Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 25 by Tom Avedovech

Year built	1987
Location of boat	Strawberry Bay, Utah
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1997
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Absolutely. I couldn't imagine a better boat for a new sailor. OK to singlehand, but is better with one crew. Dollar for dollar, the best buy on the market in my opinion.
Gear that's been added	New battery, recovered cabin and berth cushions, all new internal lighting (the stock single light was very inadequate), new mainsail and added second reef point, new sheets, UV protection for genoa on roller furler, replaced fore and back stays, added topping lift, extra padding below v-berth cushions, added depth sounder and radio.
Structural or complex improvements	None
The boat's best features	With the pop-top we get full standing head room in the cabin. The pop-top cover has windows and we have weathered many a foul day and night in cozy, dry comfort.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The winch for the swing keel is in a very inconvenient place. Another reviewer turned his around into the cockpit, and I might do the same. The head is a little small, but hey, at least it's there. The galley sink was pointless. I took it out and put a new top on it, and it now works great for storage and for cooking on a little two burner portable stove. A bucket is our sink. The cabin windows are small and could let in more light.
Sailing characterisitcs	She sails great, but has excessive weather helm in a blow. The second reef point soved that, but I like that other reviewer's solution of a different rudder. The riggng is simple and works fine, even without a boom vang or cunningham. In spite of the relatively light rig and gear (small winches and minimal shrouds) she has never threatened a proplem sailing. The lead swing-keel keeps her stiff, and it's almost impossible to get the rails under, even in 25 knot winds. The hum from the swing-keel cable was solved by giving the cable a little slack.
Motoring characterisitcs	My 9 hp Johnson is more than enough, and don't do much motoring anyway.
Liveability	Great! For two people there is lots of room, and as I said, the pop-top makes a real difference. Anchoring over night is my favorite kind of sailing trip. With the BBQ and portable cockpit table, we can really enjoy an evening on the hook.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	I had to replace the stainless steel bolt that locks the keel down, and the ones they sent me were too short.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Bought it privately for less than a song. She had been very unloved and was a mess. But with a new coat of paint inside and new cushion covers she revealed herself to be in perfect condition.
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