MacGREGOR 26M.

Alistairr

Alistairr

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Is it as bad as people say it is??

For a small boat thats cheap and towable, is it no use to learn to sail on?
At £19,990 for boat, trailer, sails and what ever else is included, its not a bad price at all.

Tell me more about it, do they have a tendancy to roll over?

What other sail boats are towable and have resonable accommodation and are good for a beginner sailors?

Many Thanks,

Alistair.
 
For Loch Lomond? Not a problem with the MacGregor 26.

Inner Firth of Clyde OK too I suppose. Not anywhere else in my opinion though.

Donald
 
Have a browse through here http://macgregorsailors.com/phpBB/

It seems there is a ballasted keel modification which may address it's reputation for being a bit tender.
It gets a lot of stick, but I've never sailed one and when you think of some of the slugs with sails on that some people have, I can't see that it can be any worse.
 
Depends where you want to learn, they are Category C which means effectively sheltered waters.
 
Well there is the Imexus 27 (used to be Odin 8.2?) in the same vein as the McGregor (power sailor). I "prefer" the looks of the Imexus, but have sailed neither...

Marc.
 
Are you talking routinely towable or just taking home for the winter? Biggest problem with towing as a routine is rigging and de-rigging mast and sails, it would very quickly get tiresome!

There are as T-K says lots of boats out there that are 'towable' with the right vehicle and unless you want the motorspeed of the McG I would avoid it.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Well there is the Imexus 27 (used to be Odin 8.2?) in the same vein as the McGregor (power sailor). I "prefer" the looks of the Imexus, but have sailed neither...

Marc.

[/ QUOTE ]

There was an Odin that capsized on Loch Lomond shortly after launch, it was almost a total loss as it inverted completely and the rig was lost on recovery. I believe it was caused by a crew member going on deck to get the fenders in. I think there were similar issues with early McGregors

I would never buy a yacht that was inherently unstable as these trailer sailors are until they are water ballasted.

The trouble is that to use them under power at speed and while launching there is no water ballast. Later models got over this to an extent by adding fixed ballast to the bottom of the hull - that killed the boats performance under power
 
I read up on everything I could on the MacGregor 26M, but I am not totally convinced of its sea keeping qualities, even around the N Wales area.

The concept is excellent and you can buy a winch to raise and lower the mast, whcih can be done single handidly anyway.

It seems that many of the falling over problems, which aren't that common, are a result of people not filling the ballast tank before hoisting sail and probably not lowering the keel as well.

From what I have read, it is a jack of all trades and a master of none. But, if you want a downwind saily boat that can motor at 24 MPH upwind, then it is probably great as it takes away the tidal/wind problems that rule yotties lives.

I don't think it is for me, in its present incarnation, but you never know, they may just crack it one day. I lived on Sydney Harbour or the Hawksbury, then I would definitely get one.

I think the £19,000 price tag is ex engine and loads of extras, but then, the blurb doesn't make that clear.
 
Have now read posts. Everyones a bit slow launching the lambast!

We owned a Mac 26X for two years - first on the Medway and then the Veerse Meer in Holland. Both very sheltered.

First thing to remember is "horses for courses".

We found it very good at what it is designed to do. No it doesn't point very well and it has to be reefed early. Over F6, forget about sailing to windward, you will just spend the whole time fighting the wheel. It is not a very good boat to go forward on, but you can do a lot from the forward hatch - mooring, lock work etc But in tidal/shallow waters the lifting keel & rudders got us out of trouble many times in the early days. You can take the ground as well. If the weather really blew up, we dropped the sails and bombed back to the marina.

The fact that we could tow it behind a car (we used a VW Touran) meant that ultimately we ended up in Holland, something that would never have happened if not for our Mac.

I admit that we are now moving on, new boat will go to Holland. So after two years do I regret buying a Mac? Not at all!

By the way if you want a new one I think you can add another
£5K for the 50hp outboard. Plus you will want to change things - all controls led back to the cockpit is a must given the unsuitability of the boat for going forward.

Why not look at a second hand one? Not pushing mine or anything /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
then it is probably great as it takes away the tidal/wind problems that rule yotties lives.

[/ QUOTE ]

No have to disagree with that one!

Using the wind and tide is what makes sailing (without motorsailing) the rewarding challenge that it can be. It certainly does not rule our lives. OK it may not suit everyone.
 
How about something cheaper like a Beneteau First Class 8 - nice little trailer sailer with a wind up keel. Should be able to pick one up for £8k.
 
Kim has given a very balanced opinion based a knowlege of the boat. When you see one at sea you are struck with how slab sided it looks. I bet it's a beast at close quarters in a marina, force 5? As for learning, I would think you might be better with a fast responsive boat that can perform on all points of sail.
 
Surmising here....

Suspect that from AlistairR's background of Loch Lomond and mobos that he wants a hybrid. I may be wrong.

He may not get the same satisfaction from (say) a Sonata or Coribee or similar as to what he would get if he gets fed up tacking back and forth all day in the Mac26. Press the button and Hey Presto!

Donald
 
[ QUOTE ]

then it is probably great as it takes away the tidal/wind problems that rule yotties lives.



No have to disagree with that one!

[/ QUOTE ]

I was referring to it taking the problems away from me.

Last thing I want to do is battle upwind in a boat, to get back to marina bar. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
When you compare it to something like a Jeanneau J2000 then it suddenly does not seem that good value, and having been thrashed by 'Timberland' in last years Nab Tower Race, I think my £20k would be going on a brand new Jenneau with the best sail wardrobe and trailer that £5k could buy me... but then that probably says more about what sort of sailor I am which is, in many ways, irrelavent to Alastair's needs.
 
Fair point, if it were me I would sell the S24, buy a little tiddly boat for a few grand to splash about in (Drascombe / Corribee type / Shrimper (no - too expensive) Oh yes, & buy a nice classic Ferrari 308 GTB or GT4 - & the rest of the change on a nice holiday.

Then later on clear the decks & start again.

But thats just me ...

Looking at big trailer sailers / mobos is just too impractical for words unless seriously seriously dedicated.
 
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