macgregor 26m

Thoughts on this ....

Jimi - you caught a master one there !!

It is the most interesting write-up I have read for a long time ...

Swing keels invented by Macgregor ...

Deep keels far more dangerous than water ballasted ...

Tripping up boats ...

Delivering Pizza to the boat - That one cracked me up !!!

As they say - it takes all sorts ....

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Thomas 1 - You are not alone as a newcomer interested in a Macgregor. I went to the 'USED boat show' at Moody's southampton and saw an advert in a magazine I was given as a freebie, and, attracted by the versitility I paid a visit to the website to find out more. I also went to take a peak at one at the REAL boatshow.

I work with a few keen and very experienced sailors but the one thing that became immediately obvious to me was that it was not going to be easy to get an unbiased opinion on a MacGregor. It appears to be the 'Skoda' of the boating world (I'm not a Skoda owner by the way and extend my apologies to all skoda owners for the analogy), being easy for others to 'score points' from, which is a bit tough on those of us that know we know very little and are trying to get dsome objective help and advice....so thank you to those who posted constructive responses, be you for or against the Mac.

For myself I have a lot of work to do yet to get my day skipper. I've decided I won't make a buying decision for at least a year until I have more experience of sea sailing.

The most important thing when it comes down to it is to get something that meets (all of) your needs. If you get more out of such a boat because of its versatlity, can accept that it won't be the best at any one thing it does and don't mind the way others will react when you tell them you own a Macgregor, it may just be the boat for you!
 
Re: macgregor 26m .... this post is a year old !!

Tom has moved on a lot since that initial question and seen examples of Mac's ....

All boats have their followers and anti's.... Mac's just seem to conjure up more adverse comment ...

All the Mac's I have met so far - all seem to be owned by relatively new entrants to the world of boating. May be haven't developed that bias for certain boats yet !!

My concern is the high up weight factor ... water ballast in tanks in lower hull and also the extreme freeboard etc. of cockpit. Seeing one planing is not a sight I admire - I have to admit ... I have that distinct impression that a good wave could be disaster ........

As to resale .... I am yet to be convinced ... the initial new price is lower than many other boats so that obviously sets a lower 2nd hand pricing .... but I see a number standing on trailers still unsold.

Last comment ... the lack of grip of the Mac was proven to me when one tried to tow me when engine had failed ... He had a 50HP on the back end of his boat ... surely enough to do the job. But the Mac skitted all over the place and eventually the owner called off .... So I sailed her up the marina channel etc - in fact turned out to be far less risk to others !!
 
Re: Thoughts on this ....

[ QUOTE ]

Deep keels far more dangerous than water ballasted ...

Tripping up boats ...


[/ QUOTE ]

Not a fan of Macs but I can see the logic behind the argument that deep keeled boats can be tripped by a wave. Isn't this why centreboards or fixed keels aren't a good idea on cruising cats?
 
Re: Thoughts on this ....

Tripping up boats .... sorry don't agree ....

I would expect a "sit on water" boat to a over t easier than a boat with a keel - which has bite and inertia. Remember that a deep keel not only provides resistance to leeway but also low down weight to stabilise the boat.

A certain make of cat was prone to tripping over itself .... but that was a design fault of the particular model ... not of cats as a whole.
 
Re: Thoughts on this ....

I think the argument about deep keel boats "tripping" over their keels applies to performance in extreme conditions when large waves are breaking. There is a number of experienced deep sea sailors who argue that in these circumstances a shoal draft yacht will slide sideways so dissipating some of the shock of the breaking water and also avoiding capsize. Personally, I'd rather be home in bed.
 
Re: Thoughts on this ....

Ok - I can see a possibility with a side on breaking wave .... buyt another brought in the idea of cats as well ... which had a tendency to pitch-pole on a certain model.

Side on - of course any appendage below the water will "grip" and prove an inertial lump .... But I feel a lightly loaded, high CoG ballasted boat will have difficulty long before a more traditional deep keel boat and will not stand her "canvas" as well.

Having seen the skittish behaviour of a Mac when trying to tow - I can see the argument .... side on. But seeing also indicates the very low threshold before trouble occurs.
 
Re: macgregor 26m .... this post is a year old !!

[ QUOTE ]
Tom has moved on a lot since that initial question ......

