Bad Mouthing the MacGregor

[Barnacle Jim]

Ahoy,

You've heard the comments, even if you are new to the MacGregor as I am.

"That's not a real sailboat. Nothing but a Clorox bottle with a big motor on it."
The next comment follows almost predictably:
"The MacGregor is not a real powerboat, at least a good one; the boat has a sail on it."

If you're like I am, you might be thinking that someone has a broken rudder here, and maybe a broken record as well.
The comments seem to be going circles, playing the same tune again and again.

The MacGregor cannot be a good sailboat because she is a powerboat;
The MacGregor cannot be be a good powerboat because she is a sailboat.

It sounds a lot like a big Mac attack to me, and maybe indigestion as well.
It almost makes me want to ask, "What boats have you built?'
Besides, you can eat a Big Mac aboard a MacGregor and have your fries and maybe a coke,too if you wish.
To paraphrase Jimmy Buffett: Cheeseburger in Paradise, Matie.
Some Mac sailors have sailed her to the Keys, and the Bahamas, and Lake Jackson in the Tetons.
Argh!

Someone needs to put down the rum for a moment.
If you want to argue that only the fastest powerboat is a powerboat, what happens to the rest of the powerboats?
Do you just want to sink them? The same reasoning, of course, would apply to a sailboat.
It's not speed. The designer did not simply put a sail on a powerboat.
The power is there to get us out so we can spend more time sailing.
If in the meantime, you want to pull someone behind on a water ski, I guess you can.

The design is a versatile one.
A lot of people have bought these boats.
A lot of people have sailed these boats.
A lot of people have had a lot of fun with these boats.

If you don't like the MacGregor versatility, well, that's OK.
Maybe you'll like broccoli.

Once we acquire our own MacGregorX (if the good Lord wills), you can come and sail with us.
Welcome aboard.
Miss Pat may even serve us both broccoli. Who knows?

[seahouse]

Hey Jim!

The Mac is the fastest sailboat under power,
and the fastest powerboat under sail.

Another broken record here.

[Freedom77]

We Mac owners have all suffered the slings and arrows of snobby slip locked deep keel boats. Next time ask them when was last time they went more than a hundred miles from their slip. Ask them how much they're paying a month for a piece of the marina. WE have been as far south as Baja, Cal and as far north as the San Juans in Canada and as far east as Utah and all points in between. So there ya snob s.. of a b....! I'm jus' sayin'. Fair Winds and Full Sails...Old Salt.

[Gazmn]

"Have A Nice Day "

Would be my reply 'cause there's nothing to talk about, with a person who feels that way

Next step is to kick 'em in the Balls ...



It's about as smart as someone calling your mate "ugly"...

It's personal. & they don't have to sleep with her. So why get personal...
Unless you want a kick in the balls.

[robbarnes1965]

I've found some of the snobs stop laughing after they've had a chance to sail one. It's not going to be the fastest under sail but it's really good at certain things. We have really veritable water levels around Montreal where I sail most and there are times a lot of the snobs can't sail because their keels are stuck in the mud... Take it anyway you want

Rob

[zoneboy]

They're not horribly slower than similar sized sailboats are they? I've been admiring the for a while now, and wouldn't mind giving up a knot or two in speed for all of the conveniences you get in return.

[Québec 1]

I like to mention that my best speed under sail is 10.9 knots and under motor 18 mph. That I wanted a sailboat that my kids could water ski on..... that price was no option.........and that every boat is a compromise.
And when they ask me at what marina I keep my boat ...I explain this

The neighbours seem to like my mast up storage and when I have to give instructions to people I just give them my street name and tell them to look for a sailboat
Q1

[yukonbob]

Had a 30 foot something cabin cruiser drop sails two to three miles out and power up off the port side 4-500 yrds (very sneaky) then hoist the sails again and ride along beside us (under sail) as if he'd caught us. Then slowly but surely we pulled ahead until the winds became too light and too varied so down our sails went and boom! 15 knts cruising to check the pots then back to harbour cover sails, pull hardware and getting in the truck to leave before he got back! So HA HA HA! Obviously they were very jealous

[seahouse]

I just don't get that.

Am I the silent majority maybe (?) (up until now), but I just don't get that attitude at all, not once.

I had mine slipped all last season, and not one person has ever said anything other than good things and compliments to me/us. Passersby at the dock often comment (positively) on the boat and its styling.

And I do socialize regularly with other sailor/boaters in the three local clubs, many of whom have a much higher investment (and income!) than mine, are racers, but I just haven't seen that attitude at all. I have been looking for it, too.

I am at a loss. Maybe I'm just numb to that. (?)

- Brian.

[yukonbob]

I do hear it, but it doesn't bother me one f'n bit. I do get questions from other sailors, usually curious about the speed under power. Always more questions from the power boaters and always about fuel consumption. There are always those who have nothing good to say about any other boat (or anything else for that matter) other than theirs and they seem to be the ones that everyone on the dock can identify their boat, but have no idea what the owner looks like. I know half the harbour and they know me, and that's part of boating, and I know anyone of them would come out and help me if I was in need, and I would gladly do the same. I have also noticed the people who have the most bad things to say about macs don't even or have ever even owned a boat larger than a canoe.

[capt grumpypants]

I've been on 3 sailboats in my time, a daysailer, a colgate 26, and a 36-40 foot keelboat. Each one felt different and served different types of sailing. On the 17th the first mate and I wil test sail a , and I expect it to feel different again.

On paper the Macgregor has the features and performance we are looking for as we 'mess about on a boat'. I hope experience will match that expectation.

That being said I have noted slight distain between racers and cruisers, and some attitude between sailors and power boaters. Me, I'll settle for the plod along category, but don't get me started on jetskis!

Fair Winds

James, and Theo

[Gater Dunn]

Wow a jetski with a sail. Hey Roger.......

[MacTommy]

When and owners also talk down to each other, what can you expect from the rest of the world?

[Catigale]

owners talk BACK to the s, especially the blue ones...

Don flame suit....

[Ixneigh]

Here in my salty anchorage there was the expected "well it's not for ME" comments.

My background in having owned several "real" boats helps me because people know that I didn't get the boat thinking I was buying something else. It's not my first boat. If the deep keelers want to start getting disdainful I can talk about my beautiful yawl that has an impeccable pedigree, and would most likely clobber Thier boat in speed, class, and looks. Ohhh yea real boats, I used to have one of those. Can't park it on the flats and hop out to run the dogs though, and I couldn't store it in my yard if I need to be away for a few months.
That shuts them up every time.
I can assure you, that anyone who is a genuine sailor will not bad mouth the macgregor. In fact it should serve as a test of sailorlyness. People who actually sail know that there are boats for different reasons and can appreciate them all. Clunky leeboarded scows for swamps, giant sleds with impossibly thin keels that need to be checked by an engineer after even a slight grounding. Short rigged salty double enders with wood carvings and teak decks. Lightly built trailor boats with lots of room and water ballast.

Love em all. They all get someone out under sail, and that's the important part. ESP. In this day and age.

Ixneigh