something interresting

[yukonbob]

I imagine we will never sell the Mac and for weekends/week-long cruising and fishing I wouldn't want any other boat (maybe for fishing but I also don't want the gas bill). But we do plan to purchase a bigger (<40ft) start heading south down the coast and not stop til we've run out of interesting places to go…then look elsewhere, for that we want/need something with more room and amenities. Not that coastal cruising and short open water hops can't be accomplished in a Mac; it'll just be more comfortable. Then there are the open water crossings.

I think for most its class issue, and we have encountered both the sailing snobs, and the sailors who are in it for the pure adventure and are more interested in the journey and the stories that accompany those journey's. We don't really care what anyone has to say about our Mac or any other boat for that matter power or sail. If your boat doesn't move from the dock you really can't have much to say. Whats the point of owning the biggest boat in the harbour if you can't afford or aren't capable of taking it out?

We're out on the water more than almost any other boats in our area, and the people we do see out regularly are the ones that come over and have beers on the dock afterwards; power boaters or sailors, doesn't matter.

[Boblee]

Took the boat over to get the yearly service yesterday, hadn't given it much thought till then as everything was going ok but told them to check it out for this years trip as it might be overdue duh thought at first 200 hrs and then worked it out more like 300 or more be interesting to see what the computor says .
Ours doesn't get a lot outside the yearly 3-4 months solid but this year it copped two weeks gunkholing down our Murray for over 800k's which is minimum 90 motor hrs, got me beat how people can have boats for years and only have 20-50 hrs genuine on them and thats power/fishing boats.
Not sure where this years trip is but up the centre and across the top to the east coast then down is starting to look better with another stop in the Whitsundays on the way.
Nothing compares.

[Wayne nicol]

Yup, YB, thats exactly why i am going to build a 32' x 10' trailerable motor sailer

[DaveB]

I would like to see a 8.5 beam semi hard shine 27 ft. boat with daggerboard ( hull design like the Potter 19) Headroom main cabin 6.1 ft.
I would power it with a 90- 115 hp 4cycle outboard. Builtin 35 gal. fuel tank.
Have a 1.2 draft max. with a small directional and lifting skeg aft.
Cruise at 8-9 knots and top on plane cruise 21 knots with topping out at 25 knots.
The hard shine and wider beam would give room in the head and longer berths.
Also more storage and less heel in Intercoastal waterways were powerboats roll you in current hull.
The short Vshape Hull would act very well under power at trawler speeds as well as cruiseing speed at 21 knots.
Sailing should be just as good in the 5.5-6 knot range.
Probably couldn't afford it.
Dave

[Boblee]

Crikey you just missed one Dave it's sold.
http://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for ... -28/145539

[Wayne nicol]

wow, thats a copy of the mac if there ever was one- even the name is unimaginative

[Hamin' X]

Interesting; a 40 Hp Evinrude and diesel to boot!

Engine: THE EVINRUDE ETECH 40 OUTBOARD E-TECH 40 GEARBOX (NOT WORKING)
Fuel: 2 x 52 L OF DIESEL IN 2 STAINLESS STEEL TANKS

[kadet]

wow, thats a copy of the mac if there ever was one- even the name is unimaginative

I believe they were in fact an enlarged copy of the X made under license from Macgregor here on the Gold Coast in OZ on the condition from Rodger they were not sold anywhere else.

This one is still up for grabs .

http://www.powersailermarine.com.au/ind ... 34:forsale

[Tomfoolery]

6200 lb plus trailer (another 1 kip). 7200 lb means a much bigger tow vehicle than my Highlander, like a Suburban or F250.

But I do like the size. And the looks resemble the new .

[dlandersson]

Like to see them sold in the US.

wow, thats a copy of the mac if there ever was one- even the name is unimaginative

I believe they were in fact an enlarged copy of the X made under license from Macgregor here on the Gold Coast in OZ on the condition from Rodger they were not sold anywhere else.

This one is still up for grabs .

http://www.powersailermarine.com.au/ind ... 34:forsale

[mastreb]

Yup, YB, thats exactly why i am going to build a 32' x 10' trailerable motor sailer

I would consider inboard leeboards on the port and starboard sides rather than a center dagger, to open up cabin space. You'd have to switch boards when you tack, but you could shape them asymmetrically for best lift to counter heel on their tack and your interior wouldn't have the "giant daggerboard trunk in the dead center dominates the design of interior space" problem that daggerboards cause. You could also link them to counterweight one another and use a single looped line to control them.

I'm looking hard at the new Beneteau 38 for my retirement boat (a few years off that): http://www.evolving-oceanis.com/

Be sure to click the "build your boat" link. They've got an amazing 3D builder on that site.

[BOAT]

These conversations seen to start up every week, it's always about how to build a bigger boat than the MAC.

All the conversations are always missing the same fact - the boat must be able to be pulled on a trailer by a mid size car.

That is the main purpose, the main driving point, the main design goal, the main EVERYTHING behind the MAC26M. If it can't be pulled on a trailer behind a mid size car, then any comparison is irrelevant.

Now, if ANYONE can come up with ANY sailboat that can be pulled on a trailer by a mid sized car then we can start a legitimate comparison of which boat is "blue Water" "Roomy", "Performance" and so forth.

[Wayne nicol]

now i have seen that disputed-but not being a native north american, i cant rightly remember which car is used in the brochure,but apparentlythe car in the brochure is some skookhum car- more powerful than the average sized family car- there might have even been some legal tow weight constraints- cant remember rightly.

with the m weighing in at about 4000# with the trailer, and about #500 tongue weight- thats with no extras or mods on the boat- and none of us have a "just as is" boat anymore!!!- what mid sized family cars are rated for that. do many people nowdays drive around with the big heavy cars anymore- sure some do though!!- i would imagine that most family cars are going to be smaller and better on gas etc.
and so if you are buying a tow vehicle a half ton or something similar might be the better deal- anyway this is all academic anyway- as to who is driving what.

i honestly dont think that was the key factor in the design- because it is such a borderline and debateable issue with regards to relevance.
i think it was a contributing factor-maybe.
but i see the macs other characteristics as being the driving force in the design- a planing hull sail boat, with spacious live aboard size cabin, easy to rig, cost effective- a reasonable sail boat( sail barge!!)- pretty good motor boat, trailering/shipping width etc etc etc


i do know though, that the deciding factor for buying my beautiful was not the car tow deal, but rather the boats other characteristics.

just that having used it now for a while, i realize now that for my purposes i need a bigger boat.
i still want it easily trailerable, fast, sail ok, be safe, shallow draft etc etc- and that will all be achieved with the design that the designer who is doing the work for me is working on.

i think the mac is a great boat and concept- and certinally has its place- but i need some extra amenaties for my intended uses.
but i will NOT be selling my mac anyway. i will put it to good use!!

[JotaErre]

... probably, Roger MacGregor was not the first in anything: there were, surely trailerable boats before the Mac. There were also water-ballasted boats before. Believe it or not, there were even powersailers (although very expensive and with a very limited production): I've seen a British sailboatboat with a "variable geometry" hull (with retractable flaps, really) and a Z-drive engine which could reach 15 knots under power (less than 20 were made). There was also another boat which could inject air through the hull, which reduced water friction and allowed it to be very fast under power (it remained a one-off).

But the was the first boat to combine so many different features that, previously nobody thought they could fit in just one boat: a sailboat, a powerboat, a practical cabin, trailerable and affordable. I think Roger MacGregor can be proud of it.

[Wayne nicol]

Roger that!!!
i concur!