Motor Sailer - Macgregor 26X

[Tomsk]

I'm currently a happy stinkpot owner but am starting to get concerned about the impending doom and gloom from a red diesel perspective.

As a teenager I did some sailing, and though this was some twenty five years ago I still hanker for some sailing pleasure.

With these two aspects in mind I have been contemplating switching to a motor sailer of some sorts.

I know that I will be hit with the "Doesn't sail well, doesn't power well' arguments, but using a motor sailor as an interim may one day convert me to a true 'Raggy' /forums/images/icons/wink.gif.

Two other items of concern are money (naturally) and space. I'm a single bloke with simple needs and currently stay aboard my 26ft stinkpot 4 or 5 nights a week. Budget wise i would be prepared to spend upto £30k but would rather spend under £20k.

I've looked at craft of very varying styles from cat's through to trailer sailers like the Macgregor 26x.

Does anyone have an opinion / experience on benefits and draw backs of any manufacturer and style?

Many thanks

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[Sybarite]

Suggest you do a search under MacGregor. There was some comment on it a few months ago.

John

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[Tomsk]

Thanks John - I tried that first but couldn't find a great deal.

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[domlee]

Was thinking of a similar move next year.
Try: http://www.macgregorsailors.com/ for user information, modifications etc.


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[boatless]

The MacGregor is very much at the motor end of the motor vs. sail range. Not sure that you would ever really 'enjoy' sailing it. That said, it's one of very few boats that will motor at high speed.

Catamarans are not really going to fit with your living on board for so many nights per week.

So, if you want to enjoy the sailing, and need volume, I think you're going to be looking at the 'normal' sailing boats, which, with a half decent inboard, will motor at 6 Knots or so. Most sailing boats will motor at least as well as the generic 'motor sailer' did when the term was coined. So many to choose from.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[Capt_Marlinspike]

If you like to stay aboard for 5 days at a time, as you say, then I think that you would find the Macgregor too basic. It is really designed as a day sailer with accomodation for the odd night. I think you would do better with a boat with proper accomodation. Of course with other boats you will not get the high speed under motor that you get with the MacG.
I came back to sailing a couple of years ago, after a 25 year gap. We bought a 25 year old Kent 27 motor sailer. This is much more a sailing boat than the MacG but does offer good accomodation for 2-4 people. We use it as a bit of a caravan for weekends throughout the year and go day sailing when the weather is good plus a cruise for a couple of weeks in the summer. For £16000 this has been a good buy.

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[nct1]

Your requirements are interesting, as to my mind they match the Macgregor 26X strengths.

When I had a test drive, I saw that it's sailing performance could easily be bettered, and I decided that sailing performance was more important to me than motoring capability.

However, if you want a motor boat and the occasional sail, then I think you would have difficulty finding much that could beat it.

Be warned, though, it is only Category C, (sheltered waters), though I guess many speed boats are similarly spec'd, but that does not stop them taking to the open sea and relying on a 20 knot performance to get them to shore should the weather turn nasty.

Good luck, whatever you decide.


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[Tomsk]

Capt_Marlinspike:

I don't know anything about the Kent 27, and can't find anything on the Net.. Do they have an owners club website?

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[Tomsk]

NCT1:

Thanks for that.. I haven't had a 'test drive' yet, but perhaps I should - and maybe the new Macgregor 26M as well. I am a little concerned about the internal space - but then I keep looking at a Catfisher 28 (that I can't afford!) and lusting over it's enormous space!

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[MacMan]

There has certainly been lot's of comment about this boat before on this forum (and the related PBO one)

Some sensible, some not, some utter rubbish !

Like a lot of threads ;-)

If you search the board but make sure you pull down the all dates option and all forums (not the default) then you will be reading for hours !

In particular my post in a semi-recent thread was here

http:// [url]http://www.ybw.com/cgi-bin/forums/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=pbo&Number=489516&Search=true&Forum=All_Forums&Words=26x&Match=Or&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=241460 [/url]

"Out the box" they do come very basic. You may find some around that have been upgraded a lot. You will have to check wether you would want to "live" 4/5 nights a week like this.

Downbelow it is quite spacious but storage is limited - some owners have solved this in various ways but for one guy there is plenty of room.

But then it does come with a kingsize bed - you don't get that in many 26 footers !

We have spent weeks aboard ours - not problem but we have quite basic requirements and feel our "enjoyment per pound spent sailing" is quite high.

Most people I know who own one love it and wouldn't swap (except possibly for an Odin 820 but more expensive) as is unique(ish) abilities fit what they want to do.

Most (but not all) people who don't own one seem to hate it and won't hear a good word said about it !

I can live with that - I am happy with mine !

