MacGregorSailors.com

I am thinking about buying a MacGregor 26S, and would like some opinions.

I currently sail an O'Day 17, but would like a boat that has more space and is a little more stable. I also want it to be easily trailerable because I move around to different lakes in a 100 mile radius, so a fixed keel is not desirable. I am not a racer, so speed is not important. However, I am a little concerned about performance and I don't think the 26M or X are for me because they seem to have made some saillng compromises for cabin space and the motor drive.

I realize that members of this forum are naturally advocates of the Macs, but I would like some thoughts on how the 26S compares to other boats in the 24-30' range.

Thanks in advance.

--john

Heck, I have a , and I'm in the market for a 26S too.

Interim wrote:I am thinking about buying a MacGregor 26S, and would like some opinions.

I currently sail an O'Day 17, but would like a boat that has more space and is a little more stable. I also want it to be easily trailerable because I move around to different lakes in a 100 mile radius, so a fixed keel is not desirable. I am not a racer, so speed is not important. However, I am a little concerned about performance and I don't think the 26M or X are for me because they seem to have made some saillng compromises for cabin space and the motor drive.

I realize that members of this forum are naturally advocates of the Macs, but I would like some thoughts on how the 26S compares to other boats in the 24-30' range.

Thanks in advance.

--john

Interim wrote:I am not a racer, so speed is not important. However, I am a little concerned about performance . . .

Oh, come on! You're a sailor. Speed is always important, especially when another sailboat is moving in the same direction.

But seriously, I have an and have never sailed the S, but it has a reputation for being a fast boat. Check the PHRF numbers for comparison to other boats of the same length.

Between having water ballast and having less weight than the motor-sailors (also water ballasted, but heavier), it should be a very easy boat to tow on its single-axle trailer, and easy to launch and retrieve. As it was designed to be.

Plenty of folks here have them, both dagger and swing centerboard styles. If I was going to get away from the powersailor style, they would be on my short list.

By a "little more space" what do you mean?
The Macgregor 26 models, D, S, X & M offer a lot of space down below, whereas your daysailor has no cabin. The problem is that the cockpit is actually a little bit smaller than a daysailor's cockpit.

Ask yourself what you want it for. I have 4 young kids and I want a weekend overnight camper that can float and sail competently. My 26S is perfect for me. If you also want a camper, it's hard to be a Mac 26.
As for towing, an Oday 17 is featherweight compared to a Mac 26S. You do want a decently heavy tow vehicle with a minimum of 3500 lbs towing capacity. I have an AWD Sienna, and that Mac is the upper limit of what that thing can comfortably haul. I would not want to try to tow the taller Mac26X or M.

If you want to daysail and have no overnight sleeping needs, it's hard to beat the oday daysailor. It has a great community and even nationwide racing. It has a pretty large cockpit for its size. It's fairly fast, stable, durable, much easier to trailer than a Mac26, much cheaper to own. Some good slightly larger options that you may want to consider for upsizing would be a Rhodes 19 (centerboard), Oday Mariner 19, or Holder 20. These options all offer some good deals on the used market. The Mariner and the Holder can both be slept in, although crowded, by two people. My favorite is the Holder 20. I've never sailed one, but have sailed other PHRF boats that are very similar. It's a fast performance boat and a little bit advanced, but also looks to be pretty stable and comfortable. The Mariner is also a very fine choice, with an active community racing, durability.

I love my daysailer, and don't think I'll get rid of it. But one of my crew members--hope she's not reading this--doesn't like to be on it in winds over 12knts. She has an unreasonable fear of broaching.

As you said, the Daysailer has no space inside but for my bailing bucket. I am looking for something we could anchor in the middle of the afternoon and relax a bit; Sail in moderate breeze and be comfortable. I do appreciate the point about the smaller cockpit on the 26s compared to the O'day. It looks like there is room for four adults... is that right?

My tow vehicle is a 1/2 ton pickup with a frame hitch, so I'm ok with the weight of the 26. I barely feel the O'day when I'm towing it

Thanks.

--jf

I had an X boat for several years.
After I sold it, I started looking for a D boat and now have one.
I have also owned a Catalina 22 and a couple other boats, not worth mentioning.

The 26D is the perfect sailboat, if you ask me (for my type of use) and, of course, the S is the same boat, only has a swing keel instead of a dagger board.

There is plenty room inside for weekend trips and I stay on the boat for a week and longer, a couple times per year.
It weighs nothing and towing, launching, retrieving, etc. is very easy. I particularly like that it tows like nothing is behind my truck. She only weighs 1600 pounds dry and the factory trailer goes about 600 maybe.

