MacGregorSailors.com

mika wrote:Uh, what's the point? . . . On the water, black is anything but pretty. I sure wouldn't want to try to sell a black boat.

True. Who would build a black boat?

A blue hull is faster than a white hull. A black hull is even faster than that.

I hope the black hull is Paint and not gel coat!! As we know from the racoon stripes. Black gel coat, in fact any dark gelcoat colour, is not a good idea. The colour black obsorbs about 97 percent of the suns rays, UV, heat etc, verses white reflects 97 percent. This means polishing/waxing way more often which takes a layer of gelcoat with it every time. If you live anywhere like where I do, that would also mean a very hot boat!!

For a good article on why black and dark gel coats are a bad idea, and why we are just making things worse when we polish our racoon stripes, see the exposure section here:
http://www.norglass.com.au/file_downloa ... s_Info.PDF

White is deffinately the best colour to buy a fibreglass gel coated boat in!!!

Hey Paul! Good article. Point well taken.

Similarly, automobiles and houses (etc.etc.etc.) would be white, (paint, shingles, siding) if that were the highest priority. But it would be a pretty boring world if everybody did that.

And in other climates, you might want your boat black in the winter (less heat build-up, less UV degradation then), and white in the summer, to save on heating/cooling costs.

For example: I'd want a black hull (and deck?) when collecting iceberg chunks for my drinks.

Ah yes, I was indeed thinking subjectively. If I were living in antartica or Canada etc, a black boat would be perfectly fine I guess but I live in a place which allows me to own no long pants

Funniest thing...I had just posted about having seen only one other black sailboat, and yesterday I drove past a little marina on my way into Fort Myers...yup, a very nice black-hulled sailboat parked in a slip. I suppose I've just never "seen" the color because I wasn't really looking? Kinda like what happens when you buy a red car - all of a sudden you see all the red cars that are out on the road!

Who would buy a red car

Rick

Mostly people who don't mind dropping $250,000 for it.

Evinrude sells more white saltwater editions than their dark blue.

Bob

Mac26Mpaul wrote:Ah yes, I was indeed thinking subjectively. If I were living in antartica or Canada etc, a black boat would be perfectly fine I guess but I live in a place which allows me to own no long pants

Comparing Antarctica to Canada - Good one

Mind you it was six degrees (C) this morning, and I'm getting phyched up the begin the big winter boat wrap (if it's blue you can do it faster!) ..... but it's not sixty below - c'mon. And yes - the black boat is kinda neat looking, but like walking on an aussie beach in the summer, things tend to get a little warm on both the inside and outside (and the soles of your feet!).

OK, the SAD's coming on a little early this year.

I have been acquainted with Roger MacGregor since the sixties. He got his Marketing degree, I believe, from Stanford and built the westwind as his project which later became the Venture 21. The rest is history. Although, having been a dealer here, I haven't been too crazy over some of his designs, He has never ceased to amaze me and his success is well deserved. I used to love to go the factory in Costa Mesa in the '70's and watch the assembly line. Henry Ford comes to mind. Fair Winds and full sails...Old Salt

I have the deepest respect for someone who saw a market niche, developed, executed, and modified a business plan to succeed over four decades in the boat business, to boot (to boat?)...even if Marelon winches suck...

It's funny you say that Cat - I was explaining to my brother the other night about my boat, it's lineage and predecessors, and basically telling the Roger MacGregor story to him...and realized how absolutely dominant his ideas and marketing plan have been...he's truly built the Wal-Mart of the sailboat business world...amazing.
I have to say I'm proud to be a MacGregor owner (something I wouldn't say about buying stuff at Wallyworld).

We have had a couple of threads here about alternative boats....they all look great until you hit the price....the closest is still 15k over a Mac new. I'm not poor but to stay in a market segment 15k under the competition in a luxury item market is amazing for one year, let alone 3 decades

That is so true...
I was checking out the 36' MacCat also the other day (I like dreaming...). Was reading some nice articles about it, some old some new...seems they are still very popular and that those that have them like them (and keep them). I think that might be a nice "next boat" after I get some experience with the Mac I have. I'm liking the idea of a cat more and more - not a bulky "cruiser" mind you, but something sleek and swift. There are a few MacCats out there for sale, but very few, and they are in a reasonable price range (around $15-20k).