Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 25 by Sharon Neilson

Year built	1986
Location of boat	Lake Ontario
The boat is sailed on	The Great Lakes
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	Yes
Owner bought the boat in	1991
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Probably, I haven't found a comparable trailerable elsewhere
Gear that's been added	Solar panel, nicro solar vent. Led all halyards aft, reefing system led aft for single handing. Deck box that goes forward of the mast to stow anchors while cruising. access ports to galley water tank and bilge on starboard side by seat. Tiller tender, adjustable backstay. Roller furling genoa. Double main sheeting, blocks on port and starboard so I can get the boom over centre. Boom vang. New rudder bought from Ida Marine. Solves the weather helm. Mosquito netting that covers the boat from mast to backstay when anchoring.
Structural or complex improvements	reinforced the sliding hatch as the fiberglass was cracking. Added lexan window to the forepeak hatch. Replaced hatch board with two plexi piece boards.
The boat's best features	Trailerablility. I can pull it with my station wagon. Draft, I can get into small bays that no one else would attempt.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The trailer has given the most problems. Flats. It would be nice to have a place to stow the spare. The majority of the storage space in on the starboard side which can lead to balance problems when cruising with the amount of gear that needs to be stowed.I race my boat and this year the little covers that go over the shrould adjusters have pulled out. I will drill them out in the spring and see what I have to do to seal them down as they leak badly right now.The side windows have cracked, fortunately in the middle over the fiberglass so they don't leak yet.
Sailing characterisitcs	She is a dry boat and stiff in a blow. Sails best on a reach. Does not sail as close to the wind as the fixed keel boats I race on.Down wind she is a little underpowered in terms of sail area. Sails well under spinnaker in light airs. Since I replaced the rudder she handles much better with less weather helm and I do not need to reef near as often or as early.
Motoring characterisitcs	Motors well with an 8.8 mariner. when reversing or turning tightly I use both the motor and tiller for steerage. It gives a tighter turning radius. I added extra blocks to the lifting apparatus as I could not pull the motor up easily before.
Liveability	We live on the boat for 1 to 2 weeks and many weekends. With the poptop up and the mosquito netting/sun fly the cockpit becomes another room. New foam in the cushions has made the bunks comfortable. Good cockpit cushions and my crew likes to sleep there in the starry nights.We reinsulated the underseat cooler and carry a colman under the table. It's good for 5 days at a time.The head has been turned into a pantry with shelves and we can store much of our supplies there.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	none
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	none
Other comments	The gelcoat could have been a little thicker. The fittings the boat came with, shackles etc. were too small. All need to be replaced with more substantial fittings to sail safely.

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