During those week long trips, I may use a whole three gallons of gas........ if I have to motor a lot and at today's prices that is a big plus. (original Honda 8hp four stroke ob).

The roof is a little low, but then again, she has a nice pop top and I don't always use it, so this is not a major issue.
The inside of the boat is opened and uncluttered. You will find it easy to arrange it to fit your needs The storage at the rear of the cockpit is huge and great for storing fenders, barbeques, anchors, ropes, extra gas (although you'll need to add some vents before storing things like gasoline in there) and all manner of things you don't want inside the cabin space.

My wife just got a ten foot kayak and we were able to put in inside the cabin, for traveling and still access the head and V-berth. MacGregors are some of the roomiest boats in their class, I would say.

Then there is the sailing performance
This boat is so responsive and sails very well. She is fast, but more important, she tells you what she needs. The boat accelerates immediately when you get her in her groove and she lets you know, right away, when you adjust controls if she likes it.

These boats are a little tender feeling, if you are used to a regular keel boat. However they really aren't. The first time she heels over in the wind, it's a little startling, but you find that once they are heeled to a certain point initially, they are very stable. Once you are over that feeling of initial heel being so fast, they are a real blast to sail and are VERY forgiving of any mistakes you might make. Heck, Even when I lost my rudder (broke in half) in 15mph wind and the boat spun around twice before I could get some control, I never got so much as a drop of water in the cockpit. The tender feeling is just a feeling and the tradeoff for not having to tow around a bunch of keel weight. Totally worth it

I wish they would re-produce this model. This would be my new boat of choice, if they did.

My boat is 25 years old now and care and feeding is very light on the wallet. New sails are easy to obtain and inexpensive. Hardware you may need is on the lower side of the scale too. You don't need powerful, superduper blocks and control lines because the boat is so light. Dingy size (or just the next step up) hardware will work nicely in most cases.

Rigging is easy, simple and quick. I have a mast raising pole and gear, but @ 61 years old I can stand the mast without it still. (I use the mast raising gear most of the time)

Of all the boats I've sailed and the few I've owned, I've had more fun with this boat than all others combined. She is truly a gem for the low dollar sailor. You can easily tow it ten miles, or a thousand, to many new sailing grounds and new adventures. They sail great and are cheap to own too

Best Breezes,
Steve K.

that's good to hear. thank you.

Are there performance or weight differences between daggerboard and swing keel? Or are they just different methods of getting to the same place?

I apprecate all the notes. My plans are being confirmed.

Thanks.

--john

Sounds to me that you have someone who just doesn't like the heeling of a sailboat. I don't know why, but some people just can't get past that. Must be a recessive gene. I might help to have a boat with a proper ballast as opposed to the daysailor or mariner which are really just dinghys with un weighted centerboards. A holder 20 which has a heavy lead bulb at the end of a drop and lock daggerboard, might make her feel comfortable. I've seen these excellent boats go for as little as $3,000 and almost bought one myself. A 26S does feel a bit more tippy than a lot of boats with lead keels more like a big dingy, but stiffens up one it gets past a certain angle. The extra height from the water line to the cabin seats may make her feel more comfortable, but it's hard to tell. The people whom I've know that are afraid of a heeling boat would have the same fear in any monohull, from a daysailor to a 12 meter. The fear is as you say, irrational. The only sailing option in this case may be a multihull. Unless you get a hobie style cat, with no place to sit except a trampoline, multihulls are usually pretty expensive. You might be able to find a Farrier Tramp for a good deal (around $10,000), which offers a little cockpit, and fast, heel free sailing. No cabin, though.

http://www.f-boat.com/pages/trimarans/Tramp.html

If you have a big budget, it sounds like the perfect boat for you would be something like a Farrier F-22. Fast trimaran that's easy to sail & luanch, and has a sleepable cabin for 2. Like a Mac 26M, it can pull a skier, but doesn't need gas to do so.

http://www.f-boat.com/pages/trimarans/F-22.html

Interim wrote:that's good to hear. thank you.

Are there performance or weight differences between daggerboard and swing keel? Or are they just different methods of getting to the same place?

I apprecate all the notes. My plans are being confirmed.

Thanks.

