1st Time Boat Buyer

[RicinFL]

I live in SW FL & considering buying a 1994 Hunter 26 (water ballast) as my 1st boat. I have experience & training on Hunter 18 & Catalina 22 & have been crew on Morgan 36 for weekly races in the Gulf of Mexico. I plan to keep the boat in the water (i.e., not trailer it from place to place) and mostly cruise & occasionally race (PRHF) it in the Gulf. I'd appreciate any thoughts, suggestions, cautions or other advice from other Hunter or similar boat owners.

[hobopacket]

If it were me and I were keeping a boat in salt, I would go with a fixed keel. Easier to dive on a scrape clean. Easier to paint the bottom. Less maintenance on the hull. Then you can get a diesel. . Possibilities are endless if you are keeping it in the water vs. trailer.

[RicinFL]

Good points. Definitely worth considering. Thanks.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Ric.

[Sea Dreaming]

This is just my opinon, and in no way am I an expert. We have owned a Catalina 22 and a MacGregor 26x. The 26x is very much like the Hunter 26 with water ballast and dagger board in apparent design.

There is no way I would take that water ballast boat into the sea! I am not a great sailor so that colors my opinion. But I definitely prefer ed the Catalina to the MacGreggor. It was much more stable and easier to control. I don't know how Hunter compares but the Catalina was built far better than the MacGreggor. I think that MacGreggor made far too many compromises is layup and rigging to ensure that the water ballast idea would work.

My complaints -
The boat would never round up unless it was dead calm
Every little wake, chop or contrary wind seemed to push the boat off course. It was work! Of course we were on a lake so that has to be taken into account.
The hull layup was very thin.
No reef points on the stock main sail
The chain plates were glassed in. Seems like a really bad idea on a thin skin boat!

There is a 26x near us now. We have not seen it leave the dock. But I think the owners really just use the boat to fish.

[BamaRN]

I'm looking for my first boat as well. Very minimal sailing experience, but looking to correct that soon. What boat would you suggest? Fixed keel makes sense to me as well and Imy goal is to one day sail to the Bahamas. Any suggestions for this newby is greatly appreciated!

[hsi88]

I have a Mac 26X. Mine was setup for deep sea fishing of all things by the previous owner. He put on a 115 HP Merc that can push the boat along at about 30 MPH (in calm water). Has 2 internal SS 18 gallon tanks and can mount an additional 24 gallons in cockpit storage.

Maybe because of the weight on the stern the boat points pretty well. Mine can be reefed, but I seldom do. Sails faster on a good heel and I'm Ok with that. The PO also replaced the stock twin rudders, so perhaps that helps a bit. Not sure if the keel is stock, but I assume so.

Lots of people have taken these boats to the Bahamas. As long as you don't go nuts and ignore the weather, they are well suited. The draft is less than a foot. Can be run right up on the beach. Easy to hole up for storms. And can often run from local storms as well.

My problem was having a vehicle suited to towing the beast. My 26X with all the extras is about 3000 lbs. The steel tandem wheeled trailer is an even 2000 pounds. Add 400 for the motor and its getting close to 5500 pounds (2500 KG). I rented trucks to move it, so that limited my use. I just bought a well cared for used Ford Expedition that can tow 8000 pounds so I'm in the process of getting it re-commissioned.

I plan on taking it deep sea fishing (as the PO intended!) once I get reacquainted with the Mac in the Chesapeake. If that works out, its off to the Bahamas, maybe as soon as next Winter. In the meanwhile, I have some work to do. The boat was kept right on the ocean in New Hampshire and the trailer hubs are crumbling from the rust. Needs new hubs and brakes. So some work to do. Needs some cleaning too.

Not a problem as I have other boats and one is always sitting in a slip on the Chesapeake. I own both a Catalina 27 (selling) and last year bought a Catalina 30 that is on the hard at the moment getting some bottom work done. Certainly better suited to long sails than the Mac 26X with lots of head room and storage space. But it takes a long time to get anywhere, so its days of venturing beyond the Chesapeake will have to wait until I'm a little closer to retirement.

For what it is, the Mac 26X and M do a surprisingly good job considering the incredible compromises needed to motor at 20+ knots and sail in a reasonable fashion. Not fast under sail, you will be lucky to see 6 knots. I have heard of 7-8 downwind without water ballast, but not real comfortable with that. I have sailed in very light air without ballast and that kept me moving while others sat there becalmed (which was very cool at the time). Moderately heavy air can be handled with sails up, but like sailing a Hobie Cat in wind, you have to keep very alert. Lots of fun though!

[hamburking]

I considered the Hunter 26 in the past. Its a decent boat, lots of features. However, the main feature is the trailer and water ballast. If you intend to keep it in your driveway and tow it lots, then its a good compromise. But IMHO the Hunter 270 is a better boat. Its basically the exact same boat but with a shallow draft winged keel. I don't think they are very common. You can still put it on a trailer. But its a better sailing boat, more ballast, lower, solid.

I always dreamed of using the same outboard for the sailboat AND the dinghy...I think you could do this with either model.

If you are young and adventurous, it would be a great little boat to explore, and maybe do the Bahamas. Lots of space below. And the shallow draft will be an asset.

If you want something about the same size, but really solid and cheap, have a look at the C&C25mk1 (early 70's). It was one of C&C's best models ever. One in good shape sold here recently for $2000, ready to sail.

[Time Theory]

Watch out. Some folks willl flame you if you ask a question about a specific boat. Ask me how I know this.

[rbk]

Ramp fees are a lot cheaper than a haul out for bottom work
The great thing about trailerable boats is that you can customize and tune them yourself very easily and relatively cheaply. Go gas for your purposes, too many diesels are prematurely worn out from daydailers rushing their boat little to no warm up, race out of the harbour, hoist the sails and kill the engine throttled up while in gear, only to reverse this procedure upon returning (and if you're racing there's no point in dragging around a 400 lb inboard diesel when a 30 lb outboard will get you out of the harbour) A gas outboard will take this kind of abuse far better and is cheap to fix or replace. A lot of the sailing characteristics of trialer sailors can be chalked up to improper rigging (and cheap stock blown out sails) as most trailer to the ramp and just 'throw the stick up' with little consideration to take or proper tension and can change the handling dramatically. most will rip on any of the trialerable boats but they hold their value, cheap to maintain, operate and upgrade and generally have more adjustments for sailing (retractable keel, rudders, removable ballast) than any full keel will can offer. Yes I've owned one and can attest that trailerable boats (MacGregors included) can take far more than most crew can. The planning hulls get especially interesting when surfing with or without the ballast, no centreboard and one rudder down...food for thought.