Having said my piece on boats being a money pit, I must somwehat shamefully admit that my Boston Whaler Harpoon 4.6 is actually worth *more* now then when I bought her back in 1981 (not counting the time value of money, of course, as well as the money spent on her in the interim)...
I gave $2000 for her back then - admittedly in a fire-sale after the owner's divorce - but according to eBay she's worth more than 50% more than that now!
(Current eBay sale of a BW Harpoon in almost as good condition as mine.)
(BTW, I have *nothing* to do with this boat being sold and have no skin in the game, but if it's anything close to as good a shape as I think it is, this would be a GREAT boat if you know somebody looking for the finest day-sailer ever made. Harpoons are pretty rare already, and ever harder to find in this condition, so IMHO this is still a very good deal... probably worth as much as $3,700 - they sold for over $7,900 new! I doubt that many sailors have ever sailed a boat so easily handled yet so superior in performance - they're great for beginners or even old pros. I *love* mine!)
26X Model Yr Diffs (Mfg Change List)
-
Hamin' X
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3464
- Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2005 6:02 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Hermiston, OR-----------2001 26X DF-50 Suz---------------(Now Sold)
- Contact:
Good advice. I had been checking eBay in the 20-27ft catagory for X's and M's 25's and 26 C & D's. Have to go to the under 20ft catagory to find the 19's.PS -- The $5995 buy it now on eBay seems like a decent deal if condition is good. But a nice 19 comes up on eBay every few months -- so I wouldn't feel the need to rush into anything either way.
Kevin,
That Harpoon looks a lot like my Hobie Holder 14. Small swing keel boats like this are a real blast to sail and in my opinion, are great trainers. Your mistakes show up instantly and if you don't get it corrected fast enough, you get wet (great training aid). Just stand on the center board, grab the gunwale and up she comes. Actually, I got pretty good at stepping out on the centerboard before she went all the way over and back into the cockpit as she righted. Never got wet.
-
Beam's Reach
- First Officer
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:25 pm
- Location: North Bay, Ontario, Canada 97X, 50HP Mariner 4 Stroke
s! 
-
ALX357
- Admiral
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2004 6:09 am
- Location: Nashville TN -- 2000 MacGregor 26X, Mercury two-stroke 50hp
If you get a deal on an older MacX, go for it.... owners of the older(pre1999) boats are as loyal to their great boats as most sailors are. Many of the problems of those older boats have been modified or corrected by present or previous owners, some because the older systems have failed, some because the newer systems are just better.
I'm surprised no one has just listed the MacGregor factory published list of improvements that mainly occurred around the 1999~2000 production. Following is the MacGregor list of improvements, some more critical than others, some impossible to upgrade older boats to, some easy, some important, some unnecessary, some expensive, some cheap.
RECENT CHANGES TO THE MACGREGOR 26 (change list,
N0V 20, 1999)
We have made some significant improvements in the 26 over last few months.
LADDER. Since we moved the ballast tank vent to the front of the boat, we were able to get rid of the bump in the liner under the cabin entry and install a conventional ladder.
. The ladder hinges up and out of the way for easy access to the rear berth. Eliminating the bump in the liner allowed us to increase the size of the rear berth.
WATER TANK VENT. The vent has been moved from under the step. This has some big advantages: (1) A ring is bonded to the water tank top and surrounds the vent hole. It acts as a dam, trapping water that slops out the hole. A similar dam could not be placed on the vent under the step without making the step unreasonably high. (2) On a steep ramp, the old location occasionally let water spill into the boat when the vent was removed. This wont happen with the forward vent. (3) The tank fills a bit faster. (4) There is no longer an air bubble that allows the water in the tank to make glurping noises when the boat is bouncing around at a mooring. (5) It is slightly easier to get at the vent in its new location. You no longer have to fool around with the step hold down bolts. This also makes it less likely you will forget to secure the step and invite a fall. However, you do have to lift the bunk hatch to see the vent hole.
STEERING. The cable and drum steering has been replaced with a very strong rack and pinion system (with a safe working load at the tiller of 2000 pounds, as opposed to the old system with a safe working load of 300 pounds.) These new units are extremely strong and durable. They are easier to install and service, and offer much smoother steering. We have raised the height of the pedestal to take the longer rack. The new units are long and thin, and take up a lot less room inside of the pedestal.
NEW HATCH RAILS. We have replaced the aluminum sliding and vertical hatch rails with 3/8 thick white polypropylene rails. These rails have been used by Schock Boats for some time now with great success. Unlike the aluminum rails, they dont change color with time. They create less friction when sliding the hatch, and look a lot better. There is no more electrolysis between the stainless bolts and the aluminum in the rail. They have nice routed edges, and are polished to a gloss surface that matches the gloss on the rest of the boat.
STRONGER TABLE WITH NEW FASTENERS. The table has been beefed up and now feels as solid as a rock, in either the up or down position. We have replaced the stainless wing bolts with black molded knobs with generous diameters. They are easier to secure, and look a lot less mickey mouse.
