MacGregorSailors.com

Art to your last question: Rather buy Direct


Allan

Art, re dealer network.
These are big ticket, high end, disposable income purchases.
A Ford Taurus needs a dealer network, boats don't.

I could care less about dealers when it comes to my boat. I flew thousands of miles looking for the right second hand Mac.
It was in Florida, got trailered to Ontario, test sailed on Muskoka Lake (thank you Ken!) and ultimately made it's way to
Alberta. I'd be happy to fly down to crew your new baby for a day. If I decided to buy one, it's fair to say I wouldn't
want to pay a fortune for delivery. But by the same token I wouldn't expect it to be delivered inside of 6 months. I can likely
set up the rigging myself or use some local talent to help. One of the favourite and most relaxing things is to tinker with and
build out my boat; wouldn't be intimidated by another bare shell.

What are you going to do with all those 26X's we're all going to want to trade in on this 33'?
Pair 'em up and build dozens of catamarans?

In my previous post, I was skeptical. But come to think of it:
still trailerable, way more roomy, and PHRF in the high 80's?
I might have missed some information- do you think the rigging and
hull would make this a viable coastal (gentle blue water) cruiser?

I think you're on the right tack.
Laurie

Art,
Count me in!

4,000 pounds is about equal to the Columbia sprint 30
(see; columbiayachts.com)

The "Sport 30" is over $100K, the Sprint is less and carries an outboard.

The Columbia has a PHRF rating of 70 (FAST)

It has to be rope launched (as in detach the trailer from tow vehicle and let out on the ramp with a long rope or chain). This would never work @ Lake Mead ramps.

So 30 to 33 feet, ramp launch, 4000lbs, or less and actual real sailing performance? Indeed I'd be interested. Standing head room is a must, btw. I think an 8 foot beam wouldn't be out of the question either (translates, torpedo). I do think pushing it up a foot would do a lot for interior layout though. Permitting is not that difficult really.

Mast raising system must be first class due to the 40+ foot mast. (possible power winch involved)

A ten hp outboard is enough for me. Hidden within the design would be great ( see; Schock 40) Remote control, electric start and tilt would be great.

Think of the girls, when designing the interior. (really). Put the head as far away from the cockpit as possible. This way they feel like they have a little more privacy on a little boat (you could refer to the new Columbia 30 on this also... good placement.

ANCHOR LOCKER!!!!

TANKAGE!!!!! (water, waste and fuel) built into the design

Real boat windows.

Clean lines and easy on the paint schemes. (not too many big contrasts of color and just some pinstriping along the boot.) I think I would even go with a smooth hull-to-deck joint with no rubrail at all. (Everyone knows how to use fenders). No point on having a waterline stripe either. It looks so '70s

Bring it all in for less than the Sprint and hopefully around $35K stripped and there's a chance I could talk the wife into it

One more thing...... I do want to sail from So.Cal. to Maui in it, at least. (spelled "sea worthy" in design and accomodations) And this can be done in a light weight design..........really..............no, really
my two cents

Best Breezes,
Steve K.
Mac 26D "Three Sheets"

I dont think that the boat would sell in the European market,the vehicles that you can tow a 28ft trailerable over here is limited to two(Range rover and the big toyota),if it could be swung so that the 33ft boat could be legally trailerable with either vehicle,the cost of the gas would be a bit on the prohibitive side for regular trailering.

the cost of having your tow truck sitting on your drive way is say 5kGBpounds then allow another 1k for insurance ,servicing etc,take that over 5 years that works out at 2k per year,it costs 600GBP to have your boat on a mooring and that includes a lift out and winter storage in a yard.

The cost of fuel over here is prohibitive to trailering large boats,then if you add the launch,recovery,car and trailer storage,it starts to get very expensive.

Richard.

Good to hear you are getting a start on the 240. Remember, the sails are at my office.

I am glad someone is going to take the time to restore her. We didn't get to sail her much before that "fateful" day but sure had a blast when we did. I think you should name her "Bad Mojo". I'll take the name if you want 5280. Besides, it may confuse the race committee.

Let me know how things progress.

Art

Hi Steve.

