Capt. JG wrote:

I think perhaps you're missing the point in some respects. While *you* may
have varied and deep experience with sailing, *most* Mac owners don't. This
is probably true of most new boat owners, of course. And, the point is that
these new owners with little or no sailing experience are not getting a boat
that can stand up to many of the rigors of what one can encounter. The boats
should be used primarily in protected waters in mild conditions. That
doesn't mean you can't do more with them. That's true off all boats. These
new owners with limited or no experience are in danger of getting in over
their heads if they think these boats are up to sailing in conditions beyond
protected and mild.





As stated on November 5 ("Yesterday's Sail"), I agree that most
MacGregor owners probably aren't as experienced as owners of larger
boats. And that could be a cause for concern if they don't have enough
training, know-how, and experience to avoid getting into conditions
beyond their skill levels or the boats' capabilities. On the whole,
however, I think that most (not all) MacGregor owners are aware of those
limitations and are aware of the fact that the Macs aren't intended as
ocean crossing boats suited for sailing in heavy offshore weather.
(Actually, I think most Mac owners are somewhat overcautious about
taking their boats out in marginal conditions.) Of course, there will
always be exceptions who either don't know what they are doing or don't
care about the safety factors.

The point of mentioning my prior sailing experience on larger boats was
to make it clear that my opinion of the Mac isn't the opinion of a new
sailor who has no experience on other boats and therefore no reference
for comparison. As stated before, I do recognize that the Macs have
limitations, that they normally don't sail upwind as well as larger,
conventional keel boats, and that they aren't suited for every application.

Jim