* Vic Smith wrote, On 6/7/2007 12:02 AM:

Yeah, they really hold their price.

Do they? I just looked a YachtWorld and there were several about 5
years old that were 2/3 the price of a new one - and that includes a
trailer and a big engine. This is a myth.

A few likely reasons, in no
particular order. Might be out-of-the-box thinking here, since the
MacX/M are called "Powersailors," not "Sailboats."

Yes, its true they have a unique niche, and for some people its a good
choice. If you like to drive around the country and power/sail in
lakes, it could be nice.

1. Even if the owner gets tired or "sailing," he still has a decently
fuel economical and trailerable powerboat, with about the same cabin
space of a $75k Bayliner. But about 18'' draft. Leave mast and sails
at home. Some do that, and look at it as powerboat only.

There are much, much better powerboats, including the Bayliner. And
are you sure about that comparison, or are you just parroting someone
else's comment? The Bayliner will carry more people further and
faster and in much more comfort than the Mac. And it only draws 20".

2. Macs normally don't have holding tanks/stinking hoses, don't smell
like ****, and don't have **** floating in the bilge.

Are you seriously claiming that having to use a porta-pottie is a
major advantage? This is sounding a lot like the mac is the boat for
people who never want to use a boat.

And didn't the factory have to add an inspection port so you could
tell if water was accumulating in the bilge? And wasn't that because
the boat would be dangerously unstable with too much bilge water?

3. You can park it in your yard, and avoid mooring/dock/layup costs.

True, but how is this different from all of the other trailer boats?

4. If you decide to go overland, just hook up the trailer and you've
got instant Winnebago.

True, but how is this different from all of the other trailer boats?

5. They aren't tricked out like a Victorian whorehouse - very little
wood and cabinetry to maintain. Some people don't think wood and salt
mix. Simple and easily reached electrics. One thru-hull for a sink
drain?

This speaks more to a desire to do limited inland, daysailing. I go
out for several weeks at a time, sometimes with guests. We've cruised
for a year at a time. Would you want to do that with just a little
porta-pottie?

Wood is just a matter of style - most boats nowadays have very little
outside wood; mine has none.

6. They are recent - the oldest X is '95, M 2002(?)

OK. Its pretty funny to see the same broker list a new boat at 37K
and a four year old boat at under 22K while you're claiming they "hold
their value."

7. While Macs are light, glass quality is consistently good, no balsa
in the hulls. I wouldn't even bother with a survey on these.

You must be the type of person who always wins at the casino.

8. They sail at the low end of performance. Some sailors modify them
to reach moderate sailing performance in most but light air.

whatever - certainly there are a few who have stripped them out and
sail without ballast, but is this a reason to buy one???

Most of the forgoing items are more important than sailing performance
to Mac buyers. If they just wanted to sail, they'd get a performing
sailboat.

Most of those "advantages" don't hold up to close inspection. With
the exception of being able to use the large engine, they are not much
different from other trailer sailers, except that the don't sail as
nicely. MacGregor did not invent the concept of a simple boat with an
outboard engine.


There might be more reasons Macs hold their price, but those are the
big hitters.

I'm sorry, are you really claiming they hold their value because they
have a porta-pottie???

Some of those reasons are real attractive to me, but
DAMN! I don't have the cash to afford a Mac!

Are you sure? I saw some with an asking price under 15K. Without the
big engine maybe you could get one for 12.

I've read quite a bit on the Mac forum, and boy do I envy those guys.
Super-cool bunch too. Polite and helpful.

You mean like boaters almost everywhere, except at ASA?


One other guy says he buys a couple a year, cleans them up and fits them out
and sells them for thousands more than he paid for them. He says he
never has to sit on them for more than a month at most and most sell the
first week he puts them on the market. I've seen several really choice
ones but they wanted more for them than I paid for mine new.

That guy was probably lying to you. Lot of that going on.
It's just plain difficult to get any good deal on a Mac.
But not impossible, so maybe this guy is sharp.

Duh! Ed is making this up. If it is Ed.


Yeah, but some us just don't look at a boat as an "investment."
Though I just can't afford a Mac right now, doesn't mean I can't
get something cheaper. I can hire a homeless person to pull out
all the warped/rotten cabinets, the "sanitary" and electric systems,
and clean the **** from the bilges if I go for an older keel boat.
But that's only the start on an older cheap boat. And that old keel
is still going to keep it from going into the gunkholes where a Mac
commonly goes.

If that's where you want to go, you need shallow draft. If you want
to sail in the ocean, you'll be happier with a real keel. There are
many older trailer sailers that can be had on any budget, if that what
you want. You can also get a keel boat pretty cheap that doesn't need
to be gutted.

I don't know, I just don't know. Maybe it's time to visit Capt'n
Neal's website for some advice. I think he covers the best methods
for a non-wealthy person to buy a boat. He's another polite and
helpful guy. Sometimes.

But remember, Neal lost his "unsinkable" boat.