curious about the MacGregor 26M

[huramentzefix]

Hi all, I am trying to find some useful information about the MacGregor 26M


I would like a trailerable sailboat that I can just dump in from the beach. Hence something that floats free easily without having to get far in.
I also very much like the big motor option and that this boat has not a single hole in the hull (throughull).



What is a good engine size if I really want to go water skiing with 6 or 8 people on board? Will this be possible with a 90hp?

There have been some 90hp and bigger conversions, will the transom hold up and are these engines short, medium or long shafts? I think some have done reinforcements.


With the "original" 50hp how does she perform with 4 and 6 people in comparison to a 60 / 75 / 90?



How does she perform when she sails with engine at 1500 / 2000 / 2500 rpm?


Is 5 knots sailing performance realistic for the M?


What license do I need for sailing her from florida to the exumas? I don't have any.
I am a german national residing in the dominican repubic. can I register her in the USA? I registered a jetski 10 years ago in the USA without any problems from what I remember.

Does she need to get surveyed every year, does that depend on the state? I am not planing on coming back.

She is 26ft and there were some insurance-waivers so I've heard. How does I need to insure her?

What is it with the USCG certification is that advisable?
How high are the taxes these days for title transfer and are there any other annual taxes or taxes in any other form?


Thanks a lot to all of you

[Training Wheels]

Anything else? [emoji23]

[barnakiel]

Have you tried googling the easy parts already?


b.

[rbk]

https://macgregorsailors.com

Try the above owners site. As for engine size me and a buddy did a direct comparison a number of years back Suzuki 70 vs Suzuki 50. Better mpg on the 50 while running the same cruising speed 7knts same boat, similar loads etc. Too speed and acceleration with 70 obviously better. 5 knts under sail very achievable and you can surf them like a dingy, our max was 12.5knts. Good luck

[Plan Eye]

Originally Posted by huramentzefix

Hi all, I am trying to find some useful information about the MacGregor 26M


I would like a trailerable sailboat that I can just dump in from the beach. Hence something that floats free easily without having to get far in.
I also very much like the big motor option and that this boat has not a single hole in the hull (throughull).



What is a good engine size if I really want to go water skiing with 6 or 8 people on board? Will this be possible with a 90hp?

There have been some 90hp and bigger conversions, will the transom hold up and are these engines short, medium or long shafts? I think some have done reinforcements.


With the "original" 50hp how does she perform with 4 and 6 people in comparison to a 60 / 75 / 90?



How does she perform when she sails with engine at 1500 / 2000 / 2500 rpm?


Is 5 knots sailing performance realistic for the M?


What license do I need for sailing her from florida to the exumas? I don't have any.
I am a german national residing in the dominican repubic. can I register her in the USA? I registered a jetski 10 years ago in the USA without any problems from what I remember.

Does she need to get surveyed every year, does that depend on the state? I am not planing on coming back.

She is 26ft and there were some insurance-waivers so I've heard. How does I need to insure her?

What is it with the USCG certification is that advisable?
How high are the taxes these days for title transfer and are there any other annual taxes or taxes in any other form?


Thanks a lot to all of you

I was a MacGregor dealer. I have a brand new Tattoo 26 (MacGreggor became Tattoo) buried in a warehouse with a Yamaha T60 high thrust if anyone is interested.

[MAK982]

Most of the info you desire can be found on Google as someone has already posted. As for any offshore sailing, I would not recommend it.....too unstable in high winds and /or rough seas even with a full ballast. It basically is a flat bottom boat. The good news is if you give it a go and you run into trouble, you can get to safety quickly via motoring.

[nortonscove]

My wife's great grandfather would say that a multi purpose boat has no real purpose. Buy yourself a motor boat.

[huramentzefix]

Originally Posted by rbk

https://macgregorsailors.com

Try the above owners site. As for engine size me and a buddy did a direct comparison a number of years back Suzuki 70 vs Suzuki 50. Better mpg on the 50 while running the same cruising speed 7knts same boat, similar loads etc. Too speed and acceleration with 70 obviously better. 5 knts under sail very achievable and you can surf them like a dingy, our max was 12.5knts. Good luck

were that 2 stroke? due to how 2 stokes work each 2 stroke has it's range of RPM where it runs efficiently due to the exhaust flow. there is 2 strokes (I don't think in outboards though) that have a valve in their exhaust to control flow of gases. also each prop has their condition under which it is most effective. It would be advisable to compare them over a range of RPM's, one will be better and one range and the other at another. I appreciate sharing your research results, do you remember the consumtion by any chance?

[huramentzefix]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

My wife's great grandfather would say that a multi purpose boat has no real purpose. Buy yourself a motor boat.

