PS did not call the WestSail a "Wet Snail" in their review, it was in
an article in the early 90s on cruising boats when they were looking
for a boat to upgrade for their world cruise. I'll find it eventually.

wrote in message
ups.com...
The thread about crossing the atlantic in a Mac 26 was getting too long
and isnt really interesting. HOWEVER, to say that a Mac 26 sails poorly
means little as so do other "real" sailboats like the entire Morgan
Outisland series. Remember the Westsail, Practical Sailor called it
the "Wet Snail" . As far as the Dawson 26 mentioned as an ocean
crosser in the other thread, PS called it the "Doghouse 26". So,
ultimate sailing ability may mean little.
Consider that most coastal cruiosers report spending about 70% of their
time motoring and you might get a different perspective on the Mac26.
You might consider it to be a motorboat with the ability to sail.
Unlike most motorboats, this one has the safety factor of being able to
sail home. Does this make it safer than the average motorboat used for
cruising?
Do the properties of the Mac26 allow its owners to go more places than
most other sailboats.......probably. Is the Mac26 safe enough compared
to most other motorboats to allow its owner to safely cruise over to
the Bahamas under power? Consider that its speed under power may allow
it to use narrow weather windows that other sailboats could not or that
time spent at sea might sdetermine your probability of getting caught
out in bad weatrher and maybe the Mac26 speed under power gives it an
edge in safety.
I do not see the Mac 26 as an ocean crosser but as a way for people to
sail in many places. True, they will almost always sail in wind less
than 20 kts but that is what most of us want to do anyway.


I'm on a learning curve in all things sailing, having only been on one once.
It seems that the Mac 26 is a hybrid which brings me to my question, is it
the design/versatility that a sailer purist abhors, or is it the quality of
workmanship, or both?

If the latter, are there hybrid boats that are built better, perhaps one
with a retractable/trailerable keel? Every time I fill up my recently
acquired powerboat, I think about the benefits of sailing.

-Greg

I'm on a learning curve in all things sailing, having only been on
one once. It seems that the Mac 26 is a hybrid which brings me to my
question, is it the design/versatility that a sailer purist abhors,
or is it the quality of workmanship, or both?

It's the RAF. The Row Away Factor. When you get in your dinghy and row
ashore, do you stop to admire the lines of your boat or not? A boat has
great RAF if you take loads of pictures and hours to get to shore.

Mac 26 has no RAF, and probably no dink.
Gaz

wrote in message
ups.com...
Kidding? I dont take anybody who calls themselves "Commodore"
seriously.

he misspelled ''Commode''.

skrev i en meddelelse
oups.com...
PS did not call the WestSail a "Wet Snail" in their review, it was in
an article in the early 90s on cruising boats when they were looking
for a boat to upgrade for their world cruise. I'll find it eventually.

I lived on the round the world cruising route way back in the early 80`s and
first heard the term "Wet snail" then.No idea where it came from though.
Bob Larder

wrote:

The thread about crossing the atlantic in a Mac 26 was getting too long
and isnt really interesting. HOWEVER, to say that a Mac 26 sails poorly
means little as so do other "real" sailboats like the entire Morgan
Outisland series. Remember the Westsail, Practical Sailor called it
the "Wet Snail" . As far as the Dawson 26 mentioned as an ocean
crosser in the other thread, PS called it the "Doghouse 26". So,
ultimate sailing ability may mean little.
Consider that most coastal cruiosers report spending about 70% of their
time motoring and you might get a different perspective on the Mac26.
You might consider it to be a motorboat with the ability to sail.
Unlike most motorboats, this one has the safety factor of being able to
sail home. Does this make it safer than the average motorboat used for
cruising?
Do the properties of the Mac26 allow its owners to go more places than
most other sailboats.......probably. Is the Mac26 safe enough compared
to most other motorboats to allow its owner to safely cruise over to
the Bahamas under power? Consider that its speed under power may allow
it to use narrow weather windows that other sailboats could not or that
time spent at sea might sdetermine your probability of getting caught
out in bad weatrher and maybe the Mac26 speed under power gives it an
edge in safety.

