Capt. JG wrote:
I for one have no interest in owning a 26 foot boat that comes with a 70hp
engine. This is the antithesis of what sailing is all about.


The boat is built to be balanced in the water with crew and with an
outboard of 50 - 70 hp. If the moter were removed, the boat would tend
to "lean" forwardly, with the stern too high in the water. The weight of
the outboard is far less than the weight of a typical diesel in a 27-29
ft boat, although, of course, the weight of the diesel is better
positioned.

The chief disadvantage of the larger engine is that it gives Mac-bashers
who have never sailed a 26M another opportunity to turn their noses up
at Mac owners. Although the Macs don't point as well as conventional
boats with weighted keels, I doubt seriously that the weight of the
motor is a major factor. Rather, it's the compromises relating to the
internal ballast, trailerable hull, and lack of weighted keel. (The
metactric effect.)

The more important factor, however, is that they are lots of fun to sail.

Jim