Complacent to sailing...

[Steve]

Hello Everyone,

I need some feedback from you guys. I purchased my '99 26x back in 2003 and immediately loved it. But the past two seasons I've found myself very complacent to sailing. I'm not sure what it is or isn't. Could it be I'm bored of sailing single hand? My wife really isn't into it. Or I'm bored with the lake here in Nashville (same ol' same)? Or maybe I'm just not a sailor and I was trying to think I was? Are you born with the desire to sail or what?

To be honest, the times I've really loved my sailboat were the two times I had it on big water; the Fl. Gulf in the spring of '04, and on Lake Michigan in the summer of '04. But other that those two weeklong trips, I've been pretty bored with the whole lake sailing. Just seems like a lot of work to see the same old stuff over and over.

On the other side of the coin, my wife and I have just had a beautiful baby girl, and I'm thinking when she gets older the Mac will be a great weekend getaway for her, I and hopefully the wife. So I'm not sure I want to get rid of it right now.

It is paid for and I'm also thinking maybe I should sell it, and buy down our mortgage to lower our house payment?

Without rambling too much, anyone else ever wrestled with this type of stuff?

Steve

[Lloyd Franks]

"Big water" is much more interesting and challenging. And coastal sailing almost always brings some breezes...Sometimes too much. Small lakes are safer, but don't often offer much excitement. And seeing the same old places each trip can get old. If you keep your boat on the tailer, you can always plan and carry out trips to other nearby sailing sites. Finding other places to sail can be part of the fun of sailing.

Or maybe your lake is better suited to a smaller boat. Daysailers are plentiful and cheap, and offer a closer to the water exhileration. They are also easier to set up, and to tow...Although for its size, the Mac is pretty easy.

Just some food for thought

[AWKIII]

Hi Steve:

Lloyd has a good point about daysailors. If you want a rush, try out a Laser. They can get the heart pumping. The also have a tamed down version called the 4.7. Same boat, just less sail area.

I am a landlocked sailor also. Grew up sailing on the ocean and do miss it at times. A great thing about the Mac is you can always hitch it up to the car a try a new one.

Another idea is to give racing a try. It can be a lot of fun and there are generally tons of young kids around the marinas looking to hitch a ride as crew on Wednesday nights.

Finally. Don't you have that real neat waterway in your backyard? The Tom Bigbee I think? Runs straight to the gulf. I read a cruising book on it a few years back and it sounded like a heck of an adventure to do all or part of it.

There are plenty of things you can do differently with your boat. Just sit back and think a little. Its November in Colorado and all I can think about is heading over to Lake Mead in January to race with some of the Mac owners there.

Good luck and happy sailing!

[Idle Time]

We found sailing on the same lake over and over got boring...each new place was a thrill....so that might be part of it.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Don't sell the Mac short as a vacation / getaway base for your family. We've had get-a-way boats since our first child was 3 (now he is 15 and we have 2 more kids.) We started with a Venture 21 and moved up to our 26x in 2001. Both were paid for from day one, and lived at home on their trailer so the annual costs are very low to keep the boat.

I can think of no other way to have a cabin on the water for our family to enjoy for under $20,000. Just being on the water, at the beach, having fun in the sun is what it is about. Going new places on the water is a nice bonus, and if I actually get the opportunity to raise the sails all is good in the world.

I can understand your frustration with the same lake over and over, there must be other lakes within a few hours drive of where you live. Keep the boat on the trailer and be willing to expand your cruising area. Even so don't focus on where you haven't been. Just enjoy the moment out on the water with the family were ever you are.

Getting our 3 boys out boating has been one of the absolute best things we have ever done for them. They have grown tremendously in responsibility, they now know how to be together in relative harmony for long periods with each other and with their parents. The Mac is an escape of un-matched value. Nothing even comes close.

Granted we are spoiled up here in the Northwest with thousands of miles of protected coastline to cruise that is perfectly suited for the Macs strengths. Even so, we still treasure even a day on the lake 10 minutes from the house as much as an extended trip to isolated island anchorages.

I can't remember who actually said it originally, but to quote him, " There is absolutely nothing more worth while than just messing around in boats."

Keep what you have and introduce your growing family to a life long love of boating.

[kevperro]

Sell it and lower the mortgage. That way when you die you will have more money in the bank.

