why did you buy a mac?

[bob lee]

hi;
i'm looking for some feedback from the grup. i've lurked on this site for a while and find everyone to have really thought out their choices about the type of boat that is right for them. my wife and i are looking at different options, with the goal to be a boat we can safely sail off the b.c. coast, gulf islands, san juan islands, etc.

i've looked closely at catalina's, hunters, and macs. while the mac has alot of versitility, i am concerned about all the quality issues i've heard from this board. has anyone else considered these other boats, and if so, what made you choose the mac?

any input would be a help, we are taking the CYA certification course this august in a 34 foot catalina off the coast of vancouver island for a week, and looking forward to chartering on our own next summer.

thanks in advance, have a great friday!

[Jack O'Brien]

1. Price (for almost new versus = price for something old)
2. Biggest boat with practical trailerability
3. Shallow draft (Florida)
4. Sail or motor - What's your choice today, Honey?
5. Minimal maintenance (no wood)
6. Interior space, head, galley
7. Availability of used boats (5,300+ built)
8. Outboard versus inboard
9. Wheel steering
10. PRICE

[Harry van der Meer]

Bob, I have a 2001 X and have been very happy with my boat. Even though the boat is very simple and in some cases somewhat roughly finished, I have not had any major quality issues.

I think it is very well designed and will handle the conditions for which it was designed very well.

You will not find a better value in this price range.

Harry

[kmclemore]

...my wife and i are looking at different options, with the goal to be a boat we can safely sail off the b.c. coast, gulf islands, san juan islands, etc. ...

Mac's have often been sailed quite happily in the places you mention, but so have a host of other boats/yachts. In order to choose the proper boat for you and your family you'll need to have a bit more in the way of requirements - how much space do you need, what sort of galley/head is desired by 'she-who-must-be-obeyed', what performance do you expect, what is your general lifestyle, what is your sailing style, do you need powering ability, etc.

Choosing a boat is not unlike choosing a mate - there's lots of variables involved, and not everyone will find exactly the right one to suit them... but everyone, in the end, either grows to truly love or really hate their choice!

...while the mac has alot of versitility, i am concerned about all the quality issues i've heard from this board.

Every product, no matter how 'perfect', has quality issues - even Rolls Royce. And similarly, those who know a product best are usually those who complain the most/loudest because, after all, 'familiarity breeds contempt' and it's just human nature to love to b*tch. So, you may hear folks on this board occasionally knock the quality from time to time, but in the end, nearly everyone here will agree that the Mac is as well built and solid as nearly any other on the market, in the same price range.

Purists from both the sailing and the powering side will love to knock the Mac - we've all heard them called 'floating-refrigerators' and other derrogatory remarks - but I see that either their misunderstanding of the vessel's design and purpose (at which point I'd give them a tour and/or ride), or as just plain old sour grapes (at which point I'd tell them to p*ss off). The Mac is a compromise boat - it does neither sailing nor powering as well as a single purpose vessel, but then it doesn't pretend to, and needs no apologists - very simply, it is what it is, and as such it serves it's purpose very nicely.

True, the Mac is a bit more 'spartan' in its decoration than other boats, so you might think the quality isn't there, but that same lack of 'fancy bits' helps contribute to their reliability and (relatively) low maintenance. Bottom line is that the Mac provides good value for money for a sailboat and also has more living space than virtually any other power boat in its size, making it one of the best overall values in a power-sailing vessel. Not bad at all for a 'Clorox bottle'.

has anyone else considered these other boats, and if so, what made you choose the mac?

I'd venture to say that everyone here has considered other boats, either before or after purchase. But we're all here because we pretty much like our choice... and it suits our individual requirements (see above). I chose the Mac because it offered what my Admiral needed in terms of comfort (private head, decent galley, fairly roomy, good storage), it offered what my kids wanted in terms of fun things to do (powering, skiiing, etc.), and it offered what I wanted in terms of low maintenance, reliability, portability and decent resale value.

