Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 4:56 pm, Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 4:48 pm, HK wrote:



Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 3:54 pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:40:20 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:
Took the Tolman out yesterday. Went far up the Ocklocknee River from
Ocklocknee River State park to where it looked like the river scenes
from Apocalypse Now. Side channels all over, swampy, muggy as hell
and gators everywhere. Stopped at an isolated landing way up there
and looked around.
Later, my wife remarked that although ti had been fun, she was bored
when I drove the boat for a long time and she did not like driving
it. She thinks she does a lot when we go sailing, in reality, she is
mostly an encumbrance when we sail but she thinks she helps.
This got me thinking about the two forms of boating and realized they
have entirely different motives. Sailing is ussually about the act of
boating, ie the actual sailing whereas powerboating is mostly about
using the boat to go places. We go sailing for a day without going
anywhere, just back and forth across Apalachee Bay or just out-as-far-
as-we-can-go. We always use the powerboat to go someplace cool (ok,
in this case really hot).
If I had to choose one over the other, I do not know which it would be.
What you've said is probably a good reason the Mac 26 is so popular.
--Vic
I believe that boats like the Mac 26 are the future of sailboat
sales. When you consider the cost of keeping a boat in a slip, few
young couples can afford it. The Mac26 makes having a reasonable
sized boat affordable.
I will also argue that if used as intended, the Mac26 is probably
safer than most other sailboats because she can quickly get back to
port when it gets nasty out there. Her trailerability makes her far
more useful than most heavy boats.
Unfortunately, Macgregor has reputation for poor quality due to their
old line of Venture boats. I do not know how their reputation for
quality is right now.
A decently built sailboat of that size and style sells for twice as much
as the Mac, and I'm not talking top-drawer, either - just ordinary
construction, like, say, a 27' Hunter.
--
The modern GOP is little more than an army of moral absolutists led by a
gang of moral nihilists.
I was never impressed by Hunters. I'd like to see a truly
dispassionate evaluation of the Mac26 quality but mention them on any
sailing site and you instantly get flamed.

Aside from build quality and seaworthiness, a big issue is how easy is
it to launch. If it is too much of a PITA, our boating would get more
and more infrequent. I'd like to try one for a while including
trailering and setup and using her.


So, visit a dealer and ask for a demo. There's a video on the Mac site
that shows the boat purportedly "handing" gale force winds, but I don't
believe the winds were as high as claimed, and...whoever is handling the
boat is keeping it in the troughs, not attacking the waves at any sort
of angle.

Hey...get whatever boat that "floats" what you want to do. There's no
shortage of barely used sailboats around these days, and at pennies on
the dollar.

BTW, won't a decent trailer for that 26-footer run you at least $6,000?
I paid more than $3500 for the trailer under my current Parker.




--
The modern GOP is little more than an army of moral absolutists led by a
gang of moral nihilists.

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:59:28 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:



I was never impressed by Hunters. Â*I'd like to see a truly
dispassionate evaluation of the Mac26 quality but mention them on any
sailing site and you instantly get flamed.

Go here
http://macgregorsailors.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=9
All you want to know from owners.
They aren't afraid to admit the boat's limitations.

Aside from build quality and seaworthiness, a big issue is how easy is
it to launch. If it is too much of a PITA, our boating would get more
and more infrequent. I'd like to try one for a while including
trailering and setup and using her.

Think I saw on the site above a discussion about launching.
Recall one guy can launch and rig in less than 1/2 hour.
Launching is like any other boat, but then you have raise the mast.
Or maybe you do that before you launch.
Recall a couple cases of guys hitting their masts on tree branches or
something.

--Vic

On Jun 15, 5:49*pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:59:28 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch

wrote:

I was never impressed by Hunters. *I'd like to see a truly
dispassionate evaluation of the Mac26 quality but mention them on any
sailing site and you instantly get flamed.

Go herehttp://macgregorsailors.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=9
All you want to know from owners.
They aren't afraid to admit the boat's limitations.

Aside from build quality and seaworthiness, a big issue is how easy is
it to launch. *If it is too much of a PITA, our boating would get more
and more infrequent. *I'd like to try one for a while including
trailering and setup and using her.

Think I saw on the site above a discussion about launching.
Recall one guy can launch and rig in less than 1/2 hour.
Launching is like any other boat, but then you have raise the mast.
Or maybe you do that before you launch.
Recall a couple cases of guys hitting their masts on tree branches or
something.

--Vic

Vic:

What some people consider a PITA others consider to be nothing. I was
once shocked to hear my wife say she thought launching the Tolman to
be a PITA whereas I am really happy it is so simple compared to
putting sails away etc. You really cannot tell until you do it
several times.

Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 5:49 pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:59:28 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch

wrote:

I was never impressed by Hunters. I'd like to see a truly
dispassionate evaluation of the Mac26 quality but mention them on any
sailing site and you instantly get flamed.
Go herehttp://macgregorsailors.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=9
All you want to know from owners.
They aren't afraid to admit the boat's limitations.

Aside from build quality and seaworthiness, a big issue is how easy is
it to launch. If it is too much of a PITA, our boating would get more
and more infrequent. I'd like to try one for a while including
trailering and setup and using her.
Think I saw on the site above a discussion about launching.
Recall one guy can launch and rig in less than 1/2 hour.
Launching is like any other boat, but then you have raise the mast.
Or maybe you do that before you launch.
Recall a couple cases of guys hitting their masts on tree branches or
something.

--Vic

Vic:

What some people consider a PITA others consider to be nothing. I was
once shocked to hear my wife say she thought launching the Tolman to
be a PITA whereas I am really happy it is so simple compared to
putting sails away etc. You really cannot tell until you do it
several times.

It took me about 15 minutes to launch my 25' Parker singlehanded, and
that included parking the trailer after the boat was splashed. Wouldn't
you have to step the mast on that sailboat and tighten the shrouds? Or
do you have to fill the bilge with ballast water before you rig the
mast, so the boat doesn't blow over?




--
The modern GOP is little more than an army of moral absolutists led by a
gang of moral nihilists.

"Frogwatch" wrote in message
...
Took the Tolman out yesterday. Went far up the Ocklocknee River from
Ocklocknee River State park to where it looked like the river scenes
from Apocalypse Now. Side channels all over, swampy, muggy as hell
and gators everywhere. Stopped at an isolated landing way up there
and looked around.
Later, my wife remarked that although ti had been fun, she was bored
when I drove the boat for a long time and she did not like driving
it. She thinks she does a lot when we go sailing, in reality, she is
mostly an encumbrance when we sail but she thinks she helps.
This got me thinking about the two forms of boating and realized they
have entirely different motives. Sailing is ussually about the act of
boating, ie the actual sailing whereas powerboating is mostly about
using the boat to go places. We go sailing for a day without going
anywhere, just back and forth across Apalachee Bay or just out-as-far-
as-we-can-go. We always use the powerboat to go someplace cool (ok,
in this case really hot).
If I had to choose one over the other, I do not know which it would be.


No doubt in my mind.
Trouble is, a minimal crew is needed for any kind of a sailboat.

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Frogwatch" wrote in message
...
Took the Tolman out yesterday. Went far up the Ocklocknee River from
Ocklocknee River State park to where it looked like the river scenes
from Apocalypse Now. Side channels all over, swampy, muggy as hell
and gators everywhere. Stopped at an isolated landing way up there
and looked around.
Later, my wife remarked that although ti had been fun, she was bored
when I drove the boat for a long time and she did not like driving
it. She thinks she does a lot when we go sailing, in reality, she is
mostly an encumbrance when we sail but she thinks she helps.
This got me thinking about the two forms of boating and realized they
have entirely different motives. Sailing is ussually about the act of
boating, ie the actual sailing whereas powerboating is mostly about
using the boat to go places. We go sailing for a day without going
anywhere, just back and forth across Apalachee Bay or just out-as-far-
as-we-can-go. We always use the powerboat to go someplace cool (ok,
in this case really hot).
If I had to choose one over the other, I do not know which it would be.


No doubt in my mind.
Trouble is, a minimal crew is needed for any kind of a sailboat.


Yup, a crew of at least one.

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:39:41 -0700, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Don White" wrote in message
. ..

No doubt in my mind.
Trouble is, a minimal crew is needed for any kind of a sailboat.


Yup, a crew of at least one.

Not even. My sailboat would continue along just fine if I fell off
while singlehanding.

Steve wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:39:41 -0700, "Calif Bill"
wrote:

"Don White" wrote in message
...
No doubt in my mind.
Trouble is, a minimal crew is needed for any kind of a sailboat.

Yup, a crew of at least one.

Not even. My sailboat would continue along just fine if I fell off
while singlehanding.

Do you have wheel steering?