This is folly. It's "capabilities" may seduce one who depends on a
safe window into thinking he will be ok because he has power and
speed in reserve, until it gets rough a day early.

Then he is a tidbit for Poseidon, bait.

He would do better to hope he can survive with ballast, stability,
bare poles and slow, gradual progress toward shelter, if he can keep
his outboard motor in the water.

The Mac 26 is a light coastal pleasure weather cruiser with some
amenities, that can sail a little bit. It is not likely an
intercontinental starship.

Nothing wrong with that. It's the people who expect too much that
are the hazard.

Terry K




I do not see the Mac 26 as an ocean crosser but as a way for people to
sail in many places. True, they will almost always sail in wind less
than 20 kts but that is what most of us want to do anyway.

Dene wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

The thread about crossing the atlantic in a Mac 26 was getting too long
and isnt really interesting. HOWEVER, to say that a Mac 26 sails poorly
means little as so do other "real" sailboats like the entire Morgan
Outisland series. Remember the Westsail, Practical Sailor called it
the "Wet Snail" . As far as the Dawson 26 mentioned as an ocean
crosser in the other thread, PS called it the "Doghouse 26". So,
ultimate sailing ability may mean little.
Consider that most coastal cruiosers report spending about 70% of their
time motoring and you might get a different perspective on the Mac26.
You might consider it to be a motorboat with the ability to sail.
Unlike most motorboats, this one has the safety factor of being able to
sail home. Does this make it safer than the average motorboat used for
cruising?
Do the properties of the Mac26 allow its owners to go more places than
most other sailboats.......probably. Is the Mac26 safe enough compared
to most other motorboats to allow its owner to safely cruise over to
the Bahamas under power? Consider that its speed under power may allow
it to use narrow weather windows that other sailboats could not or that
time spent at sea might sdetermine your probability of getting caught
out in bad weatrher and maybe the Mac26 speed under power gives it an
edge in safety.
I do not see the Mac 26 as an ocean crosser but as a way for people to
sail in many places. True, they will almost always sail in wind less
than 20 kts but that is what most of us want to do anyway.



I'm on a learning curve in all things sailing, having only been on one once.
It seems that the Mac 26 is a hybrid which brings me to my question, is it
the design/versatility that a sailer purist abhors, or is it the quality of
workmanship, or both?

If the latter, are there hybrid boats that are built better, perhaps one
with a retractable/trailerable keel? Every time I fill up my recently
acquired powerboat, I think about the benefits of sailing.

-Greg



It is the windage of a large superstructure, and an outboard motor
in windy waters. It seems a seductive death trap. I am not sure I
would want to sail it in rough weather to find out how it goes.
Otherwise, it seems fine for a light pleasure toy, roomy,
comfortable, full of amenities.

Simple as that.

Terry K

Captain Joe Redcloud wrote:

On 17 Nov 2005 18:08:04 -0800, wrote:



Kidding? I dont take anybody who calls themselves "Commodore"
seriously. Yes, I am serious and think the Mac26 has a place in
sailing. However, I own an S2 that does not allow me the mobility of
the Mac26. Can a Mac 26 be upgraded to hold up better? I dunno. I
looked over the Mac website and it seemed to say that it shouldnt be
sailed with no ballast, not that it shouldnt be powered with no ballast
(i'll look again to be sure). It is possible that it is a good concept
poorly executed.



You continue to make mistakes based on your own prejudices.

I am a commodore, so it is appropriate that I identify myself as such. Do you
even know what it means?




The Mac 26x or M is a death trap for anything other than daysailing in very mild
conditions. If you expect winds over 15 knots or waves over 2 feet, you don't
want to be on a Mac 26x or M.


A death trap? How many deaths have there been, Joe? A thousand? -
Maybe 500? 200? Since they are some of the most popular models ever
produced, with thousands still out there, surely you could cite reports
of several hundreds.


The performance claims for speed under power for the Mac26 are based on one
person on board and all mast and rigging REMOVED.


Mine are based on a loaded boat with two adults, rigged and with the
mast standing, and with a filled ballast. - Joe, would it help your
attitude if I brought you some more Coronas?