The cruising version will be different than the performance version. The mast and sail area are going to reduced, the coach roof will sit higher and wider and the addition of a cruising interior will add weight. All of these factors will have an impact on it's PHRF rating. It will also make the boat much more docile to sail. It should still eat up anything in the cruising class.

Here are answers to some your questions:

This boat would be awesome with another 6" to 1' of beam. We are going to take a hard look at it but I doubt it is going to happen. There is a lot of math that goes into building a boat and you can't make sweeping changes without it impacting balance, performance and safety.

We are going to spend a lot of time with the interior. May even take the existing liner mold and start from scratch. There is plenty of room down below and it is a blank canvas as of now.

The boat in it is current form is very seaworthy. Although lite, she is strong and does well in a variety of conditions.'

Regards,

Art

Hi Laurie.

Thanks for your insight regarding a dealer network.

My thought would be to have three boats in the water initially. On one the east and west coasts and the other in Colorado. This would give most people the chance of seeing the boat in person and taking a test sail. Dealing direct obviously means no middle man and there would be substantial cost savings to the consumer.

There are real positives to a dealer network as well. It allows for greater overall exposure and availability. Plus the dealer can assume some of the expense of exhibiting at boat shows. From a business perspective, our customer is the dealer and sales would initially be higher as they start to inventory the boat.

Delivery cost shouldn't pose a problem. We would look at a scenario where we subsidize part of the expense. Even when gas prices were at their peak we were able to find commercial carriers more than happy to transport boats at $1.50 per loaded mile. It has dropped tremendously as of late.

Regards,

Art

Wanted: Someone with drawing skills to upload an interior plan.

Since there seems to be some interest with the potential of this boat, it might be fun and informative if I could get your thoughts on an interior design.

Everyone here knows the Mac well. We all know what it's strengths and weaknesses are down below. Granted, you can only get so much into a 26 footer but I still have my peeves:

I despise the head on the M. It is simply a waste of space. You have to be a contortionist to use the thing. Every woman that sees it says...not on your life. A head should have standing headroom, elbow room and storage for gear. It should also have plenty of water.

The galley on the X and M has been around for decades and you will find this basic design on just about every Venture and Mac ever built. It is not a galley in my opinion. I have seen more functional units at Toys R Us. Ken and Barbie would not be happy with the Mac set-up at all. The galley should have standing headroom and the unit should be elevated so you can actually cook. Again, there should be ample storage along with plenty of water and an electric pump.

The aft berth on the X and M are fine. I would like to see a little more privacy. Perhaps walling one side of it?

There is some privacy in the forward berth of the M due to the head. The X is wide open. With 33' of boat there is no reason why both cabins can become staterooms with privacy.

It would be great if the group would pipe up and let us know what you would like to see in an interior. It would even be better if someone volunteered to draw the design and upload it as we went through the process.

If someone steps up to draw, there is only one design element that will need to be included from the get go.

Thanks.

Art

For the interior how about making each thing in it Galley, Head, Storage Lockers ect... a unit upon itself that attaches to the wall at set evenly divided mount studs or nut plates set at exact increments on both sides so we can move these units to where ever we want. Each of us has different needs so the more versatile the boat is the better it will fulfill everyone’s needs. For example my cockpit layout is better for me then a layout because I do a lot of fishing so the more cockpit room the better.

Hi Road Soldier.

Great minds think alike!

I have also been thinking about modular furniture components for the interior.

There are only three things that will have to remain stationery. The liner has the forward and aft berths already built-in. This saves a lot of money. Additionally, the other element I mentioned previously will have to remain. Not gonna disclose it unless we have someone to draw and there is interest to pursue.

ROAD Soldier wrote:For the interior how about making each thing in it Galley, Head, Storage Lockers ect... a unit upon itself that attaches to the wall at set evenly divided mount studs or nut plates set at exact increments on both sides so we can move these units to where ever we want. Each of us has different needs so the more versatile the boat is the better it will fulfill everyone’s needs. For example my cockpit layout is better for me then a layout because I do a lot of fishing so the more cockpit room the better.

Interesting idea? I've been using modular pieces, and sliding bulkheads in my casting business for years. The problem I see is that the sides of a boat are not parallel, nor on the same radius. The changes are slight over short increments, still It might require a lot of adapters to get things to fit securely. It's certainly an idea to work through.

