Could use some help...

[Giulietta]

Don't listen to the naysayers here...they hate Mac's because they are all jealous..Mac rocks....!!

I have a Mac 26 and it crossed the Atlantic...look here..if you don't believe me...

Here it is sailing in Portugal...that is true...however good they claim they are, I don't see no Catalinas here, though....

Besides a low stability ratio makes a boat sail faster...many racers like that..ask them...

Alberto Rodrigues Martinez Silva

S/V Mirabella VII
MAc hull# 2345

[lbdavis]

Originally Posted by Giulietta

Don't listen to the naysayers here...they hate Mac's because they are all jealous..Mac rocks....!!

I have a Mac 26 and it crossed the Atlantic...look here..if you don't believe me...

Here it is sailing in Portugal...that is true...however good they claim they are, I don't see no Catalinas here, though....

Besides a low stability ratio makes a boat sail faster...many racers like that..ask them...

Alberto Rodrigues Martinez Silva

S/V Mirabella VII
MAc hull# 2345

Looks like the time off really helped.

[Stillraining]

I have owned both a mac21 and sj24...The Mac was very solid sailing and forgiving but slow..We had to force it into a knockdown as it would just spill air and keep going with green water over the rail and stable as could be..

The sj24 was way more tender due to the plain fact it has a much higher sail to length ratio and is an IOR racer built for speed..They are nicely appointed below for their size but my Carry more draft then you want depending where your at..

The choice for me would of coarse would be to go to the sj24 but if you needed a trailer-able boat the mac21..

I think you were a long ways away from laying that boat over.... and with more experience healing a boat over, burying the rail will get in your blood..As far as cats pointing to widward better... there are many threads here to disclaim that premmis. Although I have never sailed one.

[kwaziwampo]

I'd be looking at mooring her. The headroom down below...well, that's an interesting one. We want to get in at an entry level price, and it seems you get a lot more quality if you go smaller (21/22). We're really looking for something to learn on, and get comfortable with over the next year, then move up to something bigger.
As much as I'd love to get something bigger...and I can afford it...I think the best route to go is to look for more of a learning boat.

[lbdavis]

Originally Posted by kwaziwampo

We're really looking for something to learn on, and get comfortable with over the next year, then move up to something bigger.
As much as I'd love to get something bigger...and I can afford it...I think the best route to go is to look for more of a learning boat.

Kwazi,

I trust you're bright enough to weigh all the economic factors involved with the upfront costs of getting into a new hobby; but just so you know, selling a used boat is NOT like selling a car. You could sit on your "starter" boat for years.

[blt2ski]

What is your budget? if say $10G, then one can find a really nice 20'ish foot boat, for $20, i seem to recall finding a new one, west wight potter at last boat show?

Even for $10-20, you can get into a 25-30' boat that will sail real nice around here that would be moor able permanently.

Otherwise, for trailer ables, find one with a centerboard vs a fixed keel. a CB model will launch off "MOST" ramps, all but the shallowest ones. Fixed keels like the SJ24 are needing a hoist 99 out of 100 launchings, ie all but the steepest of launch ramps.

Catalina's also come to mind for a reasonable cost and sailibility. Hunter has some in the low 20' range too. When I was looking, I found some Cat27's for less than $6G, then 6-10 in reasonable shape. The older outboard versions were a bunch less than inboard versions. Cal made some nice 25-27' models that can be had reasonably priced too.

Find a 48north rag or look at there website for classifieds for some boats.

Marty

[kwaziwampo]

Yes-right around 10k is what we'd be looking at. I don't have the space at my house for a trailerable boat...ironically enough, I'm right on the water though, so mooring could be right out my front door. I'll definitely moor it at the local marina to start though, just from a convenience standpoint.