Jim

Terry Spragg wrote:

wrote:

The thread about crossing the atlantic in a Mac 26 was getting too long
and isnt really interesting. HOWEVER, to say that a Mac 26 sails poorly
means little as so do other "real" sailboats like the entire Morgan
Outisland series. Remember the Westsail, Practical Sailor called it
the "Wet Snail" . As far as the Dawson 26 mentioned as an ocean
crosser in the other thread, PS called it the "Doghouse 26". So,
ultimate sailing ability may mean little.
Consider that most coastal cruiosers report spending about 70% of their
time motoring and you might get a different perspective on the Mac26.
You might consider it to be a motorboat with the ability to sail.
Unlike most motorboats, this one has the safety factor of being able to
sail home. Does this make it safer than the average motorboat used for
cruising?
Do the properties of the Mac26 allow its owners to go more places than
most other sailboats.......probably. Is the Mac26 safe enough compared
to most other motorboats to allow its owner to safely cruise over to
the Bahamas under power? Consider that its speed under power may allow
it to use narrow weather windows that other sailboats could not or that
time spent at sea might sdetermine your probability of getting caught
out in bad weatrher and maybe the Mac26 speed under power gives it an
edge in safety.


This is folly. It's "capabilities" may seduce one who depends on a
safe window into thinking he will be ok because he has power and speed
in reserve, until it gets rough a day early.

Then he is a tidbit for Poseidon, bait.

He would do better to hope he can survive with ballast, stability,
bare poles and slow, gradual progress toward shelter, if he can keep
his outboard motor in the water.

The Mac 26 is a light coastal pleasure weather cruiser with some
amenities, that can sail a little bit. It is not likely an
intercontinental starship.

Nothing wrong with that. It's the people who expect too much that are
the hazard.

Terry K




I do not see the Mac 26 as an ocean crosser but as a way for people to
sail in many places. True, they will almost always sail in wind less
than 20 kts but that is what most of us want to do anyway.



Here in the Houston-Kemah-Galveston area, there are many thousands of
beautiful sailboats, many with great sailing characteristics, etc. Most
of my sailing experiece through the years has been on displacement boats
in the 30- 40 foot range (My favorite was a 40-ft, cutter-rigged
Valiant.), and I appreciate their feel under sail and what they can do.

However, most of those boats spend 99.9% of their lives sitting in a
marina. While some are out on Galveston Bay on weekends, most are
seldom if ever taken on extended cruises that make use of their
capabilities. I'm sure it's nice to know that you have a great boat
that COULD be sailed accross the Gulf, but, on balance, I think we will
probably get in more sailing on our Mac than most of the owners of these
larger boats. And while the Mac 26M isn't a Valiant 40, it's still fun
to sail. I have multiple reefing points on the main, lines led aft,
roller furling, autopilot, DF, chart-reader, VHF, TTW and GPS knot
meters, and a nice stereo.

Different strokes for different folks. Of course, we can always charter
one of the displacement boats for extended cruising or if we have
multiple guests.

Jim

On 18 Nov 2005 10:25:03 -0600, Dave wrote:

On 17 Nov 2005 18:58:20 -0800, said:

I suspect that if most people here would
realistically assess their sailing, a Mac26 would be a better fit than
a heavy deep keel boat.

I think you hit the nail on the head there, David. There are an awful lot of
sailboat owners who are wrapped up in romantic images derived from years of
reading sailing magazines, and can't break out of that mind set. There are a
lot of others who for whom the Mac would not be suitable, and who derive a
great deal of pleasure from deriding as "not real sailors" anyone whose
needs and desires differ from their own.

This is true. I am considering a "heavy, full keel boat" for
passagemaking, and no doubt a lot of motoring, motorsailing and
waiting for wind. However, I want such a boat for reasons of safety,
durability, ease of repair, carrying capacity and pure strength should
I navigate onto the odd coral reef. But it'll still sail, just not
like a J/24

There are fast passagemakers, yes, but I haven't won a lottery. By the
way, my current boat is an IORish racer I use as a cruiser, about as
different from what I think my next boat will look like as a C&C 110
is from a Tayana 37.

R.