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JimC wrote:
lid wrote:

Funny, I've been looking at the MacGregor for a while now as a potential
purchase. I would really like a sail boat but the family wants a power
boat. I occasionally sail on a friends 1929(?) wood hull sailboat and
that is the life for me. My family likes our other friends 21 ft
Chris-Craft.

It seems to me that sailors don't like it because it's not a "real"
sailboat. Powerboaters don't like it because it isn't a "real" power
boat and then there are those with them who more or less seem to like
them. I have heard some say it bobs like a cork under sail and that the
hull is weak.

Certainly there are compromises made just like an enduro will never be a
great dirt bike or a great road bike but, it has it's place. The
question is, how is the MacGregor? I'd like to do coastal sailing in
Southern California. 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. 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.

Opinions?
Carl

Carl,

FYI, here are some comments from some guys who have actually bought (and
sailed) a Mac 26M, when asked what they thought about the boat and
whether they would buy the same boat again:

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If the clock could be turned back, would you buy again? - Yes,she's a
great versatile boat that offers great options on sailing or powering. I
have towed the kids with a tube and the Mac behaves well. All my sailing
so far, has been on the Mediterranean with light winds in the morning
and a heavier in the afternoon.She sails well in both conditions. I was
caught out in a 25knot wind and motored back through the chop.No problems

The boat's best features: Sailing ability.She sails as well as any boat
costing double the price I have sailed on. The kids love powering more
than sailing though. Good interior for short stays.All maintance can be
carried out by the owner which saves a lot on repair bills.There are
plenty of helpful owners out there willing to help with problems. There
is nothing complicated about the boat regarding hardware and design.

The 26M is a practical fun boat that can be used for serious sailing
without the major costs involved.

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The boat's best features: She doesn't pound in 3 foot rollers at speeds
of 14- 16 mph. She will sail well with just the main. Lots of room in
the cabin. easy to sail and adjust for heavy air. will make the 35 miles
to catalina in 2 and a half hours under power. She feels safe and
comfortable when sailing. Looking at the boat you would guess that the
freeboard would be concern as to boarding a dingy. but if you go off the
stern and use the engine as a seat to swing into the dingy this works
perfect. right height and very stable.

Fun fun fun. That's what she was made for plain and simple. Not a world
cruiser - a day sailor, a very good day sailor. The MacGregor seems to
upset the snob sailor a bit there is very little respect from the true
sailor out there, but the boat is a hybrid and does its job well. There
is something to be said about going to Catalina and arriving 2 or 3
hours ahead of the fastest sail boats out there. And then enjoying the 7
hour sail back as a good sailor. I like mine, don't care what others
think and will be out there as much as possible please say hi when the
"A GUST A" sails near you.

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I posted a review just after I bought this boat. I have now had it two
years and thought reviewing it again with experience might be
interesting. Yes, I would definitely buy this boat again. I now sail
solo some of the time; my regular crew, my father in law, passed away
last summer, but he had no trouble handling the boat at 84.

The boat's best features: Versatility. Once you get used to it, she is
a very reassuring boat. It will heel quite easily to 15-20 degrees, but
at this point, it starts to lift the water ballast tank out of the water
and so stiffens up and does not heel much more. Versatility also extends
to sailing - it handles well with just the main, and will also go well
with the jib. Strong following wind and sea = no main, use genoa - this
allows you to sail comfortably at 135 degrees from the wind. The genoa
is pulling upwards, so reduces pitching; no danger of gybing, and much
less yawing as the drive from the sails is well forward. I have also
achieved 3-4 knots on a reach with just one third of the genoa and no
main - we actually measured both up and down the river to be able to
deduct the tide from this. In anything from F4 and above, I have
generally found that reducing sail area quite a lot e.g. taking the
genoa in leaving just the main will only lose about 1 knot of speed, or
using my smaller main BUT make the boat a much smoother sail. We did
make one trip, under motor only, which turned out to be a F7. Because of
our particular bit of coast - shallow water and a long fetch, we get
very short steep waves. The lightness of the Macgregor shows then, and
even at 3 knots you can be taking off the tops of some of the waves. She
still felt safe.

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The boat's best features: The nice sailing spots in the bay are far
from where I keep the boat. The 26 M's flexibility enables me to shorten
an 8 hour cruise to 4 hours.

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I have read many things on the web against the macgregor. Frankly i
don't know what the _____ they are talking about. I could not imagine
having any other boat. I love her and if i would have had her 20 years
ago I would of never gotten married.

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If the clock could be turned back, would you buy again? - Yes. This is
a 2005 MacGregor purchased middle of 2004. Most definitely would
purchase again. Vessel purchased with roller furling on 150 jenny; lazy
jacks; main halyard led aft; bimini; other less consequential amenities.
Gear that's been added: Uniden VHF with WHAM; Depth sounder; Garmin
276C GPS; shore power; LCD TV; mini microwave/convection oven.
Structural or complex improvements: Added shore power.

The boat's best features: Easy to sail and forgiving, excellent
handling under power. Mast raising system is as advertised and a
pleasure. While rigging is neither arduous or difficult, it is time
consuming, but not an issue for me since I keep the vessel in a slip.
The vessel is comfortable for our use, which tends to two adults and
(occasionally) a grandson.

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Many of us simply dont care what we look like to other people so a
Mac26 would be great. In fact, I think it looks OK compared to the
Morgan OI series and compared to the Beneteaus. For the sake of people
like "Ellen", I always leave my fenders down until I get out the
channel and away from others cuz it drives some people nutso.