MacGregor 26 not good? Water-ballast in general??

And as we all know that`s what this forum is for and can even save you the trip over there or do both

 

I know the Mac is a compromise in design, as is any other boat, and I have had a Coronado 25 fixed keel sailboat in the 80's while living in Virginia Beach which was used on the Chesapeake Bay and Catalina sailboat in Jacksonville, Fl. I now live overseas and have the Mac 26M parked on the trailer at my brother's house. It serves my needs very well for the 2 -3 weeks of cruising yearly, that I do on it with my wife and teenage son and daughter. I wanted the roomiest, most easily trailered boat I could find as the Coronado deteriorated too much while left in the water at the marina plus expensive to keep there while living overseas. I got the 2008 26M version with the first year of the new aluminum trailer. The trailer was too lightweight and a piece of junk with the fenders scraping as soon as anything was loaded onto the boat and the axle bent while 500 miles from home in the Fl keys when taking it out of the water for only the second time ever. It has been replaced by a heavy duty, dual axle aluminum one which is excellent. The macgregors heard our complaints, but with no compensation of any kind, and it looks like they may have improved their trailers somewhat since then. It is nothing fancy, but the boat itself is fine for the cost. I was a little worried about poor, cheap or unsafe construction quality after reading some reviews before buying, but the deck is solid to walk on. I find no issues with the fiberglass construction. The bow rail, cleats and stanchions are plenty sturdy. The rigging is light but works. I use the motor if there is a sudden squall. The interior is very dry with no need for a bilge pump. We added the stern seats and larger steering wheel plus ran all lines aft to improve the cockpit. We have the 70 hp Suzuki 4stroke which moves it along at 16-17 mph heavily loaded for cruising and a full ballast tank, which I always keep filled for safety. We normally cruise at around 8-10 mph. It did do 25mph one time on flat water, empty, with only two people on board. For sailing, we measured up to 7 mph on gps last summer on the Atlantic off of Jacksonville. For the motor boat aspect, I like the safety of being able to have a ballasted, self righting motor boat with an enclosed cabin and open, self draining cockpit, not to mention foam flotation, more like a fast trawler. For a sailboat, it does have high freeboard and more windage but not nearly as much as most motorboats of 26 ft. After having puny 6hp outboards on my sailboats, it is really nice to have the power and control now when you need it from the 70hp that more than compensate for the increased windage. I do still keep the small, airplane, self inflating life raft that I used on my other boats with me but don't feel the absolute necessity like I did going onto the ocean on a sailboat with a heavy metal keel and no flotation that would sink like a rock if ever holed. The cabin is very roomy for this length boat. We are all short, so have plenty of standing headroom. We have room for both a Waeco 110qt freezer and 135qt cooler that we place 2 frozen soda bottles in daily and refreeze the thawed ones in the freezer. A Yamaha 2000 generator keeps the freezer, 5000btu ac (Florida summers) and battery charger going for 8 hours on one gallon and its blue color matches the boat color. When at anchor it sits on the bow. If we want AC while underway on the St Johns or ICW, it sits on a stern seat with exhaust blowing aft. A garden sprayer with a kitchen sprayer serves as a bidet and cockpit shower. We keep the dinette seat down for a long couch that sits five people for dinner or movies off a computer that sits on the sink counter and also sleeps my son with his gear at the end. Many cases of drinks fit under the lowered table. My daughter gets the whole V berth for her bed and gear. There is room for myself, wife, freezer and my duffle in the main berth. The shallow draft is ideal for Florida. One of our favorite anchoring spots is Silver Glen Springs off Lake George which we stayed at up to five days with room onboard to be fully supplied with fuel, food, 9.6ft dingy, 4 hp motor and potty capacity (one top and two five gallon bases). If I had a larger boat, trailering, and therefore, range of use would be more limited , plus there is the marina fee and damage from exposure to the elements. A pure motor boat this size would have a more roomy cockpit but less interior space, more fuel use and a limited range depending on motor alone, plus, maybe even a deeper draft and not easily beachable which is very handy. Every boat has pros and cons. When I was younger and had my sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay, I wanted to sail around the world. Now that I am older, I just want to sail around. This boat does it for me at this time and has given my family many enjoyable, safe and memorable times together.

