I met a guy in Marsh Harbor who had a Mac26 he had brought over from
the US. It had a 90 hp outboard and was seriously pimped out to be
very comfy for himself. I have extolled the concept of this motor/
sailboat by claiming that it is probably safer than a conventional
sailboat because it can get to safety faster than any other sailboat
and because it can be beached in shallow water for safety but most
conventional sailors disagree.
However, this guy seems to prove my contention. It took me 13 hours
on my 28' S2-sailboat motor-sailing to cross from West Palm to West
End whereas it took him only 4 hours motoring. Getting across this
body of water quickly maximizes safety. I believe sailors need to re-
orient their thinking about this boat. It is not a sailboat that can
motor quickly but a motorboat with sail backup.
Furthermore, the boat seems the ideal boat for the Bahamas with its
extreme shoal draft and ability to get places quickly and if the motor
fails, one can simply sail back to harbor. In the USA, it avoids the
need to sail ones heavy sailboat long distances to cruise because it
can be easily trailered.
I'd like to try chartering one of these somewhere to try it out.