Hello to all the members,
I bought my Mac 19 about 7 or 8 years ago - after a long period of studying pretty much every bit and piece of info, comment and picture that could be found on the entire world wide web relating to trailer/sailor small boats for the novice sailor.. And after much procrastinating and doubt decided on the somewhat unusual 19M.
if I may, I just wanted to share with you other Mac owners and aficionados, a brief account of what my own experiences with the boat have been. And for anyone with an eye for a 19 in the future, hopefully an honest review of wether it was a good choice or otherwise.
All the sailing I had done before the 19 was a couple of brief trips out of the River Ardur near Shoreham Yacht Club (near Brighton) on a circa 1980's 19 foot Seawych. That, a bit of canoeing, oh, and one trip out as crew of a 36 yacht in a race around the cans at Brighton Marina (lots of shouting and tension - pleased to get off the thing) that was the sum of my experience of sailing...
On that basis then the criteria I had for the boat I thought I needed was as follows;
I didn't really have much sailing experience and knowledge, I understood that. So it had to be a 'safe' boat firstly. It had to be foam filled then, so at least it wouldn't sink like a lead lump (with me in it). It had too to have a good and powerful motor to get me out of the inevitable tight spots I knew I'd get myself in. It had to be acceptably affordable (to the wife anyway). it had to be genuinely easily trailable and launchable, as I knew I wouldn't take it anywhere if it wasn't. it had to have good accommodation (with a toilet) otherwise, again no wifey on board. Oh, and with absolutely no offense to any Seawycher's reading, it had to be far less 'tippy' than that fine boat. It had to 'feel' more stable. Otherwise again, no wifey.
So, I bought the boat, trailed it down to Shoreham. Launched it off with Wifey (no kids then to get in the way of a boaty day). We took it out once or twice together. And what did we think, had it met the criterior..?
It was an easy trail down (we got it in Norfolk) notwithstanding the badly maintained trailer. Within an hour or so I had got the hang of trailing it, or at least I had stopped sweating as much by then. After stopping for petrol at what must've been the largest open forecourt in the country, I was even begining to enoy it.
it was an easy-ish launch for a first time too. It was at the club, which has a capstan (that felt like cheating somewhat) but the easy launching broke any real fear of doing it again. The 19's not so big and heavy. It can be just about pushed around (on the flat) on its trailer by one (determined) person. Very very handy that when it comes to coupling up the car and the trailer and generally manovering it in and out of those inevitable tight car park and launch spots.
First time on the water, it felt safe and stable (an essential experience for Wifey and I if it was going to be a keeper) suprisingly so actually. Always with ballast in and never in too much weather, it was really very comfortable in the big cockpit in a force 3ish.
I had put a new Etec 25 on it (it had come with an oldish 5hp). Very nice motor - not as powerful as a 40 true, but it really has done the job. It just gets on the plane at its max of 12-13 kns, but it does power through any swells and currents so far, at least any I would want to be in. For maneuverability I have found the 19 very good under motor as I can swing the Etec almost 90 degrees to the transom so she will turn almost on her own length. The versatility of the 19 has been great for a beginer, really great. I've had her in 12'' of slack water, being pulled along by myself on foot with a line from the bow and then pushed single-handed back into her berth slot, to the astonished looks of the other Club yachties who thought I must be dragging her over the mud!
In total over those first two years of ownership I had done perhaps a few dozen trips out to sea around Shoreham and Brighton. And to Worthing Pier occasionally, out to Lancing once - about 10 n/miles distant I think. Other than that a couple of trips up local rivers with low bridges that hardly anyone else can get past. Once took her to the Broads too, easy trip really, and we had a great time.
What did the 19 not do on that initial list. Did it fail in any way?
Well, I have struggled with tacking her at times - but she's far from set-up perfectly anway. The sails are getting on too and I'm sure it has more to do with my lack of skill than the Mac's failings.
Tensioning the forestay correctly and consistently while still keeping it easy to un-fasten for mast lowering has admittedly defeated me so far.. Other than that I really can say that it is a great, unique (cheap) boat (there are a few T/S's out now which look really great too - but the prices! I havn't got 50 or 60k)! I once pondered about getting another boat that could handle the choppy sea waters around here better, but on reflection I realised no light weight boat will handle chop well! If you do that sort of sailing get a big heavy boat.. I cant think of (and haven't seen) a single boat that can do all the 19 can do - regardless of price - especially single handed like I often am.
What else, ah yes, after those first 2 pleasant years of ownership it all changed! My little girl Rowan came along... Poor old 19, left on its trailer for many moons, without a kind word or deed.
She's (Rowan that is ) older now so I can soon nip-off with Stumpers without quite so much guilt. Finally to get her off the drivway (Stumpers that is) Wifey will be relived. So I'm very glad I found the Mac Owner's Club and look forward to meeting up with folk, learning a bit more about our boats and having a few laughs on the water!
