Gould 0738 wrote:
MacGregor 26

It's often noted that every boat is a study in compromise.

True.

... There is no universally correct choice

Again, true... but right now let's talk boats, not politics

While this is a well written article, it glosses over some of the more
serious issues regarding this particular boat. I have been very
disappointed in MacGregor Yacht's publicity in the past, since they
have gone over the line from glossing lightly over the truth to simply
ignoring it wholesale. Maybe it's something in the water?



One of the first decisions most boaters will face is the fundamental choice
between power and sail.

Personally, I don't think that's true. Sailors want a sailboat. Period.
Motorboaters might or might not be interested in sailing... probably not.


MacGregor invented the retracting keel adaptation that energized the
trailerable sailboat market.

That is a blatant lie. Centerboards, daggerboards, swing keels, etc etc
were all invented prior to the turn of the last century.


... The innovative solution was MacGregor's water ballast system.

They didn't invent this either.

BTW it would be nice to mention that water ballast is a compromise
itself. It does not provide the same righting moment or stability as
lead (or iron) ballast, but it does offer the benefit of reduced
trailering weight.


Water ballast provides the weight required for safe and stable sailing...
Eliminating the static ballast allowed MacGregor to improve the performance of
the
26 when operated as a powerboat.

It might be noted that the MacGregor 26 has limited stability without
the ballast tank full. Several of them have flipped over, at least one
with fatalities.

... (With a 50HP outboard, the MacGregor 26 will turn about
22 mph).

This is where they skate lightly around the truth... it will make that
speed with the motor, 1 person aboard, and very little else. Increasing
the load aboard dramatically reduces the top speed. I think the
MacGregor literature mentions this in the fine print.



MacGregor can legitimately claim to be one of the larger volume manufacturers,
having launched in excess of 35,000 boats.

Now that part is true. And a lot of them sail quite well, and hold up
surprisingly well.


Meet the MacGregor 26:

It should be noted that the current model is quite different from the
1986-1994 model "MacGregor 26." Originally the motor/sailer concept boat
was marketed as the "M-26X" to differentiate this... now they seem to
have dropped this distinction, possibly to take advantage of the
confusion. The older Mac 26 sails quite well and is regarded as somewhat
of a PHRF giant-killer.

We didn't need to launch the MacGregor 26; it was secured to a dock at the Blue
Water Yachts office. Launching a MacGregor is reported to be an easy task

Why didn't you test this out, Chuck? It's a very important part of the
functionality of this particular boat.

We have some friends with the Mac 26 X and IMHO it is relatively easy to
trailer, rig, and launch... especially compared to some of the older
"trailerable" swing keel boats. But it ain't no cupcake either. I know
of several former Mac 26X owners who found it enough of a PITA that they
moved to a slip... increasing the expense dramatically... or just got a
different boat.


Sail ho!

.....Cheryl commented that many sailors are surprised at how well
the MacGregor 26 goes to windward.

And it will continue to surprise many, as long as there isn't a *real*
sailboat passing it... which happens frequently.

This is one of the sore points, to me... these things don't really sail
well at all, if you're accustomed to sailing anything else. They don't
steer like a sailboat, they don't feel like a sailboat, and their
performance is sluggish at best. For many years my wife & I sailed &
cruised in a much smaller trailerable sailboat, often in company with
our friends in their Mac 26X's and invariably sailed rings around them.



Conclusions:

As Todd McChesney stated, no boat can be all things to all people. There are
certainly higher performing, more technical, sailboats, (and more exciting,
speedier powerboats), than a MacGregor. What MacGregor does singularly well is
to combine a very wide range of fun boating experiences into a single vessel.

That's true. I'd give the Mac 26 points for the concept... it's also a
roomy, comfy boat... and not as expensive as many out there.

Basically, it's a travel trailer that is shaped enough like a boat that
it can move under sail or motor. If you compare it's performance under
power to similar motorboats, you'd come away with about the same
impression it gives as a sailboat. The real reason why people buy them
is because of the roominess/price comparison. If you shop for a new boat
with comparable cabin space, you're looking at roughly twice the price.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King