macgregor 25 sailboat review

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Review of Venture 25

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The boat equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a genaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

The Venture 25 is equipped with a swing keel. A swing keel is a pivoting lifting keel, allowing to sail both coastal and inland waters.

The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 0.46 - 0.56 meter (1.51 - 1.81 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Venture 25 is 2.50, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.4 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Venture 25 is about 114 kg/cm, alternatively 641 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 114 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 641 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is a Ballast Ratio?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 21m 2 (226 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Venture 25 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

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Mcgregor 25 at sea vs lake

• Thread starter Penntrails1
• Start date Apr 30, 2023
• Tags macgreagor 25
• Macgregor Owner Forums
• Ask A Macgregor Owner

Penntrails1

I am considering the purchase of a 1983 Mac 25. I have sailed similar boats in lakes, but not sailed this boat at sea. So, any feedback Mac25 owners have about sailing this boat in northeastern conditions, up to 5 miles off coast of Maine in various weather and wind conditions. Thank you.  

I owned a '78 Macgregor Venture 25 that I sailed on the west coast of Fl. in fairly protected waters for a couple of years many years ago. Found that I really needed something more robust if I was going to go out in open water. With a 2100 lb. displacement and a 625 lb. swing keel she was a bit tender for any type of rough sea. Having grown up on the new England coast, IMHO, I would look at something heavier and more seaworthy. Ask the local sailors for their input.  

stickinthemud57

Caveat - not a Mac 25 owner. Roland5048's observations make sense. Roger MacGregor's focus was on boats that could be easily trailered. The compromises involved make MacGregors not very well suited to blue water sailing. That said, I know of Mac 26M and X owners who sail from Florida to The Bahamas (a good deal more than 5 miles offshore). These boats are probably as or more tender than the 25. Naturally, they don't venture out unless they are confident that the weather won't get too nasty. I would say it doesn't matter so much how far from land you are going as how confident the weather and subsequent sea state will be amenable to the boat you are sailing. A heavier boat with plenty of weight below the waterline will be safer and more forgiving than a lighter boat like the Mac 25. People have sailed around the world in smaller boats, so in my opinion it has a lot to do with how well you know how to handle your boat in adverse conditions. Think in terms of worst-case scenario, and know your boat inside and out before you venture out of sight of land.  

Review of MacGregor 25 - www.yachtdatabase.com

I have sailed my 1977 V25 all over the coast of New England. The Cape and the Islands. Buzzards Bay and Narragansett Bay. I have sailed in about every condition possible. From a 50 plus knot squall in the middle of Buzzards Bay to 8 foot standing waves leaving the canal. Many trips from the canal to Ptown. That boat will sail and handle well in all conditions. The test is what you can handle. I had a 9.9 Johnson Sailmaster 2 stroke with electric start. I would power it with nothing less. People also trash the iron keel. My keel was in good condition. I replaced the winch, cable and hardware. Inspected all every season. Never locked it down. That seemed to piss off a lot of people on these blogs. The reason was that you could trim the center of effort by raising or lowering the keel. With the keel down the boat was super stable. Much more than my 26M. People were always surprised at how fas that boat could go and how well it handled. Like a classic Corvette. I loved that boat. My kids went to sleep in the bow with life jackets on on many late night crossings. Usually dome with My wife, the dog and my three girls. White caps are still white at night. I checked! The biggest issue was the junk trailer they came on. I refinished mine three times. New springs twice and finally replaced the axel with torsion axel. That was great but it was still rotting away. If you get a good deal I would go for it. Make sure you have a good VHF, convert the lights to LED and keep all the foam in. I found out ten years in that the previous owner sank her off the coat of Westport. Hit a rock with the keel locked down (another reason why I never locked it down) The boat sank in ten minutes. Stayed up because of the foam and the Coast Guard towed it in. I have a lot of stories on my club site the NE Trailer Sailors. I am the Commodore. The club is basically disbanded but the site was still up the last I checked. Still on FB too. Happy sailing!!  

