Considering a Mac 26s

[mastreb]

As for the daggerboard vs. centerboard issue, the centerboard is kickup whereas the daggerboard is "break off". Centerboards will likely never need to be replaced in a boat's lifetime, whereas many daggerboards will.

Daggerboards are designed to be weaker than the trunk and replaceable in the event of a strike. A new daggerboard will cost you <$500 from BWY. I've run aground in sand three times, doing 3..5 knots, and have not yet damaged my daggerboard. I'm not sure what speed you'd have to be doing for it to break the board, but it's faster than sailing speed, or you'd have to strike something harder than typical shoals. Striking the trailer is a good way to take a chunk out of a daggerboard.

Daggerboards are a much simpler and more easily repaired system with no maintenance. Loss of a centerboard is often times a total write-off as they're difficult to source, expensive, and difficult to replace.

Daggerboard trunks have to be on the center of lateral resistance and the centerline, so they dominate the cabin interior and dictate the layout and cabin/cockpit proportions. Centerboard trunks are smaller and can be integrated into the sole, and can be off-center (although they are on the centerline on MacGregors). For this reason, those cabins are much more open and the layout is more variable.

Centerboards allow you to vary the CLR aft by pulling the board up if you want to. This can help to balance the helm or when running a musclehead main with a farther aft center of effort. You can also pull them up completely to reduce drag, althought the larger more open trunk always has more drag than a daggerboard trunk.

Daggerboards allow you to reduce drag on different points of sail without affecting CLR, so you they give you a method for tuning performance. I run 100% down when pointing, 50% on a broad reach, and up when running.

The two methods both have significant advantages and significant disadvantages, which explains why Roger went back and forth between the two methods with each model he made. It's just a matter of which disadvantages you'd rather deal with. For me, I like daggerboards.

[Steve K]

mastreb wrote:

I'm not sure what speed you'd have to be doing for it to break the board, but it's faster than sailing speed, or you'd have to strike something harder than typical shoals.

Matt,

I've drug my dagger board (and the center board when I had the X) around in Mission Bay more than once. Power Boat bay is really shallow up there by Campland Never hurt anything though...... nice and sandy/muddy.

To break one............

All it takes is 6.5 knots under full power and a slightly submerged, rocky mountain peak

I hit so hard that the whole boat seemed to jump out of the water. And it was shallow enough to kick up the rudder and just catch the tip of the outboard. I broke the down haul line for the rudder and even though it was only 1/4" double braid line that's still pretty hard to just snap in two. And the sound........... WHAM like a nearby car wreck

You would think that this would have ripped the dagger board and the trunk to pieces. There was NO damage to the trunk, and really, little to the dagger board itself. It crushed the leading edge for about one foot at the bottom of the board. The boat still sailed that week, but was a little slow. Later when I pulled the board out, I could see where the damaged area was opening up like a clamshell every time the boat started moving forward. The only other thing wrong with the board was a small dent on the trailing edge, where it exits the hull when down. It always amazes me what forces fiberglass can take.

I didn't have to get a new board as the repair was actually pretty easy. That was a few years ago and I finally just got around to re-finishing (just the gel coat finish) the board a couple months ago. She performs and looks like new now.

Someone mentioned a Hunter 23.5. They sit pretty high on the trailer and you would really need a long extension to launch one where I launch.


Best Breezes,
SK

[Barnacle Jim]

Ahoy John,

I am no expert, yet just a few weeks ago, the questions you seem to be having were the same questions we were asking.
We bought a Mac 26 S in April. I just recently completed an ASA 101 course.
In my limited view, the Mac did as well as the Catalina, or perhaps even better.

John, i really do not think you can go wrong with a MacGregor.
Others more knowledgeable can comment on the dagger-board and swing-keel.
I tended to favor the swing-keel because you might hit something and not damage your keel.
Whether or not that was good thinking on my part, I do not know.

Good luck on your pondering. Adventure lies ahead, just off of starboard.


Fair Sailing,

Barnacle Jim

[paulkayak]

One advantage I found that the water ballasted boats have over weighted swing keel boats is that when you are in shallow water you can bring up the center board and remain stable. With a weighted center board if you bring up the centre board you change the center of gravity on the boat and it becomes much less stable and you may have to reduce sail or even take the sails down and motor. With the water ballasted boats you can bring the keel up and keep sailing. You will find the boat wanting to go sideways more but for short distances it is nice not to have to reduce sail to get threw a shallow area.

Compare the difference in stability in these two videos of a siren 17 first with keel down than with keel up.

http://youtu.be/cCKeURrQp6M

http://youtu.be/1wyCYqG4XZo

[skaterp14]

I love my S. I bought it in November and have been slowly restoring it. For me..... the S is perfect. I wanted a sailboat that was large enough for me, the wife, the dog, and maybe one day a kid but yet small enough that I could easily single hand. The S fits what I need perfectly.

Check these videos out I made a few days ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSazSwr2fEs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrqDTDxfYAw

The only complain I have about this boat is how tender it is.

