MacGregorSailors.com

zoneboy wrote:They're not horribly slower than similar sized sailboats are they? I've been admiring the for a while now, and wouldn't mind giving up a knot or two in speed for all of the conveniences you get in return.

Barnacle Jim wrote:Ahoy,

You've heard the comments, even if you are new to the MacGregor as I am.

"That's not a real sailboat. Nothing but a Clorox bottle with a big motor on it."
The next comment follows almost predictably:
"The MacGregor is not a real powerboat, at least a good one; the boat has a sail on it."

If you're like I am, you might be thinking that someone has a broken rudder here, and maybe a broken record as well.
The comments seem to be going circles, playing the same tune again and again.

The MacGregor cannot be a good sailboat because she is a powerboat;
The MacGregor cannot be be a good powerboat because she is a sailboat.

It sounds a lot like a big Mac attack to me, and maybe indigestion as well.
It almost makes me want to ask, "What boats have you built?'
Besides, you can eat a Big Mac aboard a MacGregor and have your fries and maybe a coke,too if you wish.
To paraphrase Jimmy Buffett: Cheeseburger in Paradise, Matie.
Some Mac sailors have sailed her to the Keys, and the Bahamas, and Lake Jackson in the Tetons.
Argh!

Someone needs to put down the rum for a moment.
If you want to argue that only the fastest powerboat is a powerboat, what happens to the rest of the powerboats?
Do you just want to sink them? The same reasoning, of course, would apply to a sailboat.
It's not speed. The designer did not simply put a sail on a powerboat.
The power is there to get us out so we can spend more time sailing.
If in the meantime, you want to pull someone behind on a water ski, I guess you can.

The design is a versatile one.
A lot of people have bought these boats.
A lot of people have sailed these boats.
A lot of people have had a lot of fun with these boats.

If you don't like the MacGregor versatility, well, that's OK.
Maybe you'll like broccoli.

Once we acquire our own MacGregorX (if the good Lord wills), you can come and sail with us.
Welcome aboard.
Miss Pat may even serve us both broccoli. Who knows?

vizwhiz wrote:... the Admiral and I curl up and nap up there on the weekends while I'm working on the boat...

vizwhiz wrote: @Gazmn

I own an S, and will very soon put her in the water! (yippee for us)

I know the S is more of a "real" sailboat than the X or M in the traditional sense, BUT...
I am still in awe every time I crawl down inside to work on her, at just how much room Roger was able to pack into such a tiny space...
I mean, seriously, we're talking about a queen-size bed, a v-berth that I can sleep in (I'm 6-1, 225-ish, and wide shouldered, and the Admiral and I curl up and nap up there on the weekends while I'm working on the boat!), and plenty of sitting-around room...
Not to mention being able to beach it and travel in the shallow waters which are everywhere here...

I think Roger found "the missing niche" in sailboats, and has thoroughly exploited it...awesome for us! Thank you Roger!

Now, a 26' Mac-cat with just a single cabin...

In fact the new 26 is a respectable sailer. I have a client who, after owning an original 26, fell in love with sailing and bought a Saga 35. If the 26 had been such a bad boat he would have never
bought another sailboat.

Bob Perry,
Naval Architect Review
Sailing Magazine

Construction of both hull and deck is solid hand-laid fiberglass, and just about everything on board is made from molded sections to minimize cost-intensive handwork. The result may seem spar-tan to some, but it makes the boat easy to clean and maintain.

Chris Caswell,
Sailing Magazine

So how does it sail? We powered out of the Oakland Estuary at between 15 and 19 mph onto San Francisco Bay looking for some wind. The 40 hp Honda four-stroke outboard seemed completely up to the task. With 50 horses, I've seen video of a sistership pulling a water skier. In every way she felt and acted like most powerboats of this size I've handled previously. I took her through several tight 360-degree turns, several figure eights, and crossed the wakes of several large boats finding nothing out of the ordinary.

Roger Menet
Bay and Delta Yachtsman

Powerboat purists may consider the MacGregor and conclude, "There are several powerboats that come to mind that will go faster or handle slightly more nimbly than a MacGregor." Sailing elitists could properly observe, "There are some sailboats of the same and similar size that will out sail a MacGregor." While there is some merit to either reproof, such critics may be missing the point entirely. MacGregors sell in exceptionally large numbers to boating families who want to enjoy the ability to motor along at planning speeds or slow down and sail silently through the San Juan or Gulf islands.

MacGregors are built on solid, hand-laminated fiberglass hulls. There is no "chop" used in the lay up, which allows the Macgregor to be lighter and more easily trailered than a chop strand lay up of equal size. MacGregor avoids the use of balsa or foam coring in their fiberglass lay up but does include a generous amount of solid foam floatation to keep the vessel afloat should it ever become swamped.

NOR'WESTING MAGAZINE