Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 21 by Chris Rogers

Year built	1981
Location of boat	San Diego
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Racing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2000
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Oh yeah, I only paid $500 for it. I caught the guy as he was on the phone with a local charity making arangements for them to "take it off his hands".
Gear that's been added	I've added some small stuff to make the traveler more effective and I've replaced a lot of the cheap plastic hardware that had deteriorated from siting in the sun for ten years... in this guys driveway... without moving.
Structural or complex improvements	I pivoted the mast forward for better pointing. The mast was raked to far back. I leveled the boat on the trailer and then attached a wieght to a halyard as a plumb-bob. I tightend the forestay and adjusted the back and side stays untill the mast was as close to vertical as posible. This has helped a lot
The boat's best features	The price...heheh. I like the speed and manuverability. She will glide along in the lightest of breezes.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Well, I'm still tweeking her out. So far the major complaints I have are the interior space. It really bugs me that you can't sit up straight against the sides of the boat. The deck design is... well... prohibitive. Take a look at the interior pictures. The space is cramped. The beam is narrow which is suppose to make her a fast racer but my wife hates to go out with me. She would rather be on our friends 26d. The keel is a pain the the butt due to corrosion. To be an effective racer you've got to have is smooooth. I'm gonna have to do something with mine.
Sailing characterisitcs	She is extreamly easy to sail. When out cruising around the jib is best. It doesn't take much sail area to get this boat moving. If you want relaxing sailing that won't scare the uninitiated then USE THE JIB. On the other hand if you like a little exitment, use the genoa and get her on her side! It's a blast. One of the reasons I bought this boat is that I was a Hobiecat owner for a few years. I like fast boats. This has the potential to be a FAST boat.
Motoring characterisitcs	NA I could say I'm a purist and so don't use a motor. I've raced, daysailed and even gone out for several days at a time even anchoring at night with almost no wind... all without an outboard! Like I said. This boat is very easy to move with just the tiniest of breezes. I could say that I am a purist... The fact is I'm broke. Outboards are expensive.
Liveability	Spartan.I've only enjoyed it when going solo. When my daughter gets a little older I'll probably try and upgrade to a 26d.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	This is a fun, cheap, fast boat. I plan on building a boom tent to increase livablility (its only drawback) If you don't mind roughing it than this boat is also a functional weekender as well.Racing-awesomeDaysailing-awesomeExtended crusing- only for the masochistic

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