NEW DECK STRUCTURE. For quite a few months, we have been building decks with an entirely new layup system. Much of the balsa wood has been replaced with a system of molded beams that make the deck liner a functional part of the deck structure.
We make the layup of the initial deck skins in the normal manner. Then, instead of balsa core, we lay in 1 x 1 flexible and spongy foam beams on 4 to 6 centers. These beams are then covered with 1 or 2 layers of 1.5 oz mat. Each layer of mat overlaps the mat on the adjacent beams. Before these layers cure, the liner is pressed into the molded deck. The liner compresses the foam and forces a good bond between the wet mat and the liner. The liner forms the inner skin of the deck structure. The results are quite spectacular. This system has some big improvements. Balsa created some problems. It tends to rot if water gets to it, and it was not always possible to assure that the balsa bonded solidly to the outer skin of the deck. The result was soft spots. No more. The foam cant rot, but it really doesnt matter. It is there only to create a shape for the fiberglass covering and the pressure needed to assure a good bond.
Until we made this change, the deck liners offered virtually no structural support for the deck. Now the decks are a lot stiffer, with no soft spots. They are also a lot lighter, which improves the boats inherent stability, trailerability and speed.
We are getting a lot of positive feedback from customers and dealers on how much stiffer the decks feel under foot.
TRAILER BRAKES. We have switched to trailer brakes that have stainless steel internal structures to keep corrosion under control. They are a major improvement, and should have greatly extended life.
FUEL TANK STORAGE AREA. When you looked at the roof of the fuel tank boxes, the underside of the seat layup was exposed, and was not too attractive. We have covered this area with a smooth white gel coat panel, and it really looks finished.
NEW CLEATS. The plastic mooring cleats have been replaced with really good looking highly polished stainless steel cleats. Each cleat has four 1/4 bolts rather than two, so they are a lot stonger.
SWITCH PANELS. We moved the switch panel to the deck liner just inside the cabin entry. To flip on the lights, you can just reach around from the cockpit.
FUSES. We are now using 5 amp everywhere in the system. We had experienced problems with lower amperage fuses blowing prematurely.
CENTERBOARD CABLES. We have replaced the wire cables with a coated, abrasion resistant 5/16 line. This should eliminate all problems with electrolysis and corrosion. It is also a lot easier for the owner to change if the hoisting system suffers wear or damage. To reduce wear, we are carefully rounding the edges of the rope hole and the hole in the centerboard trunk thru which the line passes. The mast step has been redesigned to allow a larger hole for the centerboard line, and the bearing has been relocated to assure that the line passes straight down the hole, rather than hitting the sides.
DRAIN HOLE IN THE LINER. Directly below the hatch entrance, we are now drilling a hole to allow excessive bilge water to move out onto the floor of the liner. This may sound pretty stupid at first, but there is a really good reason for making the change. Without this hole, it is possible for the boat to collect a really large, stability threatening load of bilge water. Since the liner floor area (the area that is carpeted) was essentially a water tight tub, the skipper would have no way of knowing that he had a big load of bilge water until the water had reached the level of the cutout in the face of the galley. It is true that the skipper should look in a hatch occasionally and check for bilge water, but I prefer a more obvious warning. When he steps in the cabin and ends up with water up to his ankles, he will get the message. I recommend that all owners of older boats make a similar hole. (Be really careful not to drill into the bump on the water tank found on the older boats.) You can see the hole location in the ladder photos that appeared earlier. The hole is high enough that a limited amount of bilge water will not dribble out onto the carpet.
ACCESS TO FOREDECK HARDWARE. In the past, if you wanted to add or remove hardware from the foredeck, you had to remove the panel on the underside of the front foam box and remove the foam. We have shortened the foam box, so you can now lay on the front bunk and reach up at the forward edge of the foam box and get to the nuts and bolts that hold the hardware. The access panel is no longer there."
I'm surprised no one has just listed the MacGregor factory published list of improvements that mainly occurred around the 1999~2000 production. Following is the MacGregor list of improvements, some more critical than others, some impossible to upgrade older boats to, some easy, some important, some unnecessary, some expensive, some cheap.
RECENT CHANGES TO THE MACGREGOR 26 (change list,
N0V 20, 1999)
We have made some significant improvements in the 26 over last few months.
LADDER. Since we moved the ballast tank vent to the front of the boat, we were able to get rid of the bump in the liner under the cabin entry and install a conventional ladder.
. The ladder hinges up and out of the way for easy access to the rear berth. Eliminating the bump in the liner allowed us to increase the size of the rear berth.
WATER TANK VENT. The vent has been moved from under the step. This has some big advantages: (1) A ring is bonded to the water tank top and surrounds the vent hole. It acts as a dam, trapping water that slops out the hole. A similar dam could not be placed on the vent under the step without making the step unreasonably high. (2) On a steep ramp, the old location occasionally let water spill into the boat when the vent was removed. This wont happen with the forward vent. (3) The tank fills a bit faster. (4) There is no longer an air bubble that allows the water in the tank to make glurping noises when the boat is bouncing around at a mooring. (5) It is slightly easier to get at the vent in its new location. You no longer have to fool around with the step hold down bolts. This also makes it less likely you will forget to secure the step and invite a fall. However, you do have to lift the bunk hatch to see the vent hole.
