Sailboat owner wannabe here.

[pete c]

Want to get a light trailerable day sailer, with limited overnighting capabilities.

Looking for something that is a stable and easy to sail. Not looking to win races, but something a bit fun would be nice. Whatever I end up going with, being light is a must. My Honda Odyssey is rated to tow 3500 lbs and I would like to stay well south of that.

Boats I am considering are ODay DS, Mariner, 20. Anything bigger than the 20 is just too heavy. Also looking at Catalinas, and a few other makes.

This morning I came across a Mac V21 and I think it might be ideal. Seems like the Mac is considerably lighter per ft than any of the others.

Is this so, and why? Did ODay just lay on the fiberglass much thicker? Do they have more stuff? A Mariner is 2 ft shorter and 300 lbs more. The OD 20 is a little shorter and 1200 lbs more.

These things aren't made of carbon fiber, are they?

[Russ]

MacGregors are famous for being light trailer sailers. It's their roots. The others are often big heavy keel boats who also make smaller versions. The Mac started small and never lost their heritage.

Larger Macs like the 26 still were light due to water ballast vs. heavy keels. You might consider them also.

[chipveres]

While considering "those other makes", please make sure they can be launched from their trailers. Some of the larger trailer sailors have to be picked up with a crane or a travel lift.

Chip Veres
s/v Sand Dollar

[scrawley]

Not sure about the ballast/keel situation of the 21 but I have a 26d and trailering it out of the water and up the ramp with 1200 lbs of water ballast might be more than the Odyssey can handle. Light enough when empty but no way to empty that tank until you have it out of the water.

[svscott]

Not sure about the ballast/keel situation of the 21 but I have a 26d and trailering it out of the water and up the ramp with 1200 lbs of water ballast might be more than the Odyssey can handle. Light enough when empty but no way to empty that tank until you have it out of the water.

You make a good point about the added haul out weight with the water ballast in the tank, however it is really easy to purge the ballast tank using a little 12v mattress pump. On my 26d, I just open the ballast fill port then remove the rubber air vent plug and use the air pump to push the water out. Within a few minutes, you'll hear bubbles blowing from under the hull. To make a good air seal, I use a piece of duct tape over the hole and push the compressor nozzle through a small X cut into the tape.

[dlandersson]

Actually, you can run it at 10+ knots with the outboard and drain the ballast that way. Just sayn'

Not sure about the ballast/keel situation of the 21 but I have a 26d and trailering it out of the water and up the ramp with 1200 lbs of water ballast might be more than the Odyssey can handle. Light enough when empty but no way to empty that tank until you have it out of the water.

[C Buchs]

Actually, you can run it at 10+ knots with the outboard and drain the ballast that way. Just sayn'

Not sure about the ballast/keel situation of the 21 but I have a 26d and trailering it out of the water and up the ramp with 1200 lbs of water ballast might be more than the Odyssey can handle. Light enough when empty but no way to empty that tank until you have it out of the water.

I think the original poster is looking at the classic Macs, not a power sailer.

Jeff

[Interim]

I had an O'Day Daysailer, and loved it. And then got a Mac 26s, and loved it more. More stable, more room for people, coolers, etc. You can stay out on it longer, because you have refreshments, space above and below, and so forth.

At 1500 lbs, it is easy to pull. At 3,000 lbs it will be a load getting up the ramp, but if you go slow, it gets lighter quickly.

--john

[Tomfoolery]

I used to tow my with an Odyssey when I first got it, as I didn't have an SUV or pickup at that time. Before that I had a couple of 4Runners, and after that I've had a couple of Grand Cherokees. But the Odyssey towed it just fine at about 4000 lb total including trailer. Might have needed a transmission after a bunch of miles, though. The PO also towed with a Caravan, I was told.