--john

Daggerboards and swing keels can be weighted or unweighted. The Macgregor 26D built from 85-90 had a daggerboard. It goes straight up and down like a dagger. The 26S, built from 91-95 had a centerboard, which pivots. The daggerboard design is slightly faster because the board is held more rigidly and you don't have the drag of a long slot. The disadvantage in the daggerboard, hoever, is that it often breaks when you run aground. The 26S centerboard when hop along the bottom and have much less damage. Both the 26S and 26D boards were unweighted, but rather get ballast using a water tank that you empty for trailering. The water ballast design, as compared to a fin keel sailboat, definitely feels tippier in light wind and while walking on it while tied up at the dock. But it does feel more stable than an unballasted boat like an oday 17. Once you get past a certain heel angle and some of the water ballast starts to come above the waterline, there is plenty of righting moment, and it's just about impossible to flip the boat.
Another decent example of a water ballast boat is the hunter 23.5 and 26, but I like the Mac 26 a lot more.

You may want to show you flip-nervous significant other this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFP3QA9-5GI
A big advantage with the water ballast is that the water can't drag the boat to the bottom like a steel or lead keel bulb can. The Mac 26D,S,X&M are all built with enough integral foam so that they stay afloat even when given a few large holes and filled completely with water. So even if you manage to flip it, unlikely but possible, it's not going to sink.

An example of a weighted centerboard would be a Macgregor 25, built up until 1986, I believe. It has a big, solid steel centerboard. Also a very good boat that you may consider if you can find one in good condition. In fact, in 2000, the Mac 25 was inducted into the American sailboat hall of fame because its simplicity durability, trailerability and affordability made sailing accessible for so many more people. It now shares that position with only 25 other boats. Despite having a big heavysteel centerboard, the Mac 25 does have enough foam to keep it afloat when fully swamped.

Weighted daggerboards are usually only found on trailerable PHRF racers like the Holder 20 Melges 24 and SR max. The Santana 23D and Merit 22 are two decent weighted daggerboard sailboats that may be worth your consideration. This is a very fast design. it acts like a fin keel while in the water, but has the trailering convenience of a centerboard. The daggerboard locks down in place with a bolt. You lift the daggerboard up with much effort using a rope on a a lot of pulleys. You don't raise the daggerboard while the sails are up, only do so for trailering or motoring in close to shore. These daggerboards are much stronger than a 26D daggerboard, however, so if you do run aground, they aren't nearly as prone to breaking as a 26D daggerboard.

Interim wrote:that's good to hear. thank you.

Are there performance or weight differences between daggerboard and swing keel? Or are they just different methods of getting to the same place?

I apprecate all the notes. My plans are being confirmed.

Thanks.

--john

There shouldn't be much of a weight difference. The boats are identical except for the different keel configurations.

I hear there is a slight performance difference between the swing keel and the dagger board models (the dagger board being faster, overall). I think this is true, but the difference is small. I've been beat by the swing keel boat in races of a few miles (not often, but it has happened), but normally in all day sails (not really racing) I will usually be markedly ahead of all the other Macs (S boats included), except for the other D boats. The D is faster than the Catalina 22, which is a good sailing boat. As I said, I owned one of them and I've also sail along side of them (mostly passing them )

The O'day 26 I've sailed with can't touch me. I can usually catch and pass the South Coast 26, I sail with, unless it is real windy and wavy. The light weight macs do slow down some in head on chop, whereas the heavier 26s (like South Coast and O'Day) will continue to punch through the waves, due to their weight. Of course, I don't need a one ton dully to pull my Mac down the road either........ not to mention, I just launched and retrieved my boat at a ramp that was so shallow I couldn't put the rudder down. I really love the ease of launching this boat. If you can launch a 14 foot runabout at a given ramp, you can launch the D or S there. This ramp was so shallow that I had all four of my pickups tires ('07 GMC Sierra 1500) in the water, before the trailer fenders were just submerged.

Oh, one more suggestion........... If your sailing venue has a lot of shallows, sunken trees and stuff like that, the swing keel may be a better choice. The dagger board doesn't give if you strike some underwater obstacle. I've damaged mine in the past, but stuff happens, right Fortunately, I'm well versed in fiberglass repair Anyway, I won't lake sail anywhere anymore when my Sounder isn't working..... lesson learned.

Best Breezes,
SK

Ahoy,

We just recently decided on a Mac 26s and are still polishing her up. No, I have not sailed her yet, and so, sailing characteristics I leave to others on the board who are much more experienced.
Yet, I can share with you some of our thoughts and why Miss Pat and I decided on a Mac 26s. (Actually, the 26d would have been just as good, but I did favor the idea of a slightly newer boat with a swing keel.) We had been thinking about a MacGregor for a couple of years. I had even posted an article or two on the board; made one fellow sailor from Australia a little upset; I still don't know what I may have said.

Even so, let me share with you some of our thoughts. These boats (any of the MacGregor boats, in fact) are fine boats, and very family friendly. The bad mouthing you may hear from others is something I would dismiss: on our 26s, the hull does not push in when you touch it. I have not found anything shoddy in the design or workmanship. The former owner had kept this boat for 15 years. Their children grew up with this boat. That should say something, shouldn't it? Yes, the headroom is lower than the two later power sailors, but with the pop-up, there is plenty of room. For us, the cabin does not feel cramped.