STEERING. The cable and drum steering has been replaced with a very strong rack and pinion system (with a safe working load at the tiller of 2000 pounds, as opposed to the old system with a safe working load of 300 pounds.) These new units are extremely strong and durable. They are easier to install and service, and offer much smoother steering. We have raised the height of the pedestal to take the longer rack. The new units are long and thin, and take up a lot less room inside of the pedestal.
NEW HATCH RAILS. We have replaced the aluminum sliding and vertical hatch rails with 3/8 thick white polypropylene rails. These rails have been used by Schock Boats for some time now with great success. Unlike the aluminum rails, they dont change color with time. They create less friction when sliding the hatch, and look a lot better. There is no more electrolysis between the stainless bolts and the aluminum in the rail. They have nice routed edges, and are polished to a gloss surface that matches the gloss on the rest of the boat.
STRONGER TABLE WITH NEW FASTENERS. The table has been beefed up and now feels as solid as a rock, in either the up or down position. We have replaced the stainless wing bolts with black molded knobs with generous diameters. They are easier to secure, and look a lot less mickey mouse.
NEW DECK STRUCTURE. For quite a few months, we have been building decks with an entirely new layup system. Much of the balsa wood has been replaced with a system of molded beams that make the deck liner a functional part of the deck structure.
We make the layup of the initial deck skins in the normal manner. Then, instead of balsa core, we lay in 1 x 1 flexible and spongy foam beams on 4 to 6 centers. These beams are then covered with 1 or 2 layers of 1.5 oz mat. Each layer of mat overlaps the mat on the adjacent beams. Before these layers cure, the liner is pressed into the molded deck. The liner compresses the foam and forces a good bond between the wet mat and the liner. The liner forms the inner skin of the deck structure. The results are quite spectacular. This system has some big improvements. Balsa created some problems. It tends to rot if water gets to it, and it was not always possible to assure that the balsa bonded solidly to the outer skin of the deck. The result was soft spots. No more. The foam cant rot, but it really doesnt matter. It is there only to create a shape for the fiberglass covering and the pressure needed to assure a good bond.
Until we made this change, the deck liners offered virtually no structural support for the deck. Now the decks are a lot stiffer, with no soft spots. They are also a lot lighter, which improves the boats inherent stability, trailerability and speed.
We are getting a lot of positive feedback from customers and dealers on how much stiffer the decks feel under foot.
TRAILER BRAKES. We have switched to trailer brakes that have stainless steel internal structures to keep corrosion under control. They are a major improvement, and should have greatly extended life.
FUEL TANK STORAGE AREA. When you looked at the roof of the fuel tank boxes, the underside of the seat layup was exposed, and was not too attractive. We have covered this area with a smooth white gel coat panel, and it really looks finished.
NEW CLEATS. The plastic mooring cleats have been replaced with really good looking highly polished stainless steel cleats. Each cleat has four 1/4 bolts rather than two, so they are a lot stonger.
SWITCH PANELS. We moved the switch panel to the deck liner just inside the cabin entry. To flip on the lights, you can just reach around from the cockpit.
FUSES. We are now using 5 amp everywhere in the system. We had experienced problems with lower amperage fuses blowing prematurely.
CENTERBOARD CABLES. We have replaced the wire cables with a coated, abrasion resistant 5/16 line. This should eliminate all problems with electrolysis and corrosion. It is also a lot easier for the owner to change if the hoisting system suffers wear or damage. To reduce wear, we are carefully rounding the edges of the rope hole and the hole in the centerboard trunk thru which the line passes. The mast step has been redesigned to allow a larger hole for the centerboard line, and the bearing has been relocated to assure that the line passes straight down the hole, rather than hitting the sides.
DRAIN HOLE IN THE LINER. Directly below the hatch entrance, we are now drilling a hole to allow excessive bilge water to move out onto the floor of the liner. This may sound pretty stupid at first, but there is a really good reason for making the change. Without this hole, it is possible for the boat to collect a really large, stability threatening load of bilge water. Since the liner floor area (the area that is carpeted) was essentially a water tight tub, the skipper would have no way of knowing that he had a big load of bilge water until the water had reached the level of the cutout in the face of the galley. It is true that the skipper should look in a hatch occasionally and check for bilge water, but I prefer a more obvious warning. When he steps in the cabin and ends up with water up to his ankles, he will get the message. I recommend that all owners of older boats make a similar hole. (Be really careful not to drill into the bump on the water tank found on the older boats.) You can see the hole location in the ladder photos that appeared earlier. The hole is high enough that a limited amount of bilge water will not dribble out onto the carpet.
ACCESS TO FOREDECK HARDWARE. In the past, if you wanted to add or remove hardware from the foredeck, you had to remove the panel on the underside of the front foam box and remove the foam. We have shortened the foam box, so you can now lay on the front bunk and reach up at the forward edge of the foam box and get to the nuts and bolts that hold the hardware. The access panel is no longer there."