Hi, After reading your observations about cats for offshore cruising we have started to rethink the one-year Pacific cruise we have been planning for our family (three adults, two children 11-13 ) starting next July. Any views on a Macgregor 65 as an alternative to a 40ft cat? Being UK sailors we haven’t come across these boats over here. Are they as fast and as tough as their supporters claim? Any comments will be very much appreciated. Thanks for a great site. Hugh & Deb
Hi Hugh and Deb: I hesitate to comment on any specific Mac 65 as they vary a lot, or that is what I’ve been told. I don’t think Roger MacGregor ever intended this boat for offshore work. But if the boat is properly outfitted, and carefully sailed, it will probably do a lot better than many boats out there cruising.
If you do get serious about one, be sure to pay attention to the range of positive stability. Often with boats like this they start out with an OK LPS, but then the Owners add all sorts of weight up high with davits and dinghies, and roller furling sails, and the LPS drops alarmingly.
This is true with all offshore boats–not just the Mac 65s.
As to boat speed, a Mac 65 would leave any 40′ cruising cat in the dust. Good Luck–Steve Dashew
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 30, 1999)
