MacGregorSailors.com

You may want to read Rich Johnson's Guide to Trailer Boat Sailing, first printed in 2009. You can get it on-line or in stores at Barnes and Noble. He has a but he compares the Mac to other boats. I don't like to read books but I read this book over a weekend. Good Luck.

dennisneal wrote:As I see it, the advantages/disadvantages of a MacGregor are:

4. Its easy to operate. One can learn to sail a MacGregor in only a few hours. ( But, to learn how to circumnavigate, I'd choose a different boat.)

"Learn how to circumnavigate"? If you mean "learn the skills and habits that you'd need for a circumnavigation," I disagree.

Enough boat to circumnavigate? No. Certainly not. But Tania Aebi's Varuna wasn't significantly bigger - a Contessa 26. Beamier, perhaps. Stouter and more seaworthy, most definitely.

I think of "learn how to circumnavigate" as "learn how to sail, learn how to handle the boat in challenging conditions, but more importantly, learn how to live with and on a boat." You could do all that in the Chesapeake Bay, on a Mac. Or in the Bahamas - check with Chinook or James V on the possibilities.

An extended voyage on a MacGregor would help you prove to yourself whether or not you "have what it takes" to live aboard a boat.

The 26M was my beginner boat, and that came with ZERO previous boating experience, and we have managed quite well. Depending on your experience, if you haven't sailed, either have an experienced sailor help you learn the basics, or what we did was take a sailing course through a local community college. The sailing course was invaluable, but what we didn't learn was docking, and again, if you don't have prior experience with this, get some help with this the first few times.
After that, it is a great boat, you will continue to learn, and may help you decide whether or not some day you want to move up, stick with sailing, or perhaps switch to power only, our keep this one as it is quite versitlle and economic. We have had ours 5 years now and have gone back and forth as to whether we will stick with this boat, or some day move up, as there are of course pros and cons both ways, but economically and functionally, this boat is hard to beat.
Good luck,
Dean

bluehawk wrote:The 26M was my beginner boat, and that came with ZERO previous boating experience, and we have managed quite well. Depending on your experience, if you haven't sailed, either have an experienced sailor help you learn the basics, or what we did was take a sailing course through a local community college. The sailing course was invaluable, but what we didn't learn was docking, and again, if you don't have prior experience with this, get some help with this the first few times.
After that, it is a great boat, you will continue to learn, and may help you decide whether or not some day you want to move up, stick with sailing, or perhaps switch to power only, our keep this one as it is quite versitlle and economic. We have had ours 5 years now and have gone back and forth as to whether we will stick with this boat, or some day move up, as there are of course pros and cons both ways, but economically and functionally, this boat is hard to beat.
Good luck,
Dean

That sums it up quite well...

In one way, its a good beginner boat in that if you ever get another sailboat that handles more like a traditional sailboat, you will be amazed at the performance and handling improvement.

I learned to sail on Lightnings and Scows, and then Hobie Cats, and my first owned monohull was a Hunter 22. The handling and performance of the Mac was a disappointment, but that's the compromise factor half.

I think a first time sailor would learn alot more quickly and more fully the enjoyment of sailing on a better sailboat. Sailing techniques and skills that work on pure sailboats sometimes don't work so well on our Macs. If all you ever learned was how to sail a Mac, there would be some things you would not learn how to do, or that can even be done, and some skills you would learn better, since the Mac is a more difficult sailboat.

I'm glad the Mac wasn't my first learning-to-sail boat.

My new 2006 M was my FIRST sailboat - - - but I had 40 years of powerboating experience, including a few liveaboards. I learned how to sail easily on the Mac (mostly alone with trial and error) and I asked hundereds of questions of Mike & Jeff Inmon, who were very patient with me, and I took out my M at LEAST as much as anyone the three years I was slipped at MDR (like 250+ times a year). I also slept on my M 3 or 4 nights a week with no problem (as long as it's just one, living aboard can be done - - - especially if one is like me and eats out and uses Marina restrooms for #2 and showers). An M, with it's rotating mast, is an easy sailboat on which to learn - - - and it's trailerability makes it very versatile.

Worked for me

Rick

There are alot of different ways of looking at this question. Because it is inexpensive does that make it a beginners boat? Because you can trailer it, does that make it a beginners boat? Those two attributes alone make it a smart boat to me. I don't go offshore so thats not a factor. I don't race so that's not a factor. Point being, is it the boat You want? It is for me and I've had bigger more expensive boats. I've had my Mac X for 11 years and like it more ever year. If you can make an X perform well, your no beginner.
capncarp,
99

To sum up, the boat is an inexpensive template to make your boat fit your needs.

If I want my daily sail fix, being landlocked, I take out one of my Optimists, Hobie, or Harpoon for a day sail.

For a week on Cape Cod, out comes the cruising rigged ;Macx:

If you want to performance sail on SFO bay, you can outfit your boat like Leon or BB in CO...if you sail as badly as I do, there is no point doing that..

A simple question that begets more questions: Where do you sail? Alone or with family? Your age and athletic ability? What is your budget? Strictly sail?

I have owned and sailed many boats, both solo and with family and recommend a shallow draft keel boat like a Capri/Catalina 18-22 that is very stable with manageable rigging. These type boats are easy to rig/trailer, have good cock pits, tillers, very stable and relatively inexpensive on the used market.

Macs, because of their size and windage are difficult to dock and are more tender requiring more crew attention and reefing skills. Accessing the foredeck for the first time sailor is intimidating and requires modifying sail controls to improve sail shape. The positive aspect of a Mac is the safety of a large out board which can get you out of danger in a major blow or during an extended calm. Macs have excellent flotation and are extremely safe.

Safe sailing any boat requires training, learning, and more training and more learning--that's the fun of it

Bob

Boat #1...Sunfish, Porpoise, Super Porpose, or the like. Simple to rig and maintain, cheap (used), easy to sail, easily transported to the water.
Boat #2..If you were not discouraged from sailing by #1 and want to overnite. Easy to sail, modest cost to buy used, bigger and less cheap to own and operate, need bigger tow vehicle, slower to launch...Venture 17 or 21, Mac 26D, etc.
Boat #3. ...Mac 26X......move up to 3500# tow rated vehicle, more expensive to buythan the 26D, a bit less forgiving than boat #2 to sail well in light winds or under main only (must play the CB like a dinghy racer), sails faster than a Venture 17 tho slower than a 26D, much roomier interior than boat #2.
One man's opinion....Ron