Thought I'd share this with you fine fellers:
One of my neighbors has a McGregger Powersailer in his driveway. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I don't consider this a real sailboat. Nonetheless, I accept the fact that most of the folks who own these boats love 'em.
He and his wife were out working in the boat and as I drove by, I slowed to gab with them. We started out with small talk, weather, etc., finally I said "Nice boat". She replied,"Yes, we like it...does exactly what we want it to. Do you sail?" "I do", says I. She: "What kind of boat do you have?" I reply back: "A Compac". "Yeah, our boat is kind of small too."
I smiled, said goodbye and as I drove away, shook my head thinking: "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand."
Bob23
LOL!!! That's rich.
LOL, I like that.
I know that there is a good market for those Mac powersailers. But it would be just too much of a compromise for me. You look at a Compac, any Compac compared to those things and the answer is right in front of you. Nothing against power boats, I'm going to build one (Yes Honey, after the dining room set is finished), a Bateau 14FS to use for back water fishing and scalloping, but it will be functional and not do poorly at everything it attempts.
http://www.bateau.com/boats/FS14/slides/FS14_netherlands_1.html
Oh my Bob,
You have really hit on a nerve with that one. It's shameful to say but I suspect that the percentage of wives that accompany their husbands on those hermaphrodite vessels is far greater than us foolhardy old salts in our Com-Pacs. That is of course not a bad thing in many cases but it may be a bit unfair to the male components who share ownership of these curious sea craft with their spouse. Not too many wives care to join their husbands for a day of fishing from their "flats" boat, but few will say no to an afternoon ride in an accommodating cruiser with a real bathroom.
Women have an instinct for comfort that us brawny beasts just don't understand. So what you are really looking at is a man who has won at least half a loaf, and brother I gotta give him credit - he has more courage than I.
Ron
I usually have to spell out the name and make sure to include the "dash" so they know what I'm talking.
When we sailed pooka across from San Carlos to Santa Rosalia there was a very nice husband wife team from WA who trailered their MacGregor down to sail across. They were very happy to be out sailing and enjoyed their boat. Hell of it was we both sailed back to San Carlos the same night, there was absolutely no wind until 10 or so miles left. We motored just like they did.
I have a small one next to me at the marina - Seems to me anythine you try to make a boat - or most anything else - do two different things it will do neither of them well. My Mac neighbor loves his boat - uses it as a fishing boat when he isn't sailing- Like Bob I just smile and move on. Matt
Funny,
I have experience a similar experience my self,
I was having a discusion with a sailor and his wife, when he asked what kind of sail boat I had ,I replied a Com Pac Eclipse, she responded, is that one of those Potter types.....
Glenn
Seams to me that the hull shape of a McGregger is not conducive to a sailboat hull. Here in lies the problem me thinks. Jon Hanson of Snug Harbor, Sturgeon Bay uses these as rental boats and pontoons and a few 'speed boats'. He likes the McGreggers because they hardly ever come back broken.
I still chuckle when I think about the Indian who ran the rental pontoon boat into Jon's slip at speed, sending his whole family tumbling onto the carpeted deck. Me and Logan calmly walked over and tied it up before he slammed her in reverse. I throttled back and slipped her in 'N'...shut off the key as his wife gathered her self up and started to speak to her husband. He got mad and now I know how she got that dot in her forhead. I have no idea what she said. I don't speak indian.
skip.
Quote from: skip on May 16, 2010, 09:09:11 AM
I still chuckle when I think about the Indian who ran the rental pontoon boat into Jon's slip at speed, sending his whole family tumbling onto the carpeted deck. skip.
Ya suppose he just couldn't find the brakes?
