MacGregor 26X seaworthy?

Just thought I would give a the facts from the perspective someone that has real life experience in not only the Mac but also a blue water yacht as well. (I do love my JOG boat but the Mac is just the next level)

So many armchair experts that love to make comment but dont want to sail a boat without 5 tonnes of lead under them, beats me LoL

Thanks for the welcome, Im not really a grumpy old man just a passionate sailor
 
Thanks Richard, I do love a good cat, I have a Arafura 12 foot cat as part of my collection of about 11 boats, I know not a real cat but a bucket of fun
 
Not sure why this thread has reappeared. Surely all the MacGregor's sank years ago......what ! They are still afloat and bobbing about under sail and motor......well stone the ruddy crows.

Tim
 
Alfie168 said:
Not sure why this thread has reappeared. Surely all the MacGregor's sank years ago......what ! They are still afloat and bobbing about under sail and motor......well stone the ruddy crows.

Tim
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Of course they are, and I expect they are all well used as well as enjoyed as you would expect of such a popular yacht. As far as I know not too many deaths by drowning either as has been predicted on here.
 
Hi all, just came across this thread as I bought my MacGregor 26M around the time of the previous post and am now contemplating a sail to the Isles of Scilly.

I know I read this thread whilst researching my purchase and I'm happy now to be able to give some positive feedback to any others in the same boat.

I have to say that it sails better than I expected given some of the press it's received. If you've now seen the "5 minute" MacGregor video on YouTube I'd recommend it. If you like it watch the 55 minute version. Sure it's a sales video but it's all true.

Also have browse through https://www.eskimo.com/~mighetto/murrelet.htm

Last week I sailed, singlehanded, from Falmouth to Fowey, my first coastal hop. She was great to sail, on the way back the wind got up a bit, I had the main reefed and a few rolls in the genoa. I had her on the autopilot to enable me to hang out the side to try to keep the heel down to the optimum 20 deg. SOG was around 6 kts against a 0.2-0.3kt current so I was more than happy.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.
 
MikeFloutier said:
Hi all, just came across this thread as I bought my MacGregor 26M around the time of the previous post....

Last week I sailed, singlehanded, from Falmouth to Fowey, my first coastal hop. She was great to sail, on the way back the wind got up a bit, I had the main reefed and a few rolls in the genoa. I had her on the autopilot to enable me to hang out the side to try to keep the heel down to the optimum 20 deg. SOG was around 6 kts against a 0.2-0.3kt current so I was more than happy.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.
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Wow, an old thread! Great sailing skills though and good idea to augment the performance with a few dinghy techniques; some impressive trips you've knocked up there.

Nice offer to help also :encouragement:
 
I sail a modern 32 ft yacht. Usually single handed. Moving my own weight around as a dinghy sailor might makes absolutely no difference to stability and I've never considered it part of a cruising sailors act. Am I wrong?
 
Scotsailor said:
I sail a modern 32 ft yacht. Usually single handed. Moving my own weight around as a dinghy sailor might makes absolutely no difference to stability and I've never considered it part of a cruising sailors act. Am I wrong?
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I think whether you are right rather depends at least in part on whether you are cruising in a 32' cruising yacht or a 26' trailer-sailer. Swallow Boats produce a beautiful water-ballasted lifting keel 26' trailer-sailer and I would expect that to be sensitive to crew position as well (especially if I was the crew). At 32' crew weight and position can still make a significant difference to performance though - I'm a 200lb lump of talking ballast that you can either have on the windward rail or to leeward (in theory at least). That shifts the CofG a hell of a lot.
 
I own a Macgregor 26X. I recently also bought a Dehler 28. These are my views of the pros and cons of the Macgregor

Pros
- Trailorability - I sailed in Milford Haven, Cardiff, Windermere, Salcombe and Dartmouth last summer
- Reasonable space for a 26 foot boat
- Speed in light winds is good
- Simple rig and layout

Cons
- Time to launch and rig - basically needs 1 day of towing, launching, rigging before and after sailing. Basically 4 days needed for 2 days sailing
- Suitable only for protected waters or light conditions. Not unsafe otherwise but very uncomfortable. The boat bobs up and down like a cork in any sort of waves and heels excessively in any wind over force 3.
- Expensive compared to bigger, higher quality alternatives.

Basically buy a Macgregor if you need a trailer sailer, but a bigger, heavier fin / bilge keeler if you are keeping it on a permanent mooring.
 
I keep my MacGregor 26M on a swinging mooring. I'm so glad I did as you're so right about all the time it takes to trailer, rig, launch, sail, recover, de-rig and trailer home. Great if you only go for week-long trips and need to get there before you start.

The swing mooring works so well for me I can be sailing 30 mins from leaving home.

Regarding the heeling, they heel quickly initially until the water ballast comes into it's own. It's optimum heel is around 20 Debs. After around 35 degs she starts to round up and sit up.

The easy way to control the heeling is, like any boat, by using appropriate amounts of sail and trimming; as I mentioned I was comfortably able to exceed it's "hull speed" close-reaching with 20 deg heel using a reefed main and partly furled genoa.
 
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