As I mentioned before, all these openings on the keel "trunk" are in theory above the water line always. Add in the design of older Macs to hydroplane on top of the water (trust me with enough wind and sail they do!) the pivot bolt and lock down bolt hole, along with the cable hole should ...

I am NOT an expert on Mac 21's but I do own one and it has the typical "tube" where the cable runs up to the brake winch. When I had a Venture 23 (older Mac) I had the same tube, but it was routed to the winch inside the cabin...not into the cockpit. They say a picture is worth a thousand ...

Sounds like a great winter list! I have a Mac 21 in the same weight range as yours and sail in the Great Lakes. I have a 4hp motor which is plenty to "power" it thru anything. As mentioned, stopping with unfavorable winds while heading toward very expensive "newer" boats can be i...

... Is your keel sealed in epoxy?. In my year Mac 21, the keel is solid cast iron. On my fresh water boat, this left a small amount of rust visible where the paint had been rubbed off over the years. My thought on the fix, was to sandblast clean at local body shop, then coat with epoxy (Raka) and W...

Hello and congratulations on the Mac 25 purchase! The time between my last Mac (Venture 23) and my current one was about 15 years or so. In both cases, the keel "moved" a bit in the trunk and yes the keel hold down bolt stabilizes some of the movement (keel only moves side to side....not f...

Sounds Like your well on the way! The easiest source for your keel bolt is Blue Water Yachts! They have a complete kit for around $25 or so as I recall. I almost went that way, but my rubber washers and conical washers were fine, so I bought a 5/8" stainless bolt from a bolt a hardware supplier...

Jeremy, Sounds like you need one of our N.C. or Southern Mac owners to give you some guidance about great "Southern" locations! I've had limited exposure on that coast, but hope to someday spend some sailing time there. The Gulf Coast was nice when I was young, but you always had to sail a...

Sail In the Great Lakes! Fresh water.....easy to wash your dishes...use the lake! Easy to shower if you are at anchor...jump in...fresh water! More places than you could ever want to see and go! How about you drag your boat 10 hours North, by my house, I'll ride with you to Sault Ste Marie, Michigan...

Hello and Welcome to the forum! I'm another classic MacGregor owner, who loves to tinker with them as a pure sailing fun machine. While my current Mac is a toy and fits inside the garage, I have owned other classic MacGregors and spent 7 seasons sailing on Lake Superior (I was off all summer so spen...

Welcome Scott! I sailed up your way in a full keeled sailboat about 8 years ago and truly enjoyed it. I spent 5 days fogged in at Thompson Island that lovely place just off your bay. I left when the coffee ran out :) Congratulations on your new boat, and if you need something specific, look around t...

Hello Jburt...welcome! So....there is one rope that runs from the hole in the front of the lower rudder section, thru the cleat on the upper section to the hole in the back. If you look at this picture http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?viewimg=3780 it should show the rope on the lower s...

Should have mentioned the blocks were a bad idea :? I made my supports out of 6X6's both front and back, again they looked like the worlds toughest saw horses. I even left the boat in the strap sling in the garage in the 6X6 overhead lift point. More safety is always better! I liked the series of pi...

Congratulations on The Mac 22! I just finished a rework of my keel in a Mac 21. I surfed the web a bit (including this site) then built a cradle used a car jack and set it down. Mounted some wheels on the cradle then took it to a local body shop for sandblasting.....cost $100. If you were closer, I ...

My current boat came with modified aluminm pole as a boom AND a sail from an O'Day 20 which was at least 2 feet to long. So since like you I'm over 6' and needed more head room I shortened the sail. Local sail loft cut off 2 feet (for about $100), I moved the boom higher and now it clears me when it...

Hello Stone Love! I’ll start with I have a Mac21 and while I could install and move a traveler toward the companionway hatch, I have found this arraignment very BAD on previous sailboats. It ends up always being in your way. Yes the sailing purist’s will tell you by pulling down on your mast mid-boo...