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transom on anchor from dinghy

transom on road via stern ladder

transom in driveway via stern ladder

Most of the important differences have been covered. I would just add that in high seas, especially a following sea, I would rather be in the M. it has a more rounded rear, a smaller opening for the engine backthere,and the step up to get into the cabin would tend to keep water out. the other factor is that the rotating mast makes the m sail very well with main only, even with a reefed main only in hgher winds, makes for relaxing sailing,you can almost as fast with the main only as with the main and working jib, with less fuss,and you cazn even put a dingy in front of the mast upside down, the sternrail seats help with the tight cockpit. the traveler with the m helps a lot too, helps in point better with main only. but the x is easier to get off of to the stern. I wouldn't hesitate to buy an x though, if the price, condition and engine were all right and I wasnt thinking of crosssing over to the bahamas.

Divecoz wrote:ROLL CALL......... who among you enters your boat REGULARLY from the transom?? I built for $10 a 2 foot wide 6 foot long storeable ladder ...

Almost always, we rarely dock beside a wharf where we can drop the lifelines, use the rear ladder on land and water and find it a breeze.
The knees play up for a couple of days and the wife struggles for a couple of days also but I am almost 65 and have crook knees and so does she plus she is 58 and heavier.
Even getting aboard from the dinghy is not a challenge except in rough seas, frankly I am confused as to why there seems to be a problem really think the knee soreness is from the galley ladder and moving round the boat rather than the boarding ladder.

[quoteI have her coming around, and I think I have her seeing it as another floatable motorhome. (she wishes we had that money in the bank as well)
[/quote]

We use ours as a motorhome on land and water and have LIVED in it fo 18-24 + months, read a few more comments on the transom boarding question, I am puzzled as to why this is such a deal as to even think of any thing else, I will climb over the bow when it's on the trailer for launching etc but otherwise it's just so easy and much easier than a ladder against the side.

Notice someone said they move the motor away? why not use it to sit on when climbing in?.
When entering from the transom on land we drop the ladder you can drop rudder if tight?, climb up and slip butt sideways to sit on motor, lift seat across and continue aboard note motor has a cover to protect it, the only thing I can think of is we may have more handholds with the Aust stern rails and our arch.
When on water or beached as for above except when entering off dinghy definitely drop rudder and pull dinghy tight in against motor and rudder and tie off this can be awkward when rough but just a matter of getting tie off right.
We use an aluminium dinghy but it has a hose protection right around the gunnels to protect the Mac.

Thanks everyone. I got to spend the afternoon with two Mac models. a & an

For many reasons, my wife and I liked the the best. The more open cabin, the larger cockpit, larger transom. Placement of the main-sheet connection point. Seems the Fiberglass is thicker in several areas, around openings to the cabin for example.

Now, it will be a matter of finding the right

I like a one owner, that looks to have not been used much, but the engine is only a 8 HP. Tomorrow we go out on a lake with an that has a larger motor, 60 HP as I recall.

I have all winter to look.

Gary, you should seriously consider the 8hp X if the timing works for you. It gives you the ability to put any brand new engine on it you want, giving you the choice of engine most people would love to have, eliminating 90% of the problems you'd encounter with a used boat and you can keep the 8 on a mounting bracket as a kicker or use it to power your dinghy. Presuming of course the boat is priced correctly compared to a boat with a 50hp.

Then you'd have all winter to get the new engine mounted and the boat modded up right!

mastreb wrote:Gary, you should seriously consider the 8hp X if the timing works for you. It gives you the ability to put any brand new engine on it you want, giving you the choice of engine most people would love to have, eliminating 90% of the problems you'd encounter with a used boat and you can keep the 8 on a mounting bracket as a kicker or use it to power your dinghy. Presuming of course the boat is priced correctly compared to a boat with a 50hp.

Then you'd have all winter to get the new engine mounted and the boat modded up right!

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We picked the newer one, with the smaller 8. Should save lots of gas! lol