Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 25 by David

Year built	1982
Location of boat	Rhode Island
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	solo
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2001
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Absolutely. It has been better than I hoped for.
Gear that's been added	Ida-Sailor rudder (after trying to repair the old one), rewired and replaced the fuse panel, replaced the keel cable and winch, removed galvanized hardware with stainless, Access hatch cover for chain locker, rebuilt the mast step (and will have to do it again), replaced the porta-potty, replaced the gas tank and hoses, rebuilt carburator, replaced propeller, replaced brake system, added name decals. Will be replacing the 23 year old sails.
Structural or complex improvements	none needed. I will add babystays so I stop pulling the mast step out of the cabin top. I'd like to extend the crane at the masthead.
The boat's best features	Comfortable, relatively fast sailer. Very forgiving in a blow. Easy to work on. Easy to trailer/launch and recover.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The rudder can swing into the prop if it is not in the down position. The newer rudder is much better. The baby stays and mast raising system should be considered a required item. The rusty spots on the keel have to be attended to each year.
Sailing characterisitcs	An easy boat to sail, very forgiving if sailed poorly and exciting if sailed well. Slows down if "pinched" but loves a reach. Sensative to trim - have to ballance excess weight in the stern or it slows down. Not heavy enough to plow through a big chop, have to finesse to keep moving. The swing keel has been cranked up so I could sail off the shallow spot I found more times than I can count.
Motoring characterisitcs	Yamaha 9.9 easily pushes it to hull speed and handles bad weather very well. Turns and Backs well if both motor and rudder are used. Motorsails well.
Liveability	OK for a weekend with two. Great sleeping in the cockpit. Cabin is cozy in a storm. Great place for napping.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	They were very helpful when I was trying to get into the water. Answered all questions by phone and gave me resources on the internet.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	I spend my time sailing and put off all maintenence to the winter/spring. It is low key, lots of fun and just what I wanted.

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