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DSK

lid wrote:

Funny, I've been looking at the MacGregor for a while now as a potential
purchase.

Does that mean that you've really bought one already and are
looking for validation?

It seems to me that sailors don't like it because it's not a "real"
sailboat.

I dunno about other sailors, I don't like them because IMHO
they are ugly (a matter of personal taste) and because they
have very poor performance under sail... a matter of well
documented fact, regardless of what the MacGregor
advertising says (they wouldn't LIE would they?!?).

The older Mac26 model (made in the 1980s and early 1990s)
will sail rings around them, as will many other trailerables.

.... I have heard some say it bobs like a cork under sail and that the
hull is weak.

Supposedly the newer Mac 26-M is stronger built than the old
ones, but that would also make it heavier. A problem for
them under sail is that they are difficult to steer, and
they react badly to any wave action.... "bobs like a cork"
is a fair description but doesn't convey all the
implications.... wet, noisy, heavy yawing, slowed
dramatically by waves.

In my experience, they will only make ground to windward
under a certain range of conditions, if the wind is too
light they can't point and if the wind is too strong, they
have too much windage and get shoved backwards by waves.

..... I probably would never venture farther than
Catalina or the channel islands. I'd also like to sail some of the
lakes like havasu, Powell, etc. so the trailerability of the MacGregor
is appealing.

THere are a LOT of other trailerable boats out there. One
issue is that powerboats with any accomodation are heavy.
You will need a large tow vehicle to pull a powerboat with
accomodations anywhere approaching the Mac-26.

But trailer cruising is very rewarding and you can explore a
lot of places. Shallow draft is one of the benefits that
goes along with trailerability, often not appreciated until
you "move up" to a big keel boat and realize how many places
you can't go in it.

Family of 4 up to 1 week trips once or twice a year. I
wouldn't consider myself the fair weather type; as skills progress I'd
sail year around in as much weather as the ship and her captain are
capable of.

The ship is always more capable than the captain (and/or crew).

Opinions?

Get either a motorboat or a sailboat, trailerable is a very
good call, and get out there on the water. The Mac-26 is
neither, it's really a floatable camper trailer, with a very
vocal cult following. If you want to join the cult (or have
already joined), that's fine too. We will probably see at
least a few angry replies to this post as an example.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King