So, would they be ok to sail across the stream to the Bahamas? Across
the Northern Gulf back and forth to N or S. Florida? Down island to
the Caribbean? What are the limits?


Many have done it very successfully.
Your reasoning is sound, the only thing
missing in the Mac 26x is the ability to sail
a wide variety of conditions, weather needs to
fit more narrow parameters for good performance
and sailing pleasure.
But then it's a motorsailer NOT a sailboat.

Glenn

(Quest0029) wrote in message ...
So, would they be ok to sail across the stream to the Bahamas? Across
the Northern Gulf back and forth to N or S. Florida? Down island to
the Caribbean? What are the limits?


Many have done it very successfully.
Your reasoning is sound, the only thing
missing in the Mac 26x is the ability to sail
a wide variety of conditions, weather needs to
fit more narrow parameters for good performance
and sailing pleasure.
But then it's a motorsailer NOT a sailboat.

Glenn

I have had my S2 for 14 yrs now and have recently upgraded and
replaced most things on it including engine, sails, standing rigging
and lifelines so probably will not make a change anytime soon.

While I enjoy sailing, my real interest is low cost cruising so I
would be happy with a cold fusion power source if it was cheap and
give up the sails. All cruising power boats are expensive to operate
compared to a sailboat. I gave serious consideration to a motorsailor
(a Nauticat) but all I see have too deep a draft. I have also
considered a trailerable trimaran (F31) but the cost really bothers me
($140,000). For what it does, the Mac26 seems to be a bargain.

My only experience with a Mac26 was in 1992 sailing from Carabelle to
Steinhatchee, Fl (about 70 miles) on my S2 when late in afternoon I
saw a mast on horizon behind me. Was no wind so we were motoring with
the old 7 hp Yanmar diesel. Boat behind was obviously catching up and
I assumed it had to be a larger vessel to be doing so well under power
as I was doing about 5.2 kts. As it passed, I was shocked to see it
was an ugly Mac26. They easily made it into Steinhatchee long before
dark where around dark as we finally entered the 5 mile long channel
the fog closed in suddenly. We spent a scary night in the fog not
knowing if we were in the channel or not but trying to stay in deep
water and not hit oyster bars. They later told us of the good meal
they had that night. They also told us by radio later how they
stopped at various interesting places on the coast that are too
shallow for me.

My experience with coastal cruising is that I spend at least 40% of
the time motoring due to lack of wind. Much time is also spent
waiting because we dont want to try to incessantly tack into a
headwind. This means that while cruising, at least 60% of the time, I
am not able to sail where I want to go. My cruising philosophy is
that I will use the diesel to motor when wind is unfavorable and if
the wind is favorable I will use sail. For this reason, I have
upgraded my engine to the 13 hp yanmar 2GM.

I suspect the real problem many ppl have with the mac26 is that it
does not support the self supporting long range cruising dream since
it is intended for more limited cruising. Buying a Mac26 is an
admission that you are not going to sail around the world or something
similar. I suspect that more experienced Mac 26 buyers are ppl who
have become more realistic about their cruising goals.

I would be curious to know the motoring range of the Mac26 for times
when there is no wind..

I suspect the real problem many ppl have with the mac26 is that it
does not support the self supporting long range cruising dream

Yes and that it is a boat that can sail
and power which is better than a boat that
can only sail (and has deep draft to boot).
The Mac is all compromise and many people
a problem getting their minds around something
like that.
BTW the boat will need upgrades in hardware
before going to the Bahamas and such.
It also sounds like you could be happy with a
pocket trawler but the Mac can still go in
much thinner water.

This site may be of interest-
http://www.eskimo.com/%7Emighetto/murrelet.htm

In article ,
Quest0029 wrote:
This site may be of interest-
http://www.eskimo.com/%7Emighetto/murrelet.htm

Yeah, mullet's site. A standing joke on sailing anarchy. Read this
thread on the SA forums, "The future of yacht design"

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/forums...showtopic=2833

-steve

(Steven Fisher) wrote in message ...
In article ,
Quest0029 wrote:
This site may be of interest-
http://www.eskimo.com/%7Emighetto/murrelet.htm

Yeah, mullet's site. A standing joke on sailing anarchy. Read this
thread on the SA forums, "The future of yacht design"

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/forums...showtopic=2833

-steve

Well, I dont really expect to be invited to your "Yacht Club" cuz with
my ratty Tasmanian Devil flip flops, paint stained t-shirt and ragged
shorts I wouldnt fit in. All y'all REAL sailors can adjust your
captains hats and ascots and go back to the yacht club bar muttering
about how the common riff-raff just dont know their places.
Meanwhile, I'll be sailin one way r nuther.

