Comments on: The Real Story On The MacGregor 65

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:34:51 +0000

By the way, you can’t put a bowthruster on a Mac 65 as the hull in the forward 15 feet of the boat is not deep enough, and further back the turning moment of the thruster would reduce its effectiveness, not to mention requiring a 10 foot long tube.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:32:53 +0000

I owned a 92 Mac 65 for ten years. I loved that boat. Since then I’ve had 2 Hallberg-Rassys, but neither have been as fun as the Mac 65. For the price, I’m not sure another boat compares. Some are trashed out, and not worth consideration, but if an RV interior is ok, and you like awesome sailing (and fast motoring), the Mac 65 is the perfect family cruiser (on steroids).

By: Horst

Horst — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:19:05 +0000

I am interested to buy a Big Mac. During my research I noticed that there was a design change in that the engine was moved back towards the stern together with the prop. Was this done to provide better prop wash to the rudder and improve maneuverability in tight quarters?
I read in one blog a story about a Mac 65 that ended up against the pilings because it didn’t turn quick enough. I suspect a bow thruster would help as well.
Any comments in that regards are welcome.

By: John Crill

John Crill — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:57:05 +0000

I’ve also got a Big Mac, 1994, and have noticed a bit of rudder slack. How did you (Chris) sort this out? Did you have to haul the boat or could you repair in the water? I haven’t yet had a good look at the rudder stock.
Another question. My genoa has expired and I’ve been quoted about $8000 for a new one. I can get a used, but good, one for about $600. But it would need a lead to the deck further forward than the old high cut foresail, ie a genoa track and carriage. Has anyone fitted a track and is the deck strong enough to take it?

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:47:18 +0000

The only two things I wish my “Big Mac” had were a bow thruster and a fully enclosed cockpit. I can live without both, just not as comfortable. I will say that I’m just as happy not to have wood down below. We took on water when an air conditioner valve broke and I was just as happy to only have to deal with wet carpeting and not warped floorboards. She’s stark but she’s easy to clean. Though I will say one of the big improvements Roger MacGregor could make would be a less convoluted bilge system. Tell him to give me a call before he starts production– I might be able to think of a couple more things too.

By: Peter L

Peter L — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:59:25 +0000

Heard that they are ( Mac Gregor ) considering reintroducing this 65 design again when things ( ECONOMY ) are better. With improvements. Not sure as to what improvements those would be. I hope this is not just talk. The source is close enough to be believable. Look forward to them after the falling sky folks settle down after 2012 passes much like 2000 did. Any one know more about the reintro please share. If you don’t know for sure ( please don’t ).

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 22:39:23 +0000

I have a Big Mac also and recently sailed it from Seattle to Hawaii and back. The boat is well built except for the rudder post housing design system. The rudder tube is fiberglass and after time it wears and the rudder posts become wobbly, causing steering to bind. A quick repair in Hawaii was an epoxy pour in the tube which held up for just under one year and the wobble is back. I am planning to haul out again and this time put in a new tube (maybe bronze) with bearings at top and bottom, putting the wear on replaceable bearings not the tube.
It is important to reef early in these boats, they actually go faster with less sail, we found out several hundred miles north of Hawaii when we got overwhelmed with a quick rise in wind with the 130 genoa up. The electric autopilot was on and kept rounding the boat down and so we broached before we could turn off the autopilot to round up, and put the boat on its side and the spreaders in the water. We took water in the cockpit and open windows for about 10 long seconds, then the boat slowly rounded up into the wind and came back up. So, really it is a fairly idiot proof boat, and the 10 year old standing rig stood the loads. It is fairly cold in nw without heat.

By: John

John — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:31:14 +0000

Hi Rusty,

I could not agree with you more: speed is a huge contributor to safety. Not only does it get you out of the way of bad weather, but I’m absolutely convinced that fast boats are, as a general rule of thumb, safer in heavy weather.

Having said that, good speed offshore is not, in my experience, just a function of weight: There are some fast heavy and thin boats too. But when the interior starts to govern the design, like in your old OI 51, seaworthiness and comfort (when offshore) suffer.

I’m not big on cores as a general rule, either. Although some great and strong boats have been built with Airex, so it depends on the core and the skill of the builder.

By: Captain Rusty Carney

Captain Rusty Carney — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:32:20 +0000

Thank you for putting people straight on the MacGregor 65. I am so tired of reading scathing reviews of them written by people who have never been aboard one. While you covered allot of the positives you did not mention that there is safety in speed. I owned a Morgan 51 Out Island, and while she was a very comfortable 3 bedroom 2 bath home on the water she sailed like a brick. The MacGregor may not have the interior volume but she will literally run off and leave the Morgan in her wake. To me this relates to the safety of a vessel in that storms can be avoided instead of riding them out. The 1995 MacGregor 65 I now own is the fastest and most sea kindly boat I have ever had the pleasure of sailing, comfortable at anchor or even motoring with a quartering sea. There are forward and aft watertight bulkheads and the hull is solid fiberglass…no core! I asked a Tartan rep at a boat show once if their hulls were built using foam or balsa cores and when he realized that I was not a fan of cored hulls stated that they were only cored above the waterline. When I gave him a “duh” look he realized just what he had said and even commented that he had “never thought of it like that”! MacGregor 65′s are eligible for the American Bureau of Shipping’s +A1 rating and for Coast Guard Certification. Those that have been Coast Guard Certified have been rated to carry 49 passengers. To be eligible for this rating the vessel must pass a stability test. The following link will take you to an online copy of the MacGregor 65: http://www.webworldinc.com/heritage/brochure/800cover.htm
Enjoy the reading!

By: Victor Raymond

Victor Raymond — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:52:51 +0000

Thank you John and Lawrence for this very good review of the McGregor 65. I have had an interest in this boat because of the long water line. The interior lack of warmth (in many ways) held me back in considering this vessel as a second home. But for a quick passage maker I am sure there are few equals except perhaps the Dashew’s boat, but that is a completely different price range.