Is the macgregor 26 on Sea really so bad as they say

[MorwrMeic]

I have owned a simply wonderful Macgregor 25: cast Iron swing keel (great for gunk holing), pop top to the companionway which gave over 6' headroom https://www.boats.com/reviews/macgre...d-boat-review/ and then a newer Macgregor 26 which was water ballasted hull (super light for trailing & launching) with dagger board. Really day sailors but very capable of coastal cruising and so much room onboard. So I've owned one and they are super boats as long as you don't expect to be sailing too far offshore and always with an appropriate weather window - as all good sailors do. Also thousands of owners (something must work) who are super helpful in passing on advice. I've subsequently owned a Catalina 30, Drascombe Lugger, Westerly Berwick, Compact Horizon Catboat, Cornish Crabber 22 and now a Lagoon 420 Catamaran ... and yes to all the traditional "Monomulers" the catamarans are superb as are most boats that have been produced as long as you are aware of their limitations. Know where you are likely to be sailing and choose the most suitable boat you can afford and ... just do it!!!

[darrelweb]

Please stay away from them. I will not even sit in one. Cheap, cheap excuse for a boat...my 2 cents worth. Darrel

[astokel]

Great Lakes sailor here! At our marina they never seem to last more than a year at a slip, then another year in the back lot and another with a for sale sign on it.

As to the 'roomy-ness', my 50-year-old Grampian 26 has more standing headroom and more space than a Mac26.

On the bright side, you can get one pretty cheap, especially without an outboard.

[bcboomer]

We owned and sailed our 26S a lot for more than 20 years.
It was perfect for exploring far flung areas and with the keel up we could beach it almost anywhere.
It was quick to rig, (we often launched quicker than powerboats) and cheap to maintain.
As far as rigging strength is concerned, it is more than adequate for its size. A local racer frequently embarrassed newer race boats costing many times as much.
There was a blog by someone who sailed one to South America. His trick in a storm was to raise the keel, batten the hatches, and bob around like a cork.
It couldn't get knocked down with the keel up.
The 26 power sailors are a completely different boat. I've never owned one but, in light air, we could literally sail circles around them. If the weather looked like it was getting ugly their 50 horses got them home in a hurry. And, as was said, they have a lot of room for their size.
Buy it and try it. The used market for them is brisk so you're not going to take a big hit.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by bcboomer

Buy it and try it. The used market for [the Mac powersailors] is brisk so you're not going to take a big hit.

yes - that's a point i forgot to mention:they really do seem to hold their price in the used market, for whatever reason. And there's lots of support online for them.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

But not my idea of sensible sailing!

I agree completely that you would not want to make an offshore passage on that particular boat - and that it would likely not physically not hold up to sustained conditions for many hours or days.

But the video does argue - that in conditions the boat can physically hold up in - it is probably more about the captain's skills and seamanship than the design of the boat when it comes to safety. Dumb moves can create a disaster that does not need to happen - where better judgment, even with a weaker boat, can avoid the problem.

[bcboomer]

In all the years I sailed one and in all the newsgroups I followed, I don't recall a single rigging failure due to the design or build quality.
Never heard of a chainplate failure due to poor design, unlike a lot of well known "quality " boats.
Has anyone out there ever seen such a failure on a Macgregor?
I've been knocked flat by a down draft off a cliff and been guilty of having too much sail up for the conditions but there was never a sign of rigging failure.

[barnakiel]

I would never ever under no circumstances be in one on any serious passage, offshore or coastal.


It is a weekend / inshore boat. Just cast one look at her rigging and fittings.


barnakiel

[boatman61]

That is what the OP is looking.. a dat sailer.

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by DanielCZ

I would really like to get some first hand experience here, did some one owned, or still owns a Mac 26?

I owned a 1995 M26 classic, which was the last production year before they switched to the motorsailer. Have very good memories of that experience. It is a very-very modest boat, very lightly built. I sailed it on Lake Ontario, New England coast, including trips from Narragansett bay to Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and took it twice to Florida where I sailed to Dry Tortugas from the Keys, twice. The last part was probably the most stupid thing I ever did in my life, but nothing bad happened. The boat was reasonably comfortable in seas up to 6 feet. It had to be reefed starting at around 12 knots close-hauled, but the good part was that it sailed very well under main only, including reefed main and it was easy to heave to, which was very helpful for single-handing it with a hank-on jib.
I would probably buy it again given the circumstances.

