Mirage 26??

[gandy]

Hi,

Dreaming and planning our new boat over the winter. In a magazine I've seen a couple of references to a "Mirage 26", in case with the headline "cheaper than a Centaur". That sounds like a boat I should find out more about, but there don't seem to be any advertised for sale. Did it ever exist? There's a Mirage 26 in North America, but that looks like a different beast.

Tony S

 

[jeffro]

spect they have all sunk by now cos the keels leeked

 

[sailorman]

built by thames marine ( canvey island i think)

 

[geoffatstanpit]

You still see a lot of them about. They have very high topsides so probably are more spacious than a Centaur. But they definitely don't sail as well as a Centaur

Geoff

 

[FullCircle]

Try looking instead for the Mirage 28, a better proposition all round. Yes they are bulky, and I know a few owners round here, one who lives out on his swinging mooring during the summer. They are heavily built and have some curious locations for the seacocks (for replacement value, a real comedy!)

 

[robp]

Look for a Mirage 2700. Otherwise known as a Leisure 27SL, (not a Leisure 27). Spacious, sails OK and a modern feel below.

 

[l'escargot]

Have a look here

 

[gandy]

Thanks for the comments. If there are a lot about, then their owners aren't selling, since there are none advertised. On the other hand is they don't sail as well as a Centaur (of which there are lots for sale) then maybe it wouldn't be for me anyway.

It was "Practical Boat Owner" that had the plugs for the model, once as a suggested alternative to a second-hand review, and also on there back issues. They didn't comment on sailing ability though.

Does leaking keels mean these are bolt-on?

L'escargot, that web page doesn't have a Mirage 26 either.

Cheers, happy Christmas, Tony S

 

[l'escargot]

Looks as if the Mirage 26 you refer to comes from a range not directly connected to the Mirage yachts found in the UK (which were from Thamesmarine, the builders of the Snapdragon range).

Found the following:

Mirage Yachts Ltd. was founded in 1972 by Dick Steffen at Pointe Claire, Quebec. The company successfully produced many different models until the doors were closed in 1989.
The lines for the Mirage 26 were drawn in 1976 by Robert Perry. The Seattle-based naval architect's design accomplishments are numerous, and he has designs in production around the world. At the time his reputation as a designer of fast family boats was already firmly established by the Valiant 40, a fully fitted-out cruiser that has made impressive finishes in shorthanded trans-ocean races.
The first Mirage 26 was launched in 1977 altogether about 150 were produced. The first few boats were outboard engine powered, then the OMC saildrive was installed as inboard auxiliary power.
In 1979 Perry lengthened the design to incorporate a reverse transom with inboard rudder. The overall length became 27ft. 2in., and it was then called the Mirage 27. There were no other changes in dimensions or displacement.
Most of the Mirage 27s were powered by a single-cylinder Yanmar or Volvo diesel engine with a conventional propeller shaft installation. A few had two-cylinder diesels. Three hundred Mirage 27s were built through 1986, for a total production run of about 450 boats.
Mirage Yachts dealerships sprang up in the Windsor, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and Montreal/Lake Champlain areas, with fleets concentrated near those centres. About 20 per cent of the production run was sold in the Chesapeake Bay area. Company founder Dick Steffen told me that one of the Mirage 26s he built sailed to Europe and back.

It could be that the UK Mirages were derived from the Canadian ones in the same way as the Jaguar was derived from the US Catalina. Quite often not all models are built in the new country when this happens and it could be the 26 was only produced by the original owners. If this is the case, you could have trouble tracking one down