[Rhodes22-list] Mac 26M; bunkmate

Fri Jun 27 12:46:31 EDT 2008

Here's an entrant into the field from Hunter:

http://www.sailboatowners.com/forums/pviewall.tpl?uid=73293228873&sku=2008168154531.46&forumabr=aao&fno=2

elle

We can't change the angle of the wind....but we can adjust our sails.

 1992 Rhodes 22   Recyc '06  "WaterMusic"   (Lady in Red)

--- On Fri, 6/27/08, Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:

> From: Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com>
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Fun and Games with A Mac 26M, reply
> To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Date: Friday, June 27, 2008, 12:34 PM
> Ed,
> 
> I do think that MacGregor is having some problems.  
> When they killed the 26X in favor of the 26M, they 
> omitted/changed some of the features that attracted 
> the casual boat owner and added some that were of 
> questionable value.  The 26M (IMHO) is not as 
> attractive as the 26X.
> 
> Given the construction and delivery chain problems 
> alluded to in Jay Hersh's note, there is some remedial 
> work to be done, if only to the face presented to the 
> public.  There was a Mac rep in Maine, but he dropped 
> the Mac line when the 26M came out.
> 
> Stan certainly has nothing to fear from the 26M.
> 
> /Robert
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Tootle wrote:
> > 
> > Robert,
> > 
> > And Stan thought he had issues with his people.  He
> ought to read it to his
> > guys, that is, if he can translate it to Spanish.
> > 
> > And Stan knows the head fellow of MacGregor!
> > 
> > If only half of this is true, I guess it means that
> MacGregor is going
> > under.  However, the dealer who delivered should have
> taken time to check it
> > out.  Car dealerships used to check out a car prior to
> delivery.  Quick way
> > to ruin a business.
> > 
> > On the otherhand, this guy may lack ordinary common
> boat sense and expect
> > after a long trip that everything is perfect.  That is
> why Stan either goes
> > thru the basics at the plant if it is a pick up or
> sends an experienced
> > person to assist with the initial set up.
> > 
> > Ed K
> > Greenville, SC, USA
> >
> http://www.nabble.com/file/p18154416/economics%2B101.jpg
> economics+101.jpg
> > 
> > Robert Skinner wrote:
> > >
> > > I received the following message from a fellow
> sailor,
> > > and thought I'd pass it on.  While I have not
> verified
> > > the details and cannot vouch for the accuracy
> thereof,
> > > the general tone seems to indicate caution where
> Macs
> > > are concerned...
> > >
> > > /Robert
> > >
> > > -------- Original Message --------
> > > Subject: re: August sail
> > > Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:20:27 -0400
> > > From: "Jay Hersh aka Dr. Beer(R)"
> <jsh at doctorbeer.com>
> > >
> > > We bought a MacGregor 26M from a Colorado dealer
> named Kelly Hanson
> > > because
> > > they had showed at the Boston boat show and there
> are no MacGregor dealers
> > > for 400 miles so it was going to have to be
> shipped to us anyway. We
> > > ordered it in March and Kelly Hanson got the
> check on April 1st. It
> > > cleared
> > > my bank account April 3rd, and sincethis takes 2
> days for out of state
> > > checks, they must have deposited the day they got
> it. That was the last
> > > thing about this transaction they did in a prompt
> manner. The boat didn't
> > > arrive until Memorial Day, a month late. It is
> riddled with problems.
> > > Major
> > > problems.
> > >
> > > - Engine won't go into reverse and starts in
> gear because the throttle
> > > cable was not installed correctly.
> > > - the Engine wasn't inspected by an
> authorized dealer BRP, the parent
> > > company of Evinrude, won't validate the
> warranty until I have this done.
> > > - Steering linkage was either a bad design or
> incorrectly installed
> > > because
> > > you can't turn to starboard
> > > - the trailer torsion bars were never adjusted so
> the fenders were rubbing
> > > the tires. Because the flatbed that was supposed
> to deliver it from CO
> > > broke down in PA the trailer was towed by some
> 3rd party shipper the last
> > > 400 miles. This resulted in the side light wiring
> chafing away.
> > > - Speaker wire was used to extend the 14AWG
> marine grade wire that
> > > connects
> > > the 30 Amp main switch panel to the battery.
> > > - the connection between the 30 Amp panel and the
> battery had a 10 Amp
> > > fuse
> > > wired inline, not a 30 Amp. So if you flipped
> more than one switch on the
> > > panel the fuse would blow
> > > - the 12 volt power socket which has 20 guage
> wiring and is designed for
> > > no
> > > more than 10 Amps had the 30 Amp inline fuse
> wired into it
> > > - the engine wasn't connected to the
> batteries via the battery selection
> > > switch
> > > - the 2nd battery I was sold ($195 for the
> battery, Perko battery switch
> > > and installation) was a 75 Amp trolling motor
> battery
> > > - the main battery on the boat was a 450 Amp, not
> the proper size for the
> > > ETec 50HP engine I ordered which the manufacturer
> spec says should have a
> > > max cranking amperage of 1000 Amps
> > > - the stereo I bought was advertised and invoiced
> as a "Marine" stereo but
> > > instead a car stereo was installed. It was
> installed in the wrong place
> > > and
> > > it wasn't even hooked up right. there was no
> fuse in the inline fuse
> > > holder
> > > and the wire on the positive wasn't stripped
> before being crimped in the
> > > connector end
> > > - They stiffed me for the main sheet, genoa sheet
