- Status
Devoted to the Hunter 25
Who wouldn't like this boat? It's a small-scale ocean yacht. It does not have standing headroom or a shower. Very few race-worthy or sea-worthy 25-footers do. It is fast and was designed in 1972 as a MORC cruiser-racer. One drawback is that with the rudder forward of the transom-mounted engine, backing up under power is awkward. I know one guy who rigged his outboard to steer with the tiller. Most people chock the tiller and reverse using the outboard's tiller only. Not many boats of this size are much better in this regard. The biggest drawback seems to be not being able to move forward under power as the weight of one person on the foredeck can pull a long-shaft outboard's prop out of the water. Keep crew aft when reducing sail-- and stock up on shear pins! Everyone I know who has seriously sailed one of these boats invariably remarks something like, 'You can take this boat through hell and back.' It has 40% of its displacement in the keel like a good ocean boat should. It will go to weather with the best fin-keel boats of its vintage anywhere, and even some newer boats. No matter how wicked the weather gets, you feel as though you can still trust the boat. It has a safe degree of righting moment and can be sailed essentially on the toerail without any undue anxiety. I know one guy who doesn't even reef the main-- just pays out a little more mainsheet and depowers through luffing. The boat is stable enough to stay pretty much upright like this in even 40+ knots (I've seen him do it!). The older two versions, what we called the 'bubble-top' and the first trunk-cabin edition, are also pretty good-looking boats. I would not compare a newer 25.5 on looks. It looks like it was designed from the parts bins. The 25.5's side window, for example, is clearly a design error. The MacGregor 25 is at best a daysailer designed for regular trailering and occasional overnight camping. It does not have standing headroom or a shower. I would not want to take one through Barnegat Inlet, let alone farther than a few hundred yards offshore. The MacGregor is much more lightly built, downright flimsy in places, and is geared specifically towards the first-time yacht owner on a lake or protected bay wanting to get his feet wet. And you WILL get your feet wet-- bringing it up on the trailer AND possibly even sailing it too, for the V-25 does NOT have inherent stability, being a centreboard boat with a 700-lb plate as its only ballast. It carries positive foam flotation to be self-righting in the event of a knockdown-- just like the average 14-ft dinghy. I don't know many so-called 'real' yachts this size that even NEED this feature, let alone brag that when filled with water, they will continue to float. Any serious yachtsman knows that when his boat is filled with water, he has already committed several serious mistakes and deserves very little better. In 30 years of studied and considered opinion, these two boats are not in the same league. I have always been a BIG fan of MacGregor Ventures, but only when they are used for what they are good for. Choose whichever one fits your boating style, and take what you get. Good luck.
JC 2 cherubiniyachts@aol.com
Who wouldn't like this boat? It's a small-scale ocean yacht. It does not have standing headroom or a shower. Very few race-worthy or sea-worthy 25-footers do. It is fast and was designed in 1972 as a MORC cruiser-racer. One drawback is that with the rudder forward of the transom-mounted engine, backing up under power is awkward. I know one guy who rigged his outboard to steer with the tiller. Most people chock the tiller and reverse using the outboard's tiller only. Not many boats of this size are much better in this regard. The biggest drawback seems to be not being able to move forward under power as the weight of one person on the foredeck can pull a long-shaft outboard's prop out of the water. Keep crew aft when reducing sail-- and stock up on shear pins! Everyone I know who has seriously sailed one of these boats invariably remarks something like, 'You can take this boat through hell and back.' It has 40% of its displacement in the keel like a good ocean boat should. It will go to weather with the best fin-keel boats of its vintage anywhere, and even some newer boats. No matter how wicked the weather gets, you feel as though you can still trust the boat. It has a safe degree of righting moment and can be sailed essentially on the toerail without any undue anxiety. I know one guy who doesn't even reef the main-- just pays out a little more mainsheet and depowers through luffing. The boat is stable enough to stay pretty much upright like this in even 40+ knots (I've seen him do it!). The older two versions, what we called the 'bubble-top' and the first trunk-cabin edition, are also pretty good-looking boats. I would not compare a newer 25.5 on looks. It looks like it was designed from the parts bins. The 25.5's side window, for example, is clearly a design error. The MacGregor 25 is at best a daysailer designed for regular trailering and occasional overnight camping. It does not have standing headroom or a shower. I would not want to take one through Barnegat Inlet, let alone farther than a few hundred yards offshore. The MacGregor is much more lightly built, downright flimsy in places, and is geared specifically towards the first-time yacht owner on a lake or protected bay wanting to get his feet wet. And you WILL get your feet wet-- bringing it up on the trailer AND possibly even sailing it too, for the V-25 does NOT have inherent stability, being a centreboard boat with a 700-lb plate as its only ballast. It carries positive foam flotation to be self-righting in the event of a knockdown-- just like the average 14-ft dinghy. I don't know many so-called 'real' yachts this size that even NEED this feature, let alone brag that when filled with water, they will continue to float. Any serious yachtsman knows that when his boat is filled with water, he has already committed several serious mistakes and deserves very little better. In 30 years of studied and considered opinion, these two boats are not in the same league. I have always been a BIG fan of MacGregor Ventures, but only when they are used for what they are good for. Choose whichever one fits your boating style, and take what you get. Good luck.
