I've always thought the Mac 26 is an interesting choice for boaters in
protected waters. However, I never liked that the are sold based on
on the claim of high speed. While it possible to do over 20 MPH,
there are numerous issues with this. It is only possible if the boat
is "light" and without ballast.
The safety warnings for the boat include: Always operate with ballast
full. But, if you must disregard the primary rule, you can run
without ballast if there are less than 4 people on board, no one on
the forward deck or on the forward bunk or in the head, or off the
centerline. Not in chop over one foot, or in cold water. Sails down
(actually is says "removed").
The fatal accident I posted earlier had 8 adults on deck with the
ballast tank empty - the boat flipped within seconds of getting under
way. Clearly the warnings were disregarded, and the operator was
drunk, but its not clear a novice would appreciate this when they
bought the boat.
Elsewhere on the site you can find the comment that one knot of top
speed is lost for every 100 pounds carried. The net result of this is
that if you carry gear, passengers, a full load of fuel, and some food
and water, you're not going to see 22 mph. Further, if you're in
unprotected waters, you're likely to encounter a chop over one foot,
so you can't run with ballast empty.
If you scan the Mac user forums, you'll certainly find a few reports
of high speed, but you'll also find plenty of users that say 10 to 12
knots is all you can count on once you take all of these factors into
account, and if the going get rough it could be much less. This is
still not too shabby for a 26 footer, but does mean that you can't
simply take a distance, like 40 miles to Bimini, divide by 20, and say
you can count on doing it in 2 hours.
On a slightly different point, the concept of a "weather window" bears
some discussion. At least once a year we find ourselves 150 miles
from home with unsettled weather on the way. We've generally made the
optimum choice, picking the travel days that give the least grief,
but, it has often turned into a nasty ride, nonetheless. This never
seems to happen and the beginning of a trip, where we're willing to
adjust our plans to avoid nasty weather. But towards the end of the
trip, if there appears to be a day or two that is "not so bad" we go
for it and take what comes, and frequently have a rough ride.
So when I hear about "weather windows" and the Mac 26, I wonder if the
person appreciates that they have a habit closing down and being less
than optimal conditions.
wrote:
The thread about crossing the atlantic in a Mac 26 was getting too long
and isnt really interesting. HOWEVER, to say that a Mac 26 sails poorly
means little as so do other "real" sailboats like the entire Morgan
Outisland series. Remember the Westsail, Practical Sailor called it
the "Wet Snail" . As far as the Dawson 26 mentioned as an ocean
crosser in the other thread, PS called it the "Doghouse 26". So,
ultimate sailing ability may mean little.
Consider that most coastal cruiosers report spending about 70% of their
time motoring and you might get a different perspective on the Mac26.
You might consider it to be a motorboat with the ability to sail.
Unlike most motorboats, this one has the safety factor of being able to
sail home. Does this make it safer than the average motorboat used for
cruising?
Do the properties of the Mac26 allow its owners to go more places than
most other sailboats.......probably. Is the Mac26 safe enough compared
to most other motorboats to allow its owner to safely cruise over to
the Bahamas under power? Consider that its speed under power may allow
it to use narrow weather windows that other sailboats could not or that
time spent at sea might sdetermine your probability of getting caught
out in bad weatrher and maybe the Mac26 speed under power gives it an
edge in safety.
I do not see the Mac 26 as an ocean crosser but as a way for people to
sail in many places. True, they will almost always sail in wind less
than 20 kts but that is what most of us want to do anyway.