Are These Boats Good Enough To Last?

[NiceAft]

In a post on this board, it was stated that a dealer of another type of trailerable sailboat, allegedly made the statement that people purchase his specific type of sailboat because they want a boat which will be able to be owned for a long time. People who own MacGregor's don't keep them long. I was paraphrasing in that last sentence, but the implication was that MacGregor's are not good enough for anyone to seriously think about keeping one for a long time. Don't ask me to define "long time" because I have no clue as to what that time length is

Because of my marketing background, I am interested in seeing how long people have owned their boats. Is this dealer's alleged assertion correct To start things off, I will go first.

I have owned my 05 for four years. I purchased it new at the Annapolis boat show in 2004, and picked it up in Jan of 05. This will be my fifth season with Nice Aft


Ray

[kmclemore]

5 years now, and no plans to sell at this point.

[WHRoeder]

MacGregor's are the fastest sailboat under power and the fastest powerboat under sail.
This means they're not very good at either. But they're a lot of boat for the money, so you get a lot of first time buyers like myself. If they discover that sailing isn't for them they'll trade up to a real stinkpot. If they discover that they like pushing the limits of sailing, again they'll trade up.
I've had mine for 9 years and it does exactly what I need for my location.

[Paul S]

I think most owners tend to keep Macs a long time, I don't see a lot of them changing hands in our club..and most club members being there for years and years..

With the low cost of ownership (doesn't cost anything if you don't use it) and good build quality, and good resale value, they are a great buy.

There will always be boats for sale. I don't think Macs have a higher owner turnover than any other boat. If I were to guess..it would be far less.

I believe most people sell their Macs due to change of situation, not because it is falling apart. They may be moving, changing hobbies, had a bad run of money problems, want a bigger boat, etc...I can't say people are selling their boats at X years because things are breaking or falling apart. They are being sold for reasons OTHER than that.

Talk with any owner..they will say they like or love their boat, whether they bought it new or used. Unless there was a significant accident or something unrelated to build quality, the owners like them and generally hold on to them

Just my observation

[Québec 1]

I have owned a 03 26M for less than a year and have no plans to get rid of it. I do have plans to put in an autopilot and a radar unit tho!
Q1

[Highlander]

Was that dealer selling an Hunter edge

Which I seen at the TO Boat Show yesterday what a disapointment I thought I was sitting in my Mac19
So I think I'll keep my mac's

J

[Oskar 26M]

I have owned Oskar for just over a year, and although I found the Mac very different to my previous keel boat, I get to like him more every time I sail, which is often (usually several times a week).

I recently installed an autopilot (eat your heart out Q1 ), which was the second best mod I've done after the GPS chartplotter/depth sounder/fishfinder. Fortunately, there is no real need for a radar where I sail as weather and visibility is great, and its is not a busy shipping area, but I would like to get the wind gadget that interfaces with the Wheelpilot..

I have no plans to sell Oskar. I am expecting to have him for many years. The flexibility of the Mac is just great!

[J.Teixeira]

Hi

. People who own MacGregor's don't keep them long. I was paraphrasing in that last sentence, but the implication was that MacGregor's are not good enough for anyone to seriously think about keeping one for a long time....
MacGregor's are not good enough for anyone to seriously think about keeping one for a long time

Mi boat is a 1997 It is in perfect conditions since mi father bought it in 1997.

http://www.arianeoveleiro.blogspot.com

Does my boat look like I won't keep it for long.

Any boat with proper maintenance can last very long...

There are many other examples off with more than 10 years in perfect shape...

Duane "Alegro" http://home.comcast.net/~duane.dunn/Boating.htm

"Knot Shore" http://www.always-online.com/hardtlefam ... efault.htm

And so many others on this web...

Not to talk about... so many Mac 26 Classic with about 20 years in perfect shape...

To that kind of comments about our boats we must all answer with

[kmclemore]

Mi boat is a 1997 It is in perfect conditions since mi father bought it in 1997.

http://www.arianeoveleiro.com

I think you mean http://www.arianeoveleiro.blogspot.com ?

