You Yours wrote:The Marina evicted the boat and their occupants, but not before they retaliated on the old man by sticking the dock hose in his forward hatch vent. You bet, it was down on the bottom when he returned, and so were the undesirables. We all felt bad for the neighbor, and the whole marina took up a collection to help with this losses.
OMG, that is just plain heartbreaking. It was nice of all of you to help him out though. I could think of some interesting ways to punish those little vermin.
Like our next door neighbor said; "That's why they make chocolate and vanilla".
Personally, we plan to own a Gemini 105Mc 34' catamaran in the next 5 year (chartered one for a week on the Chesapeake). Due to several investments, we bought a 2001 26X in great condition and so far are very happy with all it does (nothing great). Mainly we just wanted to get out on the water to do some sailing, camping and throw the power on when the kids get board.
I think it is well designed, solid boat for what most people do with boats (lake and bay sailing). I would never look down on anyone's boat. If they are happy with it great! Beats sitting on the shore weakened after weekend.
The Macgregor 26X is a great boat. Don't let any one of the morons out there tell ya different.
There are lots of shoals around where I sail. I cannot tell ya how many times I've seen "real sailboats" run aground, or moored far away from where they would like to be.
meanwhile I can sail across places that flats boats dare not go.
I can afford a "better boat", problem is there is not a better boat out there for what I do.
Reminds me of the time some guy on a hopped up Harley raced me on my Honda Magna once and lost. Then raced me again and lost. Then raced me a third time and lost. As he passed me as I was waiting at a red light he made a right turn and screamed over his shoulder:
My slip is in the "poor peoples'" section of our marina. Year 1, when I was the only Mac owner, I'd get more than a few remarks, mostly from the power boaters about getting a "real" boat. This will be my 5th season at the marina...we now have 7 Xs and 2Ms within 2 docks. We call it the MacGhetto! I have given many tours and extoled the virtues of my X, along with all of the usual gripes about it. Despite my fair assesment of the boat, I have "sold" about half of those folks. Its easy for a "real sailor" to dismiss the boat up until they ask a Mac owner "must have been a big repair...haven't seen your boat at the dock for two weeks, what was wrong with her?" and you reply..."I took it to my Sister's cottage so the kids could go tubing! It suffered from excessive FUNITIS!"
Now I don't hear about needing a real boat so much...maybe people are afraid to speak up to us folk from the "wrong side" of the marina, but many are crossing over to the "dark side!"
Well, I could raise my angst level listening to the derogatory comments, but here I am in the middle of a work conference in Baltimore with Catigale moored out in the Inner Harbor...and each evening I go out and sail her in the Chesapeake....
John Skardzius wrote:My slip is in the "poor peoples'" section of our marina. We call it the MacGhetto!
John, you were just about responsible for me shorting my laptop out. I had just sat down in my LazyBoy, laptop in my lap (where else), started viewing the threads on this board, took a sip of brew and just about sprayed my laptop screen when I saw "MacGhetto."
Very good. I'll think about adding that name to my deck box. Funny.
I seem to remmember my dealer saying something about my getting involved with these Macgregor hybrid mutants. "You're going to have to stand up for truth, and honesty" Hm? I believe he said. In any case this weekend I was approached by a Catalina 27 owner, who had told me he'd wrapped up my genny for me earlier as the wind had unfurled it. The opening was turned towards the bow, as I'd botched the setup earlier, and I had to remove the forestay to straighten it all up. He was a little surprised to see how easily I cranked up the mast, and said "Wow! they provide you with your own mast-raiser?" In short Macgregor has provided this and a lot of other innovations. We just have to stand up against the fear, and envy, of other more conventional boat owners, who take their personal tastes way too seriously. Don't tou think?
I was living in a condo, dreaming bout $80,000 Catalina 30s after being turned on to sailing via a buddy's 42 foot Catalina. Saw the Mac at a boat show in '96 with its low price and thought something must be wrong with it. Grabbed a brochure anyway, was amazed by all the features at home, ran back to same boat show ( lived in Long Beach CA at time) to look for myself. So began my "Mac Quest". I ended up getting off my ass and getting a house jsut so I would have a nice safe place to keep the boat(It has almost tripled in value what I paid in '99 cuz of crazy Calif real estate).
Bottom line is, I doubt I would own a boat today (or maybe even a house!) if not for the Mac's first impression on me. It takes real people not boat snobs to appreciate how versatile she is. The Mac is a real head turner when driving around on trailer or launching. Just don't leave her alone with jealous boat "experts". My boat is tucked safely away after a great weekend at Catalina in rough, 6 foot seas and 15 knot wind. It brought me home SAFELY.
You handled the situation with dispatch and with class.
My stock reply to anyone saying something derogatory about my boat is that it is not for everyone. It is not as simple to sail as a traditional sailboat. It takes all of the knowledge to sail a traditional sale boat plus remembering to ballast, unballast, raise centerboard, lower centerboard, raise and lower rudders, account for wind with the high freeboard. Plus it is sensitive to weight distribution. Usually, they have the impression that they may not be smart enough for the boat.
If they have an open mind, I will talk about its forgiving characteristics and all of the things I have done, places I have taken it. Also how it fills my need perfectly. They usually start appreciating its good points.
That being said, I have only had about 3 people say something derogatory about the Mac in 7 yrs. Those three were educated after I had finished my schpeel with them.
moonie wrote:I had one bloke walk up to my boat on the pontoon and asks "Is this a sail boat". I looked up at the mast and just smiled at the sarcastic fool.
this is our first year of being in a slip on the Hudson. We brought our boat down to the yard to paint the bottom of our 97 mac for the first time. We are surrounded by Catalinas, C & C's who are also working on their boats...and have been surprized that a few owners have come up and said...what a beautiful boat...is it new (been good at waxing...and only a few minor knicks). I was suprised by the positive response...even from a new Cataline 250 water ballast...who didn't think his boat was much faster...and that he could have used the 50hp to get back in before the storm the night before.
Good thing you reported your incedent... maybe the guy will think twice before he goes and disrespects someone elses property.
my suffered some damage in april,and boat u.s. sent out a surveyor to assess the damage after climbing around the outside and inside of the boat he made some great remarks about the mac and its construction,(i was expecting it to be put down),seem he had seen alot of boats in his years and he voiced that this was a pretty well made boat,and that he was impressed with her,,boat u.s. fixed her good as new and she now looks new..
"dark side!" 
