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MacGregor 26M - Valiant 40
That's the first I've seen the 'M' model. Looks like they took a big step
backwards re the cabin, which looks exactly like the old (pre 'X') 26'. The hull still has that ugly step in it, and the gross power-boat type 'windows'. I've seen a few Xs sailing and talked to a few owners who really love them. They're not bad boats for their purpose (shallow draft/power/sailboat) if you can get past the look. Not for ocean sailing, though. If you really want to talk to owners, Sailnet has a Mac mailing list, and one just for X owners. It sounds like you're worried what others will think. In that case, stay away from the Mac. S.Vernon "Jim Cate" wrote in message ... DSK wrote: SAIL LOCO wrote: Sounds like a 25 foot power boat with a small cabin might be the best choice for your intended use. After the kids grow up and you get tired of fishing you can sell the power boat without loosing your ass like you would on the Mac and you can buy a real sailboat. This was not a flame. Sure it is... just one with a healthy dose of reality. The Mac26X (or "M" if that's what they are calling it now) PowR-SailR is a choice for people who can't make up their minds and don't know much about either motorboats or sailing. First of all, the advertising is very misleading. They will not go 24 mph under power, unless you either put a bigger motor than it's rated for (and crack the transom open in 1 season) or strip the boat of all extraneous weight like passengers, cooler, mast, etc etc. You're more likely to see 15 ~ 18 mph... which is still a lot faster than most sailboats can go in most conditions. But much slower than a real motorboat, and the PowR-SailR sails poorly at best... not enjoyable sport IMHO. If the issue is distance to cover, then either get a boat to keep at a marina closer to good sailing grounds and drive 65mph to there, thus saving large amounts of time... or get a trailerable boat that can be trailered (again at 65mph)... with the benefit that you can take it other places as well. If you're not sure if you like sailing enough to go to all that trouble, you probably won't. Get a motorboat (and this isn't intended as an insult, because I have a motorboat myself... along with three sailboats). Fresh Breezes- Doug King Thanks for the suggestions. As noted previously, most of my sailing experience over the past 25 years has been on larger boats, in the 30-35 ft range, that we chartered for family vacations. We would live aboard the boats for a week, sailing (sometimes in in some pretty high winds), swimming, cooking meals and sleeping at anchor. I've had training from several sailing "schools," including an Annapolis Sailing School nav and heavy boat handling course. So, although I'm sure there are many more experienced sailors on this ng, I'm well-aware that such heavier boats are "better" than the MacGregor in a number of ways, particularly for blue water sailing. The 40 foot Valiant, for example, had three mainsail reefing lines led to the cockpit, color coded, such that you could adjust the main to any desired reefing point without leaving the cockpit, along with roller furling on the jib, plus a staysail.- It was stable and fast and great for sailing in blue water, making some 9 knots with the staysail and jib up. Also, of course, owning a larger, traditional boat would certainly get me more respect from fellow sailors, whereas sailing a Mac 26 will make me the subject of continued ridicule and disdain (I should expect continued comments like: He doesn't know enough about sailboats to realize what a mistake he made..."). But for our area and conditions and the anticipated uses of the boat, I'm not sure that these heavier boats would be the best choice or provide the greatest enjoyment and satisfaction, which I suppose is the ultimate criteria. (Remember that I can still charter a variety of larger boats when desired.) In the Kehmah-Seabrook (Houston) area, we have some huge marinas with thousands of beautiful sailboats of all types and sizes. But most of these boats sit in their slips in the marinas for 99.9 percent of the time. - I have had friends tell me that, after the initial purchase, they had such difficulty in getting time to go out and in getting crews to go with them, that the boat sat there, with ongoing maintenance costs, bottom treatments, marina fees, insurance, etc., so that they finally sold the boat. In my particular situation, my former crew (my kids) is not available, and my wife doesn't seem to be too keen on getting out in anything but ideal weather. Maybe I could get some of my friends to go, but probably not on the schedule or frequency I would prefer, and I'm not sure I want to go out on a large boat by myself, even with roller furling, etc. As mentioned, we have grandkids who I think would not enjoy the relatively extended motoring and cruising time entailed in getting a heavy boat to good sailing areas as is necessary in our area and then back to the dock. For family outings, the Mac has the advantage that you can anchor it in shallow water, or beach it on an island, etc. (I'll investigate other marina choices, however.) Regarding the new Mac model 26M, several pretty substantial changes have been made as compared with the 26X model. They include a new hull design entailing a deeper, heavier, 15 degree bottom, rounded corners at the sides, a partial lead ballast rather than full water ballast, a flatter hull, adjustable dagger board rather than pivotable fin keel, rotatable mast, additional fiberglass and roving, etc. WHETHER OR NOT these changes are going to be effective in improving the handling and performance of the boat, they are significant, substantive changes, so I don't think it is logical or reasonable to describe the handling and performance of the new M model based on observations or (usually) hearsay relating to the older models. The interior of the boat is open, with lots of windows, and gives the impression that you are on a much larger boat. (The Valiant 40 that we sailed in the gulf had a traditional interior that was segregated into several cabins, and the main salon was therefore not exceptionally roomy or bright and "cheery.") (By the way, the Mac 26 can be powered with a much larger motor if you want high speeds and water-skiing capability. - I don't need or want to go over around 18-20mph, which is still three times faster than most fixed keel boats.) On the other hand, I don't know how the new boat sails or handles under power, which is why I posted my questions. Their video of the M and S models saling side-by-side shows the M model sailing by the older model as if it were standing still. Again, I don't know if the "race" was rigged, etc. - You might want to take a look at the video, that can be downloaded from the MacGregor site. Meanwhile, I'll also be looking at some of the larger used boats for sale in our area. Apparently, I can get an older 30-32 Cal, Catalina, C&C, etc., for about the same price as a fully equipped Mac 26. Conditions and needed repairs and maintenance are another question, of course. Jim |