[N0NJY]

Dan;

I just went through this. I looked at several boats. One was a Mac Venture 25 (the one I ended up buying) and a Macgregor 26 (too much money for what I was looking for). The sites listed will give you some idea on how to read the HID. I give you an example of what yours ought to look like.

Nautical Know How - Boat Hull ID Numbers
Hull Numbers

MacGregor Sailing home
Hull ID

Check there for some information on the HID. I had to do that myself.

Yours ought to be something like: MAC 00123M86B

That would tell you Macgregor, hull s/n 00123 Mac 1986 made in Sep.

You'll find it on that boat on the starboard side of the transom about five inches below the line that joins the topsides to the hull.

The last letter is the month (A=Aug, B=Sep etc)

Rick

 

[N0NJY]

Oh yeah, if it were an "X" model it would be like: MAC X0123M86B

 

[N0NJY]

I believe both the s and c models have water ballast from what I have read (Haven't seen one in person though).

I think all their boats under 30' (what did they make over 30, but a 60 and 75, right?) are pretty much all water-ballasted.

I did a lot of research on this kind of boat and decided against one myself. (Mine is a 79 Venture with a drop-keep using a crank and cable system)

 

[N0NJY]

Thanks for the reply - helpful links for sure! I'll give the seller a call and see if I can get him to get the HID for me. Is the # on the inside of the transom?

Thanks,

Dan

Mine is stamped into a metal plate and riveted to the outside of the transom.

Glance at those sites, they have some pictures of where the HID ought to appear. Some boats (I think newer boats) usually have it inside the cabin, on the hull somewhere (I have NOT found that on my boat - and I think it's only on later boats after 85 or something. I don't remember offhand)

 

[N0NJY]

Have you seen this boat yourself yet?

If you're going to go examine it, the water ballast system is under the companionway - under the stairs. There will be a cover of some sort usually, and there is a valve system and a... for lack of a better word, cork

The idea is that you open the "cork" (it is a removable device that you can look in and also allows air out). The valve is next to that. When you undog the valve it allows water into the tank. The "cork" lets air out as the tank fills.

Forward a bit there will be a centerboard that cranks up and down. It's not weighted much (which is why they use the water ballasting system!) and that should be checked for leaks and such around the bolt holding it.

Do you know if this boat is sitting on a trailer or hard, or is it in the water?

Rick

 

[N0NJY]

Oh, found some more information on them. If you look, it will tell you about the M model too. (That one has extra ballasting in it)

MacGregor Yacht Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[N0NJY]

Hey guys... HIN! Not HID, tooooooooooo many years of military acronyms for me (I fell into that quite naturally you know... Hull ID number - so I should have been saying HIDN) lol