I must tell you that I am impressed with all of the MacGregor designs. The lazarette on the 26s is very large, and easily accessible. The cockpit is roomy; you can sleep on either bench; it is self-draining. We have a 15 hp. on the transom. That should be more than enough power. I don't think you can go wrong with this design, but whether or not, the design fits you is a decision you should make. With the exception of the headroom, the interior is as spacious as any of the MacGregor 26 designs.

Initially, Miss Pat and I had favored the 26x, largely because of the head placement near the companionway. Yet, having all the open area toward the bow may be spacious, but it also does not allow you to hide any supplies and clothing. What you see is what you get. With the head moved forward such as on the 26m and the 26 classics, you might be able to use the v-berth and keep things a bit more tidy. I don't know, but that's my impression.

The fiberglass hull is a good feature, too. I have built a wooden boat or two (Friendship sloop types), but believe me, fiberglass is a lot easier to take care of, and besides some of the fellows on the board have done some remarkable interior bright-work. I might one day just buy one of the Ventura Newports and work on the interior. Maybe, maybe not, but I guess what I am trying to say is that there is good flexibility allowing you to make modifications without having to work forever on a project. The boat looks good, too. I was a bit shocked when we raised the mast and i looked at her from the ground: impressive.

As to speed, given the length of the waterline and weight (including the water ballast), this boat has to be fast. I like the feel of a tiller over a coaxswain wheel, but on the other hand, something like that may not be as important to you. There is something to be said for a binnacle. Oh yes, one another factor for us was the price. For a very modest price, you can purchase one of the older MacGregor designs and still have a great boat. We searched for two years before we decided. We saved our pennies and paid cash.

Well, such as it is and such are some of my thoughts. Here's wishing you fair winds and good sailing!

Welcome aboard.

Barnacle Jim

You mentioned the Ferrier/Corsair trimarans. I too considered those boats as I wanted fast and trailerable.

Until I crewed on one. As a daysailer they're fantastic. Fast--way faster than anything else on the water. But the cabin is uselessly small. I wouldn't really even consider it for an overnight. Frankly I think they would be better off cabinless, as they wouldn't be trading all their cockpit space for a useless cabin.

Maneuvering them around in the Marina is a big hassle. Yes, you can bring the amas in if you want, but that's not as easy as it sounds. rigging and rigging these boats makes MacGregors look easy as pie in comparison.

Finally, although I've never taken one on and off the trailer (the boat I crewed on was slipped amas out, as easy as can be) I have seen crews attempting to get them back on the trailer. Four men tits deep in the drink trying to guide one of these onto the trailer for two hours was enough to convince me that it wasn't the boat for me. Gettting back onto the trailer is the hardest part of any trailerable.

After three years, I'm still quite convinced the Mac is by far the best boat for my family. Confirmation Bias!

I did the exact same change from a 69 Oday Daysailer to a 94 26s. Do it you will not regret it.

mastreb,

Re: The Farrier/Corsair trimarans:

Not to mention.............. I looked at an F 27 years ago, before I got my 26X (my first Mac), so it must have been around 1996-7. Seems I remember a price tag of around $60 or $70 K. And you're right..... no cabin space. The F-31 is better in that area, but still..... the price tag

Best Breezes,
Steve K.

I am not trying to steer you away from a Mac26. It's truly an excellent boat, and the used market offers these at a value that's hard to beat by any other boat. I just wanted to highlight that its best used as an overnighter, and to say that if you only intend to day sail, it might not be the best option.

I want to give you a warning about some boats you ay have seen. Hunter made some boats, starting in 1996 that were incredibly well designed for daysailing. They're fast, well laid out & simple. I've seen a lot of them on the used market. Some examples of models are the 212 and the 216. They look very nice, and you see some great deals for them on the used market, but they have a big problem. They used a different manufacturing technique as opposed to traditional fiberglass cloth and resin. They used a plastic of some sort that was stronger and lighter and won them an innovation award. The problem is after a few years, the plastic start to crack. Big cracks, boat sinking cracks. Some say that it only happens up north due to freezing winters, but it happens in Florida too. I would not take a plastic Hunter of anyone's hands if they were giving it to me. The fiberglass Hunters, however from 1992 onward seem to have a bit of a better track record of durability. The only other boat that I had on my shopping list other than the Mac26 was a hunter 23.5. But I'm glad I found a good Mac. It's a better design than the Hunter.