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Sneaking back...


kydocfrog

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Well...let's see...

Charlie Girl II, my weekender, sold early this summer.  :-[ She's up in the Cave Run Lake area with a couple of folks out of Morehead University.  She was a hoot to build, and I learned a huge amout. Just was not the right boat at the right time -- a bit much to take by myself; a bit too small to take folks with me. But she did sail sweet!  I figured I lay off for a while. I bought a little basket case of an aluminum fishing boat for $100 and started putzing around and refitting her as a picnic cruiser. Yup, lay low, take it easy, no big projects; no big deal. When you are in that mood, you should avoid Craigslist...

So, here, acquired earlier this summer for a very very low three figures, is my latest; a 1977 Venture 21 that had sat under some pine trees for about seven years or so. A couple of notches bigger, but I can plan on bringing anyone along who I talk into helping me launch! Never thought that I would own a contemporary FG type (much less a red one for crying out loud), but the more I mess around with her, the more impressed I am, and the more I grin.  ;D  It's not quite like really building a boat, but I certainly am messing about with her and she is eating the hours. I wouldn't really have know what to do to restore a boat if I had not built a boart first. Besides, I kinda missed hanging around this crowd.

Soon to be christened as "Light of Day," here she is as found; a bit of interior cleaning rebuild started with a new galley rig; refitted transom with new ladder, light bar and new swing up rudder blade from IDArudder; and a general view as of this afternoon. Still sorting out the rig. Hey...wait...there's no mast tabernacle. What were they thinking...

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Those were made by MacGregor, weren't they?  If so, that was when MacGregor knew how to design boats!  (I actually like the Mac 26, but it is more of a big plastic bleach bottle than his earlier boats which were pretty fast).

I sailed on a Venture out of the local harbor once, and thought it was a great boat.  You have certainly cleaned her up nicely.

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Hey Frank, don't lump all MacGregor 26 into the same category!  There are the Mac 26 classics and then the Mac 26 powersailers and they are two quite different animals.  I have a Mac 26 classic from 1987 when they had the daggerboard and those are fast boats under sail as well.  I am generally the first boat to cross the finish line though the portsmouth handicap of 92.9 allows sevaral boats to adjust over me unless I have a good lead...which I do a lot of times  ;D .  That rating, by the way, is a lower rating (meaning the Mac26D is faster) than all of MacGregor (including the Venture) other models with the exception of the catamaran.  The newer motorsailor Macs are a compromise so slower sailing performance but do work with some people's needs.

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;D

From a Macgregor dealer- ( me)

Actually there are FOUR different 26 footers.

The two Classic models, one with dagger board, then later with center board.

Then came the 26X which was the first of the 26 foot power sailers and had a centerboard, ( skipping the 19 from earlier) and the latest model is now the 26M, which has reverted to the dagger board, and comes stock with a rotating mast and a heavier V to the hull.

All four are water ballasted boats.

The D model is generally considered the best sailer of the four, followed by the C ( sometimes called S) for swing or centerboard. Neither of those letters are Macgregor designations by the way- they just called the boat the "26"

Of the two power sailors, the new M model is the better sailing vessel, but personally I liked the interior of the X better. 

I have a brand new one sitting on the lot I'd SURE like to sell ;D ;D

OH- and yes, the Ventures were the early Macgregors, including a pretty neat little cutter called "Venture of Newport"

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The Mac history is kind of interesting, and the role the 21 seems to have played in helping to shape the pocket cruiser on a trailer market is one of the things that make it interesting to me as an erstwhile student of industrial design. The further into this boat I get, the more intrigued I am. There is some really solid looking interior glassing and seam work between the hull and the underside of the cabin/sole liner that I really can't figure out how they did unless they had some little bitty contortionists who were immune to toxic fumes.

BTW, Charlie -- since you volunteered that you are a mac dealer (which is pretty cool, actually), are spares still available? I guess I could make some new spreaders, but, hey, as long as I'm more into restore and refit instead of build.  And would there be any drawings or anything still available from Macgregor regarding stern rail/pulpit for the 21. I've seen a picture of a boat with one, but I can't find it referenced anywhere in the older brochures that I have been able to find. Thanks!

DocA.

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Spares- a very few for the X models and of course things for the M's. Other than that, nope- nothing that I know of. There are places that deal with parts for Macs though, although I am not up on them. We don't handle used boats ourselves- no room so have little need.

I'd just have one built by one of the custom rail builders do it if I was doing it. That's what we'll be doing on our Meridian.

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;D

From a Macgregor dealer- ( me)

I grew up in Costa Mesa, near where the MacGregor plant is.  My sister was friends with the daughter (she was in the brochure for the 26x).  Jan and I considered buying a 26x ... like you, I don't like the M interior as well.  Part of the requirement for our "big boat" was that it could live on the side of the house, and there's no way I could back the 26x up the drive, around the corner and into the yard and miss the gas meter!  I barely make it with the little Potter 19!

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I would love a stern rail on my boat mainly to hang things from.  I am very seriously considering making my own though.  Last night, in about three hours of work, I built a pipe bending table out of scrap wood (ok, on piece purchased) and bent a frame for a dodger on my 12' catboat.  I was very plesantly surprised with how well it came out.  A friend of mine did make a stern, and another, a bow pulpit where the only skills you need are bending and a little bit of geometry or a lot of dry-fitting patience.  Hardest thing is finding a good supplier of stainless tubing.  I bought aluminum from west marine but it was expensive and aluminium, while fine for bimini's, is probably not sturdy enough for a stern rail.

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