Where’s your mast?

We are regularly asked this by those who know that the MacGregor 26X was sold as a sailboat. Today we were hailed on the radio by the captain of the Cassville, WI, car ferry as we passed by. He said he was a sailor and asked us where our mast was and where we were headed. Our short answer about the mast is usually “we left it in Minnesota” and if there is further discussion we explain that it is of little use on the river south of Lake Pepin, and causes delays at railroad bridges if it’s up and is a big obstacle and hassle if it’s carried on deck. Not to mention the sails, lines, spars and hardware that would have to be stored onboard. We made a choice to leave all that behind and so far don’t regret it.

We went 35 miles downriver today to Dubuque, IA, passing though one lock (#11). Soon after getting into the pool below the lock and dam, we came across another MacGregor 26 heading out on the river, and he had his mast up! We slowed to greet each other and he told us that it was not only wide and deep enough to sail there, but he was a member of a local sailing club in Dubuque.

It continued to be MacGregor 26 Day, for as we pulled into our marina, one of the only other boats at the dock was another Mac 26X, and just like us, they are mastless. We immediately made introductions after we tied up and dinner plans for tomorrow.

Kathleen and I ate dinner onboard, then took a walk along the Dubuque Riverwalk, part of a major redevelopment project on the city’s waterfront. There is a convention center, casino, hotel, aquarium & museum, walking paths, and the Port of Dubuque Marina, which was built mainly to attract visiting boaters like us. On our walk we also saw a restored Civil War-era shot tower, where musket balls where once made, and the historic Dubuque Star Brewery, which is now a winery. Tomorrow is a planned leisure and sightseeing day.