[jda]

My wife and I were looking at some sailboats in Bayfield, WI over the Labor Day weekend. We saw some great boats at the Superior Charter place. One was for sale for $139,000. Wow! Boy, is that a lot of money or what! But wait, as I thought about it, where could you buy waterfront property for $139,000 and also be able to go to different places? When I thought about it along those lines, $139,000 seemed pretty inexpensive. Now, compare THAT to a Mac with the trailering ability, and that IS a bargain. Sure there are some compromises, but overall, it's a good deal.

BTW - the boat for sale was/is owned by a guy in his 30's with small children (I think he had a Hunter 36'? or so - It was beautiful!) Well, he wanted a bigger boat so his two kids could bring their friends with them. These kids will never forget these experiences.

jda

[marsanden]

Your wife doesnt love sailing, this is the real problem.
Otherwise it could be wery fun lookin for new sailing sites ( lakes or see it doesnt a matter), ad a trailerable boat helps a lot.

If you are able to let your family feel tha same emotions when living a Mac experience, well that is good.

Otherwise i think your goin to sell your mac.

[David Mellon]

I kept an O'Day Daysailor ll at Newport Harbor for 15 years. I too got tired of seeing the exact same scenery every trip, despite it's beauty. I moved to a 28' twin V8 V-Hull and learned to love travel. Never learned to love the twin V8's though. Try another tack I took The Yam to Death Valley and had a wonderful time camping in her. Who needs water when you can drop the mast in your yard and go camping. Your daughter will love sailing if for nothing else to spend time with her daddy. I say keep the boat, keep your daughter away from video screens as much as you can and teach her the love of the outdoors. Yup, keep the boat...sell the wife.

[Catigale]

If you can get the Admiral on board with a small day sailor you will find more excitement on that lake than you will with a Mac

Granddad gave me a 17 foot ISland daysailor two years ago, Abigail and I put her back together and we sail her on the Hudson days..takes 10 minutes from arriving at dock to sailing away (or yesterday, 10 minutes from pulling up to grounding in rocks and catching mast in trees)



As you family grows up, the boat becomes a cheap getaway away from the crowds..if you have a place to store it it doesnt cost you anything to maintain it and see if it grows into your life again...

Last year we didnt slip, and took four long trips on Ontario and Cape Cod with Catigale, and day sailed the Island at home..Both the Admiral and I felt it was our best sailing season yet

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Hey Steve, long time no see. Congrats on the baby girl, we just had a baby ourselves about 4 months ago. I think all the folks who have responded so far have pretty much hit the nail on the head. Mac is a great cruising boat, but not a racing thrill like a laser or a windsurfer. The other thing is that your wife has to get involved...at least to some degree. My wife is not a sailor, but she does love getting to the beach and exploring new places, so that is our compromise. I have to make it fun for the family in order to get my sailing in.

It is great living in Tampa...when I lived inland for 10 years, I was always wanting to get back to the shore. Sorry guys, but I just don't think lake sailing is anything like coastal sailing...just no comparison. But as others have said, you have a trailorable boat so you can go anywhere.

It was actually my kids who talked me into getting a Mac. This way we have a boat that can go places faster and go right up onto the beach...and daddy still can get some sailing time in. Living close to St Pete (a major sailing location), I am lucky that I can go out and crew on raceboats to get my hardcore sailing fix in. In the Mac with the family, its all about going places. I have to admit though, with 5 kids now, its getting more difficult logisticly to do things with the whole family, but even when I don't use the boat for months at a time, I would never think about selling it as I also now have the option of going out with my older kids only (leaving mom and younger kids at home). I have a feeling that this may be the future of overnighting for me. When you just have one baby, its not that hard...mommy takes care of the baby and daddy takes care of the boat. With 4 other kids AND a baby, its getting rough cause there is no one left to take care of the other kids.

Actually, one thing that I will try this Winter/Spring after I get my boat fixed is the idea of camping with the older kids while taking the boat down south towards Pine Island/Sanibel, etc. Then, having the wife and younger kids meet up with (using the car) for a day's outing to a nice Gulf beach. Then they can get back in the car and drive back home while the older kids and I continue the longer term cruise.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Initially, my wife didn't care for sailing. One reason was our first Mac was a 26C, with a tiller, which she never cared for.
Even on our first 26X, she didn't care for it, because I did all the driving, and she would be told to do things, like sheet in a jib, etc.
Now, I let her drive, as much as she wants to, and she gets to tell me what to do, and she enjoys it. Quite frankly, I think she's probably a better sailor than I am now.