[/ QUOTE ]are you still in touch with him Nigel? I know he bought a Moody 34 cos he asked a few questions on the MOA forum. Since then nothing heard.

Hope he is OK
 
Tom ....

Yes he sails with me when possible and we have a regular correspondence.

The M34 moved on I'm afraid .... it was as I'm told a good one as well ...
 
If you dont intend towing but like the idea of drying out on a beach then for the same money you could buy a twin keel yacht .You could get a british made Hunter or A westerly Consort or berwick or moody 27 which would be far more seaworthy vessels.

The MacGregors can and do capsize (probably due to mistakes made by their owners) if it can happen eventually it will in my experience.

You can make mistakes in a self righting boat with fin or twin keels or a ballasted lifting keel boat,it may give you a fright fill the cockpit with water or result in damaged sails.Once the adrenalin returns to normal levels you can laugh about it.(Until you get the sail makers bill /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
 
hello Thomas. Ive just noticed that your original question was posted over a year ago.Im sure you have formed your own opinions by now based on a bit more experience.

Good luck and good sailing.
 
Well folks, perhaps some constructive comment from someone who ACTUALLY owns a Macgregor 26M might not be amiss.

I sailed for around 10 years in the solent on an Etap 26 - great boat - but getting old in the tooth. I bought the first 26M to arrive in the UK in 2004 ( my boat was at the boat show that year ) Is it safe - is it stable I hear you shout! can't possibly be a good sailor as it can cruise at 18Kn with ballast.

Well I sail my Mac 26 all year round on some of the most changeable seas in the UK - off the west coast of scotland - I have used it flat calm to F6 and I can assure you that, with full ballast tanks, it is a good stable boat and great fun too. Why not check out my site www.braemor.co.uk if you wish to see more info on adapting the boat to our climes.

By the by - I do not see the Mac as the skoda of the boating world ( that would be the legends) more the VW Golf Gti.

Not a boat for old yauchties and armchair sailors, but one for families to have FUN in, is that not what this is all about?

Remember - next time you are pounding along in calm conditions at 5kn, hour after hour, trying and never appearing to get closer to port. The Mac owner is already ordering up his next pint and Moules Mariner in the pub - I will save you a seat. ( I have experienced both sides of the coin above by the way )

It is a compromise - but the benefits ( by far ) outweigh any sailing limitations and I can still outsail most heavy cruisers in an F3.

If you do fancy the Mac - try one first - then decide. It worked for me.
 
Hi Thomas
I am afraid this forum seems to be a little biased against them, before you make your decision you need to think what you want to do with the boat. If you want to go offshore, or out in a gale then the answer is no. If you want to potter around (not race) and have the ability to get back to port in a hurry if the weather turns bad rather than try to ride it out then yes.
The boat is designed for trailer sailering, it is lightly built, it is easily launched & recovered and if you wanted to get from the south coast to the east coast you can do it in a day rather than a week. However they are built down to a weight and cost, all fittings are lightweight and “cheap” the original sails are poor quality, and the cockpit storage is very poor.
All that said I have one and I hope I will like it, I cannot give much of an account of how it performs I bought mine the end of last season and apart from a test sail when I bought it I have not used it yet.
But for what I want out of a boat it ticks all the boxes. I intend using it in Chichester harbour and the Solent. Staying onboard for weekends and the occasional week. It has standing headroom, with separate heads, and although theoretically 6 berth although some will be needed for storage. I expect to fill up the aft berth with equipment. With a 9” draft and swing keel it is ideal for shallow creeks of the Solent. Drying out on the beach, & swimming from the rear platform, I do not intend spending hours tacking to windward with a 50 hp motor on the back. With no wood to varnish each season time spent on maintenance should be minimal.
I tried sailing my last boat (Dockrell 22) against a couple of Mac 26x’s and lost, but my Dockrell was not particularly fast but very stable. On the test sail prior to purchase I did not get on very well, it seemed to make quite a lot of leeway, and I had difficulty getting used to the wheel steering, I am used to a tiller and could not work out where the rudders were in relation to the wheel. But I still bought it.
Have a look at this site http://www.macgregorsailors.com somebody else is asking the same question, it is an American site, but the UK Macgregor owners club wont let you see anything unless you pay £35! The US site is very good, and free!
Hope this helps send PM if you have any questions.
Graham
 