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[MacMan]

I regularly "enjoy" sailing it. But I guess enjoyment is a personal thing.

BUT definitely except that other boats sail better.

If you never want to/need to motor over six knots or thereabouts then I would agree forget it.

As the original poster came from an Ex Mobo background presumably this was a least a consideration for him ?

But if you do want to go at 18/20 knots under power and be able to sail then your choice is some what limited.

I don't really think that a Mac 26x can be sensibly placed on a motor-sailer sliding scale. It really invented a new category which only has a limited number of competitors.

i.e MacGregor 26x, MacGregor 26M, Odin 820, and one French one I can never remember the name of

All my personal opinions too ;-)

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[Twister_Ken]

If you 're worried about the cost of red diesel maybe going up, ask what the cost per mile of a 50hp petrol outboard bolted to the back of a Mac 26 and doing 15kts will be, before getting out your cheque book.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Beagle]

As a 100% Raggie, I find it hard to consider these type of boats as "pretty". The exception is a LM type (eg LM 27 in your case). I could see myself owning one of these when I'm extremely old and bald..... Don't know what the market in the UK is for this brand, it's Scandinavian I think.

Rene

<hr width=100% size=1>Never under estimate the strength of human stupidity

 

[Tomsk]

Though I am coming at this from a Mobo background, I'm not a speed freak or petrol head, and don't have a need for vast planing speeds..

However... I love being out on the water and certainly appreciate the ability to get from A to B without being dependent on the wind. Saying that I'm berthed in Fleetwood which I'm sure get's more than it's fair share.

The biggest need for motor however is that I'm not an experienced raggi and will almost be starting from scratch. Though I have no fear of learning, I know it will take quite sometime to become proficient, therefore the motor aspect can fill that gap.

Any of that make sense? /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[Talbot]

I dont understand your comment about catamarans not being suitable for liveaboard. I can only assume that the comment was aimed at the sub £10k market as it is totally untrue for most decent cats. I will accept that the older design cats do not go to windward as well as they could.

However, a modern 10m + Cat will provide considerably more space, light, comfort than most other boats. You will note that Stingo who started his journey around the circuit in a AWB has now transfered to a catamaran. I know of several cats like mine that have been used for liveaboard even in this country with its wonderful 5" of liquid sunshine per month.

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[Tomsk]

A 10m cat would be like a palace to me! My 26 foot Binliner stinkpot is VERY crampt, but I happily stay aboard for the majority of my time! I was totally dumb struck by the amount of space on a Cat Fisher 28!

And I have to say that space is a contributing factor to my decision to start moving towards sail. If I have to compromise because of the cost of diesel then I may aswell benefit from some of the vast space (in comparison to a similar sized stinkpot) that most Raggy's enjoy!

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[whisper]

Yes, lovely looking boats, from Denmark.

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[steve_cronin]

There are more of them in the US but....

The following was posted on a website there:-

From the Brion Toss forum:

"I own a MacGregor 26X and am about to tune the standing rigging for the first time after one season of sailing in Colorado. I've watched Brion's video on tuning and read Bruce Whitmore's primer on tuning the fractional rigged sailboat. Is there anything else I should know before I begin the process? Anything else I should read? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time. Rich"

The following is a proposed response from a knowledgeable and very experienced sailor of my acquaintance over there

"I felt like telling him to just change the spark plugs on his 50 hp outboard.

Whoa, what pieces of c..p these boats are.

One came by the marina last weekend. The bay had gotten rough with a south wind of 20 knots and this guy was motoring into the heavy chop at full bore and flying out the back side of waves. He came in for gas and noticed an aft lower(on has one per side)ripped off the mast and dragging in the water. Decided to stay a while and call his dealer since it was a brand new boat.

I haven't talked to any of the owners of these boats yet that didn't seem to think an explaination was necessary as to why he had it. "

I think that this is a fairly typical opinion of these craft in the US.

Steve Cronin


<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[boatless]

Talbot, Hi

I should have known that one of the bipolar bretheren would take me to task. Apologies, I suppose I was thinking more of the club race types.

Luckily, the line below this absolves me from having to think before typing.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[Talbot]

You can attempt to have the best of both worlds by installing a reasonable size engine (+ turbo). IIRC there was a 36 ft Prout that was able to do 13 knots under engine power, but the one real problem with a cat is that they are designed to float on the water rather than in it, thus overloading can compromise performance and handling. Thus really big engines when they are designed for smaller means either less fuel (and much reduced range) or some other reduction elsewhere. I am not trying to be alarmist about this, merely trying to emphasise that if a cat is the chosen path, then you cannot just load the boat up without considering what you are doing (so Happy1 would be in real problems /forums/images/icons/smile.gif)

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