[Moe]

The Mac is undoubtably the most cheaply made product we've ever owned. The thickness of the fiberglass in places is scary to look at compared to most other boats. We're usually willing to pay much more for a product with a quality reputation. Despite that, I found some 400+ Mac owners at this site, with models going all the way back to the first Xs, none of which I could find having any significant failures, over many years of heavy, family-type use. While MacGregor may provide barely adequate quality, the point I found here is that clearly it is adequate. That number of members is a significant sample size that also showed me there were a lot of people so busy having fun with them that they didn't have time to pay any attention to what others thought or said of their boat's quality or sailing performance.

Once we had seen the 26X and it's open, nearly perfect interior with raised side dinette, the similar sized Hunters and Catalinas we considered paled in comparison. Unfortunately, so did the Mac 26M, even the 2005, since we were considering buying new. It forcing us to buy used to get an X had a bright side. Since we aren't sure if we'll like sailing at our ages, we won't lose nearly as much money, if any, if we sell. On the other hand, if we find we love sailing and want something larger, again, we won't lose as much money trading up. And if we decide to keep it, it leaves us a lot more money for accessories and customization.

Our Top 10 reasons for purchasing were (in descending order):

1. The open interior layout of the X
2. Standing headroom in the cabin, at least for us
3. The ability to use the forward dinette seat as a V berth extension for me
4. The level floatation (not as good as Whaler's though)
5. No through-hulls below the waterline
6. The ability to launch it pretty much any place we can launch the 15' Whaler
7. The ability to transit water almost as shallow as with the 15' Whaler (9" vs 7" draft)
8. The ability to beach it like the 15' Whaler
9. The ability to motor at more than twice hull speed, if necessary
10. Price

Tow vehicle size wasn't an issue for us, since we have one that could tow pretty much anything we wanted.
--
Moe

[kmclemore]

The thickness of the fiberglass in places is scary to look at compared to most other boats. -Moe

I agree, Moe, that glass is very thin in places, but I've yet to see one holed without significant impact, so is it really 'too thin', or are others simply overly heavy? After all, for every pound of 'glass there's a corresponding hit in terms of performance. Indeed, the Mac is a compromise on many levels, and on the whole I think it works, and as you say, "clearly it is adequate".

[smidnite]

Bob we have 02 X and have been to the San Juans a few times. We motor from Brownsville to the Islands and sail while we are up there. The Mac is perfect for two people and a bit crowded with three/four peopel. We have not experienced any problems with our Mac. We have not modified it in any way and have stored enough food, water and gear for 5 days without feeling crowded. My understanding is if there are problems with the Mac it is usually a fixable problem so the trip is not ruined.

[Mark Prouty]

Boy it is tough to follow that wisdom. I bought mine for the reasons above but the biggest reason was access to adventure.

Land:
I can trailer it all over the place.

Sea:
She's big enough for Bimini.

Water:
A couple of summers ago I took a 3 week vacation on my last sailboat. Winds were unfavorable most of the time. It took too long to get to where I wanted to go at displacement speed - 6 mph. Places I wanted to see were just out of reach. Inching along on that trip convinced me to buy a Mac. I love sailing and won't give it. This boat is a decent compromise.

1st year conclusions:
After having the boat for one summer, I am very glad I made the decision to buy a Mac. It has proven itself to be as versitile as I expected. I can take it camping up a shallow river, kids can be towed behind it or I can sail it to its limits. My sailing vacation was much improved because we were not limited to where we could go. In fact the most memorable spot we stopped at would have been out of reach for us without the ablity to power.


My boat is in my backyard. Takes less than an hour to launch for camping on the Wisconsin River.

[SPC Paul]

I have a 1991 MacGregor 26S. I had been looking at used 26X's for a while, but my major limiting factor was price. 23 year old kids don't usually have 15 grand to drop on a boat, and I was no exception.

