Most unsafe boat on the water?

ChrisNorton · Post by **ChrisNorton** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:12 am

Got a really make-you-mad story.

So my boat is still parked on the marina lot waiting for me to finish all the pre-season work I need to do before it goes in the water. As has been typical up here in New England, every weekend it has rained, yesterday (Sunday) was no exception so I couldn't do any outside work.

So I was huddled up inside the cabin with the hatch closed staying dry and working on some wiring when I hear two guys walk up to the huge racing sailboat parked next to me (which is for sale.) They are two typical middle-aged Fairfield County-ers with too much time and way too much money on their hands.

After they finish debating the merits of the huge racing sailboat, they take notice of my Mac but don't realize I am inside it. With the mast off my boat, the one guys wonders out loud what kind of boat this is. The other Mr. Know-it-all chimes in with "This is one of those piece of crap Macgregor's. It's the most unsafe boat on the water." At first I had a mind to pop my head out and say something but before I can, the second guy continues to compare the features of the Mac to the $900,000 racing boat next to me.

The next moment, he says the fiberglass on the boat is as useful as an aluminum foil hull and actually kicks the side of my boat to prove a point!!!!! Not that hard but hard enough to leave a mark on the hull I had just compounded and waxed the week before.

I was absolutely flabergasted so I throw open the hatch and ask the guy what the hull is he doing? They were both totally taken aback. The first guy(the non-kicker) just turns around and walks away all panicky leaving the other guy there staring at me. He starts apologizing to me as I get down to inspect what he did. Sure enough, there is a dirt mark and some scratches where he kicked the boat. He then tries to tell me it was already there and it is just cosmetic.

I stared at him is utter disbelief deciding whether to punch the guy out, demand he re-compound my boat or get the yard security. Thankfully, my better instincts took over and I walked over to the yard office and told them what happened. They came over, rounded up the two guys before they could get back to their car, and inspected the damage. In honestly, it was something you could rub out in 30 seconds but I was quite upset. Turns out these guys don't even own a boat, had no business in the marina, and were just cruising around looking at boats.

In the end, the marina guy pulled me aside and asked me what I wanted to do (call the police, etc.) I told him I just wanted my boat repaired. He apologized that the marina securty weren't at the entry gate so these guys could get it and they promised me they would compound out the scratch and re-wax my entire boat for free. They also upgraded my 2 free berthing nights card at their other marinas for a 6 night card. They took down the guys names and let them go. After it was all over I actually wish I would have had the police come.

Can you believe people would do something like this? It makes me wonder what happens to my boat when I am not around. And what do you think about this comment that the Mac is the most unsafe boat on the water? At first I wanted to debate the guy about this comment before he ended up kicking my boat. Then I just wanted to punch him out.

Now I understand the mindset of the powerboating dopes who cut past me when sailing 20 feet off my bow going 30 mph in 40 foot cruisers. It's guys like this!!!

Mark Prouty · Post by **Mark Prouty** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:29 am

I understand your anger. We have a fellow who is a member of this board. He was getting bashed on a SailingAnarchy thread and reveling it. He then proudly posted the URL to this SailingAnarcy thread here. Up till I saw that thread, I was living in ignorant bliss. I couldn't believe how nasty SAILORS got when discussing the Mac. I let it go. Screw em. I love my boat and that's what matters.

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:47 am

I agree with Mark, who cares what others think. The Mac is an AWESOME boat. The ignorance of the guys looking at your Mac is obvious. It is easy to judge when you haven't walked in another man's shoes, or sailed in another man's boat.

Sounds like your coolheadedness paid off, upgraded stays and a free wax job! Again, anyone that judges a Mac, should own one first, otherwise, HOW would they know what kind of boat it really is.

nuff said...

Steve

P.S. For every person that dis's a Mac, there are five others wishing they had one!

DLT · Post by **DLT** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:48 am

Would you believe I actually had a "real sailor" come up to me the other day and tell me I couldn't pull the kids in a tube, because the lake was for "sailors"...

Now, keep in mind this is the same guy I see every weekend working on his boat in dry storage, while I'm lauching aand recovering my boat for a day on the water...

Yeah, these kinds of people can kiss my a**...

They can talk all the smak they want; but, let me catch someone actually touching my boat... They will be asking for the police... At the very least, I'll go Drill Seargant on him...

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:56 am

When coming back from a test sail with the previous owner before buying our 26X, we passed a "normal" sailboat coming the other way down the bayou with a couple of guys on board. As we passed and waved, one of them shouted, "get a REAL sailboat!"

The P.O. (probably worried that we'd change our mind about buying the boat due to the remark) said afterwards that he thought the insulter may have been a marina neighbor from when he used to keep the boat in a slip, and that the comment was made in jest. Maybe, but I didn't think so.