I never much cared for McGregger sailboats. They just look like a power boat with a stick. But then, some other newer sailboats kind'a look like that too. Hunters come to mind. Guess I just don't appreciate the aesthetic. Give me a stick boat with some traditional lines any day.
mel
i saw an add not too long ago for a hunter that like the mac was really a speedboat. it carried a 50 horse outboard and had what could only be discribed as a "fat" look. i guess some powerboat people fancy themselves sailors. gives them tales to tell that power boaters seldom have. i have to say though that if the boat actually leaves the slip with some sail aloft it is better than the "real" sailboats that never seem to leave their slips and if they do the sails stay in the bag. for me i will probably have my cp 16 until im too old to step the mast. the little bugger looks like a sailboat should and i smile a little every time i look at her.
Nice thing about living here is lot of people know what a com-pac 23 is without me explaining. Occassionally I get a blank look or someone who knows com-pac made a 16 but not sure about anthing else. "She's a shoal draft pocket cruiser made in Florida. Draws only 2'3"." is usually enough to get a response like "shoal draft is real handy to have around here" and a discussion of the local waters.
I've even heard on the water, "nice boat - is that a com-pac?", though I've also heard "nice boat - is that a Cape Dory?" (close).
Many of the locals know boats and sailing.
Curtis
ps - Well - I do have to admit that quite a few don't know boats and sailing. But many do.
Quote from: kickingbug1 on May 16, 2010, 06:32:04 PM
for me i will probably have my cp 16 until im too old to step the mast. the little bugger looks like a sailboat should and i smile a little every time i look at her.
And I say "boy howdy" to that!
mel
Curtis:
True. Out on the water or amongst informed sailors, the 23 is legendary. Mine draws attention where ever she goes. I even had the skipper of an overtaking Hinckley give a compliment which I rightfully returned. I suppose the Macs get the attention of powerboaters who want to try sailing and feel comfortable with a hybrid. Looks ugly to me and I think they are water ballasted.
The Compacs look like proper boats to my eye. But I admit to being a tradionalist when it comes to sailboats.
Bob23
I get a lot of attention to my 16 everytime I put it in the water. It's easily the smallest "real" sailboat in the marina, and people are always walking down on the dock to look her over when I'm down ther rigging her. Then all they see is my tailfeathers as I sail out of the marina. I don't go there just to sit tied to the dock and work on the boat. Most of the sailboats there have never been out of the marina.
I have to wonder.................would the owners of these dual purpose craft be known as "transvesselites" ?
I'm the only Compac in my marina. A dozen or so sailboats, some megayacht power trawlers and house boats which I think are mostly used as dock side lake cabins and many party barges. I've never been to the marina without having someone stop by to gaze and chat about the classic look and lines of my 23.
Bob23 said:
I even had the skipper of an overtaking Hinckley give a compliment which I rightfully returned.
I was working the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, talking with the salesman who handles upper New England for us and he mentioned that Hinckley was a major customer for him, having Unisaws, Band Saws and other machines that were made in my factory in use in their yard. I mentioned that I would love to tour the yard if I ever get up there. A few days later I got an email from the Yard manager saying I should just give him a call if I ever plan a trip, he'll personally give me a tour. Still haven't made that trip, need to put it on the bucket list. Along with a Hinkley bareboat charter if I can muster up some of my sailing buddies to go.
I don't know why but it seems to me I,ve all ways liked the style of the east coast boats over all others.
I'm sure there might be a few here in California that might catch my eye but not in my price range.
My Eclipse gets a lot of complements on the water or trailer!
Glenn
Brack:
I'm on board with the charter and if you need a co-conspiritor Compac owner for the Hinckley yard tour, I'm on board with that too.
Hinckley has a branch yard here in NJ up around Bay Head. I often thought of ditching my construction business, conning someone up there to hire me, and spending the rest of my working life helping to build Hinckleys. But I hear they are in financial trouble, like the rest of the word.
Bob23
Quote from: Glenn on May 17, 2010, 09:30:27 AM
I don't know why but it seems to me I,ve all ways liked the style of the east coast boats over all others.