OH, one more thing. She hit 11.5 knots when we came out of the squall. The jib was blown out and the main was rolled so that the sail was at the point of the spreaders for strength. Surfing down 8 foot seas. Yahoo!! When we realized that we mad it through alive the fog parted and a giant oil barge being pushed by a tug appeared out of no where no more than 200 yard off the starboard bow. We could see the crew looking amazed at the little boat with the jib flapping as much as we were amazed to see them come out of the fog!! I have a story about it on our site called the Buzzards Bay Crawl.  

Tsatzsue said: I found out ten years in that the previous owner sank her off the coat of Westport. Hit a rock with the keel locked down (another reason why I never locked it down) Click to expand

Roland5048 said: I never locked mined down, either. My sailing grounds are from just afloat to less than 10 feet until several miles off shore. That keel was my depth sounder. Click to expand

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• Sailboat Guide

Venture 25 is a 25 ′ 0 ″ / 7.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Roger MacGregor and built by Macgregor Yacht Corp between 1974 and 1979.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

See also MACGREGOR 25.

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Good deal on a Macgregor 25?

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I live in Michigan, and we're looking for a boat to travel along the shores of Lake Huron, probably some overnight excursions with the kids (6, 11, 16), and hopefully, we'll trailer it close to Mackinac and sail it to the island to stay the night. I've not sailed before, our family has always had power boats. But I've been looking to start with a sailboat for quite some time, and just this weekend someone in town put out a 1977 Macgregor 25 for 4500. I was hoping some people could chime in on a couple things I noticed when I went through it to see if I should be leery. It doesn't have a very large galley stock. It's really just a sink and a water tank. The owner indicated that before he bought the boat, the whole top area holding the sink had been cut out and it never came with the water tank. They indicated they pack their own water and a small trough that fits in that area to serve for food prep. Is there a reason they would cut this out that I should be concerned about? Does the removal of the interior fiberglass in this area affect the structure at all? The other thing I noticed is the hinged panel that acts as both access to under-bench storage, and as a step stool is starting to become a little "squishy" I suspect the fiberglass has had a lot of people step in it in 30+ years, and that it shouldn't be an indication of stress areas elsewhere (I didn't see any when we went through it. Am I wrong to think this? If we move forward we'll have someone inspect the boat properly before buying it. Otherwise, the sails are relatively new, new lines, the rigging has been replaced where it's been needed, it all looks clean, the outboard (9.9 Mercury) has been gone over as well. Is this as good a deal as it sounds? Or are they a dime a dozen?  

That price is really high, especially for an older Mac that has had some hackwork done. Compare here: Macgregor 25 Sailboat Photo Gallery  

25 sailboats I would not consider a Mcgreggor if I were you, I hope I do not offend any one. I have onwned a Catalina 25 and sailed it many miles in all kinds of weather with my wife and two young daughters. You should check out the oday, Catalina and Seaward 25's with the swing keel. I think the only thing that you will find to be a little bit of a problem is steping the mast by youself it is nearly impossible and you might need a tongue extension for your trailer.  

Thank you both for the input. I think we're going to pass on the Macgregor and keep our eyes out for something a hair bigger that would fit us and 3 kids a little better.  

A little more information: We're a family of 5 looking for a cruiser to sail the Great Lakes, primarily Lake Huron. We've done boating, but not sailing, and this would be our first sail boat. So, we want something manageable, but something we're not going to grow out of anytime soon. I was also trying to keep the list to boats that might be off-shore capable, in case we wanted to take it on a tour along the Atlantic coast, etc. So, rather than get an intro boat (Macgregor) and then move up, I started looking at boats that might fit this bill using the list here Atom Voyages | Voyages Aboard the Sailboat Atom - Good Old Boats List - choosing a small voyaging sailboat . I have found 3 prospective boats in the Great Lakes area that look promising. 30' Morgan Out Island Sailboat 1978 Morgan 30 - 13k. I spoke with the owner. He is the original owner, and has babied the boat. He says there are no structural issues, the gel coat is in good shape, the interior is excellent. It has a 20hp Yanmar, and good sails. There aren't any pictures of the interior, but we'll get an idea of that when we visit the boat, and then we'll get a survey done. I'm leaning heavily toward this boat. 1967 Bristol Herrshoff 29 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com 1967 Bristol 29 9.5k. This one is on the list as a capable off-shore boat. It's older than the Morgan, and a little less expensive. I don't know what condition the hull is in, I'd have to check it out. The layout and space inside looks very much like the other Morgans I've seen. 1980 Pearson 323 sailboat for sale in Michigan 1980 Pearson 323 25k. It's more than I'm looking to spend, and I don't think it's in that much better shape than the Morgan. I'm sure it's faster (I don't see that as being a big issue for us). I'm a little worried about the glass on the inside. I would think that would make it a nightmare to work on if we had issues. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.  