Just browsing sailing stuff I came accross this forum, being an ex Macgregor 26M owner I thought I'd stick my kneck out. Having sailed a little (with the Army) then purchased various small boats (mainly motor), when I was separated from my ex wife I thought about buying a sailing boat. I wanted something I wouldn't have to pay mooring fees for, was easy to maintain and reasonably cheap to run.
I looked at the Hunter and the Macgregor, the 26M won. In hindsight I actually think I should have got the Hunter but at the time the Macgregor has the Yam50 which clouded my visition. I took the Day skipper course with a friend and we sailed off, messing about at weekends. I live near the Solent so that's where I did all my sailing. Rarely did we motor, only when there was little or no wind. I got sick of putting the mast up and down and trailering it about eventually mooring it.
After 4 years I sold her, I now belong to a boat share, I'm a Yachtmaster and hold a little affection for the 26M.
The good things:
Easy to learn to sail and forgiving.
Easy to maintain and add things to.
Cheap to run and maintain
Lots of fun
Goes in 18" of water
Bad things:
You need a big car to tow it
Its plasticy inside
Terrible to moor up in a wind
Whilst it bobs about and claims to be unsinkable you don't have much control over the steerage in bad weather.

It was a great boat to learn to sail but like all things you either grow out of it for a motor boat, give up water all together or upgrade in the sailing world, I did the latter.
 
I'm a sucker for old threads, so here goes. I have no personal experience of the Mac 26, but can see that it could be a good choice for some. There was one in Craobh a couple of years ago - I wonder if it was that posted on by Johnmac (above), who unfortunately doesn't seem to have posted again, and whose linked website seems to contain nothing but Latin spacefill text? Ah, well, the moral is obviously to take the opportunity to talk to people when you see them, rather than remain in ignorance ...

The narrow beam made me think. Is it under 7 foot? If so, an attractive proposition for someone with easy weekend access to the English narrow canals, but who wants to tow to somewhere more open for a fortnight in the summer?
 
I know this thread is really old now, but the information and discussion is still very relevant, so do continue to add your experiences and knowledge.

I now find myself in the same position as the person who asked the question in the first place. Having read the whole thread and the American thread too, I still have not been put off the idea of a Macgregor26m.

It seems to have carved itself a unique slot in the market, and I feel that as long as it is not to be used for serious passage making, or heavy weather sailing, there seems a lot to recomend it. For those of us who live a good hour or two from the water, and don't want the expense of keeping a boat on a mooring, it seems to 'tick a few boxes'.

Frankly, I am looking at it like a big dinghy, with a lid, and from that perspective, it seems to work.

Price is of course important too, and there is no pretending that it isn't built down to a price, but is it any the worse for that? It is still an economical way to get into a first medium size boat, with minimal expense, as far as I can tell.

Do please try and persuade me that I am wrong, but for the love of Mike, let your criticism be constructive, so that the advice is useful to me and others in the same position.

Paul.
 
Kitcat said:
Well.............................?:confused:

Paul
Click to expand...

It is a case of horses for courses.

I have seen one instance if where a Macgregor was being used in an appropriate manner.

The owner lived in Aberdeen and only had infrequent days he could go sailing. His boat was moored at Dochgarroch on the Caledonian canal within only a couple of locks from the north end of Loch Ness.
His sailing days, if the weather allowed, consisted of a car drive from Aberdeen to past Inverness, sailing down Loch Ness as far he could, or until the weather turned.
Then motoring back at high speed to his mooring before his drive back to Aberdeen.

Not my cup of tea but he was quite happy.

My present boat is in the river Forth and I can have the choice of short day sails or venturing out to the North Sea. This season I have never been out without having to reef the sails (on a 33ft fin keeled yacht)

I certainly would not consider using a Macgregor in those conditions. There are many small craft which are better matched to changable conditions.

You must really decide what type of sailing you will be doing and adjust your choice of craft to match.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

P
Bringing my new boat from Netherlands to Ireland next year
2
Replies
33
Views
1K
xyachtdave
xyachtdave
Roberto
Herbal teas at night
Replies
13
Views
345
steve yates
S
R
My boat trip hopefully in May Around Scotland
2 3
Replies
54
Views
1K
ProDave
ProDave
geem
Atlantic crossing 2025
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
geem
geem
lustyd
VHF course help
4 5 6
Replies
113
Views
2K
billskip
billskip

Share this page

Top