Your opinions for potential owner.

[Matrixra]

Hi,

I have been looking at the Mac for quite a few years now since seeing one at the Southampton boat show. I have since moved to the coast and have started looking at the old brochures and videos to get myself reaquainted with the boat before I decide on buying one.

I have spent a lot of time searching the internet for information and on nearly every forum that I have found only a few people have anything good to say about them. I found this board yesterday and thought it would be a good idea to get thoughts from Mac owners.

I have not had much sailing experience, but am keen to learn. I also enjoy having an engine, so this boat sounded really appealling. All the bad comments that I have read seem to say the same thing, that the Mac does neither sail or motor very well at all and then they go of and slag it of completely. The only good responses come from Mac owners who stand up for it completely.

Your comments are most welcome, please could you tell me what you love and what you hate etc about the boat to aid me in my decision.

Many thanks in advance,

Steve.

[r.fairman]

Those adverse opinons are simply wrong. The Mac 26 M sails and motors extremely well. I keep my mac in Turkey and try to sail or motor at least 2 times a week. She sails well in light airs and in strong winds when reefed she is safe and manageable. Try one and see for yourself. There are lots of owners in the UK who will be more than happy to take you out. If you are ever in Turkey let me know and I will put our mind at rest

regards

richard fairman

[Matrixra]

Teşekkürler Richard!

Am I right with my assumption that the style of sailer the boat is would be perfect to go from learning to some amount of advanced sailing.

[r.fairman]

Easy to learn and performance ımprove with experience Below is boat in Turkey amongst the big boats

[kmclemore]

As an X owner, and one who has sailed many different boats in my 45 years of sailing, I can say that the Mac is indeed not the best motor or sailing vessel. That's not to say it's bad, just not a really great performer in either propulsion. However, that's not why one buys a Mac. One chooses a Mac because they want more than a single-powered vessel can offer - they want a vessel they can BOTH sail and power, and even live on for short periods if they choose. This class of vessel - a 'powersailor' (and the Mac is not the only choice) - is unique, and as such will always entail certain compromises in performance in order to accomplish all these things.

If all you want to do is sail, then buy a displacement hulled boat with a proper keel and go for the gusto.

If all you want to do is power, then buy a planing hulled boat with a monster motor in it and have a blast.

If you want both, and you're willing to accept that nothing is perfect but that having both is one heck of a lot of fun, then you're a Powersailor guy.

[Parlanaich]

Hello Matrixra,
As one who is into year two of the Mac experience (the only boating experience I have so far) here is my two cent's worth.
The Mac is a compromise, as some of the members have expressed already. That is an accolade not a slight. I think that makes it valuable to a neophyte - powering or sailing it takes care and concentration and offers great rewards. My exec officer and I have spent the last two summers learning about things marine and in retrospect, the motor-sailor has been the perfect boat to do that on. Yes, if you want high end sailing, a true sailboat is the answer - it will only cost you the opportunity to explore the water on calm days.
If you want power go for the three digit horsepower - though I haven't seen many of our boating friends spend a night on their 16 foot, 150 hp wakeboard boats.

We got into this to explore boating and the Mac seemed to offer enough on both fronts to keep us busy for many years. The hidden bonus was, it is like a cabin at the lake, without having to mow the lawn.

good luck with your quest.

Slainte,
Rick

. (o)
`/:}\#=
---o-

[r.fairman]

I agree with the last post. It is much like a caravan that floats, motors, and sails without the stigma. And without the tailback on the A12

You have opened a can of worms, feel the storm

richard

[hart]

I agree with everybody else. I've had my X for a few months now. No, it doesn't perform as well sailing as other boats I've been on and owned but she's still sails nicely.

I love the fact I can crank up the motor and head for home - or farther sailing areas if there's no wind. With no ballast I have no problem getting 16 to 18 knots at full throttle, depending on conditions. If you're plan is to get into racing then perhaps it isn't the best choice. But if you want a fun boat that will haul the family to some amazing areas it's wonderful. I think she's an excellent cruising boat.

You mentioned learning to sail. It's an easy boat to sail in good weather - if not the fastest - and can be very forgiving. I believe as you gain more experience and knowledge of the boat she can also present a fun challenge as you squeeze every bit of performance out of her. I'm still learning my boat's limits so I'm not there yet but man it's fun learning.

Another thought for the new sailor: these boats sail very well at moderate degrees of heal (15 to 25 degrees or so according to the literature). Many new sailors (and spouses) get nervous when a boat is really healed over. It can be another plus for the Macs that they sail so flat. When I solo I'll let her heal more but when my wife is on board I generally try to keep it around 15 degrees. It makes her feel more comfortable and enjoy the boat more. I'm all about my wife wanting to sail more so I don't mind.

