into it and learn a bit about it, you will meet others that you can crew with to get a more rounded "education"....

all of the sailing clubs and most of the sales yards, rigging stores and marinas will intimidate you into thinking you need for formal lessons, because they all work together to support their industry and this way everyone gets a bit of your wallet

there are many more sailors that have learned to sail by sailing with someone else, than has ever taken formal lessons.
and many others that are self taught... they bought a boat and took it out to see what happens, without previously ever stepping foot on a sailboat.

whichever way you choose to learn, learn the limits of the boat and yourself, and watch your abilities grow along the way.... it will make you a much better sailor, in every respect.

 

[finding41]

Quote from easye: Is there somewhere I can go to review the differences between all the models? I'm hearing S, D, X, M, and 25 and 26. The one I've been on (dry land) was, I think, an M.
Here is a link to all the MacGregor models with all the specks: http://sailboatdata.com/view_designer.asp?designer_id=314
Click on the 26D and 26S and you will see very few differences. Both have a water ballast and are "real" sailboats.
Click on the 26X or 26M and you will find both with water ballast and very different designs inside and outside. Note the hull shape and motor area.
I wouldn't bother with a Mac 25. It's just not the layout I like and a bit heavy.

 

[Azzarac]

Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, what age ranges are your kids? What are they doing when you're underway sailing? Certainly interesting to hear that they enjoy that part of the trip... hard to imagine my youngsters wouldn't be spending the time beneath deck... perhaps bored.

We have two daughters, 15 and 12. Our oldest is quite content to stay in the Vberth with her laptop writing, or, conditions permitting, sitting in the fore hatch or pulpit watching the scenery. Our 12 year old is quite the deckhand and is always ready to tend to anything needing done on deck. When everything is taken care of she can usually be found fishing off the stern or taking photos for the website. There is always something to entertain a young one.

 

[Azzarac]

Ha! Never would've thought of that. But I could see that being appealing on a long haul. Wonder how Wal Mart feels about that?

Yeah the sleeping aspect would be great when anchored out. I imagine we'd miss the campfires, but maybe there's a way to pull that off on the nearest shore?

No need to miss out on campfires with a Mac. Just pull up the keel and rudders when you find a soft shore and beach it. Build your campfire and your all set for the evening of ghost stories!

 

[katana750]

Seems like you understand my needs exactly. You mention you're going to lakes, but that it would also be suitable for "the ocean." By that, I assume you mean Puget Sound/San Juans/Juan De Fuca? Or do you really mean the ocean? Not sure I'd have the guts for that, even if the boat could handle it.

But if you're referring to the Sound and such waterways, is it signfiicantly more challenging than lakes? Would a novice be better off taking a few years on lakes only before even putting into the Sound?

Your right...not a great choice of words using the term Ocean. Probably would not be sailing off to Hawaii (but what a story that would be or obituary depending on your luck), but I would feel pretty comfortable sailing around in the inside passage and plan to do so sometime, but that is at least a nine hour drive away. I am sure there are more experienced people to answer your question about sailing Puget sound. Sum has assembled quite a few different blogs about sailing Macs in different locations. He also shows quite a few modifications in excellent detail that really gives you a feel for the boat. It is definitely worth your time to check it out.
Good luck


Sorry you have already seen Sums site. I answered before I read all the rest of the posts.

 

[katana750]

Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, what age ranges are your kids? What are they doing when you're underway sailing? Certainly interesting to hear that they enjoy that part of the trip... hard to imagine my youngsters wouldn't be spending the time beneath deck... perhaps bored.

Just thought I would hop in here. Mine was three. Boredom is a bit of an issue. A can of worms saved the trip one day. If I really wanted to practice sailing I went by myself. When we went as a family we were more on the beach than sailing. My little girl was happy all day there, and we could get away from the crowd. Another nice thing is when your are anchored away from shore at night the mosquitoes don't seem quite as bad. My girl will be four this year and she seems to be bit more interested in the sailing part, but we are still going to get a small DVD player.
Regarding boat choice... not trying to influence your decision, but after looking around and trying to make a decision I noticed the average cruising speed with the smaller motor isn't that huge compared to the big motor on the M or X especially when compared to the gas consumption. Just something to look at. Of coarse I can't plane in my boat like a M or X can.

Dave

 

[centerline]

Click on the 26D and 26S and you will see very few differences. Both have a water ballast and are "real" sailboats.
Click on the 26X or 26M and you will find both with water ballast and very different designs inside and outside. Note the hull shape and motor area.
I wouldn't bother with a Mac 25. It's just not the layout I like and a bit heavy.

although some may think the 25 as heavy, its really not considering it has a keel and not a water tank that can be drained..... it is a little heavier when towing but there are other pros and cons to keels vs water ballast... the water ballasted macs are a bit more tender than a keel ballasted macs, but both are good boats, just different.

I have been on both the 25 and the 26D and the only advantage i liked about the 26 was the large queen berth under the cockpit..... other than that, i like the openness of the interior in the 25, as without the moulded in counter and sink like the 26 has, the interior of the 25 lends itself better for remodeling to create a better living space for its occupants....
but the reason that I really like and chose the 25 was the depth of the cockpit footwell.... the 26 has a shallow footwell that is hard on a person with a bad back..... the deeper footwell of the 25 is a much better choice for some of us...
and as far as interior room goes, we spend 98 percent of our waking hours on deck.... we sleep below, and we have spent weekends on the boat with two teenage girls, and there is plenty of room for everyone to be comfortable and have their own space... and we still have all the room necessary to stow all the possible gear that we may ever need (and im sure a lot of it we will never need).....

my point is... don't rule out a good boat because someone else doesn't prefer it......

 

[Capt. Kermie]

Is there somewhere I can go to review the differences between all the models? I'm hearing S, D, X, M, and 25 and 26. The one I've been on (dry land) was, I think, an M.

Yes There is!
Check out MYCBC.CA
We are a MacGregor club of the PNW based out of B.C. Canada and have American members. We are holding a Regatta the first weekend of May at the Blaine marina where you find a variety of MacGregor boats all in one place. We have other events too, a Rendezvous at Snug Cove, Bowen Island and some club cruises when many boats get together. Drop by any of our events and check out our boats, events are posted on our website mentioned above.
You live in a geographic area where we are gifted with the San Juan & Gulf Islands, a boaters paradise, wait till you get out there and see it, you won't believe your eyes!
It can be a bit of a stretch getting out there given our currents, passes and average 10' tides so I would recommend the X or M with the bigger engines for transiting the longer distances and strong tides. Easily doable though with proper planning, we have been doing it for 10 years now out of Point Roberts, The Salish Sea is the place to be.

 

[dive4it]

If you end up getting a Mac (or any sailboat for that matter) before July, you and the family are welcome to tag along a 9 day voyage around the San Juans and Victoria with me and my crew. I did it twice last summer and it was some of the best times I've had in my life!! I purchased an X about a year ago and haven't regreted one second of it.

JT