MacGregorSailors.com

I've seen that a lot of photos of mods are made over the trailer. I've got my Mac 2 years ago and it has been out of the sea 2 times for 4 days (only to paint bottom). In winter I sail 2 or 3 weekwends a month. I understand that those that sail in lakes freeze in winter do not do it. But the rest, do you have yours on the water all time?

I keep mine on the water. Trailering/launching/rigging is a time consuming pain and I'd use the boat less if I had to do that all the time.

I live in Rhode Island, and keep my boat in a slip from May through October, only pulling it out for trips to other bodies of water.

With the boat in a slip literally 2 minutes from work, I have plenty of time to take her out for a few hours in the evening after work, and last summer I spent the night onboard roughly 3 out of 4 weekends; I think there were only 2 weekends where I was not out at least one day, even if not overnight - both times due to weather.

After about mid-October, it becomes too cold and blustery to be within the realm of what I consider "enjoyable" to sail on the Narragansett, so even though it does not freeze over, I'd just as soon have the boat out of the water. I look back on my days of sailing winter "Frosbite" racing series' on the Chesapeake with amazement - how did I enjoy sailing where you needed a drysuit and had to keep a rubber mallet tethered to your belt so it was always at hand to knock the ice off the fittings?? I guess I am getting old (or maybe just a bit wiser!)

- AndyS

Well, here in Vigo, temperature in winter is between 3C and 10C, so I haven't this kind of problems. I sail all saturdays in a 24' in races and 75% of sundays with my wife in my Mac.

Ours goesin the water mid May unti;l after Labour Day.I try to sail every weekend the boat is in the lake

I keep my x in a slip here in Florida and sail once or twice a week. I plan on taking it out of the water once per year for repairs/maint or during hurricanes I found launching and rigging to be to time consuming and not as relaxing as just showing up and off you go.

Like Dave, I also leave the boat in year round. Once a year out for repairs and bottom paint(if I feel like it or need it). I love to arrive at my slip and just go. Some say they would be bored by being in the same waters....just being on the water away from people and afloat is satisfying enough most days. There is the issue of freezing in the winter, not me, the boat. I keep a heater in it and the water in the ballast has never frozen(or even iced) at -15 F. I do worry, but it has been fine. I am in fresh water and we do have a short winter. Randy

We also launch mid May at a marina until just past Sept. Labor Day. Mooring makes sailing more readilly available and we are only 15-20 minutes from our slip so we sail very often in those four months to get our moneys worth. Since we live in the Pacific Northwest seasons restrict us to the prime four months. When I was younger (in my early twenties) my brother and I sailed a Macgregor 15' Venture Cat through the winter months wearing wet suits and thought nothing of it. Would I do that today, no not on your life I'm older and wiser now, my boats moors in the driveway from mid september till mid spring. When the tempeature drops to the point I have to tolerate it the enjoyment ends and it's time to wait for next season. Perhaps I should winter in a more southern locale.

Spends most of time in water unless getting repaired or going on a trip.

I am located in Florida and keep my on its trailer in a yard that allows me to keep it rigged and provides a tractor that drops us in the water and retreves us when we come in. Cheaper than a wet slip and a lot less maintenance, while affording the convience of easy in and out. Was especially good arangement this past summer with all the hurricanes. I could hook up and get out of dodge very easy. We sail year around. Actually more in the winter than the summer because of the heat and T-storms. John L

Hello:
I keep my X on the trailer so I have to launch & recover every time I go. We started out going every posible time we could. Once or twice a month in 95 until October. In 96 we started in February and sailed every other weekend. Every other year we go to the San Juans for a couple of weeks. The last 2 years the boat has gone out only once each year for an extended cruise. I guess we are on the usual cycle where usage tapers off after a while. As the years went by I got less and less help preping & cleanup so it has become a lot of work for me that sometimes I would rather not do. I can fire up the honda and go for a ride in 5 minutes and I find it very relaxing too.

Well, The Admiral said that she'd rather have a slip, so I am on many of the long lists, some more than two years before you May even get a slip!

I look at the $2500+ dollars a year, saved as a good reason to grunt the mast up every time, and the Admiral does not even help with that. Maybe she just wants to be on the water more.....and that's a good thing of course. I said, well, heck, why don't we just take the plunge and get that Mac 65', if a boat needs to be in the water!! Yea, the $6,000+ bucks slip fee, per year, for that is hard to swallow too....but! Almost have her convinced, and looked at two offerings recently!

No, I won't get rid of the X either! Need that for inland lakes and such....also!

Terry...sailed a few years ago with Glen Mackenzie(Captn Mac.) out of N Van. Great place to sail in the gulf islands. Planning on retiring to the island in a few years. gotta find a cheap slip without a 9 year waiting list(comox)....

Mine stays in the water year round. It was too time consuming to rig/de-rig every time, and beat the boat up too much trailing and launching. Now, I just hop in take off a few covers and shove off. In NC, summers are too hot and too calm. So, I sail from September through May.

macsailer...... We too sailed with Glen MacKenzie about 2 years ago on a cruise & learn. He was a great teacher.
We would like to keep the boat in the water for 3-6 months but boatbucks are flowing to other boat projects at the moment. Maybe next year?