 

Honest and fair

Thank you for a very honest and fair review. Mine has given me and my family many hours of pleasure and my brothers and has even led to a couple of them purchasing their own. And even some friends. One reviewer claimed that after a couple of years every one he knew that had a Mac wanted to sell it. After some research and questions it turned out he was a rep for another company.

 

Not bad as many people think

I know the Mac is a compromise in design, as is any other boat, and I have had a Coronado 25 fixed keel sailboat in the 80's while living in Virginia Beach which was used on the Chesapeake Bay and ocean and Catalina sailboat in Jacksonville, Fl. I now live overseas and have the Mac 26M parked on the trailer at my brother's house. It serves my needs very well for the 2 -3 weeks of cruising yearly, that I do on it with my wife and teenage son and daughter. I wanted the roomiest, most easily trailered boat I could find as the Coronado deteriorated too much while left in the water at the marina plus expensive to keep there while living overseas. I got the 2008 26M version with the first year of the new aluminum trailer. The trailer was too lightweight and a piece of junk with the fenders scraping as soon as anything was loaded onto the boat. The axle bent while 500 miles from home in the Fl keys when taking it out of the water for only the second time ever. It has been replaced by a heavy duty, dual axle aluminum one which is excellent. The macgregors heard our complaints, but with no compensation of any kind, and it looks like they may have improved their trailers somewhat since then. It is nothing fancy. Actually, it is something basic that you modify for your needs, but the boat itself, in my opinion, is fine for the cost. I was a little worried about poor, cheap or unsafe construction quality after reading some reviews before buying, but the deck is solid to walk on. I find no issues with the fiberglass construction. The bow rail, cleats and stanchions are plenty sturdy. The rigging is light but works. I use the motor if there is a sudden squall. The interior is very dry and no underwater fittings to break or leak with no need for a bilge pump. We added a large, Hummingbird side scan sonar, the stern seats and larger steering wheel plus ran all lines aft to improve the cockpit. We have the 70 hp Suzuki 4stroke which moves it along at 16-17 mph heavily loaded for cruising and a full ballast tank, which I always keep filled for safety. We normally cruise at around 8-10 mph. It did do 25mph one time on flat water, empty, with only two people on board. For sailing, we measured up to 7 mph on gps last summer on the Atlantic off of Jacksonville. For the motorboat aspect, I like the safety of being able to have a ballasted, self righting motorboat with an enclosed cabin and open, self draining cockpit, not to mention foam flotation, more like a fast trawler. For a sailboat, it does have high freeboard and more windage but not nearly as much as most motorboats of 26 ft. After having puny 6hp outboards on my sailboats, it is really nice to have the power and control now when you need it from the 70hp that more than compensates for the increased windage. I do still keep the small, airplane use, self inflating life raft that I used on my other boats with me but don't feel the absolute, fear like necessity like I did going onto the ocean, sometimes in cold water, on a sailboat with a heavy metal keel and no flotation that would sink like a rock if ever holed. The cabin is very roomy for this length boat. We are all short, so have plenty of standing headroom. We have room for both a Waeco 110qt freezer and 135qt cooler that we place 2 frozen soda bottles in daily and refreeze the thawed ones in the freezer. A Yamaha 2000 generator keeps the freezer, 5000btu ac (Florida summers) and battery charger going for 8 hours on one gallon and its blue color matches the boat color. When at anchor it sits on the bow. If we want AC while underway on the St Johns or ICW, it sits on a stern seat with exhaust blowing aft. A garden sprayer with a kitchen sprayer serves as a bidet and cockpit shower. We keep the dinette seat down for a long couch that sits five people for dinner, and, or movies off a computer that sits on the sink counter and also sleeps my son with his gear at the end. Many cases of drinks fit under the lowered table. My daughter gets the whole V berth for her bed and gear. There is room for myself, wife, freezer and my duffle in the main berth. The shallow draft is ideal for Florida. One of our favorite anchoring spots is Silver Glen Springs off Lake George which we have stayed at up to five days with room onboard to be fully supplied with fuel, food, 9.6ft dingy, 4 hp motor and potty capacity (one top and two five gallon bases). If I had a much larger boat, trailering, and therefore, range of use would be more limited , plus there is the marina fee and damage from exposure to the elements. A pure motor boat this size would probably also be OK for me and have a more usable and roomy cockpit but, less interior space, more fuel use, heavier to trailer and a limited range being dependent on motor alone, not self righting plus, maybe even a deeper draft and not as easily beachable which is very handy and no opportunity to teach kids to sail. Every boat has pros and cons. When I was younger and had my sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay, I wanted to sail around the world. Now that I am older, I just want to sail around. This boat does it for me at this time and has given my family many enjoyable, safe and memorable times together.