Another thought about Road Soldier's, standard interior parts: Instead of hand fiberglassed basic elements like lockers, sinks, counters, head stalls, benches, and so on, might one produce them more cheaply with heavy gauge themo formed parts. I know 1/2" polystyrene seems pretty light and strong, and when it's thermo-formed it's even stronger. The original mold can be cut on a CNC machine, and the parts attached to a T-shaped extrusion, or something similar? The parts would be easily replaceable, and could even have shallow coffers for inlaying thin teak for those who desired it? I'm not sure about the strength to weight ratio? anyone else know something about thermal plastics.

Richard

AWKIII wrote:Wanted: Someone with drawing skills to upload an interior plan.

Since there seems to be some interest with the potential of this boat, it might be fun and informative if I could get your thoughts on an interior design.


If someone steps up to draw, there is only one design element that will need to be included from the get go.

Thanks.

Art

Hi Art

Can you send or display the plan view & showing the location of the swing keel? I could take a crack at it. We could work from what is fixed to what is variable,Like the hull shape, and keel trunk, through berths, and so on... I have a friend who can do the 3-dimensional CADS if no one here can. If they're simple I'm pretty sure he would do at least the first ones for free. Modular elements can be sent directly from the program to the manufacturer for foam mock-ups maybe?

Thoughts?

For the design of this boat think JEEP Wrangler on the water. For those of you not into 4 Wheel Drive I will explain. If you ever go out on some serious rough trails in the Rocky Mountain areas of this country you will find that 80% of all the vehicles on the trail are Jeep CJ, YJ, and TJ Wranglers. Why because you will not find a better vehicle that can do it all for the ease of modification, available aftermarket parts, and individuality for the price. So here is how this should apply to this new boat.
First ease of modification, a Jeep has a very strong solid base that is open which lends itself to easily add modifications to by just having to bolt them on. You don’t have to swear and try to universally make something fit or fabricate something to make it fit. So translated to this boat it should have built up areas were most people add serious stuff that put stress on the boat like radar arches with solar panels, full enclosures, transom areas that will take a larger than usual engine for the speed freaks out there without have to build it up (think a CJ5 with a V-8) it’s been done numerous times. The very most anyone should have to do is make sure they line up the aftermarket part right and drill in the right area, then bolt on without having to be a contortionist to do it. With the interior floor there should quick mounting points like in a Huey Helicopter so you can move seats, table, dividing walls, heads, and galleys where ever you want them.
Second availability of aftermarket parts for this boat. Just about 99% of all aftermarket companies that make parts for 4 wheel drive vehicles make parts for a Jeep first and everyone else second. Why because when you have ease of modification it works in two ways, first the person doing the modifying is more opt to do it, and second that makes a demand for the aftermarket company to make the part for it. Besides making your product more popular the added bonuses of having aftermarket companies make the part are many. The innovation, cost, and most importantly the liability is on them. If a aftermarket company makes a roll cage for a Jeep which makes an a idiot decides to run off a 100ft cliff thinking he will be ok, Jeep is in no way liable for his stupidity.
Lastly because of the wide Varity of aftermarket parts and ease of modification of a Jeep no two modified Jeeps are the same which adds to the individual appeal of the vehicle. So in conclusion don’t get too wrapped up on individual pieces in the boat just make a good solid easy to work and modify on boat first and the rest will follow on its own.

I wonder how much deflection there is across the middle of the hull. Supposing you created a flat section 0-4" deep for the middle 12 feet with a simple J molding where the top and bottom sections meet? It could be filled with foam for positive flotation, and have a channel for running wires below the J molding. another screw attachment would be needed along the bottom. This would only cover the salon area , but maybe additional elements could be added, like the bench seats, head, shower, or galley ensembles? It seems like the V-berth and aft berth are fixed in use, allowing fewer changes. I think the galley works best back by the companionway because of the open vent, but amount of lockers, cook top, a drop in cooler, all could be modular.

Mac's also have some "Jeep-like" aftermarket potential, but I've never seen much except for Aussie Bob's for the X?