To haul a water ballasted boat up the ramp, just open the fill/drain valve and vent before you put it on the trailer. The instant the bow rises any distance at all because of the bunks or rollers, ballast will start draining. Pull it up the ramp a little higher, and it'll come out a little faster. You don't actually have to haul the entire ballast weight up the ramp. Even with the stern still floating, the bow will be quite proud and water will be pouring out the back, even if the drain is below the water line as it does that.

Those other boats are not water ballasted, so they're carrying 1000 lb or more of fixed ballast. And as pointed out, the Macs are designed to be trailer launched. Anything with any kind of fixed keel would need, at the very least, an extendable tongue to be able to get the trailer deep enough, and some may require a Travelift or crane. My Aquarius was trailer launchable, but it had a skiff keel with swing centerboard. Not a lot of boats are built like that, though, and it had permanent ballast so it was heavy (hence the 4Runners).

[DragonflyMac25]

Another suggestion would be the Macgregor 25. Light for its size but with gear could get close to your limit. Still could be worth considering.

[steve4]

I have a Mac 25 with the original (heavy) trailer and a 2007 Honda Odyssey. I mostly just move the boat between the house, the parking slip, and the launch which isn't more than 10 miles on a given day. In April we took her on a trip to a fresh water lake that was about 110 miles away. The trip involved several sizable bridges and a gradual amount of elevation change. We live in southeast Texas so we're not climbing hills or mountains on these roads most of the time.
I had the transmission serviced at a local transmission shop for about $125 before the trip and drove like I was trying to keep a baby asleep in the v-berth most of the time. My Odyssey does not have the tow package or all-wheel drive. Just a plain old mini-van but, being conservative with acceleration and braking as much as possible, we made the trip and the over the road part was as uneventful as you could ask.

[JohnnyP]

Magregor Venture line is what you're looking for: there's the 19, the 21, which you have found, the 22 and its pop-top cousin the 2-22; the Newport 23, the 24 and, my baby, the 2-24 which, you may have guessed, is also equipped with the pop top. Also, as someone mentioned, is the Mac25 which is mostly identical to the 24 but is better equipped and appointed. ALL of these boats can be hauled with a light vehicle; ALL of these boats will sail nice and easy and are absolutely perfect for learning on; ALL of these boats look to fit your bill. The V21 and V22/2-22 seem to be the most popular options out there and you'll have no trouble finding solid examples that will do well with a hard scrub with soap and water.

While a good number of folks here will give me flak for this comment, I'll go out and say it: don't go for the "newer" Mac powersailers. They'll be too much for your vehicle to tow - with or without a full ballast tank - and seem far too large for what you are looking to do. They are also a hybrid boat so they are not a true sailboat nor a power boat - somewhere in the middle. This means that you'll not only have to learn how to sail it, but you'll also have to become familiar with its larger engine and the peripherals that come along with it.

Note on the weight: the other boats are heavier because they are built heavier which gives them entirely different sailing characteristics. Not to say Macs are poorly designed sailing vessels, but you wouldn't want to take any of the boats you'd see discussed on this forum out into rough seas as they just don't have the hulls for them. Macgregor designed these to be entry-level boats that do nicely on lakes and protected waters and they perform gracefully in that role.

I will also speak more blasphemy: if you can find yourself a Catalina 22 with a swing keel that's in good shape and within your set budget, JUMP ON IT. They are lovely little boats, are better equipped and roomier than any of the Venture line, and still weigh in under your tow capacity. There were also 15,000 of these units produced so chances of finding one in "sail away" shape are great.

Good luck and happy hunting!

[dlandersson]

The Mac 25 was "Boat of the Year" in 75. Just sayn'.

[JohnnyP]

Pete, just noticed you're not too far from me! Where'd you find the V21? Oddly enough, I see a Catalina 22 for sail near Stafford for under $2k...

[WinSome]

Rigging and setup of the Catalina 22 doesn’t compare to the ease of Macgregor setup. Just take it easy on the ramp with whatever you buy.