Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 25 by Mark Caruso

Year built	1983
Location of boat	Back Yard
The boat is sailed on	Open ocean
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	2006
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes, Absolutely, and I did. This is my second Mac 25. I owned the same model a 1981 from 1990 to 1995.
Gear that's been added	Ida Sailor performance rudder, Standing & Running rigging, ST 1000 auto pilot, Jib down haul, Depth/Fish finder, GPS, VHF, Presure water, Complete electrical system, Solar panel, Head, Keel cable.
Structural or complex improvements	Dropped, Sand blasted and Epoxy coated keel, Replaced all teak and other wood inside and out, replace stock rudder and New trees.
The boat's best features	Ease of sailing, Trailorability, Gunk holing ease, Pop top, Cockpit room, Storage space.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Stock rudder.
Sailing characterisitcs	Boat is light and handles accordingly, but the Ida Sailor Rudder and auto pilot have made a marked difference in pointing and tracking ability. (the ST1000 auto helm is always alert and more accurate a helmsman than me) Lack of a boom vang or traveler makes sail trimming a constant tast but also makes her a little safer in gusting winds as the boom tends to rise somewhat to the blows. After sailing on three water balast models I still beleve the keel models are superior as long as the keel is properly set against the keel lock bolt or the lock bolt set into the the lock down hole. ie about 35deg. of keel rake. proper mast rake is also a must.
Motoring characterisitcs	Motors well with my 9.9 though I imagine a 5hp would work just as well.
Liveability	Pop up trailor liveability. Up to a week and most people will be ready for their own bed.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Always helpful. If they dont have it they will suggest where to find it.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	N/A
Other comments	These Macs from 21' to 25' and the Venture models alike are still some of the best Macgregor ever produced they are stiffer than the new models when the keel is properly set and generally faster. I have sailed on newer models and found that in general the water balast models can be a bit tender to 10deg. The 26D is fairly quick though.

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