 

Sorry about double posts. Don't know how it was sent the first time before editing. You are welcome skeptic Sam. At least you aren't going to die on it the first time you go out on it like many people make it sound. Unlike, three of four not so careful football players did on their open fishing boat in Fl. I did get hit by a squall in the St Johns river the very first day of using the boat. The outboard was plenty powerful to control the boat during it. For safety, I always have two epirbs with me. Also , three anchors, a paper chart, binoculars, compass and two handheld radios. I started sailing with friends in the 70's pre GPS. You can not always avoid bad weather, redundancy is good and mechanical and electrical things fail. One thing I would like, is to find a way to mount the 4hp dingy motor on the stern for an emergency and to save cockpit or rail space. The M model has less room than the X did for this. So far, the Suzuki has been very reliable. I bought the 70hp instead of the 50 hp, not for extra power or speed but because it was almost the same price and you got 100 lbs more metal, 350 instead of about 250lbs so, at any given slower speed, the 70 would be working much less hard than the 50 and should be much more durable and maybe quieter. My son and I want to take the 70 mile trip to the Dry Tortugas one year. For using the ballast for fresh, washing water for a week, I thought the best thing to do, is make a round stopper shape fitting on the end of a hose attached to a handheld bilge pump that would fit into the round ballast tank drain hole. That way, we could pump out the fresh water as we needed while at anchor to fill flexible tanks and wash with, then refill with salt water when sailing back to Key West.

 

Thanks for the tip on the trailer as I need one. My first boat was when me and my brother were youngsters and we found a dingy abandoned and thought it was the most beautiful boat in the world. I knew then that the sea was my calling. I joined the navy at 17 and sailed the seven seas. I was sea sick the first 3 days. Went straight to Viet Nam. Got a few medals. Was the 60`s. Been to Hong Kong,Japan,Hawaii, and the Philippines by sea.

 

Missed Viet Nam by one year. They stopped the draft the year I turned 18. Did work for the navy as a chemist at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, though. Grand parents owned the Mayport Marina in Jacksonville during the 70-80s. Would stay there in summers. Always loved boating. I built several small wooden boats in the past. One was a mini Mac like designed, 4'x8' cabin cruiser for the pool so the kids could use it during winter. Had a keel with three batteries for stability interior lighting and the electric trolling motor. Son learned to use a tiller and control the boat at three. Kids and I played cards, ate , watched movies and slept out on it many times while they were young. Good way to get use out of a pool in cold weather. In summer, they used as a play platform with friends.

 

Been to Hong Kong, Philippines and Hawaii, but all by air. Now live in the desert of Saudi Arabia and only get to boat on vacation, but at least that is two months a year. Went to Puerto Rico last summer and went snorkeling from a purpose built for tourists, catamaran. Beautifully clear water but coral is looking much worse everywhere I go as compared to 25 years ago in same places. Very sad that the ocean is dying. Don't know why so many are so snobbish and down on Macgregor power sailors? Any safe and usable boat is better than no boat at all.