Didn't really matter... from reading on various forums and newsgroups, I was already aware that many "traditional" sailors look down on the 26X, and some keelboat snob's nasty comment wasn't going to change my mind.

It was, however, disappointing to experience this sort of behavior in person. I guess I had (and still do) a "we're all one big happy family" attitude when it comes to other boaters, whether power or sail, classic or contemporary. Heck, I don't even hate jetskis!

--Mike

Randy Smith · Post by **Randy Smith** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:04 am

Welcome to boating. For as many good experiences you'll have, there will be a few really bad. Compared to the million dollar yacht, the Mac is a peice of crap.....but for the Mac user, our mindset, our needs and usually our budgets, the Mac is the perfect boat. Those guys were ignorant and arrogant, a dangerous combination!!!!! You handled it right and punching them out would have worked against you, even though it would have felt better.
This weekend I had a long discussion with a fellow who owns a Seaward. Great boat. But, not that great. A few years ago he was really down on the Mac....obvious disdain. This weekend he was telling me the short comings of his boat and for how much money he spent, it isn't that much better than the Mac...still better, but not that much. His hull speed is 5.3, He envies the X and potential for speed...I was pleased he thought the Mac was in his catagory...all, in all.....I like my boat and that is what matters, heck with those guys!!!!

Randy

richandlori · Post by **richandlori** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:08 am

sad world!

ChrisNorton · Post by **ChrisNorton** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:18 am

I do love my boat. I couldn't afford anything else anyway but having had boats (big and small) in my family my whole life, I can say the Mac is a great boat and a great deal.

Your comments remind me of something that happened at the gas dock two seasons ago. I had filled up and was paying. At the same time, a guy with one of those half million dollar cruising trawlers was paying for his gas. My bill was $32. His was $1100!!!!!!!

He looked at me and said I wish I had your boat. I thought he was just kidding until he told me his boat was for sale. He had enough of the costs and maintenance. I'm sure he wasn't going to go out and buy a Mac but it did make me appreciate what I had, how economical it was and how much fun I was having with it without spending the kids college education away.

RandyMoon · Post by **RandyMoon** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:23 am

Making fun of someone's Mac is like saying something insulting about their spouse.

Maybe we need to start compiling a top 10 list of the great comebacks when someone insults your Mac.

Rich Smith · Post by **Rich Smith** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:34 am

I've had a couple people (typically racers) make negative comments about my

but I don't really let that bother me...

I get out on my Mac about 3 times a week, and I can singlehand her without any problems. When something breaks, it's usually straight forward enough that I can fix it myself without having to put it out of comission for weeks at a time...

Besides, I've had a lot more people comment on what a clever boat the

is and how it would be great for taking on vacations etc.

My favourite comments to the racing types is that I'll never beat them in a race but I'll beat them back to the clubhouse for a beer every time!

Andy26M · Post by **Andy26M** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:46 am

For far too many of our fellow citizens, the only source of "knowledge" about a topic is what they see or hear in the press - whether it be newspaper or TV. Most people have no real clue about how far "editorial tendencies" can take a story from what is strictly "true", although the major retractions that a few of the biggies have had to make over the past year are starting to crack the veneer for observant folks.

Many folks, therefore, know nothing about the MacGregor 26's other than the story about the idiot on Lake Champlain who killed a few little kids on the 4th of July. Hence the "most unsafe boat" comments.

For my own part, my experiences so far have been refreshingly positive. I've had a similar experience to the one above, where I was ogling the Beneteau 38 across the dock from ours, only to be blown away when the owner said he "wished he had been more practical and bought a boat like mine" - he then noted how I could just up and get underway anytime I wanted, and how easy it was for me to maneuver into the docks. I've also had a Coast Guard inspector give me a courtesy "inspection" while I was rigging one day, and he opined afterward how impressed he was with the boat - this coming from someone who inspects hundreds of local yachts a year. Once, while trailering, I had a guy wave to me at a stop light and ask if I was stopping soon - I agreed to stop at a rest area, so he followed me just to look at my boat and tell me how he wanted one in the worst way.

I've never had anyone say anything negative to me about it, yet.

- AndyS

RandyMoon · Post by **RandyMoon** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:57 am

Luckily, in the sailing club I am in, there are 4 Macs and 5 Hunters so our type of boat is not a rarity. All in all, the 200+ people in our club love sailing more than about anything and insulting other people's boats does not happen.

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Mon May 23, 2005 10:17 am

Hello:
My wife and I have always gotten good comments about the boat. Once while recovering it at a ramp two gentlemen were sitting on a bench watching the usually hectic launch ramp fun. As the wife and I pulled up past them I heard one say to the other "I think we have to give them an A." The simplicity of launch and recover of the mac was obvious to them. Everyone we meet in the San Juans is curious and complimentary. No one has ever said a bad thing about it on the Columbia. It is the obvious choice for the river.

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com