MacGregor 26, opinions please ?

[dancrane]

Does anybody recall an article in a 1986 YM (I think!) about the MacGregor 65? Amazing vessel, very swift and easily driven, quite low-aspect rig, but the accommodation was rather compromised by its slenderness - twelve foot six inch beam, I think.

It had the same stepped, slippery coachroof profile, which then, as now, I didn't much like, but the potential for ULDB performance struck me strongly at the time. I've scarcely heard a word about the big MacGregor since, though I noticed the footage of the 26' was filmed by a chap who said he was aboard a MacGregor 70.

Nobody has mentioned whether the 26 can plane, under sail? It seems a very unfortunate missed opportunity, if not...as well as possibly a good thing for health & safety...

 

[dancrane]

And finally...

I just found a daft question put to a web-wide audience..."could one sail across the Atlantic on a MacGregor 26?"

Here's the reply, split up by me for readability. Mistakes are not mine:

"I could not possibly even think of a worst cantidate for an oceanic crossing. However, you would make an excellent cantidate for the Darwin Awards.

Anyone who so much as buys a Mac 26 deserves whats coming to them, let alone trying to do something incredibly stupid.

If you do go, make sure to power the whole way, if you go at 15 knots, you will get there faster so it will certainly be safer.

You might have to carry alot of fuel, but you can dedicate the water tank to gasoline if need be (its only a few days... who needs water?)

Your worst problem would be if you had to beat to weather to get to one ocean or another, you would likely just wallow sideways and end up blown onto one continent or another- kinda like Columbus..."

 

[Madhatter]

Well this thread has been educational in one form or another.However I have one final question , what anchor would you use for a mac26 ?

 

[dancrane]

Does anybody make an anchor out of cheese? (Apart from sub-standard Rocnas)

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Does anybody make an anchor out of cheese? (Apart from sub-standard Rocnas)

Surely a water ballasted anchor is appropriate???

 

[dylanwinter]

four anchors

Well this thread has been educational in one form or another.However I have one final question , what anchor would you use for a mac26 ?

any fule kno they need four on the bow to keep it down when under power and to move to the windward rail when the wind blows more than six knots

Dylan

 

[dancrane]

Surely a water ballasted anchor is appropriate???

Perhaps the boom, which seems to get little enough work from the sails, can be used to crane the trailer on board? Tie it to a warp, and then toss it o/b when you get somewhere you like.

What about a time-release CO2 chamber, which fills a buoyancy chamber at a predetermined time, floating the anchor to the surface, to relieve the backache of hauling it up from the bottom? Sold with sleeping pills, for the nervous.

 

[MagicIsland]

I have just joined this forum, posted a reply as an actual Mac owner but it need moderating, how long does moderation take or does a factual based responce upset the sour grapes ?

 

[Lakesailor]

For some reason, I'm having no luck getting to the links provided by Lakesailor...

Just tried them and they seem to work OK.

 

[dancrane]

Yes indeed, they're fine now. Wouldn't open, earlier today. Cheers.

 

[ARCO7]

Studland Bay and a Macgregor 26

I just didn't know there were so many ant-MaGs on here lol
Next year 2013 could be the year you deep keel boys won't be able to get anchored up in the shelter of Studland Bay because of the intended NO ANCHOR ZONE around the eelgrass meadows .
Or if the locals and BORG manage by some miracle to stop this injustice then the recently reporting of shallowing around the south of the bay as far out as the Pub Moorings could also mean you deep water boys have to cross Studland Bay off your waypoints !
But not MaGs owners ...oh no..they can boldly go where no yachtie has been before ,and without the need of a tender to get you ashore .
I have borrowed this photo from the SBPA ... it shows a 12 ft dinghy and in the background a bilge keeler high and dry after dragging its anchor several days before ...then inshore of these is the classic example of a MaG 26 afloat and anchored in only 18 inches of water just off the shore .
I know because that MaG belongs to a very good friend of mine and I heard all about his "Sailing Landing Craft" and how wonderful it is to anchor and use around Poole Harbour and Studland .
His opinion is "DON'T KNOCK EM until YOU'VE TRIED ONE" and yes I agree no pinky trousers please just a pair of shorts or cut off jeans and you'll be able to get ashore without getting wet above the knees .

 

[dancrane]

On the centreboard subject, does anyone know the name of the company that built those glorious, rather enormous, wiltingly expensive, Dutch (I think) centreboarders, that were popular in the plutocratic end of the market, twenty years back?

 

[dylanwinter]

this from a Mac user who is unnaproved on here yet

I got this PM from a new user called magic island

"Hi Dylan,

Met you briefly on the pontoon at wells with out mac this year, loving your KTL vids and lmao at the current mac bashing, I've posted two replies in the last 24hrs but still awaiting moderation, is this a way of censoring a balanced arugment or are we way passed that when talking about Macs ?
You may like to pose the question on mac owners behalf, where have you sailed you boat this last 12 ? We've sailed Our Mac the Nene, the Broads, the east coast, west France and palnning our trip to the Med to explore Spain and South france as we speak, we've also stayed on the water all winter......how many Mac haters have been safely tucked up on hard standing all winter while we've picked our moments to go sailing when ever we want ? PS I'm a poor sailor so a death trap of a sailing boat is still more capable than me ! "

 

[dancrane]

Dylan, are you quite sure somebody sent you that?

His spelling mistakes/typos are exactly the same type as yours! Very suspect.

 

[dylanwinter]

see the other thread

Dylan, are you quite sure somebody sent you that?

His spelling mistakes/typos are exactly the same type as yours! Very suspect.

he might be a creation of my subcontious if he is because I do not recall sending myself a PM

Dylan

 

[dancrane]

Just a jest. Nobody seems bothered about spelling these days.

We had two standard outboard tanks on ours, and if motoring at a modest 10 knots I reckon they'd last about 60 nautical miles between them.

Is there any chance that the liquid ballast could be unleaded? Think how the range would increase!

 

[photodog]

Just a jest. Nobody seems bothered about spelling these days.



Is there any chance that the liquid ballast could be unleaded? Think how the range would increase!

I am not certain that putting large quantities of something lighter than water in the ballast tanks will do much for the AVS.....

 

[dancrane]

But as MacGregor seem actually to recommend motoring with empty tanks, every mile you motor, the ballast will lessen and lighten, improving MPH and MPG...albeit at cost to AVS.

Only a thought. Anyhow, presumably only a nut or an oil baron would drive a hull like this at speed for longer than the time it takes to get sick of the outboard's noise.

 

[Lakesailor]

If you flit about on that Mac owners' forum there is a thread from a bloke wanting to fit a 90hp motor

 

[dancrane]

How about this...

...instead of letting the water ballast in, take a 250hp Mercury aboard, squeeze it down the companionway, and cut a neat little propellor-sized hole in the vicinity of the centreboard slot, so the o/b can be mounted in the cabin.

With the hatches shut, the exhaust noise ought to be several decibels less. And the MacGregor can finally do something properly!