Is the macgregor 26 on Sea really so bad as they say

[KTP]

Ok, thanks for the information. Yes we need to find a S, X and M and sit in them and compare. We plan on motoring only, so I would get rid of all of the rigging and mast, add quite a bit of solar and use a gas outboard along with a Torqeedo 1103 electric to power the boat. We sail our Pacific Seacraft 34 and our Montgomery 17 but the PSC34 is too big for the loop (and hard to get there from Seattle) and the Montgomery 17 is really not big enough for more than 1 week or so living onboard.

I was thinking of having a rigid bimini made up of four 300 watt panels and then having a four foot stripe of panels down the middle of the boat, leaving a small pathway on each side and at the bow for handling lines and anchor. Something around 1600 to 2000 watts of solar. The Torqeedo 1103 runs well on 1000 watts input (pushes our Montgomery 17 which is about 1700 pounds at over 4.5 knots in calm water. It would be quite pleasant to do stretches of the loop in silence and then crank up the 9.9 outboard motor for other stretches.

[Kiwi-Jase]

New to this forum and really enjoying the comments and advice. Apart from the few that went off on a tangent about water sailing">blue water sailing, rounding the horn, racing etc I have found this thread very helpful as I am currently in a similar situation. Spent my life around and in the water with some limited sailing, currently looking for a trailer sailer to get my family out on the water for summer adventures.

We have several popular trailer sailers here in New Zealand, such as the Noelex 22, 25 & 30ft but I have been looking at the Macgregor 26M (2007?) also. I am aware of the compromises but as has been mentioned I am just wanting to get out on the water, coastal cruising in relatively protected waters with the wife and kids, teaching them to sail, swimming, snorkelling, exploring and basically just having fun. We live a very "outdoors" life and this will just be an extension to it. Need something affordable and transportable, love the idea of a keeler but just not an option at the moment with the costs and logistics involved.

[Pete7]

Jase,

Also welcome to the forum Sounds like a trailer yacht could be just the thing especially when you consider how far you can go on a good road at 60mph. That's a new cruising ground in a few hours or take it home for the winter.

Pete

[Kiwi-Jase]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Jase,

Also welcome to the forum Sounds like a trailer yacht could be just the thing especially when you consider how far you can go on a good road at 60mph. That's a new cruising ground in a few hours or take it home for the winter.

Pete

Thanks Pete. Yes we have access to some amazing places here in the North Island, hence the appeal of the trailer sailer. Currently looking into a 6 day sailing course in the Bay of Islands and then it will be time time pull the trigger on a boat! Cheers.

[nedmiller]

If there are any MacGregor 26X available you might check it out. We like the floor plan better and motor and sail in waters where the depth can be uncertain. The swing keel is better if you hit anything, and we have, but sailing is a bit better with the M daggerboard. Wife likes the breeze in vee berth for sleeping and we put kids under cockpit. M is kinda short for that. M is roomier on a rainy day when galley slid back.
Make sure wind is not over 10 knots on the first dozen times you take wife and kids out. Macs move around a lot in wind and waves and can feel unsafe so let family get used to it!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Kiwi-Jase.

[nedmiller]

If you get a Mac 26x plan on modifying the steering if it is still factory. It isn’t difficult and makes a lot of difference.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Jase

.... I am aware of the compromises but as has been mentioned I am just wanting to get out on the water, coastal cruising in relatively protected waters with the wife and kids, teaching them to sail, swimming, snorkelling, exploring and basically just having fun. We live a very "outdoors" life and this will just be an extension to it. Need something affordable and transportable, love the idea of a keeler but just not an option at the moment with the costs and logistics involved.

That's what's great about these trailerable sailboats. They're affordable for a lot of people, and it's sure more memorable to kids than staring at a video screen for fun, IMO. If more families made a hobby of it - getting out together for weekends on the water, I think it would also help in keeping facilities nice for sailors, and a healthy regard for the environment.

[rbk]

Also try the Macgregorsailors.com owners website. They just got it back up and running.

[BugzyCan]

There are several Mac Facebook pages as well, good active participation.

The Mac isn't going to win any sailing races, but it can sail, great to learn on, and you can anchor in where no keel boat can venture, even tie up on the beach. With the X or M you can also motor past all of those sailboats to get to the moorage first if so inclined.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by nedmiller

If you get a Mac 26x plan on modifying the steering if it is still factory. It isn’t difficult and makes a lot of difference.

Does this mod make the boat track better under motor? My friend has a 26M and at planing speed, I found that it didn't hold course very well. It seemed to wander a bit (more than other planing boats I've driven), requiring a sort of back and forth helming.

[nedmiller]

The Mac 26X is different from the 26M so the steering mod would not work.
Both boats have much flatter bottoms than a motorboat that is made just for planing. They are semi-displacement hulls and thus not as efficient as displacement hulls and don’t plane as well as planing hull. No mod will make them plane as well as a non sailing boat and no mod will make them sail like a sailing boat...but they do both well enough.
If you aren’t going to trailer, buy a heavier boat. If you are not going to sail and ok with going below hull speed very efficiently, buy a displacement trawler...not sail and want to go fast, buy a boat designed to do that.

[rbk]

The steering mod beefs up the weak factory setup. As mentioned above they are a mix of displacement/planning hull; key with this is to either keep it at or below hull speed or on full step. It’s when you’re in between the hull wanders terribly.

[chowdan]

Theres been a few mac's that I've seen. Their rigging is questionable in size, but so is Beneteau's rigging size.

I've seen them out when the water is "rougher" and they seem to be quite an uncomfortable ride.

Seeing them during flat calm days seems like they move okay but definitely not nearly as good as a true sailboat

[rbk]

Originally Posted by chowdan

Theres been a few mac's that I've seen. Their rigging is questionable in size, but so is Beneteau's rigging size.

I've seen them out when the water is "rougher" and they seem to be quite an uncomfortable ride.

Seeing them during flat calm days seems like they move okay but definitely not nearly as good as a true sailboat

10-20 knts is fine in a Mac. We ran one for 8 years in SE Alaska. They are light and the rigging has a huge safety factor and can get bouncy in weather. We did tons of SC advisories which were mostly rather fun sailing. Also a couple of moderate gales which were white knuckles but not dangerous.