I just couldnt do it!!!

[Mac26Mpaul]

Feel like a bit of a goose, but, I just couldn’t do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trN3_E3UdQ8

For a coupla months now, we have had the Mac on the market. I have had some reasonable offers but I have either turned them down, or they fell through. But I keep watching the family vids I have made, looking at photos and asking myself, what the hull am I doing here! I mean, not owning a sailboat is of course out of the question. My plan therefore was to buy another older cheaper trailer sailer but….... this has been an emotional roller coaster for me……

What other trailer sailer, big or small, is going to be this easy to launch and retrieve single handed? My last 18 foot one was a nightmare. I don’t want to go back to that kind of thing!

What other trailer sailer is this comfortable (Priority number one for the missus!) for a family of four?

And when we have limited time, or need to get the kids somewhere fast, what other trailer sailer can we ignore the tides with, just dial in a speed and get there!?

At the end of the day, these things are the most family friendly trailer sailer you can get. I don’t owe a cent on it so what does it matter if I don’t have time to use it much at the moment. I will use it lots later!!

My wife and I sat down to discuss it last night over a nice glass of Scotch, and I was amazed to see that even she was already worried that we would regret selling her, and had even, without my knowing, discussed it with her mother in law (my old mum)! So we asked the kids, “Shall we sell Little Annie and buy another boat or keep her”. Keep Little Annie!!! was the reply. The missus and I have now agreed that unless we end up in severe financial hardship, there will be no more talk about selling Little Annie….

hull,,, if we end up in severe financial hardship, they can take the house and we will just go cruise the Whitsunday Islands in Little Annie



[JohnCFI]

Good call

[Baerkanu]

Well, your mistake was making that video!! Who could sell her after looking at that???

Beautiful job - many, many more memories to come, I'm sure -

- Clay

(now in Wyoming - born Geelong - I envy you your cruising grounds!)

[Spector]

You, sir, have done the right thing. So touching...
Fair winds

[Mac26Mpaul]

Thanks lads, I came very close to selling her the other day too - so glad I didn't

Hey Clay,

How'd ya end up in Wyoming. Did you marry one of those mad yanks or something

[mastreb]

Well "Luna Sea" is our defined "Plan B". I've even got a routine for one last launch from the beach by our house if we can't get down to a ramp. Means abandoning the truck in place--after we've siphoned its gas into her tanks of course.

The five of us just spent the weekend on the boat. Amazing how well we all sleep on it.

[Mac26Mpaul]

I'm quite confident, that if I were single, I could live on a Mac,

If it were just me and the missus, we could probably do it (Actually I'd probably be dead in a few months )

If it were me the missus and our 6 and 3 year olds,,mmm Our longest trips have been a week, and I must say, we are generally pretty bloody happy to be home at the end of the week......... Planning on tackling a 4 week trip next year though so we will see how we go

[Baerkanu]

How'd ya end up in Wyoming. Did you marry one of those mad yanks or something

I don't know how I ended up here - guess I woke up stupid once too often! Actually my parents were both Yanks (dad worked for Ford) so I'm the only Aussie in my family - spent quite a bit of time around Geelong/Melbourne for uni, then had a dive boat up in Cairns for 9 years until I sold it in '08. And now I need to renew the passport!!

- Clay

[Catigale]

Our longest trips have been a week,

A week on Cuttyhunk with 6 teens is about enough for us too...

[Tomfoolery]

For what it's worth, as much as I miss my 34 ft dock queen, we've had more use and more fun on the than on any other boat we've had.

In many ways, I wish I had this boat much earlier, when my kids were younger. My youngest taught himself to wakeboard behind it, from watching a few youtube vids and then trying it himself, with me driving (never drove a ski boat, either). I took my oldest and three of his friends on a HS graduation trip across Lake Ontario on the big boat, but I could have done something similar (via trailer) and it would have been just as memorable. The Admiral likes taking friends on cocktail cruises (we bring it, but nobody ever actually drinks ) on the Erie Canal, especially since there's no 'tilting', in her words.

The kids grow up and leave so fast it's mind numbing. I think you're making the right move here, given the situation you've described and the reasons for selling. You can always sell it later. Those trips on the boat will live forever, in pictures, videos, their (your kids') memories, and how they approach parenthood with their own families some day, and it sounds like you and the admiral aren't done making memories and enjoying family time. I was always envious of my best friend's family trips in their Olds Vista Cruiser towing the pop-up camper trailer in the late 60's/early 70's, including Expo '67. Trips with the Mac can be similarly memorable.

At the end of the day, these things are the most family friendly trailer sailer you can get.

No truer words have ever been spoken. I think Roger knew what he was doing when he came up with this concept.

[mastreb]

My kids are 9-11-13, so they might be at that perfect age between "too little to understand" and "too worried about other things". Wish they could stay this age forever.

[EZ]

I hear you.

I have a 3 yr old and a 4 mo old and sail my M maybe twice a year. I used to keep it in a marina. When the kids came, I put it in dry storage next to the ramp for a lot less $$.

Last year I found the time to take it to see the America's cup trial's in sf bay. This year I will be taking it to watch the America's cup. The time will come when I can use it more. No way I am selling.

[Crikey]

Hey Paul, glad you decided to hang in there! When we first got ours we saw your 'coca cola' script and are still hoping to have our name made up by a sign company for mounting on the stern.
Nice spot you're in btw!
Ross

[Catigale]

It's my 8th season taking the kids plus friends to the Cape..in 2 years they are off to college and who knows where/what?

One thing the has not been is a dock Queen...

[sunshinecoasting]

Good call Paul, I am planning a two week trip down to the GC from Mooloolaba harbour in the first two weeks of December at this stage, a few days to get down there, a short week or so on the Broad water and then a few days to get back, no firm plans for anchorage yet but want to do it without staying in marina's if I can. I will most likely be with my 15 year old daughter (wife wont get on boat, she is terrified of it) unless she changes her mind, in which case it will be just me, we should meet up for a day while I'm down there if you can find the time to get her in the water.

Cheers, Dennis.