[Steve K]

skaterp14,

Watched the videos......... fun Looks like she's drivin' real good
I need to knock off some of these projects around the house and do some of that Haven't had mine out in months.

I did see something that bothers me a little though............
Look at your leeward shrouds in the video. They are supposed to loosen up a little, but they look very floppy in the vid. I also noticed that there is a lot of bow in the forestay (when I could see it).
I'm no expert, but you may just want to tighten up your rig a little. I can see situations that could shock load the mast and cause something to snap, when things are that loose. And, you'll likely perform better and feel less tender with a tighter, straighter leading edge on your head sail........ JMHO.
Watch the videos again and think about it.

Best Breezes,
Steve K.
Mac 26D "Three Sheets"

[dlandersson]

Interesting...you mean these boats are for more than sitting at a slip?

I love my S. I bought it in November and have been slowly restoring it. For me..... the S is perfect. I wanted a sailboat that was large enough for me, the wife, the dog, and maybe one day a kid but yet small enough that I could easily single hand. The S fits what I need perfectly.

Check these videos out I made a few days ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSazSwr2fEs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrqDTDxfYAw

The only complain I have about this boat is how tender it is.

[wingnut26]

I have sailed for over 40 years and just launched my 26s 3 weeks ago for the first time and was more than satisfied with the performance. my last boat was a 26 jj.taylor contessa of which I loved but at close to 60 I would rather stay closer to shore and take advantage of lighter winds.it seems to fill all my needs but the light construction and rigging make me a little nervous, but It works. I suppose I will get use to it.

[James Mac]

I am looking at a couple of 26S Macgregors this weekend and was hoping someone could provide me with some info on where I should focus my inspection. Are there areas where they tend to fail i.e. around mast plates. Are there areas prone to leakage? Are there any parts that tend to fail due to normal wear and tear? What about the hull, how thick is the bottom near the bow? I saw a Macgregor 26 M with a foot long 1/8 inch deep 1/4 inch wide gouge just below the water line - guy said he hit a rock when beaching. Would damage like this be a concern? Any assistance would be appreciated and I apologise in advance if I am in the wrong place/forum.

[Catigale]

James...these are all solid boats and there really aren't problem areas of record. I believe the 26S is a plywood cored boat in places so check cockpit sole and deck for excessive flexing by bouncing your weight on them. You will feel some as it's a lightly built trailer sailor. If it's dry and not mildewy/moldy down below its probably a well cared for boat

The S andD series are smoking fast sailors compared to the and the laggard blue of course.

The hull below the water line is thick...that gouge is fixable with epoxy in 10 minutes from a structural point of view


Welcome aboard...pizza and molsons please!!

[Interim]

James--

I bought mine in June. The only two real issues I have faced are:

1) Uphaul for the centerboard. Something gave way, either the cable frayed or the through bolt broke, or both. After considering and trying various options, I had a wrecker lift the boat off the trailer so I could attach the new one. No way to really check what failed here at point of purchase. If it breaks, fix it.

2) I get water in my bilges when it rains. I think I have this narrowed down to the hull-deck joint. The rub rail is not in good shape, and it looks like the joint itself is not sealed well.

Mine is a 94, so I believe it has fiberglass core rather than plywood. Others here will know for sure. Fittings and standing rigging all seem solid.

--john

[dlandersson]

I had a similar issue. Some Gorilla tape over one spot - pretty close match - fixed it.

I get water in my bilges when it rains. I think I have this narrowed down to the hull-deck joint. The rub rail is not in good shape, and it looks like the joint itself is not sealed well. --john

[jhastie]

John - My name is John. I moved up to a 26S from my O'Day Daysailor II. I absolutely love this boat. I am 71 and it suits my needs perfectly. I have a main, jib, genoa and assymetrical spinnaker. I use a tiller autopilot. Great boat for the money.

You will love it.

[Interim]

John--

We've had our Mac out a few times since we bought it. But I'm learning a bigger boat brings more complications. Not a problem, but it is taking us a while to get on top of them. The outboard needed a little adjustment, then a battery, then a fuel line. Then the centerboard uphaul broke. Each, of course, is discovered one at a time, and brings a week or so of down time.

So far I've kept my daysailer because I love single-handing it. When no one else wants to sail, that is the boat I take. Everytime I decide "I need to sell this," I end up sailing it and deciding to keep it. But when the family goes, the Mac is clearly the right boat. Space, stability, and more.

So, I may just end up being a two-boat person.

--john

[dlandersson]

Don't forget the trailer...having a trailer sailer is really just an excuse to spend time and money on the trailer.

John--

We've had our Mac out a few times since we bought it. But I'm learning a bigger boat brings more complications. Not a problem, but it is taking us a while to get on top of them. The outboard needed a little adjustment, then a battery, then a fuel line. Then the centerboard uphaul broke. Each, of course, is discovered one at a time, and brings a week or so of down time.

--john