> and genoa cars
> > > - The $495 Genoa that is advertised as having a
> sewn on UV cover didn't
> > >
> > > This is just the short list. There are 2 full
> pages of defects on this
> > > boat.
> > >
> > > When I tried to contact Kelly Hanson both the
> Sales Director who had sold
> > > me the boat (Jeff Stagg) and the Chief Financial
> Officer (Andrew Etzen)
> > > who
> > > I'd also dealt with previously ignored
> repeated emails and calls. I posted
> > > something on the MacGregor Sailors web page and
> the owner of the company
> > > Art Kelly called me names and said that if
> I'd only called him he'd have
> > > corrected everything. So I called him and he said
> to email him the list of
> > > problems and the pics I took of them. That was
> three weeks ago, and as you
> > > might be guessing he didn't respond to my
> email.
> > >
> > > Next I contacted the East Coast Sales Rep who
> only recently started with
> > > them and works part time while having a day job.
> He's a nice guy and he
> > > came out to my house near Boston two weeks aga
> and took a look at the
> > > lemon
> > > of a boat they sent me (we've nicknamed it
> the Albatross for now) and when
> > > I told him that I should be getting refunded at
> lesat some of my $ for the
> > > slipshod work his reply was that calling it
> slipshod "was being kind." He
> > > put together an action list and sent it out to
> Colorado. The CO office has
> > > done nothing. They haven't bothered to doing
> even the easy stuff on the
> > > action list like mailing me the missing parts and
> they have yet to send me
> > > a dime.
> > >
> > > I've had to shell out $300 to have the
> trailer repaired earlier this week
> > > so I could tow it to the closest Evinrude dealer
> to have the warranty
> > > inspection done, the throttle properly connected
> and a battery sized for
> > > starting this engine installed. That's going
> to cost a bunch more $.
> > >
> > > In the meantime Kelly Hanson is blaming MacGregor
> for some of these
> > > problems since it's a custom built trailer
> and MacGregor installed the
> > > engine. They haven't owned up to the
> miserable and hazardous wiring job
> > > they did and refunded me the $ for the labor on
> it or the cost of the
> > > stereo plus installation. Summer starts
> > >
> > > The hybrid power sailer of the MacGregor is in
> principle a good design.
> > > MacGregor itself cuts just about every corner
> they can to squeeze a $1
> > > more
> > > profit out it. They make claims about the boat
> that just plain aren't true
> > > which I won't go into those here. They
> don't stand behind their 2 year
> > > warranty, and they aren't even remotely close
> to being qualified to
> > > install
> > > engines on their boats.
> > >
> > > Kelly Hanson has a nice web site. They've
> been selling MacGregors for 1.5
> > > to 2 years and have become the largest reseller.
> Almost nothing Jeff Stagg
> > > their sales Director told me about the boat
> before I bought it is true. He
> > > misrepresented so many things about it I
> don't know where to start. There
> > > is no supervision of whoever is doing the install
> work on the boats of the
> > > options they sell, and despite a lot of huffing
> and puffing from Art Kelly
> > > (who also runs Freedom Boat Works) they don't
> stand behind the boats they
> > > sell.
> > >
> > > So just like Ishmail in Moby Dick, I'm here
> to tell you my tale so that
> > > you
> > > might avoid my fate. Think twice or even thrice
> before you decide to buy a
> > > MacGregor because even if it is delivered in the
> condition it is supposed
> > > to you'll spend lots and lots of money and
> time just replacing the cheap
> > > hardware they use (most of which is designed for
> much smaller day sailers)
> > > with quality stuff. Definitely DO NOT BUY A BOAT
> FROM KELLY HANSON
> > > MARINE!!!! Tell anyone you know that might be
> thinking of buying a
> > > MacGregor not to buy from Kelly Hanson Marine.
> Tell them to tell everyone
> > > they know. Believe me you'll be doing people
> you never even met a huge,
> > > huge favor.
> > >
> > > If the boat weren't in the shop I'd
> probably be working another 10-12 hour
> > > day on it in the fading hope of getting to sail
> it this year instead of
> > > writing this email.
> > > Hope all your summers go better than mine has
> started out.
> > >
> > > Jay
> > >
> > > PS I've created the website
> KellyHansonMarineSucks.com and will be posting
> > > a list of the defects the boat arrived with,
> pictures of the slipshod work
> > > that was done by them and MacGregor, the timeline
> of events, and other
> > > details.
> > >
> __________________________________________________
> > > To subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using
> the mailing list go to
> > > http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> > >
> __________________________________________________
> > >
> > >
> >
> http://www.nabble.com/file/p18154416/economics%2B101.jpg
> economics+101.jpg
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> http://www.nabble.com/Fun-and-Games-with-A-Mac-26M-tp18147880p18154416.html
> > Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at
> Nabble.com.
> > 
> > __________________________________________________
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> > __________________________________________________
> 
> -- 
> Robert Skinner  "Squirrel Haven" 
> Gorham, Maine         04038-1331
> s/v "Little Dipper" & "Edith P."
> __________________________________________________
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