My uncles dad says that motorboats don't sail, and hence have no purpose at all as a sailboat.

[huramentzefix]

Originally Posted by Plan Eye

I was a MacGregor dealer. I have a brand new Tattoo 26 (MacGreggor became Tattoo) buried in a warehouse with a Yamaha T60 high thrust if anyone is interested.

If it is brand new it won't be my price range. I appreciate the offer though. Try yachtworld or craigslist.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by huramentzefix

were that 2 stroke? due to how 2 stokes work each 2 stroke has it's range of RPM where it runs efficiently due to the exhaust flow. there is 2 strokes (I don't think in outboards though) that have a valve in their exhaust to control flow of gases. also each prop has their condition under which it is most effective. It would be advisable to compare them over a range of RPM's, one will be better and one range and the other at another. I appreciate sharing your research results, do you remember the consumtion by any chance?

4 stroke. Side by side cruising for 14 days. Pretty good sample range. Don’t remember the mpg but we ran the numbers and it was 10-15% better overall. I imagine if we were running on step the 70 might edge out the 50 using a lower rpm / speed requirements.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

My wife's great grandfather would say that a multi purpose boat has no real purpose. Buy yourself a motor boat.

That’s my limit for ignorance today.

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by huramentzefix

...........some useful information about the MacGregor 26M...............

Lots of good questions. Let me try to answer some of them:


What is a good engine size if I really want to go water skiing with 6 or 8 people on board? Will this be possible with a 90hp? 350 hp like I had on my Correct Craft Sport Nautique ski boat otherwise the skier will be a sea anchor OR you will be limited to wake boarding or skiing on doubles but will need a 100+ hp motor OTHERWISE get a used ski boat if you really want to ski

There have been some 90hp and bigger conversions... I have read some have installed 150 hp outboard engines.

With the "original" 50hp how does she perform with 4 and 6 people in comparison to a 60 / 75 / 90? OK, if you are willing to sacrifice speed with that many on board.

How does she perform when she sails with engine at 1500 / 2000 / 2500 rpm? Of course, when you are sailing your engine will be OFF.

Is 5 knots sailing performance realistic for the M? I would think so depending on the wind conditions.

What license do I need for sailing her from florida to the exumas? I don't have any. I expect NONE, but others might want to weigh in. Personally I would not sail tat boat from Florida to the Exumas. I would only sail it in inland waterways or estuary.

I am a german national residing in the dominican repubic. can I register her in the USA? I registered a jetski 10 years ago in the USA without any problems from what I remember. Probably no different than a jetski.

Does she need to get surveyed every year, does that depend on the state? NO

She is 26ft and there were some insurance-waivers so I've heard. How does I need to insure her? Get liability and 939,800 fuel spill liability minimum.

What is it with the USCG certification is that advisable? You can document it with USCG OR register it with local US state or your country.

How high are the taxes these days for title transfer and are there any other annual taxes or taxes in any other form? Depending on where you purchase the sail you may have to pay a small registration fee, sales tax (~10% in California) and annual property tax (~1% in California)

[No Fixed Addres]

I too was McGregor dealer for many years. These boats have given thousands of boaters many years of enjoyment and are a great concept.

Our McGregor Sailing Group would spend weeks in Australia's Whitsunday group having a fantastic time. They still do. They also go camping down the Murray River (rigless). They use them as caravans. Very few boats are as versatile.

However, they are what they are - not really suited for open water although I have been caught in 25+ knots and survived quite well - I was able to outrun the weather. Still - better to be safe than sorry, keep out of harm's way. Sheltered water or reasonable weather offshore and you should be fine. Just be sensible no matter where you are.

The largest motor we have seen on the back is 115 hp. The transom was reinforced with a 1/4" alloy plate. It's not the size of the HP, it's the way you use it. This owner was looking for greater amps out of the alternator rather than speed although some times he just couldn't resist - 22knots!!

Remember, pull your dagger board up when under motor, or at least greater than 5 knots. The lifting force generated can cause a "Whoopsie Doo".

As a fun boat, used sensibly, there are few better boats. That's why Roger and his daughter Laura sold thousands world wide.

[purplesunrise]

We owned a MacGregor 26 several years ago. It is one of seven sailboats and three powerboats we have owned. Our current boat is a Lagoon 450S. I would say the MacGregor 26 was the absolute worst sailer and powerboat of the bunch. As a compromise it did not do anything very well. It is an underpowered sailboat that does not go upwind and as a powerboat it is sloppy and responds poorly. I would never take it offshore but it might be a great boat on the ICW.

If you want to go somewhere fast, get a reliable and great performing powerboat. If you want to sail, get a boat that sails well because with the MacGregor you will be constantly disappointed and frustrated.