Ed Gorgon, with his love of the Mac26 line of trailorable boats, got me
thinking last night. Especially the posts about putting them in shipping
containers and shipping them all over the world. And how they fetch such
handsome prices in far-away lands.

While I'm not too particularly impressed with MacGregors (I'd rather
have my solid, full keel, Allied Seawind under me for coastal work and
my Swan 68 for ocean passage making!), I've got to give credit where
credit is due. After all, what other boat has such a widespread world
presence? Just think about that for a minute. MacGregors being shipped
to ports all over the world and being enjoyed by thousands and maybe
millions by now. No other model of boat can even come close to that
record.

Roger MacGregor is a genius. No other manufacturer has managed to be so
successful at gauging the pulse of the average neophyte boater and
filling the niche with a capable vessel that, though a compromise,
manages to please to such an extent that it has become the most popular
model line of all time. That's quite an accomplishment, by anybody's
standards. This line of boats fits the "legendary" category.

I think this is what's at the root of much of the Mac bashing you hear
in this group and others. It's simple envy and a reluctance to admit
MacGregors are wildly successful because they work.

Kudos to Roger MacGregor. Shame of people like Jeff Morris who will
never admit the MacGregor represents a real value and does more to keep
sailing alive than any other boat made.

Wilbur Hubbard

* Wilbur Hubbard wrote, On 6/13/2007 11:55 AM:
....

Kudos to Roger MacGregor. Shame of people like Jeff Morris who will
never admit the MacGregor represents a real value and does more to keep
sailing alive than any other boat made.

I've often said that the Mac fills a niche well and is the right boat
for some people. Unlike Ed, and a few others, I don't think its the
right boat for everybody!

I've always been a fan of Roger. I remember spending many hours
looking at the old Venture kit boats wishing I could afford one. And
the catamaran and the 65 were real eyeopeners.

As to "doing more to keep sailing alive" - well, I think thats a
stretch. I think there are a lot of small boats - the Laser and
Windsurfer come to mind - that have done more. And larger cruisers,
like the Catalina 30, have pretty large sales also. In fact, I think
Cat 30's outsold the 26X. I would guess that more people have done
more sailing and cruising in Benehuntalinas than in Macs. And here's
a question (that we can only speculate on): for how many people is a
Mac the last sailboat they own?

...for how many people is a Mac the last sailboat they own?

Very good point Jeff.

As I have admitted in some past postings... I own a MacGregor
26M.

The young person that I purchased it from... decided that while
enjoying a lot of the attributes of a Mac... he and his family
needed to move on and upgrade.

He is now the owner of a Pearson 365...

For that matter... though I am a "senior citizen" who has to
operate in the "single hand" mode... I will probably get rid of
my Mac and consider something like a Catalina 30 or simular...
at the end of this summer.

Don't read me wrong... I have had an enjoyable time with my Mac...
but I have always been cognizant and respectfull of it's blue water
limitations.

Obviously... Mr. MacGregor has successfully served a niche market
for a small affordable trailerable boat that can operate under sail
and/or motor but subject to it's lattitudes and limitations.

Such as you have implied... those that want to go on into serious
sailing and/or motorized cruising... will be looking elsewhere at
some point in time.

Well there is always the MacGregor 65... (smile)

Best regards

Bill

Anacapa Isle Marina
Channel Islands Harbor
Oxnard, California

wrote in message
ups.com...
...for how many people is a Mac the last sailboat they own?

Very good point Jeff.

As I have admitted in some past postings... I own a MacGregor
26M.

The young person that I purchased it from... decided that while
enjoying a lot of the attributes of a Mac... he and his family
needed to move on and upgrade.

He is now the owner of a Pearson 365...

For that matter... though I am a "senior citizen" who has to
operate in the "single hand" mode... I will probably get rid of
my Mac and consider something like a Catalina 30 or simular...
at the end of this summer.

Don't read me wrong... I have had an enjoyable time with my Mac...
but I have always been cognizant and respectfull of it's blue water
limitations.

Obviously... Mr. MacGregor has successfully served a niche market
for a small affordable trailerable boat that can operate under sail
and/or motor but subject to it's lattitudes and limitations.

Such as you have implied... those that want to go on into serious
sailing and/or motorized cruising... will be looking elsewhere at
some point in time.

Well there is always the MacGregor 65... (smile)

Best regards

Bill

Anacapa Isle Marina
Channel Islands Harbor
Oxnard, California



I agree. In the Marina out of which I sail, there's a Mac (not sure the
vintage) across the fairway from me, owned by an older guy... must be in his
70s. He sails it quite a bit, but is very cautious about when/where, since
the wind/conditions on the bay can be challenging. It is not unusual for him
to stay behind the breakwater on particularly high-wind days. While we will
go out into the bay in almost any summer conditions, I've only seen him out
there once in what I would consider marginal conditions for his boat. He was
headed in under reduced sail, and he was being very careful about it. I
believe he's done quite a bit to reinforce his rig.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Capt. JG" wrote in
:

I agree. In the Marina out of which I sail, there's a Mac (not sure
the vintage) across the fairway from me, owned by an older guy... must
be in his 70s. He sails it quite a bit, but is very cautious about
when/where, since the wind/conditions on the bay can be challenging.
It is not unusual for him to stay behind the breakwater on
particularly high-wind days. While we will go out into the bay in
almost any summer conditions, I've only seen him out there once in
what I would consider marginal conditions for his boat. He was headed
in under reduced sail, and he was being very careful about it. I
believe he's done quite a bit to reinforce his rig.