I'm sure there might be a few here in California that might catch my eye but not in my price range.
My Eclipse gets a lot of complements on the water or trailer!
Glenn
Glenn,
Pacific Seacraft comes to mind as far as west coast cruisers. West coast seems to have got into the round the buoys thing and built more than their share of sleds. Another west coast cruiser is Goswald. Definitely pricey. You may be right in that at the beginning of the fiberglass cruiser era there was a breed of designers and builders in the northeast that preserved the lines, including hull lines and full keel, of the early 1900s and put these in production in fiberglass. Names like Hershoff, Alberg, Stevens come to mind. The other coast had Crealock and others. I'm not an expert on this, but I think both coasts had some excellent designers and well built cruisers. It seems that designers and builders on the east coast may have had a little more of an eye toward the traditional and fine joinery may have been easier to come by at a reasonable price.
Hutch seems to have retained the eye for traditional lines and kept some teak on the cabin top and quite a bit in the cabin giving our CPs their unique beauty among pocket cruisers. Without the lofty price tag of a Flicka or a Dana.
Curtis
btw - trans-vesselites? A power boat dressed in sails? I'll mention that if I run into a McGregor. A neighbor's son had one but he sold it. (can't call it "her").
Curtis:
You're killin' me- trans-vesselites! Where do you get this stuff? Yeah, you can't call 'em she...they are definitely its.
There's a Flica in a nearby marina that's been sitting for years. I purposely don't go by there...I don't want to see it for sale. Might be too tempting.
Bob23
Quote from: Bob23 on May 17, 2010, 06:27:17 PM
Brack:
I'm on board with the charter and if you need a co-conspiritor Compac owner for the Hinckley yard tour, I'm on board with that too.
Hinckley has a branch yard here in NJ up around Bay Head. I often thought of ditching my construction business, conning someone up there to hire me, and spending the rest of my working life helping to build Hinckleys. But I hear they are in financial trouble, like the rest of the word.
Bob23
You're in if we ever get this going. That is if you can put up with some cranky old folks. We have a group that tries to get together and charter every five years or so and we are long overdue. Hinckley from Bar Harbor came up the last time, but several of the group were teachers, off in the Summer and that is the high (expensive) season for Hinckley. We ended up going to Abaco that year (low season there). Probably just as well, the season doesn't matter in the Caribbean, just affects the price. Low season may be a bit chilly off the coast of Maine. Our best trips were when we had enough people to put together more than one boat (we did the Virgin Islands with twin Endeavour 38 center cockpits).
My plan, when forced to retire earlier than I wanted, was to return to the Gulf Coast and open a shop specializing in marine joinery. I have a friend from high school who does this and when we talked about it he said when you are in a boat your dealing with nothing that is straight, true, plumb or square and most finish guys don't want to deal with it, so you can ask a fair price. Unfortunately, I moved about half my machinery and supplies to the coast just before Katrina and lost it all uninsured. Then just about recovered and the financial and real estate meltdown. Just about recovered again getting ready to put the house on the market and now we have the Oil Spill and its potential impact. Hey, I refused to be stopped by the fickle finger of fate............BTW, I would go for the Hinckley gig if I lived close by.
Quote from: Bob23 on May 17, 2010, 08:58:03 PM
Curtis:
You're killin' me- trans-vesselites! Where do you get this stuff? Yeah, you can't call 'em she...they are definitely its.
There's a Flica in a nearby marina that's been sitting for years. I purposely don't go by there...I don't want to see it for sale. Might be too tempting.
Bob23
Peter G gets credit for the new term.
to peterg: GROOOAAAAANNNN! Must admit it's a good (bad) one, though! Even the Macs aren't as ugly as one I saw for sail around here a few years back. Looked like a sort of wedding cake type cabin cruiser with a mast in the middle. The worst of both worlds in looks, and I'm sure in sailing cababilities as well. Don't remember what kind it was, besides ugly.