"Bobsprit" wrote in message
|
| Wally, did you actually read the guys posts? He's not going 100 miles
offshore.
| Even a Mac can handle a squall.

No Bob.... a Mac cannot handle a squall! I've already towed one to a
protected bay and off loaded it's passengers for a leisurely sail back to
port in 35 knots of wind. The Mac was losing ground and drifting to a lee
shore when we saw the flare. The owner sold the boat the following week.

CM

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 13:52:07 +0930, Flying Tadpole
wrote:



felton wrote:

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 23:35:17 -0400, "Seahag"
wrote:


"felton" wrote:

"The most dangerous words in sailing are a lot of boat for the
money."
I'm not sure who originated this, but it strikes a chord of
truthfulness with me.

Ummmm, brokers??????

Almost anything a broker says is likely to be dangerous Almost
anything a Mac dealer says is likely to be humorous

And almost anything a Mac buyer says is likely to be...?

The lamentations of the damned...

"Bobsprit" wrote in message

| He probably won't do that either, Wally. Most of what he spoke of
concerned
| taking the boat into shallow waters so his kids could swim and play. The
Mac
| should work well in this regard.

No Bob it won't... the design is not suited to a stop & swim philosophy. The
huge outboard and rocking motion will at anchor make it dangerous to use the
ladder in all but the calmest condition.

CM

"Bobsprit" wrote in message

| With her tanks full, the Mac should be able to deal with most sudden
weather
| troubles.

I take it you have never sailed any of the Mac series Bob.... or you
wouldn't make that statement.

CM

How about his expectation that he can motor away from incoming heavy weather
at lots of knots when the boat has the usual complement of sails, spars,
people, and gear? He seems to think he can make 'book speed', when that
speed is quoted for an unloaded and stripped-down boat. I gather the reality
is that he'll make little more than a decent sailboat (10kt or so?) and
that's keeping everyone below or in the cockpit.


Even loaded down and with some chop, he can still make a run for home faster
than any sailboat of aprox. the same size. If he miscalculates, blows his tanks
and then gets caught unbalasted, he'll regret it.
Understand, Wally, I have no respect for the Mac line. BUT, I won't say that it
can't make SOME owners happy within it's narrow limits. To argue those limits
becomes somewhat futile when you don't know the owner or his variables.
As I said, I wish Jim good luck with his boat.

RB

I take it you have never sailed any of the Mac series Bob.... or you
wouldn't make that statement.

Macs have certainly been hit by the occasional squall and live to tell the
tale. Let's not go crazy here. I admit that the 26 is cheap cheap cheap, but it
can handle what most weekend boaters will toss at it. The kind of person who
buys it lacks the know-how and balls to challenge it's design much. Of course
the "stupid factor" can come into play, but that works on good boats as well.

RB

Oh Bobsprit, so serious and leaden! Where has the joie-de-vie
gone? What has happened to the once all-encompassing mass
troller? No wonder we're all left fighting over Jim the Deafer's
berley bucket.

C'mon taddy. Scotty, Ganz, Doug and a few others are still going with the same
sad trolls and comments. Zero imagination or wit on their part. I'm not
encouraged to beat a dead horse any further. Meanwhile, people like Ozzy, Jeff,
Mooron and others actually have valuable info and ideas. Too often they get
burried in the swamps of Alt.Sailing.Asa. There's NOTHING mundane about real
boat talk.

RB

"Bobsprit" wrote in message

| Macs have certainly been hit by the occasional squall and live to tell the
| tale. Let's not go crazy here. I admit that the 26 is cheap cheap cheap,
but it
| can handle what most weekend boaters will toss at it.

This is the point of contention.... the vessel will not meet it's
advertised capabilities and the company bases it's selling point on the fact
that most buyers are "week-enders" and neophytes that view a 20 knot wind as
a squall.


The kind of person who
| buys it lacks the know-how and balls to challenge it's design much. Of
course
| the "stupid factor" can come into play, but that works on good boats as
well.

It's this very mantle of ignorance that is donned by anyone owning a Mac
that we are desperately trying to get Jim to doff. He claims experience on
other boats but displays a fundamental lack of comprehension as to vessel
quality and handling characteristics. This alone is cause for concern....
add to it a poorly designed and engineered mutant of power/sail..... it
amounts to a recipe for disaster.

To top off this exercise in ignorance is the fact he will place his
grandchildren in harm's way to prove his misconceptions. I believe he really
thinks that he is a match for Red Cloud. That my friend is dangerous in the
extreme.

To wish him well is akin to wishing a suicide jumper a nice trip down.....

CM

Flying Tadpole wrote:



Oi! It's not me who keeps offering the newsgroup squirty cheese
as a means for improving their standing!

A substitute for Viagra?

Cheers
Marty

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...

| Even loaded down and with some chop, he can still make a run for home
faster
| than any sailboat of aprox. the same size. If he miscalculates, blows his
tanks
| and then gets caught unbalasted, he'll regret it.

You can't "blow" the ballast tanks on a Mac.... they must be drained
manually from the trailer or with a pump. The vessel cannot pound to
weather. I have passed Mac's under sail to weather while they were under
power. The boat will porpoise and dive in steep waves. Taking a wave
broadside is an exhilarating "near death" experience on a Mac. They must
quarter the wave train and remain at steerage way speeds to avoid swamping.
Been There ...Done That.



| Understand, Wally, I have no respect for the Mac line. BUT, I won't say
that it
| can't make SOME owners happy within it's narrow limits. To argue those
limits
| becomes somewhat futile when you don't know the owner or his variables.
| As I said, I wish Jim good luck with his boat.

The boat is suitable for protected waters... preferably inland.....
riverways and small lakes. Their only selling features were trailerable,
cheap and multi-use weekenders. They do not belong on the ocean or on a
large lake. The current asking price of 32 k is beyond ridiculous.

CM