They didn't even make a Mac 26 in the 70's man! What a dope!

--
Cheerio,
Ed Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm

" wrote in
ups.com:


As I have admitted in some past postings... I own a MacGregor
26M.

Don't read me wrong... I have had an enjoyable time with my Mac...
but I have always been cognizant and respectfull of it's blue water
limitations.

Obviously... Mr. MacGregor has successfully served a niche market
for a small affordable trailerable boat that can operate under sail
and/or motor but subject to it's lattitudes and limitations.

Such as you have implied... those that want to go on into serious
sailing and/or motorized cruising... will be looking elsewhere at
some point in time.

Well there is always the MacGregor 65... (smile)

The Mac 65 is awesome. It holds all kinds of speed records. The only
boat faster in the MacGregor stable is the Mac36 catamaran. It's been
clocked at over thirty-five knots.


--
Cheerio,
Ed Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm

Jeff wrote in
:

* Wilbur Hubbard wrote, On 6/13/2007 11:55 AM:
...

Kudos to Roger MacGregor. Shame of people like Jeff Morris who will
never admit the MacGregor represents a real value and does more to
keep sailing alive than any other boat made.

I've often said that the Mac fills a niche well and is the right boat
for some people. Unlike Ed, and a few others, I don't think its the
right boat for everybody!

I've always been a fan of Roger. I remember spending many hours
looking at the old Venture kit boats wishing I could afford one. And
the catamaran and the 65 were real eyeopeners.

As to "doing more to keep sailing alive" - well, I think thats a
stretch. I think there are a lot of small boats - the Laser and
Windsurfer come to mind - that have done more. And larger cruisers,
like the Catalina 30, have pretty large sales also. In fact, I think
Cat 30's outsold the 26X. I would guess that more people have done
more sailing and cruising in Benehuntalinas than in Macs. And here's
a question (that we can only speculate on): for how many people is a
Mac the last sailboat they own?


Wrong, wrong wrong. The Mac 26 has the record for the most sold of any
other sailboat in the entire world.

And if the Mac26 is the last sailboat somebody owns maybe it's because
it makes them totally happy with their choice of boats. Seems to me
anybody who goes around buying one boat after another does it because
he's not satisfied with what he's got. Right?

--
Cheerio,
Ed Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm

* Ed Gordon wrote, On 6/20/2007 12:56 PM:
Jeff wrote in
Cat 30's outsold the 26X. I would guess that more people have done
more sailing and cruising in Benehuntalinas than in Macs. And here's
a question (that we can only speculate on): for how many people is a
Mac the last sailboat they own?


Wrong, wrong wrong. The Mac 26 has the record for the most sold of any
other sailboat in the entire world.

This is total nonsense. It isn't even the largest selling boat from
MacGregor! The Catalina 30 fleet is 6500, more than the 26X.

And as for "any other sailboat," there are a number of sailboats that
have sold 10 times the number of any of the Mac designs. There may
even be a few that have sold 10 times as many as all the Macs put
together!

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in
:

Ed Gorgon, with his love of the Mac26 line of trailorable boats, got
me thinking last night. Especially the posts about putting them in
shipping containers and shipping them all over the world. And how they
fetch such handsome prices in far-away lands.

While I'm not too particularly impressed with MacGregors (I'd rather
have my solid, full keel, Allied Seawind under me for coastal work and
my Swan 68 for ocean passage making!), I've got to give credit where
credit is due. After all, what other boat has such a widespread world
presence? Just think about that for a minute. MacGregors being shipped
to ports all over the world and being enjoyed by thousands and maybe
millions by now. No other model of boat can even come close to that
record.

Roger MacGregor is a genius. No other manufacturer has managed to be
so successful at gauging the pulse of the average neophyte boater and
filling the niche with a capable vessel that, though a compromise,
manages to please to such an extent that it has become the most
popular model line of all time. That's quite an accomplishment, by
anybody's standards. This line of boats fits the "legendary"
category.

I think this is what's at the root of much of the Mac bashing you hear
in this group and others. It's simple envy and a reluctance to admit
MacGregors are wildly successful because they work.

Kudos to Roger MacGregor. Shame of people like Jeff Morris who will
never admit the MacGregor represents a real value and does more to
keep sailing alive than any other boat made.

Wilbur Hubbard



A brilliant post. Right on, man!

--
Cheerio,
Ed Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm