eric3a
Interesting comment and picture "Common failure on the 26 classic"!!
Eric
Finally, the aluminum rudder castle itself is an extremely sloppy design. With any force applied to the tiller, the rudder castle tends to flex and twist, making the process of steering the boat feel very tentative. These problems have made a number of original MacGregor 26 owners throw up their hands in disgust and move onto other boats. This was a real shame, because the MacGregor 26 daggerboard model was the fastest sailing boat that MacGregor has ever built (under 65 feet), and it regularly outperforms every other sailboat in its class.
Rudder Replacement
Broke rudder brackets en route.
mhaberski
Junior Member Registered: August 2000
Review Date: Tue December 28, 1999
I bought my M26 new and proceeded to learn the hard way that this boat can be miserable to sail if it is not balanced correctly. On the other hand, this boat sails sweet with a few minor modifications and an understanding of her limitations. I started out on San Francisco Bay - big mistake. The Bay is tough with a larger boat and the MacGregor can get in over it's head pretty easy in winds over 20 knots.
The problem with this vintage is that the outboard rudder post can "twist" as you are trying to keep the boat in a straight line. The weather helm becomes extreme and you round up.
The solution here is to stiffen the rudder post. You can box it in with sheet metal or install a wood block in open area. While you are at it, bolt through the rudder so the kick up feature is no longer an option. Same deal as before, the kick up wire stretches and you have progessively less rudder in the water. The other really big deal with the M26 is to reduce mainsail early and often. The high ballast does not allow for full main in winds approaching 20 knots. The head sail is different, I routinely sail with a reefed main and a 150 % genoa. No problem, the large headsail keeps the boats nose down. After a while I moved on to lake sailing and really love it! With a couple of modifications these boats are fun and fast. Once you get the feel for the boats rather tender balance point they compete with boats costing 3 times as much. I would buy one again (but maybe not their X boat)
cosmicinsane
Junior Member
Review Date: Thu March 23, 2006
When I purchased this boat I had never owned a boat, pulled a trailer, or sailed. This is an ideal starter boat if you are interested in sailing. It is easy to trailer and rig.
One major shortcoming, however, is the factory rudder. It is very poorly designed, resulting in severe weather helm. The boat becomes overpowered and rounds up way earlier than it should. I replaced the factory rudder with an aftermarket one for 250 dollars, and it is an entirely different boat. Much easier to control at all speeds, and the weather helm is almost non-existant. I am very, very happy with this boat and would definately buy one again. It is not a blue water boat by any means, but someone of my experience shouldn't be attempting major passages anyway. I would recommend this boat to others without hesitation, just as long as you replace the rudder.
tgreen111
Junior Member
Review Date: Thu March 23, 2006
We loved our swing centerboard Mac 26. The water ballast is a snap and never gave us a minute's trouble or worry about stability. Beachability was a huge plus when sailing with kids. Roomy cockpit and cabin for the boat's size, weight and cost. Affordable and forgiving starter boat with enough speed and sailing ability to keep the experienced sailor interested.
Ditto the comments about excessive weather helm and twisting rudder. Usually a reef in the main or dropping it altogether in 15+ mph winds made the boat behave better. We sailed often under 150% genoa alone. Maintenance is minimal, but these boats come pretty bare and are begging to be customized. Stern lazarette is huge and interior storage is generous, although you need to lift up cushions to get at the inside lockers. The queen-sized berth under the cockpit is glorious. Headroom with the pop-top raised greatly adds to liveability although you still have to duckwalk forward to the head and V-berth. The enclosed head is a nice feature and is a great hanging locker for wet stuff as well. The galley is awkward but usable as long as you don't mind sitting next to the stove and sink.
MacGregors usually offer a terrific value. Don't listen to the critics. These boats are lightweight but they are strong where they need to be. They rarely fail and ours handled everything we every asked it to. I found our Mac to be much more trouble-free than bigger boats that sailed the same lakes. We miss our 26 and recently downsized to a smaller boat (a Mac/Venture 17) due to demands of work and family. I'll get another one someday...
Unregistered
Review Date: Tue May 2, 2006
The Mac swing keel 26S has a lot of room for the money. A good coastal boat but not a good small lake boat; where I tend to do most sailing (Alabama). It has a high profile fiberglass front (bow) that tends to "catch the wind" on tacks and jibes. Therfore, you loose a lot of ground on these manuvers. If the wind is up 15+mph- you do much better. But in light winds, it makes a long day accept for your down-wind runs.
This boat is a pain to steer. The standard rudder is not big enough to make course changes- esp. in reverse while docking. It has a wide turning radius, here again, the rudder is not responsive enough for size of boat.
If you get into shallows, and have your rudder tied down- you will snap the steering cable! (and you must tie down the rudder to get any decent responce from the tiller). This leaves you practically helpless untill you go overboard and attach a new cable. (if you buy a boat like this- go promptly and make spare cables.)
Because the outboard is in a "motor well" and not attached to an outside/rear motor mount, using the outboard to "motor home" is almost impossible. The motor well allows for limited turning radius. This can cause much stress on captain and crew as coal barges bare down on you. They can't stop on a dime, and you can't turn enough to get out of their way.
If you can get over it's short fall in agility- it's great! lots of storage room for people and gear.
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Steering and linkage have been enhanced with each new model…the M included.