Advice from MacGregor owner please

[GART]

Hi

Is there any actual Macgregor 26 owners out there that have experience of keeping their boat on a drying swinging mooring? Or sailing a Macgregor single-handed.

I am concerned about mud getting in the keel box and the keel not dropping, and with so much top hamper being blown off course while going forward to pick up my mooring buoy with nobody at the helm.
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And finally probably 70% of the time I will be in Chichester Harbour with a 6 knot speed limit, is a 50 hp outboard worth while? Would I be better off with a 10hp? As when out of the harbour I hope to sail anyway.

Any experience from actual Owners past or present would be appreciated


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[snowleopard]

the last thread about mc26 on this forum got a bit out of hand so be prepared for a bit of stick!!

i kept a centreboarder on a drying mooring ar emsworth for a couple of years and had no problem with things getting stuck in the slot.

never a good idea when mooring singlehanded to sprint from helm to foredeck which in any case is a real obstacle course with no side decks. bring back a line from the bows, outside everything, to the cockpit so you can thread it through the buoy from the cockpit then go forward once secured.

if you're moored close to other boats your extra windage might make you lie to the wind when others are lying to the tide causing a few scrapes. leaving the ballast in place would reduce this.

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[xcw]

I have kept a Macgregor 26C in Chichester Harbour for the past 9 years. I kept her on the trailer in Chichester Marina so did not dry out, however, I have dried out frequently in places like Ryde and have never had a problem with mud and the keel box. The 26C is the sailing version (not the hybrid sail/power version) and I have a 9.9hp on the back which pushes her along quite adequately although I suspect the 26X hull is not quite so slippery.

I have not sailed her single handed but always with the family, although I cannot imagine it would be much of a problem as they are very easy to sail. Picking up a mooring is always an issue, but, probably easier in a Macgregor than some as it is very manoverable, light and you are quite close to the water.

Good luck and I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with her. My 26C is currently on the market as I have moved up to a larger yacht but we had 9 years of great sailing in the harbour and around the Solent.

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[GART]

Thank you, But I have a Dockrell 22 swing keel I keep on a mooring I have never had any problems, but I am concerned that a Macgregor with a hollow keel might, that is why I was asking for advice from MacGregor owners past or present.

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[DepSol]

Buy an Odin 820 then

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.soltron.co.uk>the website</A>

 

[johmal]

I had a Max 26X on a swinging mooring (not drying) on the river Dart. The keel got jammed up once - caused by a bit of twig jamming the keel up. After that I always left the keel slightly down - but thats no help on drying mooring.

I only had a 10HP and sailed on my own occaisionally. 10HP gave just over 7kts flat out when the hull was clean with the keel up. But I used to leave the keel slightly down when I wanted more directional control and all the way down when coming onto the mooring. It was OK in light winds - but tended to be a bit of a handful in anything stronger. I found the turning circle wasn't too good - but this could be helped by steering the outboard with my foot! The outboard steering link MacGregor sell didn't work with my 10HP outboard.



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