as for length of the boat, as the boat get longer it also gets wider and the cabin space gets taller, (and the mast height is taller)....
catalina also puts out a good boat, but they are usually quite a bit heavier than the macgregors... some say this is good and some dont like a heavy boat....
I think that with what you are describing and discussing, you wont be happy with anything less than 25' no matter what brand you buy....
in the macgregor line, which seems to be the way you are leaning, for roominess with a galley, dinette and head, you have the 25 swing keel, or the 26 water ballasted.... study those two boats and then look at other brands in the same size, to see the differences.... I had a 21 and liked it, but moved up to a 25 with more room within a short time... you can see both in my photos... scroll down on the right
if you want to comfortably camp on the boat, the 21 can be a bit crowded with two people, especially if you have a portapottie. the 25 and 26 has ample room for a week cruise or longer, without feeling cramped for space, and has an enclosed portapottie area, unless someone has modified it and removed the bulkheads. they both have pop tops to allow for standing room in the cabin area.... they both usually have lifelines with a pulpit and a taffrail, although some were ordered without...
they are both nice boats for the money and the 26 owners will swear by their water ballasted boats, and the 25 owners absolutely love theirs with the swing keel... all other amenities and rigging are so close in comparison that it really only matters how you want your boat ballasted...
it has already has been said in an ealier post that a water ballasted boat is a bit more tender to begin with than the swing keeler, but at the degree of heel you want to keep the boat at when sailing, it doesnt matter. heeling force is a matter of sail trim, or lack thereof... if you like to sail with the rail in the water, either boat will do that if you have it tuned and trimmed properly.
but also keep in mind, any boat will be faster and point better the flatter you can keep it in any given wind.... one of the thrills of sailing is searching for the sweet spot where the balance between wind and heeling effect, gives you the best speed or pointing... you cant have both, but there is a balance within the boat somewhere, depending on how you have it loaded (weight fore or aft), how the rigging and mast is tuned, and how the sails are trimmed....
catalina also puts out a good boat, but they are usually quite a bit heavier than the macgregors... some say this is good and some dont like a heavy boat....
I think that with what you are describing and discussing, you wont be happy with anything less than 25' no matter what brand you buy....
in the macgregor line, which seems to be the way you are leaning, for roominess with a galley, dinette and head, you have the 25 swing keel, or the 26 water ballasted.... study those two boats and then look at other brands in the same size, to see the differences.... I had a 21 and liked it, but moved up to a 25 with more room within a short time... you can see both in my photos... scroll down on the right
if you want to comfortably camp on the boat, the 21 can be a bit crowded with two people, especially if you have a portapottie. the 25 and 26 has ample room for a week cruise or longer, without feeling cramped for space, and has an enclosed portapottie area, unless someone has modified it and removed the bulkheads. they both have pop tops to allow for standing room in the cabin area.... they both usually have lifelines with a pulpit and a taffrail, although some were ordered without...
they are both nice boats for the money and the 26 owners will swear by their water ballasted boats, and the 25 owners absolutely love theirs with the swing keel... all other amenities and rigging are so close in comparison that it really only matters how you want your boat ballasted...
it has already has been said in an ealier post that a water ballasted boat is a bit more tender to begin with than the swing keeler, but at the degree of heel you want to keep the boat at when sailing, it doesnt matter. heeling force is a matter of sail trim, or lack thereof... if you like to sail with the rail in the water, either boat will do that if you have it tuned and trimmed properly.
but also keep in mind, any boat will be faster and point better the flatter you can keep it in any given wind.... one of the thrills of sailing is searching for the sweet spot where the balance between wind and heeling effect, gives you the best speed or pointing... you cant have both, but there is a balance within the boat somewhere, depending on how you have it loaded (weight fore or aft), how the rigging and mast is tuned, and how the sails are trimmed....
