Looking to buy this year

[ualpow]

I have been reading and researching sailboats for 6 years now. My financial means finally allow for a purchase of an under 25000 setup.
I first have to thank Tangentair for taking me out on his Mac in 2008 it was fun. I am undecided between getting a trailerable or a larger cruiser and a slip.
I would be sailing on Lake Michigan out of Jackson Harbor most likely. We have eight year old twins and a seven year old and I am not sure if the Mac would be large enough for us.
I have a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan 4.0L that has a tow rating of 3800lbs and would only be towing flat terrain no more than 100 miles. Does anyone here keep their Mac in a slip? That seems like a good compromise between ease of use and being able to drag it out to a new cruising destination. Another part of me says to get a 28-30ft cruiser that is more stable and keep it in a slip. I know these decisions can ultimately only be decided by me personally but I would like any input you may have. Especially those who sail Chicago area waterways.

[K9Kampers]

...We have eight year old twins and a seven year old and I am not sure if the Mac would be large enough for us...

Check out Duane Dunn's website for reference on that!

[Russ]

Lots to consider.

We slip our Mac because it's so nice to get down there and going without all the launch/setup/waiting at the ramp hassles. We also don't really desire to trailer it to far off places so it works for us. Others really enjoy the Mac's ability to take it to other places. We still have that option and we might do that in the future.

Your vehicle will tow the Mac fine as you described.

As for room, the Mac is one of the largest interiors for it's size and trailerablity. There's no other sail boat that I know of in this class/price range with as much room. With that said, space is a personal thing. As mentioned, Duane Dunn has a large crew and has this down to a science. I'm not sure I could do it with that many aboard. It all depends on how comfortable you are in tight spaces together.
However, a 28-30' boat isn't going to give you that much more room and it will be stuck in the slip all the time. You can't bring it home and work on it unless you have a serious tow beast and a lot of trailer.

You have the benefit of having been on a Mac and know how it feels. It's a tender boat and many get freaked out by the initial tipyness of it. It's a very safe boat, but this attribute is a hard adjustment for some coming from heavy keel boats.

Also ask yourself what you like about boating. The Mac is not for pure sailors or those who want a fast powerboat. For those like us who simply enjoy being on the water and don't care about performance, the Mac is ideal. Our family enjoys the peace of floating on the water without the need for noisy engines and the option to have some power to get out of a place in a hurry.

This forum is full of great folks with advise. It was this forum that made me decide to buy a Mac without ever stepping foot on one. This many happy owners can't be wrong.

--Russ

[ualpow]

The more I read about other sailboats the more I end up leaning towards the 26M. I'm not looking for the purist sailing experience, just to be on the water with nothing but the wind moving me. Now the kids would get bored with this in 10min so I either need two boats or the Mac. I read so much about how "it doesn't sail well" and "it's a half A@# powerboat" But those complaints are never from a Mac owner. I've made up my mind, I'm getting a Mac26. Now to find one in my budget with a 90hp, bimini, dodger, grill..........lol

[March]

Add a dinghy that the kids can push around and jump from. Cool vests (the ones with striking inscriptions) so you can doze off when the kids are in the water. An electric cooler for cold pop. A laptop with a DVD drive toy watch some movies below deck. A Magma grill with a stone platter for quick pizza to go. Second hand fishing rods for everyone. Pump them up for the experience of camping on the water. The kids will last longer than 10 minutes.

[rfrye94760]

... so you can doze off when the kids are in the water...

Dude, his kids are 7 and 8 years old. If dozing off while your young children are in the water is an option for you, I'll be nominating you for next season's Darwin Award.

[March]

Spoken like a true, sanctimonious zealot. You're right, better keep them kids in a Petri dish at home.

[ualpow]

rfrye94760, I see your from Roselle and have your boat in Racine. I'm still trying to find a marina to base out of, how do you like Racine? Do you ever trailer your Mac or does it stay there all the time?

[tompolak]

Both rfrye94760 and I are at Gaslight pointe marina in Racine.

I can't speak for him, but I really like the marina. As you can see I have an X, I find it much easier to slip the boat in the summer and then store it at home during the winter. If I could not take my boat home on a trailer it would cost me about 500-800 per year for storage at a marina. Gas light pointe is the cheapest around, that you do not have to wait for a bridge. http://www.gaslightpointemarina.com/

The first year we had the boat we trailered it around. It was a pain. You would spend about 1 - 1.5 hours rigging it (I got faster the more I did it, but it still took a while) and then another 45 -60 minutes at the end of the day to put it back...... Then you would still have the drive home. That made for some really long days. The other option I considered was mast up storage in Milwaukee, but I am glad I got the slip.

[Catigale]

I didnt realise you could get trapped on United....

Ive gone 8 days on anchor with this crew on my - with practice, you can easily accomodate your family

[NiceAft]

ualpow said:

I read so much about how "it doesn't sail well" and "it's a half A@# powerboat" But those complaints are never from a Mac owner. I've made up my mind, I'm getting a Mac26.

I could not agree more When I was looking, my eureka moment was when I realized that very thought

The first season we had the boat, we launched at a ramp. Between the hour and a half rigging time, putting up with rude people at the ramp, again when we returned, and another hour and a half de-rigging, the Admiral said we either get a slip, or get rid of the boat a slip it was This will be our seventh season, and I have never regretted the slip. If it is in your budget, it enhances a boaters life. You can still take the boat out to trailer where ever you wish, but while in the slip, just stepping off the dock into a fully rigged Mac is one of lifes luxuries. At least I think so


Ray

[yukonbob]

Our last big trip was me the missus two medium sized dogs food for a dozen days, gear, booze, 470 miles, four inches of freeboard at launch...oh this is a 16 ft canoe by the way The mac has plenty of room.

[vkmaynard]

The 90 made a big difference in usability for the kids. The youngest likes to sail and wakeboard.

[Hamin' X]

!

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[WD]

not to hijack this post but that is a really nice picture Catigale, it just looks very natural and looks like the crew is all having fun.

having said that i am so glad i'm not you!! boys are so much easier lol


cheers