Quote:
he beauty of the Mac is it puts people from all walks of life on the water. The young family, the first time boat owner, the experienced sailor with a limited budget, etc.
that says it all, imho
So does this!
It amazes me that the industry ignores the fact that almost 7,000 M's and X's have been sold in the last decade. It is plain ignorant to dismiss what MacGregor and their boats have acheived. They are one of the solutions to revive a dying sport.
If you don't like the X get a blue hull M, not only is it faster but it is prettier too!
Funny how other sailors perceive the MacGregor, yet I get many compliments from people about mine, one guy called it a nice yacht and some young girls at the gas dock called out to me on the way in and said "I like your boat." This happens regularly.
Currently I am going through withdrawal symptoms waiting for winter to pass so that spring can administer my next sailing fix. Meantime I spend an inordinate amount of time looking at sailing literature and visiting this and other sailing sites to wet my appetite. One of the other sites I visit is Sailnet and those folks really look down their noses at the MacGregor, call it the chevy cavalier and call Roger the McDonalds of boatbuilders. I still peruse that site though as it has a wealth of information on sailing and from time to time I post a defence of the Mac.
As much as I lust after the grass in the next pasture and already have an idea of what my next boat will be (it can't exceed 32' LOA & 28'LWL due to slip availability) I have a hard time comming to terms with giving up a Mac. Here in the Pacific Northwest (with 10-15 foot tides) there are hundreds of them and they are ideally suited for island hopping here and getting through tidal currents in the passes. A displacement boat must wait for slack tide in the passes. Being regulated by seasons also makes the Mac popular here as it easily stores in the driveway. There are many things about the Mac (versatility) I like which is why I still have one (budget also infuences this). Still I can identify with with some of the negativity I encounter as I think that some of the Mac's greatest assets are it's biggest liabilities. ie. Trailerable = skinny beam - I hate it. Inexpensive = begging for upgrades. Dual purpose = not great at either one, only mediocre.
(But that 50HP honda has kept me out of Davy Jones Locker on more than one occassion) It is the epitomy of compromise but serves my use here quite well (aside from being too skinny though) and I will be quite undecided when the time comes to seriously consider a 32' displacement sailboat.
The Mac would be much better if it was 27-28' long with an 8'6" beam, legal most places, and perhaps shipped two in a 50' container. - 7'9" beam is just too unacceptable.
Oh yea one more thing, I slip mine for 4 months at a marina and cannot believe how many folks just sit at the dock either in their boat or in a chair on the dock and just hang out - they seldom sail those fancy boats but they certainly notice how often I go out as I always have to ask them to move their chairs to get by. And that is only on my dock!! You should see how many of those boats just sit there in the water and never move at the other docks, I have a habit of cruising the marina docks in my dinghy to check out the various styles of boats and if you look closely it is very apparent that many have never been untied. Crying shame, they should lend them to me.
I notice the Macs at my marina are the most active sailors.
, Mac-X 
, Who said that 
We've definately enjoyed ours. A Winter cabin cruizer, a Summer sailing yacht, a year round Waterbago, Trailerable, etc., ...and just plain fun.