First-time boat purchases You say you have no sail experience? Go read Sailingdog's excellent checklist for prospective buyers - you'll find it at the top of the Boat Review and Purchase Forum. Then maybe read a little stuff from marine surveyor David Pascoe (google him) - some of his ideas are controversial but he'll show you the real-life stuff that hides in otherwise good-looking boats. Point is, if you don't know what you're looking for, you could get burned with a lemon of a boat hiding all sorts of headache - rotten deck cores, failing hardware, unreliable auxiliary power - which could cost you more than your purchase price to fix and endanger your life if you ignore. A boat whose owners appear to have cared for her properly is a good sign but not a guarantee. First, don't buy anything you haven't had professionally surveyed while on the hard. Second, maybe you should spend a couple weekends hanging out at the local marina. Boat owners are friendly types and usually happy to talk your ears off about their ownership and maintenance experiences, as well as their likes/dislikes in a boat design - from rigging setup to galley layout - which may give you a lot to consider as you think about purchase. You're likely to even get invited to get your keel wet...probably also a good idea for a new sailor.  

I'll go browse those sites and create a checklist. The owner of the Morgan is going to take us out for a sail. And we definitely aren't buying anything without a professional survey. It's too much money to get burned by a bad boat.  

If it was me I would offer 20,k for the Pearson, they might take it. But will the marina let you keep it in a 30 foot slip or make you pay for the larger slip. The Morgan looks pretty good and the price is o.k maybe a little on the high side, it all depends on the condition that the boat is in. Do yourself a favor and find the slip first or have a plan on where to keep it. Happy Sailing.  

Quietriot, would you go for the Pearson over the Morgan?  

I think the Morgan is a good choice for a Lake Huron/Georgian Bay/Lake St. Clair boat, simply due to it's shallower draft. Accomodations are better as well- the cabin is huge. The looks are, to some, an acquired taste. If she could be had for $12K and pass survey, she's a good bet. A boat you can enjoy for years and not lose a ton of money. I wouldn't worry about whether the boat is off-shore capable at this point. Find a boat to SAIL for now, annd make sure that the whole family digs it. If you find yoruself on a boat with four seasick people complaining it is slow and boring and they really really want a SeaRay, you will be happy you didn't buy more than you need. If, on the other hand, everyone loves the adventure and you do decide to sail the thorny path, then look at beefier cruisers, although i will argue that barring an ocean crossing the Morgan will do all that you need in the future.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting the heck out of the office! But I've never heard of anyone taking a (sail)boat from the Great Lakes to the Big Lake. I'm sure it's been done, and I get the impression you could sail at least a little on the St. Lawrence if the wind and the stars align right. But that's a long way 'round (1000 miles or so?) and ends up way way up in the maritimes. Which is of course why the Erie Canal was built, but you can't sail that - the website says bridge clearance is like 20'. Similarly, I see people vacationing all the time along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa where my in-laws live, but only in motorcruisers. I don't believe I've ever seen a sailboat try that, and it makes sense why.  

zedboy said: But I've never heard of anyone taking a (sail)boat from the Great Lakes to the Big Lake. I'm sure it's been done, and I get the impression you could sail at least a little on the St. Lawrence if the wind and the stars align right. But that's a long way 'round (1000 miles or so?) and ends up way way up in the maritimes. Which is of course why the Erie Canal was built, but you can't sail that - the website says bridge clearance is like 20'. ... Click to expand...

Yuck, I didn't know the Erie canal was limited like that. That IS a long way around...  

It's like any canal- a necessary stretch of motoring to be able to continue sailing. and it can be a very pretty cruise- lots of interesting small towns along the way.  

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