P.s Please find a attached few pics from when I first got the boat some years back. One is me looking scruffy and very happy, one is of a big black cruising chute I bought (great fun but a bit tricky single handed) and the other, the boat when first at Shoreham with the new motor.
Thanks for reading
Best regards
Jon Walker - Stumpy / Mac 19
Hi Jon
Nice to have another 19 owner in the club, and welcome!
The boat can certainly be a bit reluctant to turn through a tack, I think this is down to the short rudders which don't really have enough "grip", especially at low speeds in light wind. Dave Healey has made longer ones out of marine ply for Tenacity, with lifting ropes like the 26s, they seem to work better. I made mine liftable earlier this year - that shear bolt system really isn't a good idea, and I'd already replaced the bronze bolts with nylon. I'm wondering if I can add extensions to lengthen them, rather than making complete replacements.
Forestay tension - assuming you have the mast-raising pole and tackle, the trick is to crank the raising rope hard using the winch, and with the backstay disconnected (or just slack if it's got a bottle screw). This should make it easy to pin the forestay, then you can release the raising rope and tighten the backstay. To lower the mast do the reverse, starting by releasing the backstay then again cranking the rope hard so as to relieve the tension on the forestay, allowing you easily to unpin it.
I had a cruising chute on my previous 26X, but as you say, difficult to manage single-handed. I could in fact deploy it from the sock and manage all the lines from the cockpit, the hard bit was getting it hoisted in the sock in the first place, and without fatally crossing any lines which rendered it unusable!
(BTW, perils of copy-paste, you didn't actually attach the photos here :-)
Yes, the 19's a great fun boat, idiosyncratic, and unlike anything else. It's a shame they didn't make more of them - they'd probably have designed out the odd flaws too!
Rick Jones (Treasurer), former 26X & 19 owner, Isle of Wight
Thanks for your comments. I too got frustrated with the shear pins. I drilled a hole through the bottom of the rudder and threaded a lifting rope from there up through the stem of the steering column and out to a cleat either side for each rudder. Apart from the rope needing to be replaced every few years it seems to work well.
About the short rudders - would the rudders from a 26 be too big for the 19 do you think?
P.S I cant seem to add the attachments on the web-site for some reason, the blue box 'attachments' doesn't seem to work. Or am I doing it wrong?
Best Regards
Jon
Ha, that's pretty much the same as I've done with the rudders. I'll take a pic next time I'm at the boat. Haven't had the system long enough to know how long the ropes will last.
I think 26 rudders would be too big and unwieldy TBH.
To start adding files you need to click on Browse below Attach Media. The box saying Attachments is just a label, not a button. Let me know if that's not the issue.
Rick Jones (Treasurer), former 26X & 19 owner, Isle of Wight
Hello Jon, I think the editor will be miffed he didn't get your story for the Magazine, most entertaining and enlightening too and I have to say, if it's not too forward, you've got the look of a Mac owner - intense, focussed and prone to moments of derangement. I have a Mac 26C and only a week ago had my Honda 8hp stolen. The thieving barstools arrived in the night, severed the mooring strops, pulled the boat to shallow water, did the dirty deed and left poor Mrs MacGregor adrift. Unfortunately my insurance is seasonal and has just expired. This is the second engine I have had nicked so I suddenly found myself looking at boats that might be more kept more securely and chanced upon a Mac 19 that had just come up for sale on ebay. I didn't buy it - it just disappeared from the listings - but it got me thinking. The two 19s that joined us for the Lough Derg gathering this Summer performed brilliantly and just seem more manageable from a trailering point of view than a 26. However, I have sourced a replacement engine for my boat and am going up tomorrow to try it out and hopefully my love for Mrs Mac will be restored. It was good to read your account and I hope one day we'll meet up at a MacGregor gathering. Best wishes to you.
Quentin Sands, past owner
1991 26C Mrs MacGregor
1993 Mac19, Margarita
Hello Quentin,
Thanks for your post.
Sorry to hear about your engine. I was always concerned about my Etec 25 getting nicked and that's bolted through the hull! Ive got my boat on the drive now and so sleep easier. I hope if we do meet on the water we both have our engines..
Kind regards
Jon
Hi Jon, and welcome to the fold.
Looking at your pics, do I rightly detect that you have managed to fly a jib as well as a furled headsail (which I assume is a genoa)?
If so, I'd be very interested to know how they're rigged as I've been pondering a job for my 26M but don't want to lose the Genoa.
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the welcome!
The pic of the boat in sail is the black cruising chute flying with the mainsail down an tied and the jib fully furled away. The reason the chute looks so off is that I was trying to catch winds high up some height above the mast head. I sort of had the idea I could use it on areas with high bank sides and trees etc, like the broads. I don't know how practical that would be off the open sea however as its a bit unwieldy. I hope to try it out in Spring.
Kind regards
Jon
Haha, shows how closely I was looking, I didn't spot how high it was off the deck, just thought it looked sheeted in close to the centre and got excited.
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50