Hi,
I've been researching the MACs and comparing with other powersailers for well over a year now. I have read the posts in this forum and they all make me want to buy a Mac even more. In Apr. I will be finishing up my tour in S. Korea and heading to Cape Canaveral. I hope to be able to purchase either a new or a used or that has been taken care of. I was wondering if anyone has had experiences with the Mac dealers in FL. I had the privilege of visiting an while my wife and I was at Patrick AFB when I was there on mid-tour leave. The owner told me the good and the bad that he has encountered with the boat and sailing in the local area. The conversation with him made me want one even more and it got my wife interested as well. I am hoping to here any experiences (good and bad) with dealing with the FL dealers.
First boat? The first thing to understand is you buy a boat and a motor from two different manufacturers. If you are car engine handy, you can maintain your motor yourself, but try to buy with a motor dealer within 60 minutes drive if you know you will need their help.
There is lots of discussion about X vs M on the Main Board.
I had a good experience last year buying a new from John Gerber at Super Sport Marine. He didn't do a hard sell. He seemed real concerned about getting me a boat I would like and actually talked me out of a couple of options he didn't consider worthwhile. I bought from his Nebraska location but he also sells them out of Tampa. His web site is http://www.supersail.com/
Same here - I bought my M 2008 from John as well. I don't know about his Tampa Location, mine came from Nebraska too. Gary and his wife drove it down to Naples and rigged it in my front yard.
Very pleasant experience, no problems at all, very good service and great price including delivery! www.supersail.com
For what it's worth and more stress-free sailing.... I live 10 miles south of Cape Canaveral. The Intracoastal is skinny water... Predominantly between 3 and 9 feet. I'd prefer the swinging centerboard design of the 26X or the older 26C over the M or D models which have daggerboards. When you hit bottom, (...and you will) the swing board just pivots. The daggerboard stands a better chance of breaking or damaging the trunk from the stress. There are areas where the bottom is hard coquina rock, not very forgiving on a daggerboard.
last month we did our live aboard bareboat charter course down in key largo and as we were sitting at gilberts bar white hulled M cruised by we also saw second one on the return trip to Ft Lauderdale in Miami, so there are at least 2 of them down there. Oh and Florida was amazing especially for a couple of land locked mountain folk raised in Colorado.
Last edited by tom clayton on Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I am in Orlando, and I keep my 26X on Lake Monroe in Sanford. I agree with the choice of centerboard over daggerboard for Florida waters. That was huge in my decision to go with the X. As to dealers, all I can say is that I have survived pretty well without a dealer for the last 6 years, and I was a real Mac novice. There has been a learning curve, but with various marine service facilities and my own knowledge of the 26X, I have managed to have six good years of enjoyment with many more planned. I found my Mac on the internet in Michigan and towed it home with a U-Haul. I would encourage you not to feel constrained to Florida dealers. There are so many ways to find and get the boat you want into Florida.
Hey from Key West:
Last week I needed to leave my normal world (key west) and travel to the abnormal world (just about everywhere else).
I notice 2 Xs for sale around Key Largo. One was in a boat yard near the city and the other in the last yard/marinia
on Car Sound Road heading toward Miami.
I have an X at the City Marina, and will be moving to the City Mooring Field April 1 to liveaboard (it should warm up here by then).
There are alot more Macs around here than meets the eye. They truely are a great boat for the Keys. I think because
of ease of care and little expense most people only sell when they have too.
Hello and welcome! It just so happens that I have an “M” slipped at the Patrick AFB marina. It may have been me you were talking to when you were here last. I do lots of "Mac boasting" to people I meet at the marina. I do know we have three M’s and one X slipped in the marina, so it is obviously a great boat for this area. I’ll try and give you my perspective on your questions and the previous posts.
As to dealers in the area, I’m afraid I can’t be very helpful. As far as I have been able to tell, there aren’t any Mac dealers within 100 miles. You will have to drive to Tampa or Miami to find a dealer and that really rules out using them for service in the future. I purchased my boat off of Craigslist in Orlando last year. I’d recommend considering this route for several reasons. First of all, as you probably know these boats come from the factory as a blank canvas and really need some modifications to make them comfortable cruisers. By purchasing used (it was only one year old when I bought it), I was able to get a boat that already had all these upgrades and add-ons ($15,000 worth including the engine) for only a couple thousand more than a bare bones brand new boat. I had to spend about six months looking for the perfect boat, but I would say that the wait was definitely worth it. There are authorized service centers in the area for just about every make of outboard you could slap on the back of a Mac. That should be your biggest concern as the outboard is definitely the highest maintenance item on the boat.
Some have expressed concern about sailing an M with a fixed dagger board in the local waters. I would agree that there is a risk as the Banana and Indian rivers are very shallow and grounding is a definite concern. That being said, the best investment you can make for sailing in the local area is a solid GPS/Depth Sounder/Sonar unit. I’ve been sailing the rivers quite a bit (at least once a week) for the past year and haven’t had any problems with the dagger board. When the water gets shallower than five feet I either turn back or pull the board and cautiously proceed with the outboard. I have run my prop aground multiple times but fortunately the bottom is mostly mud in the river and I haven’t had any damage.
I wish you the best of luck on your search and your move. You are going to absolutely love living here. The sailing is fantastic and there are plenty of new places to explore. If you have any more questions about the boats or the local area please ask away. Once you get in, look me up and I’ll be more than happy to take you out in my boat and help you with yours once you get it.
or a used 
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