"jim 0010" wrote in message
...
Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 4:48 pm, HK wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 3:54 pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:40:20 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:
Took the Tolman out yesterday. Went far up the Ocklocknee River from
Ocklocknee River State park to where it looked like the river scenes
from Apocalypse Now. Side channels all over, swampy, muggy as hell
and gators everywhere. Stopped at an isolated landing way up there
and looked around.
Later, my wife remarked that although ti had been fun, she was bored
when I drove the boat for a long time and she did not like driving
it. She thinks she does a lot when we go sailing, in reality, she is
mostly an encumbrance when we sail but she thinks she helps.
This got me thinking about the two forms of boating and realized they
have entirely different motives. Sailing is ussually about the act
of
boating, ie the actual sailing whereas powerboating is mostly about
using the boat to go places. We go sailing for a day without going
anywhere, just back and forth across Apalachee Bay or just
out-as-far-
as-we-can-go. We always use the powerboat to go someplace cool (ok,
in this case really hot).
If I had to choose one over the other, I do not know which it would
be.
What you've said is probably a good reason the Mac 26 is so popular.
--Vic
I believe that boats like the Mac 26 are the future of sailboat
sales. When you consider the cost of keeping a boat in a slip, few
young couples can afford it. The Mac26 makes having a reasonable
sized boat affordable.
I will also argue that if used as intended, the Mac26 is probably
safer than most other sailboats because she can quickly get back to
port when it gets nasty out there. Her trailerability makes her far
more useful than most heavy boats.
Unfortunately, Macgregor has reputation for poor quality due to their
old line of Venture boats. I do not know how their reputation for
quality is right now.
A decently built sailboat of that size and style sells for twice as much
as the Mac, and I'm not talking top-drawer, either - just ordinary
construction, like, say, a 27' Hunter.

--
The modern GOP is little more than an army of moral absolutists led by a
gang of moral nihilists.

I was never impressed by Hunters. I'd like to see a truly
dispassionate evaluation of the Mac26 quality but mention them on any
sailing site and you instantly get flamed.

Hunters are nice light air sailors. But they will test your metal in
anything over 20 kts. I set out to buy a venture 23 but ended up with a
Hunter 25 instead. That was my last sailboat before I switched to power
and I never looked back.

From the models I've been on (22, 27, 36) I think Hunter is the best
moderately priced manufacturer for interior layouts (great use of space) and
are great for in and near shore. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to take a 27
to the Bahamas unless the weather was crap and who'd want to go then anyway?

On Jun 15, 5:43*pm, HK wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 4:56 pm, Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 4:48 pm, HK wrote:

Frogwatch wrote:
On Jun 15, 3:54 pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:40:20 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:
Took the Tolman out yesterday. *Went far up the Ocklocknee River from
Ocklocknee River State park to where it looked like the river scenes
from Apocalypse Now. *Side channels all over, swampy, muggy as hell
and gators everywhere. *Stopped at an isolated landing way up there
and looked around.
Later, my wife remarked that although ti had been fun, she was bored
when I drove the boat for a long time and she did not like driving
it. *She thinks she does a lot when we go sailing, in reality, she is
mostly an encumbrance when we sail but she thinks she helps.
This got me thinking about the two forms of boating and realized they
have entirely different motives. *Sailing is ussually about the act of
boating, ie the actual sailing whereas powerboating is mostly about
using the boat to go places. *We go sailing for a day without going
anywhere, just back and forth across Apalachee Bay or just out-as-far-
as-we-can-go. *We always use the powerboat to go someplace cool (ok,
in this case really hot).
If I had to choose one over the other, I do not know which it would be.
What you've said is probably a good reason the Mac 26 is so popular..
--Vic
I believe that boats like the Mac 26 are the future of sailboat
sales. *When you consider the cost of keeping a boat in a slip, few
young couples can afford it. *The Mac26 makes having a reasonable
sized boat affordable.
I will also argue that if used as intended, the Mac26 is probably
safer than most other sailboats because she can quickly get back to
port when it gets nasty out there. *Her trailerability makes her far
more useful than most heavy boats.
Unfortunately, Macgregor has reputation for poor quality due to their
old line of Venture boats. *I do not know how their reputation for
quality is right now.
A decently built sailboat of that size and style sells for twice as much
as the Mac, and I'm not talking top-drawer, either - just ordinary
construction, like, say, a 27' Hunter.
--
The modern GOP is little more than an army of moral absolutists led by a
gang of moral nihilists.
I was never impressed by Hunters. *I'd like to see a truly
dispassionate evaluation of the Mac26 quality but mention them on any
sailing site and you instantly get flamed.

Aside from build quality and seaworthiness, a big issue is how easy is
it to launch. *If it is too much of a PITA, our boating would get more
and more infrequent. *I'd like to try one for a while including
trailering and setup and using her.

So, visit a dealer and ask for a demo. There's a video on the Mac site
that shows the boat purportedly "handing" gale force winds, but I don't
believe the winds were as high as claimed, and...whoever is handling the
boat is keeping it in the troughs, not attacking the waves at any sort
of angle.

First of all, what is "handing" gale force winds? Secondly, if you
meant handling, it did so. He was on top of them often. Once again,
because you don't like them, they are not worth anyone owning. WAFA