Things I like about the 26S:
1. Easy to rig and launch
2. Better sailing performance than the X (maybe the M, too)
3. Tiller steering (I would rather have an open cockpit, plus a tiller autopilot is cheaper than one for a wheel)
4. Price (I paid 8500 for it. Not bad for a 26ft boat.)
5. Looks

Things I don't like about the 26S
1. Top speed under power of 7 knots
2. Very limited headroom (pop-top helps, but is a pain)
3. Very small head. Even worse than the M, since the headroom is so short.


Overall, I'm extremely happy with my Mac. It does everything I need it to do. I've found no problems with quality and/or workmanship on my boat. It certainly isn't a luxury liner, but it's not supposed to be.

Jared

[Tom Root]

I love my Mac for all the reasons stated in previous posts, and more!

I was rigging my boat one time, and I was approached by a couple, and usually I run my mouth off, uh, I can be rather long winded....can ya tell?

Anyway, he asked 'So why do you like MacGregors?"


I just finished pinning my mast, ( See other posts on that issue) and not to be short on words or anything, I simply said.....DO THEY MAKE ANY OTHER BRANDS OF SAILBOATS

I don't know what it was, maybe the uncanny way I put it, but that was his only question, and simply the only answer I really had!

[Valparaiso]

Catalinas and Hunters are well made sailboats, and will definitely get you around the gulf islands and San Juans with style and comfort. I would not discourage anyone who sails to look into those boats. A few years ago, I was sorting through the same decision that you presently face. I decided on a LOADED 96 X. Trailering was an important factor in my decision. I like having the ability to store my boat out of the water during the off season (I work in Alaska, my boat lives near the San Juans). The price was attractive to me also. Another major factor was the versatility of the boat. Among the islands, the winds are variable at bestits nice to motor at speed when you want too, or buck a strong current to take a shortcut.

The actual sailing performance of the Mac is good enough for my purposes, but I am very aware that it is no J boat! I dont race, so that doesnt matter to me (and I never saw a J boat do 16 kts under power).

I am very happy with my X. If I do eventually go to another boat, it will be in the 36-44 range. If it isnt trailerable, it may as well be a cruiser.

[Scott]

1. Price (for almost new versus = price for something old)
2. Biggest boat with practical trailerability
3. Shallow draft (Florida)
4. Sail or motor - What's your choice today, Honey?
5. Minimal maintenance (no wood)
6. Interior space, head, galley
7. Availability of used boats (5,300+ built)
8. Outboard versus inboard
9. Wheel steering
10. PRICE

Also the layout. It is very comfortable with all 6 of us aboard. (We are a close family and get along well) It would be comfortable for 4 even if you didnt get along well.

I love tinkering and with a mac the possabilities are endless.
http://thefamilybusinessinc.netfirms.com/id2.htm

Lastly we got our boat 1 season used and only sailed twice.Loaded with every available factory option for less $ than a stripped new one. It looked like it just rolled out of the factory.

[Andy26M]

I'll agree with just about everyone here on the various aspects of the Macs. I have a 2004 26M and here were my primary reasons:

1) Trailerability and shallow launching. I like salt water, my extended family likes lakes. I live on Narragansett bay, but I vacation at inland lakes, often with shallow ramps. With my 26M, I can just take it with me. The Catalina and Hunter models are also trailerable, but they sit a lot higher off the ground and would not be so easily launched on a shallow ramp, and they are wider and heavier.

2) Interior space. I found the Catalina to seem a lot more restricted inside, and it had a lot more things that I know would require "maintenance" in a relatively short time (wood, etc.) Pretty much everything inside my Mac can be simply washed and waxed like the outside. I liked the interior layout of the Hunter 26, but not enough to offset it's bigger overall size and price.

3) Wheel steering. For a single-handed sailor, I just think the wheel is more manageable than a tiller on a boat this big.

