1,000 posts on Sailing Anarchy

[mighetto]

Our little Mac26x cruisers are the first to have generated 1000 posts on the big boys sailing board www.sailinganarchy.com. Of course the posts are far from complementary. But this is an event of note in anycase.

Regardless of your views on Frank M, some good for the order can be done by simply visiting

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/forums/in ... topic=2833

and posting a "I have a Mac26x and I like her." message. or even a
"Frank M is jerk but I still love my Mac26x" message. You can post as a Guest to avoid any inappropriate review of your credit rating - as was done to me. These are big ape big boys. Or post a "I am selling my Mac26x because Frank M is a jerk". I think there are some curious george of jungle big boys that may be buying. Anything goes. Best is "Frank M asked me to introduce myself and tell you big boys that the Mac26x is awsome." Its like neilson TV ratings I guess. The more posts the more rational readers show up for serious discussion.

The next 1000 posts, I am hoping, will be testing the theory that there is a better designed sailboat or that there could be a better designed sailboat that might retail for less than 100,000 new.

Sincerely

Frank L. Mighetto
Murrelet
1999 Mac26x
Olympia Washington
Sail Number 79020

[Mark Prouty]

Regardless of your views on Frank M, some good for the order can be done by simply visiting and posting a "I have a Mac26x and I like her." message. or even a "Frank M is jerk but I still love my Mac26x"

I appreciate your enthusiam for the Mac26x and have enjoyed reading your website but I strongly disagree with you Frank. I feel avoiding this thread would be a better suggestion. Personally, I don't like the thread and hope none of it spills over to here!

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

For some reason, I used to think that just because a person had a sailboat they were at least somewhat reasonable.
But, apparently, some sailors don't let facts interfere with their opinions.
Kind of like the population in general.
I do enjoy reading Frank M's postings though.

[mgg4]

... I do enjoy reading Frank M's postings though.

Sometimes, humor is where you find it.

Frank's musings are interesting. I just hope everyone understands that you should not always believe everything you read on the Internet (including this post). You have to consider the mental (sic) state of the author.

--Mark

[LCB]

Frank, to say the least, certainly, has courage, and temerity, in his convictions, and in the absence of any great number of destroyed or even damaged 26Xs, who can say, for certain, how right or wrong he may be. Especially, considering the number of Xs manufactured, and used by those of us in a, niche market of powerboaters and beginner sailors.

Certainly!!!! When his writings are compared to those nobles of the ,sailing anarchy persuasion. What he MIGHT lack in sophisticated sailboat design and knowledge. He more than makes up for in character.

Russ

[LCB]

Hello Frank,

Glad to see you back posting.

I lived in Tumwater for many years. In fact I started my sailing trip to Mexico from Percivel Landing. Lovely trip.

Hang in there.

Russ

[Jack O'Brien]

I would like to thank both Frank M. and Schock Therapy.

Give Frank M. credit for enthusiasm and the ability to stay positive and not to take offense and get nasty as do some of his critics.

Give Schock credit for even-handed fairness, reasonableness, for good sailing knowledge and willingness to share it.

Give Heath and yourselves credit for a good Discussion Board.

[ferd johns]

I too thank Schock Therapy for bringing some real life experience and reason to this discussion. There is, however, another possible Mac26X niche he missed. I have sailed for 45 plus years, and lived coastal most of that time. I owned a Montgomery, a Cape Dory, three O'Days, three Bristols....you get the point.....and could not agree more that the MacGregor is not an offshore boat. I have also owned a Dovekie and a Marsh Hen, which were fabulous in the shallows. A group of us used to cruise shallow areas on the east coast, and a solitary MacGregor was always along, going everywhere we went. I enjoyed the shallow water stuff too. I moved to Bozeman Montana for work, and sailing became limited to local lakes and a three-week stint in the San Juan/Gulf Island area. Six mountain passes (including the Continental Divide) and 600 miles of towing away from Bozeman. I needed to live aboard for that three weeks, along with a rotating crew of family and friends who needed to be shuttled to the airport by turns, regardless of fickle July winds. The Mac 26X fit. It is not a stellar sailer, is not classically beautiful in my eyes, and is lightly made. But I have enjoyed sailing it to its potential, sleeping in relative comfort, eating well, and being able to continue enjoy cruising in spite of my location. Heck, I may even keep it after retirement....it has really grown on me.