JC 2 cherubiniyachts@aol.comGreat Boat
I had one, in fact it was my first 'big' boat. The H25 sails very nicely, is very safe, and has a very good feel of a large displacement boat. I can't think of a a better teacher in this size range. The experience I gained over 5 years in my 25 made me very competent when I moved up 10 feet to my H35.5. IMHO, there's not much comparison between the H25 and the Macgreagor 25. The H25 is built very strongly, and generally has the sailing features of a much larger boat. The Macgreagor 25 is built much lighter, which to it's credit likely makes it faster in light wind, but does not make it as strong, and does not give you the big boat feel that is important to acquire as you build your sailing skills. Using the designer's son's words below, my boat went to hell and back with absolutely no ill effect. It sailed from the Bahamas to Florida in a Tropical Storm, 45 mph winds, 10+ seas, and handled very well, and was very safe. I loved my H25, and I still pause to look when I see one. I've never talked to another H25 sailor who was anything less than enthused about their boat. Provided you find one that has not been abused, you cannot go wrong with this boat.
I had one, in fact it was my first 'big' boat. The H25 sails very nicely, is very safe, and has a very good feel of a large displacement boat. I can't think of a a better teacher in this size range. The experience I gained over 5 years in my 25 made me very competent when I moved up 10 feet to my H35.5. IMHO, there's not much comparison between the H25 and the Macgreagor 25. The H25 is built very strongly, and generally has the sailing features of a much larger boat. The Macgreagor 25 is built much lighter, which to it's credit likely makes it faster in light wind, but does not make it as strong, and does not give you the big boat feel that is important to acquire as you build your sailing skills. Using the designer's son's words below, my boat went to hell and back with absolutely no ill effect. It sailed from the Bahamas to Florida in a Tropical Storm, 45 mph winds, 10+ seas, and handled very well, and was very safe. I loved my H25, and I still pause to look when I see one. I've never talked to another H25 sailor who was anything less than enthused about their boat. Provided you find one that has not been abused, you cannot go wrong with this boat.
Fine boat
Two years ago, while stationed in Atlanta, I had the chance to buy a very well maintained Mac 25 that had been stored on it's trailer for years. The Army Colonel who was selling it told me to come over for dinner with his family and look the boat over, no strings attached. He wanted to get rid of the boat because he had no time to sail it, and the price was ridiculously low-- basically make a face-saving offer and haul it away. I looked the boat over closely, had a wonderful dinner with the good Colonel & family, then ran away and never looked back! There is absolutely no comparison between the Mac and the H25. Mark & JC II mention the lack of standing headroom in each, but there is still a big difference in interior space. My wife is 5'6", and she does have standing headroom in our H25. I'm 5'9", and I merely duck my head while I move about. In the Mac 25, I crept about inside it the way I did in my old Starwind 19 or Spirit 6.5 (21'3"). I also concur that the Mac's construction does not compare to the H25. I'll ratchet this discussion up another notch: I have a 79 Catalina 25 tall rig swing keel sitting on a trailer in my yard. I have an 82 Hunter 25 in the water. The Catalina is for sale (CHEAP!!), the Hunter is a keeper. Construction quality is fairly close in the Catalina and Hunter, but the H25 feels like a proper yacht to me, and the Cat feels like a day sailer, even though my wife, daughter and I have weekended on both. Randall
Two years ago, while stationed in Atlanta, I had the chance to buy a very well maintained Mac 25 that had been stored on it's trailer for years. The Army Colonel who was selling it told me to come over for dinner with his family and look the boat over, no strings attached. He wanted to get rid of the boat because he had no time to sail it, and the price was ridiculously low-- basically make a face-saving offer and haul it away. I looked the boat over closely, had a wonderful dinner with the good Colonel & family, then ran away and never looked back! There is absolutely no comparison between the Mac and the H25. Mark & JC II mention the lack of standing headroom in each, but there is still a big difference in interior space. My wife is 5'6", and she does have standing headroom in our H25. I'm 5'9", and I merely duck my head while I move about. In the Mac 25, I crept about inside it the way I did in my old Starwind 19 or Spirit 6.5 (21'3"). I also concur that the Mac's construction does not compare to the H25. I'll ratchet this discussion up another notch: I have a 79 Catalina 25 tall rig swing keel sitting on a trailer in my yard. I have an 82 Hunter 25 in the water. The Catalina is for sale (CHEAP!!), the Hunter is a keeper. Construction quality is fairly close in the Catalina and Hunter, but the H25 feels like a proper yacht to me, and the Cat feels like a day sailer, even though my wife, daughter and I have weekended on both. Randall
- Status