Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 25 by Dan Resch

Year built	1983
Location of boat	Canton, OH
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	solo
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2010
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes...in fact I did. I owned a Venture 25 many years back but eventually sold it and moved up to a larger marina-bound boat. After a few years sailing the Lake Erie islands, I got bored seeing the same sights over and over and longed for the freedom of my old trailerable boat again. I sold the 33-footer and went on the hunt for another Mac 25.
Gear that's been added	Depth sounder, radar arch, solar panel, dual battery system, VHF radio, pump-out MSD, custom built galley with 65-quart icebox, 15 gallon water tank, cockpit fuel locker.
Structural or complex improvements	Rearranged the head compartment to make it the full width of the boat by adding a bulkhead forward of the galley and rearranging the swinging door. It's way more comfortable this way.
The boat's best features	Biggest bang for the buck in the used boat market by a long shot. Light weight for towing and launching but sturdy enough that I don't worry going out in a chop. Plenty big enough for an average couple to spend a vacation aboard or a single sailor to take for a long coastal voyage. If you don't plan to trailer, this boat has very limited appeal, but if you do want to travel, a Mac 25 is, in my opinion, the ideal boat. The 650-pound iron centerboard provides a lot more stability and comfort than the newer water ballast boats.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The stock trailer is completely inadequate (not to mention illegal in most states) for long-distance towing. At a minimum the trailer must have working brakes. If you plan to travel cross-country, plan on upgrading the axle, springs and hitch to 3500# capacity as well. Tongue weight is also very light and the boat must be loaded with this in mind. The factory boat is very basic and will need many upgrades for comfortable sailing. Fortunately, these boats have been around for decades now and most have already been modified by previous owners. Wear at the centerboard pivot bolt is the most common issue with these boats, although mine happened to be in good shape.
Sailing characterisitcs	The boat is quick to heel in a gust, but the heavy centerboard will stiffen it soon enough. Mine is a tall rig and moves well in light air, but requires reefing in when the winds pick up above 10 knots. The rudder is not terribly well balanced and can be hard to turn in heavy winds or when motoring fast. I've seen modifications on the internet that increase the surface area and move the rudder forward that would probably make a big difference, but I haven't done mine yet.
Motoring characterisitcs	It backs up as poorly as any other sailboat I've owned, but the outboard is located in easy reach and you can pivot the boat cleanly by ignoring the tiller and simply turning the motor. I have a 6-hp four-stroke that gets the boat to hull speed at 1/2 throttle and moves her along over smooth water at 4 knots om high idle.
Liveability	For it's price and weight, it's by far the most comfortable sailboat on the market. Newer water-ballasted Macs and Hunters are a good bit more comfortable, but at 5 to 10 times the cost and twice the weight. The slide-out galley is popular with some people because of the sitting room it adds to the cabin, but I prefer the older fixed galleys with a useable quarter berth aft for long-range cruising. Macgregor's version of an "ice chest" is a joke. Use it for storing wet lines and bring along a proper cooler of your own.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	I love my boat. It cost little to buy, virtually nothing to keep, and has taken me everywhere from Lake Michigan to the Florida Keys in total comfort.

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