4) Outboard power. If I am going to all the trouble to have, maintain, and pay for a boat - then I want to be able to use it whether the wind blows or not. Sure, I can putt around in a Hunter 260 at 5 knots, or I can motor in my Mac at 15 knots. Motoring is always my second choice for propulsion - so when I have to do it I want to get it over with in the shortest time. Also, again for single-handing, the beefy outboard gives me a lot more options for getting to a safe haven if something goes wrong or the weather goes bad. With a 10 h.p. on a Catalina in a bad storm you might have to settle for just maintaining steerageway to minimize the rolling, with my 50 I can make real headway.

5) Adaptability. I, too, read a lot on this board and others before actually buying (it took me almost 3 years to actually decide) and one of the things I liked was the fact that everyone has so many ideas on how to customize and adapt the boat to fit their style. Other boats have options too, it just seems like the simplicity of the Mac makes it more receptive to adaptation.

6) Value.


As to quality - yes, there are some shortcomings. I didn't have any major problems with mine, but there were a few minor annoyances. However, if you offered to add $1000 to the price of the boat so that I could be sure not to have those minor annoyances, I'd rather be annoyed and have the money in my pocket. Probably the thing most consistently mentioned in the long term as I have been reading it, is the electrical system - it is cheap and very bare-bones. If you are just going to daysail the boat in its' factory state then it's probably fine, but if you plan on making a lot of electrical/electronic upgrades you'll probably end up re-doing a lot of the wiring.

- AndyS

[bob lee]

thanks for the input guys

there sure are alot of choices out there, and each has its plus side, i wish there was a mac with the cockpit space of a catalina , we saw the new cat 25 at the boat show last week, loved the cockpit, way more room to move then the mac, but down below, no headroom for the galley, head.

why can't these people all just get along and make the boat I WANT :D

thanks again, back to lurking

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Everybody has mentioned most of the points. For us there were three things.

1. - Price. And by this I mean complete ownership cost. We could have easily found a larger old sailboat for the price but would be stuck paying moorage monthly. Having a boat that lives on the trailer has a huge impact on the total cost of owning a boat. Plus the mac is a simple boat with simple systems. Sadly, I browsed through the entire new West Marine catalog last night and am having a hard time finding anything I need to buy for the boat. It's an uncomplicated boat that let's you focus on getting out there and enjoying boating rather than spending all your time and money on maintenance.

We bought ours used, a '96, and I have had no quality issues at all. Is it made to mega yacht standards with the highest end parts? No. But everything is perfectly servicable and up to the task it is designed for. When we bought it all the original stock parts were intact. In 4 years of cruising the Northwest I have not broken anything on the boat. Our boat before this one was a 1970 21' sailboat made by MacGregor. It too was a solid boat that never had any problems, it's still in use by my sister and her 6 kids.

2. - Functionality. I like to sail, my wife wants to get there now. She is a powerboater. This was the only boat, at any price, but particularly such a low price that could combine both. None of the other trailerable sailboats you mention have the power aspect. And for the area you want to cruise, the same area we cruise, the powerboat aspects of the boat are very important. More than in most area's you have to be able to keep a schedule, you don't want to be in one of our many current passes at the wrong time. Plus, as much as sailing is nice, during the summer up here we often lack enough wind. Having a motor that let's you get somewhere faster than 5 knots is a very good thing.

3 - Space. With a family of 5 there was no other boat that could match the space and fu@ of our X. In a pure power boat the only small one we have ever found is the Bayliner 289, a 28', too big to trailer boat that costs $75k. None of the trailerable sailboats gave us the room we needed to make long cruising trips.

I don't know if you have visited my web site or not, but you might want to check it out. Here is a link to our cruising log from our 3-1/2 week trip last summer in the San Juans, Gulf Islands, and up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa. It's a good snapshot of a MacGregor cruising in the exact area you want to cruise. In the logbook you will also find many other trips and pictures we have made in the Pacific Northwest.