[Harry van der Meer]

It is an absolute waste of time to try to convince others about the benefits of the Mac. The versatility of this boat is what makes it unique and a perfect fit for our family. We love her.... We received many compliments when we used it last summer as a camper at a campground in Acadia NP, Maine....

If others question her sailing characteristics - big deal. No need to defend our Mac.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I see the Mac as a reasonably clever hybrid that appeals to a niche market of powerboaters and beginner sailors.

Schock, I've told you why I bought a Mac in my other post, but let me also add that my O'day Keel boat was easier to sail than this Mac. The Mac has more complexity than a traditional keel boat. I never used to have to worry about retractable boards, water ballast, planing, COE, etc. Sometimes, I think of it a bit like an airplane, needing to follow a checklist, etc.

Another thing too, most keelboat owners are cruisers, not racers....and you will find cruisers running their engines quite a lot of the time. Oh, and one more thing....Seeing as my little Mac will blow the doors off of your 30 footer under power (probably at least twice as fast), who will be covering more distance while cruising?

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Schock, the blow your doors off part was a joke (see tongue), obviously, I get my doors blown off by power boats all the time. I usually have to motor 3-4 miles just to get into an open sailing area and it is 30 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico, so the extra speed comes in real handy. But if I wanted a fast powerboat, I wouldn't have bought a sailboat. Also, kids tend to get bored with slower boats and as I have 4 of them, that is a big part of the equation too. My family far prefers the hybrid powersailor over the traditional keel boat. Hopefully when the family is grown up and provided I have a comfortable retirement (ie, more time to enjoy the voyage), I can get back to a bigger more traditional cruising boat. But, even then, I may still not want to get rid of my Mac and keep it as a trailer boat instead.

[Mark Prouty]

This thread has had an enjoyable side effect on me. Occasionally, I get one of those great flying dreams. Last night I had one with a twist. I dreamed Frank M had a really cool planing sailboat that went exceptionally fast under sail and power. In my dream, Frank was a very nice middle aged professor type with a beard wearing all white - looked kind of like Roger. He was giving me a ride on this boat and showing me how it worked. When under power the engine was so quiet and small I couldn't even tell where it was; it zipped around and cornered excellently. When under sail, it really flew!! Is this a premonition of things to come? The future of yacht design?

At any rate, thanks for the ride, Frank!

[Jack O'Brien]

You were warned about those resin fumes

Or are you sharing puffs with Frank M.?

[Mark Prouty]

When this thread first appeared, I thought things could really go sour with it. I didn't like some of the Anarachist posts and I hate to see people being laughing at others expense. Then I started imagining a righteous, swashbuckling, sword-wielding, ruffian type Frank hanging Errol Flynn like onto the rigging of his Mac taking on a crew of foul-mouthed drunken anarchists. I couldn't help but chuckle.

Sorry guys. I'm showing a major lack of maturity, chuckling at Frank's expense, rehashing old stuff, and getting away from practical boating matters but I just had to share the image. Maybe this post was a little therapeutic.

Ok, I'll stop now.

Frank and the Anarchist - Get Em Frank!

[LCB]

MacIntosh

I believe that the jury is in. 30-40, Sailboats of the full keel style, such as Westsail type designs, to the Fin keel types, such as those built by Dufour, are considered very safe for sailing any ocean of the temperate area of this planet.

M. Dufour, the founder of Dufour yachts, single handed a stock 31 Dufour for more than 25,000 miles.

But,,,,If we want to dwell on the extremes, then we could consider even the John F. Kennedy suspect.

Russ