First day actually sailing! And some questions for the old timers

[Highlander]

yep no honor among thieves now !

If they want it & cant have it ! then it,s their,s by entitlement because u r accused of just taking it without their permission even tho it was never theirs in the first place !

if it was their,s at onetime & they lost it due to legal process then they accuse u of stealing it !

I,d b a little more concerned than them just stealing ur spot at the boat ramp !

It,s Dog eats Dog amongst themselves ! as they fight to b king of the Lion,s den !

In the mean time I just show up with my Claymore sword in hand

OK as I,m not suppose to b promoting violence on this site I,ll go with this

excuse me ! but i think u might B jumping the que
J

[dustoff]

Okay. I’ve had my Mac for 11 years and I’ve tried various ways of setting up easy access for 6 month seasons on the Chesapeake. The most convenient, safe, and most cost effective way is to find a marina with a ramp that is within close proximity to the hard stand storage area and has no vertical hazards between dry storage and the ramp. Also has fresh water access in the hard stand area (even if you have to bring your own hoses). Having electricity to do repairs and run a trickle charger is a bonus too. You can keep your boat fully rigged, on the trailer, and ready to go on a moment’s notice. The cost of dry storage during the sailing season is a fraction of a slip. I was getting a spot for $80 a month. It’s actually quicker and easier to launch a fully rigged mac26m from a ramp than from a non-floating piling slip. You don’t have too much worry about theft if the marina/storage has some restricted access. You don’t have to worry about bottom fouling either. Once you get the technique down for launching your boat, You’ll want to do it solo rather than have anyone help you. I’ve had expensive floating dock slips, cheaper piling slips, and kept it de-rigged at my home waiting for the perfect Saturdays. This system is the absolutely second best setup. My current setup (the absolute best) is probably something not easily replicated. I made a friend with a waterfront house and dock who lets me use a spare boat lift. .

[returnofthemac]

I'm actually just going ahead and getting a slip. I considered the valet service, but wouldn't want to rig the boat in the water. I also thought about storing it at the marina rigged with the mast raised, but the marinas near me that offer that have less than perfect docks. And that doesn't really solve the problem.

Why is it so difficult for a marina to build a good dock? It's one of the few things they're supposed to provide

After deciding to go for a slip, I wondered if it was then a mistake to have gotten a MacGregor. One of the reasons I got it was for the trailer. If I was going for as slip, I could have gotten a Catalina or Hunter for half the price! But then I realized I have a boat that needs nothing. It's reliable, clean, has a ton of space, and has a nice motor. I'm very happy with a Mac!

[NiceAft]

returnofthemac said:

then I realized I have a boat that needs nothing. It's reliable, clean, has a ton of space, and has a nice motor. I'm very happy with a Mac!

You came to your senses eh.

[Starscream]

I'm actually just going ahead and getting a slip. I considered the valet service, but wouldn't want to rig the boat in the water. I also thought about storing it at the marina rigged with the mast raised, but the marinas near me that offer that have less than perfect docks. And that doesn't really solve the problem.

Why is it so difficult for a marina to build a good dock? It's one of the few things they're supposed to provide

After deciding to go for a slip, I wondered if it was then a mistake to have gotten a MacGregor. One of the reasons I got it was for the trailer. If I was going for as slip, I could have gotten a Catalina or Hunter for half the price! But then I realized I have a boat that needs nothing. It's reliable, clean, has a ton of space, and has a nice motor. I'm very happy with a Mac!

For us, the combination of a slip in a marina and a trailer is the perfect one.

Most of the year our 26X lives in a slip, and we can jump on and go for a trip at a moment's notice. A trip could be a daysail, or a blast out to the sandbar for a swim, or a sail to a waterside restaurant, or an overnight trip to a nearby beach, or whatever. Then, about three or four times per summer, we trailer up and head out to explore new cruising grounds, usually Lake Champlain in NY/Vermont or the 1000 islands in NY/Ontario, but we have explored Lac Simon and Reservoir Baskatong in QC as well. We have even used the Mac as a camper and had some land-based adventures.

The majority of the boats in our marina can't visit the sandbar because of their draft, can't visit the beaches because of their mast height and bridges, can't visit the restaurant because of the distance, and can't visit any of the distant destinations because they aren't trailerable, and often can't even leave the marina because they are under (expensive) repair. And yet, I'M the nutcase for owning a Macgregor???

[pitchpolehobie]

Having the MacGregor at a dock slip while you're starting is very valuable. You can go sail in good weather windows, do work easily in favorable conditions and don't have to suffer raising and lowering the mast worrying about rigging all the time.