Amen and Suits Me Just Fine...
I got aboard my first boat,(16ft Comet) in 1947
(Where were U in 1947??? no offense intended...)
Had LOTS of others since...
How did I get good judgement??? Bad judgement :-)
Check out my X-boat page below...

Also opinions/observations on how much performance has been
sacrificed by cruising gear added, notwithstanding
(ignoring)
the absolutely shameless hype on Roger Mac's video....

....and Have a NICE day!!!!

http://angelfire.com/biz/WritersWeb/update3.html

(Parallax) wrote in message om...
(Steven Fisher) wrote in message ...
In article ,
Quest0029 wrote:
This site may be of interest-
http://www.eskimo.com/%7Emighetto/murrelet.htm

Yeah, mullet's site. A standing joke on sailing anarchy. Read this
thread on the SA forums, "The future of yacht design"

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/forums...showtopic=2833

-steve

Well, I dont really expect to be invited to your "Yacht Club" cuz with
my ratty Tasmanian Devil flip flops, paint stained t-shirt and ragged
shorts I wouldnt fit in. All y'all REAL sailors can adjust your
captains hats and ascots and go back to the yacht club bar muttering
about how the common riff-raff just dont know their places.
Meanwhile, I'll be sailin one way r nuther.

(Steven Fisher) wrote in message ...
In article ,
Quest0029 wrote:
This site may be of interest-
http://www.eskimo.com/%7Emighetto/murrelet.htm

Yeah, mullet's site. A standing joke on sailing anarchy. Read this
thread on the SA forums, "The future of yacht design"

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/forums...showtopic=2833

-steve


For many yrs, purists refused to recognize multihulls as legit
sailboats and many still do not although many multis have made extreme
voyages. I suspect the same thing is happening with the mac26 genre.
I have heard of few accidents involving the Mac26 but that may be from
not paying attention although I do hear of accidents involving REAL
sailboats fairly often. When Mike Plant was killed in his REAL
sailboat from the keel falling off there was not an outcry about REAL
sailbaots being unsafe.
When i first saw Hunters years ago, i was apalled at the poor quality
compared to my older S2 but when I look at newer ones, it is evident
that good engineering and material advances have probably made them
more than equal to my S2 in quality. I believe the same is true of
the Mac26. Its newer types of materials and construction is probably
better than the older materials and construction methods that went
into high quality boats of yore. By analogy, my fibreglas middle of
the road S2 is a far better boat than a very high quality boat built
in the 1940s and a middle of the road boat built now is better than a
high quality boat built in the late 70s. A lower cost boat built
today may be equal to a middle of the road boat built in the 70s.
From what i can tell, most mac26 owners recognize the limits of their
vessels and many discuss upgrading the equipment. Should a Mac26 be
sailed out of sight of land? I dunno, but I have seen even an Island
Packet that I refused to sail on that was regularly sailed across the
Gulf of Mexico.
I wonder if the word Multihull causes the blood pressure of ppl here
to go up as does the name Mac26.

I wonder if the word Multihull causes the blood pressure of ppl here
to go up as does the name Mac26.


Very probable.
Look at the statistics on boat ownership, people
are moving away from traditional keelboats in
droves. Where are they going? To multihulls,
powerboats and yes.... Mac 26 (and other similar
designs).

I wonder if the word Multihull causes the blood pressure of ppl here
to go up as does the name Mac26.


I should preface this comment by saying
I'm a coastal cruiser and not a passagemaker
these days.
I think it is just jealousy. We sail a nice
Sabre 28 but am looking with envy
as other's in power past in Mac 26's
and catamarans fly past and pull up
on the beach without any hassles.
Multi's and water ballasted motorsailers
are a fairly recent option for your average
sailor and the old guard is very defensive
about 'their' turf I think.

Max