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by bcboomer

In all the years I sailed one and in all the newsgroups I followed, I don't recall a single rigging failure due to the design or build quality.
Never heard of a chainplate failure due to poor design, unlike a lot of well known "quality " boats.
Has anyone out there ever seen such a failure on a Macgregor?
I've been knocked flat by a down draft off a cliff and been guilty of having too much sail up for the conditions but there was never a sign of rigging failure.

My rudder bracket failed once. Fortunately, I was within motoring range from the ramp, so I could get there without a rudder.

[wrwakefield]

Daniel,

I owned and used a 26M in Prince William Sound, Alaska, for several years. This after 25 years experience cruising on my Valiant Esprit 37 and Tayana 47. In other words, I bought the MacGregor with lots of background knowledge and experience.

It suited our needs for several years when we were landlocked by careers in the middle of the state. The commute to the cruising boat was 8 hours each way, not leaving much time for commissioning and decommissioning, and use... Then having to pay someone to beat it up with a snow shovel in winter lead me to sell the cruising boat and wait for the next one. [Our current boat...]

The 26M filled the gap for several years. We would use it for weeks at a time as our sea kayaking base camp. It is great for two adults. I think Lake-Effect summed it up very well.

I don't have experience in the area you want to use the boat, but I can say I wouldn't hesitate to use one in protected, remote waters as we did.

Here is a brief blog post with a few photos from when we were selling it a few years ago. It includes a link to the detailed website for selling the boat. You will note the many preferences we chose to 'Alaskanize' the boat for our safe use. I think some of the links on the website have broken over the years, but perhaps some of the information will be useful for you.

You will learn to ignore those who choose to parrot internet 'wisdom' not based upon first hand experience... Everywhere we went on land and sea, people were intreagued enough to request a tour of the boat. MacGregor was an aircraft engineer and knew how to design for the use cases required. Was construction marginal? Not for purposes intended... just like other mass produced boats made today...

Best wishes with your persuits.

Cheers! Bill

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

Daniel,

I owned and used a 26M in Prince William Sound, Alaska, for several years. This after 25 years experience cruising on my Valiant Esprit 37 and Tayana 47. In other words, I bought the MacGregor with lots of background knowledge and experience.

It suited our needs for several years when we were landlocked by careers in the middle of the state. The commute to the cruising boat was 8 hours each way, not leaving much time for commissioning and decommissioning, and use... Then having to pay someone to beat it up with a snow shovel in winter lead me to sell the cruising boat and wait for the next one. [Our current boat...]

The 26M filled the gap for several years. We would use it for weeks at a time as our sea kayaking base camp. It is great for two adults. I think Lake-Effect summed it up very well.

I don't have experience in the area you want to use the boat, but I can say I wouldn't hesitate to use one in protected, remote waters as we did.

Here is a brief blog post with a few photos from when we were selling it a few years ago. It includes a link to the detailed website for selling the boat. You will note the many preferences we chose to 'Alaskanize' the boat for our safe use. I think some of the links on the website have broken over the years, but perhaps some of the information will be useful for you.

You will learn to ignore those who choose to parrot internet 'wisdom' not based upon first hand experience... Everywhere we went on land and sea, people were intreagued enough to request a tour of the boat. MacGregor was an aircraft engineer and knew how to design for the use cases required. Was construction marginal? Not for purposes intended... just like other mass produced boats made today...

Best wishes with your persuits.

Cheers! Bill

Good post. If you use any particular boat, for what it is intended for, it's usually a really great boat. Another nice and cheap way to get on the water for a long weekend is the trailerable Catalina 22 with a swing keel. They are basically designed to be used within an hour's distance from protected water, and that covers a great deal of local cruising around the country.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by darrelweb

Please stay away from them. I will not even sit in one. Cheap, cheap excuse for a boat...my 2 cents worth. Darrel

I wouldn’t take your 2 cents if you were giving it away. Macs can take far mor the people give them credit for and I’ve pushed them well past what I thought would be their limits without issue. They are designed so that they can literally be picked up by their rigging. We cruised up and down southeast Alaska for years when our family got bigger we needed more room. We slipped it over the summer and couldn’t image rigging every weekend. They will push to windward deeply reefed in 20 knots but much past they are just too light. Good price point, easy to maintain and cheap to own. I’ve been considering another with no motor for a lake sailor. Maybe one of the old s models.

[thomm225]

No need for further opinions, let the specs tell the story ……….

Mac 26

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/macgregor-26m

Bristol 27, Cape Dory 27, Contessa 26

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/bristol-27

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/cape-dory-27

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/contessa-26

Or any of these boats listed.

https://atomvoyages.com/planning/goo...oats-list.html