MOVIN' ON UP

[Dave Charles]

It's getting too expensive to rent a condo "down the shore" in New Jersey, so we started looking into getting a boat to use as a home away from home. We've fallen for a 1982 22' MacGregor with all the amenities, but will it be okay for a family of four plus a dog? We've sailed a sloop for a few years and we're windsurfers, so we think we can sail a 22-footer. How roomy is the cabin when it's propped up? Should we just forget about sending the kids to college and save up for a 26x? Has anybody ever actually slept in this boat? Mind you, this is essentially for overnighters and not days at a stretch. And we're low maintenance types. Any advice?

 

[Curtiss Grant]

The 22 is going to be cramped. I just bought a 26C (1991) and it seems tight for any more than 4 people. My wife and I have stayed on it for 2 nights at a time and I think that is as small as I would like to go, even with low maint profile. But oh what fun! Night sailing is a KICK!Think about a 26C, 1986 to 1993/94 which has a water balast and either a dagger board or swing keel. It is a good sailing vessel, actually better than the 26X, I am told. They range from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the condition and equipment. You are going to need a fair size vehicle to pull it out of the water because of the 1,000 pounds of water that drains out of the balast as it sits on the trailor.Good Luck!