[Ivan Awfulitch]

My first "real" sailboat (not the Sunfish that I learned on" was a second hand 1971 Mac 17 that I bought in 1980. I sailed it until 2005, and in the spring of 2006 bought the 26X. I signed the 17 ft. over to my nephew last summer and he's continuing the legacy of that boat.

At the Cedar Point boat show last fall, I had a salesman telling customers about the Edge, and how it was a higher quality version of the Mac, but unlike the Mac this one was built to last. I talked to several who were very interested in the idea of a power-sail and they wrote down the information to check out the Mac after I pointed out the misinformation of the salesman. The funny thing is he kept telling people that he's taken in 4 Macs in trade, but the funny thing is they don't have a single used mac, and haven't sold one in close to a year.

[GeoffR]

Owned and moored in saltwater since 1998. Bottom-painted every two years and half-lifted for powerwashing at the beginning and end of Summer. No sign of deterioration. Topsides power washed and polished twice per year.

Ready to power or sail in an instant - just do the safety check, start up the motor, let go the lines and I'm out there while others are still fiddling about.

Love it.

It's a keeper.

Geoff
The Dove

[Bluecrab]

We will be going on our second full season with our 05M. No plans on selling. The water up here gets too hard for sailing part of the year but I get to park it next to my garage and don't have to pay storage fees. Last summer we sailed on 3 different lakes in our area, one has a bridge I will be able to lower my mast to get under and make use of the whole lake. Next summer we plan to visit the river and and another big like named Gitche gumee.

A friend has owned an older Mac 26, not a power sailor but very similar boat. He sails it at least few days every week and It has survived some pretty bad storms moored in front of his house the last 10 or so years. It has held up well.

Wally

[NiceAft]

J.Teixeira,

You chopped off the last part of my original quote. You showed my quote as "MacGregor's are not good enough for anyone to seriously think about keeping one for a long time" when what I actually said was "but the implication was that MacGregor's are not good enough for anyone to seriously think about keeping one for a long time." Those five little words,"BUT THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT" make a big difference in the sentence

Here is the original statement in its entirety:"In a post on this board, it was stated that a dealer of another type of trailerable sailboat, allegedly made the statement that people purchase his specific type of sailboat because they want a boat which will be able to be owned for a long time. People who own MacGregor's don't keep them long. I was paraphrasing in that last sentence, but the implication was that MacGregor's are not good enough for anyone to seriously think about keeping one for a long time. Don't ask me to define "long time" because I have no clue as to what that time length is "

Ray

[c130king]

Ray,

I think there is another side to this issue besides boat quality.

In the statement that you made (paraphrased from the other thread on the HunterEdge Dealer) is there an assumption (made by the dealer) that if one was to purchase a HunterEdge then that person would be less likely to get a different boat...in other words get a bigger boat? Less so than a Mac owner?

I love my Mac. I am very impressed that there are several Macs on this website that are well over 10 years old and still sailing well. But I feel pretty sure that someday, 2,3,4,5 years from now, I will probably buy a bigger boat. And from what I have read others here think the same way.

But that in no way is a knock against the Mac. The Mac is a great first sailboat (of any kind) for me. It's not a quality issue for me.

Does this dealer think that owners of a HunterEdge would never give up their boats for something bigger? I imagine many Edge owners would be just as likely to move up as a Mac owner.

It is dealer drivel, very subjective, and only time will tell if the HunterEdge will outlast the Mac on any basis.

Bogus statement IMHO.

Jim

[NiceAft]

I never mentioned which manufacturer the salesperson was selling. The growing consensus is Hunter. That would be incorrect The reason I never stated which company, was because I did not think it was, is, or will be, relevant. The alleged statement was made by a dealer. I don't think his/her statement represents anything but desperate sales tactics in a bad economy.

With all of that being said, I would still like to hear from Mac owners on this issue.

If there are any potential MacGregor buyers out there, listen to these testimonials from actual owners. They are more factual than sales talk

Ray