In one phase, I was always going to a different inland lake, doing some daysailing, and some overnighting.
Then I got hooked on big water, kept a 26X in Lake Michigan, and also trailered to Lake Superior, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Now, I just keep my Mac on the trailer and we're ready to go on an extended cruise whenever we want.

[Highlander]

My wife & I camped out every wk end possible tents & 14 ft runnabout fishing, water tubing, on the beach what ever . Then first daughter came along moved up to a truck & slide in camper & 14 ft boat . Then second daughter came along moved up to 18ft trailer ,14 ft boat & a 14ft canoe with a sailing kit . Wife wasn't much on sailing the canoe but myself & my two daughters just loved sailing that canoe , between sailing & fishing & now water skiing, tubing we then got rid of the 18ft trailer & 14ft boat & moved up to a 22ft cuddy cabin cruiser & kept the canoe. My two daughters & I will never forget the fun & memories of the many great times as a family we had on the water. Nine years ago seen my first mac 26x said to myself god dam "no slur intended" the wife would have just loved that boat. Said to myself I'm going to get one of these some day. Five years later came across a mac19 powersailor bought her never had so much fun boating still have the 22ft cuddy not used her in 4yrs so shes going up for sale next spring. The has twice the cabin space believe it or not, I spend every wk-end I can on my great little wk-ender I also go on 4-5 day sailing excursions. The 26x or 26m would still like to have one one day they do it all. camper / boat could have bought 2 of them in my day if they had made them sooner. Well go figure my oldest daughter is in the navy now posted in Victoria BC she loves to go with her friends sailing & camping on the islands out there when she can, my youngest daughter loves to come out on my for the sailing pleasure unfortunately she lives in TO & with her busy work schedule is only able to make it 3 or 4 times a summer so next yr I'll go down to TO & do some sailing in Lake Ontario with her, thats the nice thing about these boats so easy to trailer . So just thought I'd give you something to ponder on before you make your decision by the way did sell the canoe but kept the sailing kit

John

[Moe]

Steve, we did struggle with the same things. The setup/teardown work of trailer sailing just wasn't worth it to us for weekending on our small local lake.

While it's great for covering long distances on big water in less time, for us the big 50 HP outboard was just money needlessly tied up and depreciating. It meant we could cross the lake in 5 minutes instead of 15 with a 4 HP, but for her new owner, it saves a lot of time going from New Orleans to Biloxi.

The Mac is a great size for 5-7 days out, such as a North Channel or Dry Tortugas cruise, or for going to Bimini. But that's another capability we didn't need 99% of the time that was costly. You don't have to cut back all the way to a daysailor. There are a lot of great "mini-cruisers" out there.

We had enough invested in the big Mac to buy a smaller cabin sailboat, better suited to our small local lake and overnighting 1-3 nights/week, AND keep it bottom painted and in a state park slip for over 30 years! The slip costs only 2/3 as much as does bottom painting, and there's a lot less to wash and wax. The insurance is also less expensive. It can be towed by a smaller, more economical tow vehicle if that's an issue.

Having grown up on the Gulf, I agree big water is more fun, and Lake Erie gives us that. But then I have a wife that will go out on it in a 15' Whaler, where you may find big water scares your wife and turns her off to sailing, even in a 40' sailboat.

People are different. You may never change her mind about sailing. Some here like single-handing, but I find sailing, etc much more fun when there's someone to share it with. Having Barb along is absolutely wonderful. From 23 years experience with my ex who wasn't an outdoors type, and from being single before her and divorced afterwards, I'd advise getting one or more buddies who also enjoy sailing. You may be doing some poor guy who can't afford or isn't allowed to have a boat a big favor.

But don't overdo that. One day when they're older, and have had swimming and sailing lessons and can take care of themselves, those buddies could be your kids.

--
Moe

[Idle Time]

with a mac you dont have to sail all the time...that's why so many people with kids have so much fun...when they come along you motor or tow or whatever and then you can sail when the wind is just right and everyone is happy...take her out on an overnight cruise...(motoring)