[Trouts Dream]

In additon to everything above, it is a very light weight trailerable for its size. I have seen some locals pulling it in the Rocky Mountains in Western canada with mid sized sedans. (Not that I recommend that).
We bought it as our first boat because we weren't sure whether we wanted a power boat, sail boat or small houseboat. Got it all.

Pay no attention to the people that put it down, I very much doubt any one of them has actually been on one, especially on the water.

[c130king]

#1 reason for owning and sailing a Mac (any model)...

Being a member of the Macgregorsailors.com website family

Bunch of terrific folks on this site who can help you with any issue when it comes to Macs.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Jim

[bastonjock]

where abouts are you in the UK steve?

Before last summer i had limited experience of sailing so i went and had some dinghy lessons,then i bought a Mac 26x,this has been my first season, i have had the boat out in a force 5-6 and also in light winds,i cant comment on other boats performances but the mac may not be able to out sail most keel boats but when you need to be somewhere fast,you drop in the 50 and go

im sailing mine over 90nm this weekend,its a great boay for the inexperienced and this forum is full of great guys who are very helpfull,there is a UK macgregor owners association,but this forum is tops

[Rob S]

All the comments so far are on the money. ANY boat is a compromise..... an America's Cup yacht is one of the finest and fastest sailboats in the world, but it's too expensive, you can't sail without a large crew, it has no engine and has to be towed when not under sail, and has no living space.... even a pic-nic would be uncomfortable. The point is.... you need to define what you want to do with a boat then find a boat that fits that plan.

I'm and ex-pat Brit so I understand where you are, though have never sailed there. But what is your plan for keeping it..... will you moor it, dock it, trailer launch it? Where? Where do you see yourself sailing or motoring it? Protected waters of the Solent or estuaries, or more open waters in the Channel? How would you use it? How often would you use it? As you've found, there is much venom generated towards the Mac from the British purist crowd, they don't see it as a "real" sailboat. Most of the venom seems to come from people who have never even been on one. On the other hand, the defenders are already touchy about it and might oversell its attributes without considering how it fits YOUR needs. What are you looking for...... a Mini, a Rolls-Royce, a Jaguar soft top, or a motorhome?

Here's some truths.... "The Mac doesn't sail well" ....... nonsense! It sails perfectly well, but compared to others it doesn't sail FAST and it doesn't point as well (meaning it won't sail as close to the wind). If you want to eventually get into racing (and winning), you'd need look at another boat. If you simply want to potter around under sail it would be fine. "It's not safe.....too light to stand up to bad British weather." There's not much evidence of this but it IS light and tends to bob around like a cork in choppy seas.... you might find this more uncomfortable and hard work than you anticipated. If you plan on sticking to protected waters, you might be quite happy about it. "I can always use the engine to get out of trouble." Not if the engine quits! If you're in the middle of Windermere it's probably no big deal. If you're 5 miles out in the Channel and you haven't quite got to grips with sailing it yet, you're in big trouble!

I would advise you don't jump at it because you like the look of it and like the idea of the big engine and power boat features. Try and contact someone in your area to go and see one and see if they would take you out and see how it fits your needs. I think there is a Mac user group in the UK.... maybe someone here can jump in. They may be able to help. You should also consider doing something similar with a local sailing club to see what a more conventional sailboat is like. More than anything think about what YOUR needs are and be honest with yourself about what boat would fit them. That's hard to do by just looking at a brochure

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

And, when you hear the Mac referred to as a "Waterbago" -- dont be discouraged. That's one of the advantages. Its like having 3 boats in ONE -- motor cruizer, sail boat, and yes, a camper. These boats have motored & sailed to the Bahamas, Cruized Alaska, Sea of Cortez, ICW, and there is a rumor a Mac X is planning a trip to Hawaii (not that I, or anyone, recommends blue water sailing in a Mac ) Its not uncommon for a family of 4 to spend a week aboard, vacationing. For 2 folks, it's ideal.

As a family boat, its safe with built in flotation -- and that's a "plus" for me and my crew.

If, or when, you become a Mac owner, this Web site is just about all you'll need in modification improvements, or answers to any MacGregor boating questions.
There are some good Mac choices, the older 19 ft, 26D, 26S, 26X, or the newer Mac M (a sleek looking beautiful boat).

Beware of the Mac lie -- the Blue Hull is "NOT" faster than the white hull

[jaguar496]

'tiz too Alice and Stew "THE RESTLESS TWO"

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

'tiz too Alice and Stew "THE RESTLESS TWO"

MATRIXRA See what I mean... Okay...the BLUE HULL is faster