Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 21 by Matthew Steadman

Year built	1972
Location of boat	Pascagoula, Mississippi
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
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	fami
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes, only because it is the boat that I grew up sailing on, and it was passed down to me for $0. However... after sitting idle for 8 years I began to sail it again with no overhaul (my fault). The centerboard pin sheared while passing over a bar in a storm and was lost. I had to rebuild the board from scratch, welding, glass, etc. To make a long story short, I spent far more on a total restoration than the boat is worth, except of course the fact that it holds a lot of memories. In fact, before it was all said and done, I could have bought three of these boats for what I see them selling for! Not complaining, I just got carried away. Have enjoyed it a lot after restore, but need more space. Won't sell this boat though. My kids will cut their teeth on the same boat. Looking at an ODAY 25. Had considered a Mac 23, but haven't heard too many good things.
Gear that's been added	Sails, compass, interior and masthead lighting, sweat.
Structural or complex improvements	Rebuilt centerboard. Full restoration including deck-hull joint, etc., etc.,etc. Way too much for this boat really.
The boat's best features	centerboard. Great for getting in skinny water at the barrier islands. Sails great downwind and on a reach. Not so good upwind.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Rudder has always had issues, but this could be expected for age, and the fact that the boat sat for so long. Centerboard still leaks at pin, but only to about 1" of water. Not good but manageble. Hatch at stern is difficult for a 6 gal. fuel tank.
Sailing characterisitcs	Mostly used to overnight/weekend to the islands 8 mi. offshore. Normally a benign run, but in a nasty February storm saw 50 kt. winds and 7 foot seas. It was not fun at all, but I'm typing this so she can take up to that at least. Doesn't seem to point too well.
Motoring characterisitcs	Motors okay, will get hull speed with 6 hp.
Liveability	Uh, NO. The boat is good for daysailing, and transfering your tents, camping gear to the island. Have slept aboard once or twice, but will only really accomadate one person. With all the junk that you need to camp with a wife, the boat can easily be overloaded, which fouls its sailing ability.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	They were great. They took a couple of days to dig up the mechanichle drawings of the centerboard, but once they found them they faxed them to me and I assembled the board per their plans and it fit perfectly. Thank god they are still around!
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	n/a
Other comments	It's a good little boat, and what they go for often with a trailer, they are certainly a bargain. Totally unloaded except for an ice chest, and in about 8 kts., the boat sails quite well.

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