 

reviews

I don`t understand this site. They threaten not to send any notices of replies unless I visit the site. And good old Amazon won`t accept a review unless it`s 20 words. I`ve been in dry dock at San Francisco. I was an assault boat coxswain. My friend who taught me the ropes did 4 tours- never got a scratch- got wiped out by a motorcycle on leave.

 

Macgregor 26X

Mr. Alan White: Not everybody is willing to spend $30, or $50, or $100 grand on a sailboat, so let's begin by that. You come across as a biased snob with your arguments. I own a 26X Macgregor, and yes, it is my first sailboat. Really enjoy taking her out for sails, as me and my wife are both learning to sail. Gotta tell you we get to explore more lovely coves and sandy beaches here in the keys that you could dream of, because of our low draft. Also, I have a regular job, like most people in this world, and my Monday to Friday schedule allows me to go out and sail over on the weekends. That's when the motor comes in handy for me, for when it is time to drop sails and head back home and get back to work on Monday. I do not pull wakeboarders or skiers with my boat (not that I want to anyway), but the outboard gives me peace of mind when it's time to get going. Also, outboards are easier to work on than onboard engines. You do not have a shaft you have to worry on bending. Macs are not bluewater sailboats, and you certainly have a problem understanding that. It serves its purpose very well for us here in the keys, where shallow waters abound. My hull does not cave in when I push it with my finger. Below the waterline hull is certainly very solid and thick. I enjoy very nice sails, and comfortabke nights on her, and save thousands of dollars a year by keeping her on the hard in my backyard. I am not going to cross oceans with her. I am not going to sail into a hurricane with her. I am a realist, who has her to enjoy long weekends on, not to show off what a real bluewater vessel she is, when in fact I don't have the time to spend a month or two sailing the oceans, like you probably do. Your views are very un-American. I suggest you step down from your ivory tower at least for once, and stop lambasting and stereotyping fellow sailors. But that probably makes you feel better about yourself. Go take your deep draft snob sailboat someplace where the sun don't shine. The Mac is a very good boat for its purpose. 'Nuff said.

 

I bought my boat for $1000.00 with a great trailer. I recently (Ebay) saw a new-ish Macregor for sale for $30,000 plus.
Look, renzoreba, I gave my opinion without calling anybody any names (biased snob, unamerican).
My boat draws 23 inches. I sail on lakes locally when I can and would love to sail the Keys or any similar place but finances won't allow these days.
I am in fact an American, though I speak with a Maine accent.
I love sailboats, at least those beauties that stir my soul. And never before in our history have so many georgeous second-hand boats been available at such amazingly low prices. Check out Ebay. Boats that once cost 100k going for 20k in very good condition.
But they are used boats. They aren't for everyone. However, even if one were to pay some yard to make them "like new", no way would one even approach the amount they now sell for new.
Regarding the idea that I'm lambasting and stereotyping other sailors, when did I do that? Because I gave my opinion about a particular boat ? (name of thread, "Macgregor 26 not good?")? I said what I believe, not what was politically correct. I sense that I hurt your feelings, and for that I'm sorry.
I still believe that the Mac is a horrible boat, cheaply constructed and thinly built. Not only that, but it is (to me) very, very ugly. And unlike the way you know all about me, I know nothing about you, so I will assume that you are a decent chap with the best of intentions behind all that noise you're making about me.
If boats were wine, the Macregor would be Boones Farm and not Chateau Lafitte. You say, "what is wrong with Boones Farm?
I say, "I hate the taste. It disgusts me. So would anyone who was a wine taster. That said, I have a very good friend who loves the stuff to death.
There is a difference between saying what you believe and saying what pleases everyone. Imagine if those who answered this thread had to pretend they thought the boat in question was just wonderful. What value would the thread offer? To make the owner of that boat feel great? How then would anyone feel they could trust advice? You already own the boat but what if someone was planning on buying a boat soon? What if that person was you? What if you and your three kids were out in a bad squall in six foot waves with that giant weight hanging off of your stern and it wouldn't start?
You know, no other sailboat I know of has a big outboard on its stern and you might ask why. It is not a good idea to put 200 lbs out there beyond the transom of such a light vessel. Ask any experienced sailor or designer.
This is the kind of thing that gives a sense of false confidence. The saleman told you that the motor is a safety feature that gets you back in lickety-split time so you can get to work in the morning on time but what he didn't say was such things actually ENCOURAGE unsailorly decisions------ "Aw, come on, honey. We can make island X by dinnertime and we'll use the motor to get back if necessary." Unless the motor doesn't start. After all, the Macgregor is typically not sailed by a world-class sailor. He hasn't yet experienced the raw fear and horror of freak events that threaten the lives of his loved ones onboard. Most sailors will never even experience such conditions in the same way that most airplanes will never crash in the ocean due to equally extraordinary conditions. Yet I doubt you'd go aboard an ocean-crossing airliner that had no life jackets or rubber rafts. Luckily, airlines don't have any false confidence when it comes to such things. They know better.

 

No the Mac is not a "horrible boat cheaply constructed and thinly built". They would have gone out of business long ago if this were true. It is one of the most beautiful boats out there to boot. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Boating is a wonderful recreation and there will always be some one that will come along and try to spoil it for someone else. They say one bad apple will spoil the barrel of good ones. The constitution allows for the freedom of speech but why not let the sport be enjoyable and let others enjoy it. I bought an expensive well made name brand digital /analog meter that had no bad reviews and was highly recommended. I bought a $5 digital meter that had tons of bad and good reviews. The $5 meter was slightly more accurate. The price doesn`t always reflect the functional purpose of the product. The Mac does the job for many boaters.

 

Well you have some good points but a awful lot of misguided ones.

Its very true that the power OB on the MacGregor expands your cruising range dramatically.

But here are someother points to consider

• As a boat to learn to sail on, the MacGregor is a poor choice. It is both underpowered and unresponsive.
  • Underpowered - while this means you won't get into any problems if you make a mistake, it also means that you will never really get any sort of positive feedback for trimming your sails correctly or executing a maneuver correctly
  • Unresponsive - while again this keeps you from over-controlling into a problem, it also means that you don't really get any feedback when you are doing things wrong. it just kinda is sluggish
    
    for learning, neither is ideal
• As to not having the time to sail on the ocean for a month or two - well on the time aspect I'll take your word for it. But if you are exploring coves in the keys, you ARE "blue water sailing".
  
  this is the big danger that boats like the Mac26 really pose. The ocean starts at the coast. there is no magical demarcation line that is at 3764.3 meters from the coast to say "blue water". Blue Water is any water directly exposed to open ocean weather and sea conditions, and that includes the FL keys.
  
  So in saying you do not have a bluewater boat, you are basically saying you are taking a risk every time you go out.

 

Roger MacGregor retired in 2013 and closed the Costa Mesa facility. His daughter took it over moved it to Florida and after making modifications is now selling it as the Tattoo. I walked into a quick mart store in the summer and it was at least 90 degrees in the store. I mentioned it to the owner and she replied there was another store 2 blocks away. If you don`t like it-don`t buy it.

 

"Bluewater: Describing deep water offshore beyond the continental shelf; as in: She is a bluewater sailor." Source: seatalk.info

The Mac is rated for coastal/inland cruising. Sail trimming responds well enough for me; backstay, outhaul, boom vang and tracks do the job well. It is not a J-boat, it's a Mac. Agree it can be sluggish at times with poor wind. Agree also that some standard factory equipment (like trailer and sails) barely makes the mark, but that is something you can improve.
Disagree in one point: there are no horrible boats.