Macgregor 26

[DepSol]

My FIL would like to know where in the uk he can get a mcgregor 26 also does anyone know anything about them and if they are any good?

Dom


I just want my boat back in the water ;-(

 

[halcyon]

They were on 01326 313166 there based at Falmouth.

You love them or hate them, with a big outboard they plane well, with the sails up they go better than a motor sailer.
Look really odd, a boat pushing 25 / 30 knots with a mast.
Only way with this one is to look at one and try it.

Brian

 

[ToMo]

Dom, tell him to try this: http://www.macgregorowners.com/ for a start, then he can also try Google search....it comes up with quite a few!
TôMö

 

[BarryH]

There was a thread a while ago on here . I think from memory how sh1t they were. Main topic of the thread was about one that went over in the bristol channel. Apparently the balast comes from flooding a conpartment in the bilge!

Wha'dya mean "I'm always playing with this engine" its the only way to get it to run!

 

[andyball]

There were several stored ashore at Chichester marina this winter,+ others at hayling....someone likes them.

If you want to be able to sail and go fast,what other choice is there in that size?.

They do use water ballast, ....it won't plane with the tank full, also touted as feasible to trailer due to low weight w/o ballast.

 

[Guest]

Or http://www.macgregor26x.com

Was the first boat in this class with these capabilities. Today you may also take a look at ODIN 820, VI:TA and Dufour DUO. Use a search engine.

The MAc is rather cheaply build and looks somewhat odd but is optimised for trailering and much space below.

Andreas - owner

 

[david_e]

FIL

Is this some sort of revenge posting? The number of used M26's for sale in the classified section should tell you (him) enough about them.

 

[tim]

Would you buy a boat that has dinghy strength mast and boom - just look at how thin they are. I suppose that keeps the weight down for trailering. Also, there are no side decks and skimpy rails over the cabin roof. Try manouvering one in close confines when it's blowing - they like going sideways.

 

[halcyon]

Very similar to most modern motorboats, would think they handle the same in the marina.

Brian

 

[Jeremy_W]

I was navigator on "Bondbuster" - the first M65 in the UK. I wouldn't touch any MacGregor with a bargepole, nor - to my certain knowledge - would any other member of the crew who did the delivery to Mallorca. Great skipper, good crew, great crew spirit - dreadful yacht!

 

[paulrossall]

Buy an Evolution 26 instead

The Magregor 26 would seem to be OK on a lake, with no waves, on a calm day. I would not want to go to sea on one. If you want a 26 foot boat that can be trailered (best by 4 wheel drive vehicle) then I would recomend an Evolution 26. The have excellent performance both under sail and engine. Only drawback is slightly limited headroom. Alternatively the Evolution 25 is the same boat but with a higher coachroof giving full headroom. It would apear that most people who buy the Magregor soon realise the error they have made which results in loads of nearly new boats, at totally unrealistic prices, on the market.

 

[johmal]

Re: Buy an Evolution 26 instead

I am surprised by some of the remarks re Mac 26.

I had 26X for six years - and only sold it because I got a bigger boat.

It was fine for pottering up and down the South Devon/Cornish coast, but I always thought twice about going across the channel. (Basically because I only had 10HP, and I thought the Mac a bit small).

My previous boat before the Mac was a Jaguar 25. The biggest surprise was that the Mac was much less likely to slam - because the ballast is distributed along the length of the boat. The other thing I found was that the outboard prop rarely came out of the water. (A constant problem on the Jag25). The Mac would also go in a straight line when you let go of the wheel. You can set a Mac to steer itself if you trim the sails right in light/moderate conditions.

I thought the Mac was good value for money. The hull is sound - and since its made of woven roving should be strionger than its chopped strand mat competitors.

The Mac is inevitably a compromise. Keep the weight down - and you get a boat that will plane with an outbaord. So all the gear is light in order to acheive that end. I never had any gear failures. (The Mac is also unsinkable due to built in bouyancy).

You do need to make sure that the ballast tanks are either full or empty. Otherwise you have water sloshing around - which can make the Mac unstable. The manual that comes with the Mac does emphasise this.

Lastly - there are a lot of Macs out there - so its not surprising to see a few on the second hand market!

John Mallowan