I have recently seen a Macgregor 65 which has been set up for cruising for two people with a smaller rig and deeper draft. I am wondering if you have any knowledge of the capabilities these boats have for cruising. This boat has only been used for cruising the West Coast of America and Baja. Hope you can help. Thanks in advance. Bye for now. Brent G.
PS – I would be using this boat mostly for cruising between Australia and New Zealand and to the South Pacific Islands.
Hi Brent: The Macgregor 65 is an interesting concept. Assuming that there is sufficient ultimate stability to get you back upright after a capsize, the only question I would want to examine closely was structural integrity.
You are cruising in the best part of the world, but also in one of the areas with the worst weather. The coasts of Australia and the Tasman Sea can develop truly awful weather very quickly – as I’m sure you know. So, you will want a boat that can deal with adversity and get you home safely. The length to beam ratios make the Mac 65 an easy boat to drive and it should track better than fat boats. But you need to make sure of the structural capability of all of the elements which contribute to your safety! – Steve
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 30, 1999)
