MacGregor 26 as an Entry-Level Boat?

[Flyingtexan]

Hi, any thoughts on a MacGregor 26 as a first boat. Please if your a sailing purist and hate motorsailers keep the hate to yourself. I'm looking for general advice on a trailerable day sailer.

Any options you'd reccomend? I plan on day sailing with occasional overnights on Lake St. Clair or Lake Huron or Erie.

Thanks

[Hud3]

That would work. A former neighbor of ours had a MacGregor, maybe a bit longer than that. Had a big Honda outboard on it. He, his wife, and his daughter would go out and sail for a bit, then they'd pull the daughter around on water skis!

[Talbot]

The MacGregor and other similar boats have a lot to offer in a narrow area of interest.

Trail, launch, some sailing and possible overnight on the lakes, and recover, so that next weekend you can repeat elsewhere - they have a lot to offer.

Main choice then is between the different boats that form this type, and then the choice whether you want an occassional sail, but prefer to motor, or prefer sail with occassional motor. In which case the size of the outboard will be 15 - 50 hp.

I am not sure tha the Mac is the lead contender in this class anymore, as I think that two newer designs may have improved the market, but cant remember names as it does not really light my fires.

[sparklegirl50]

Originally Posted by Flyingtexan

Hi, any thoughts on a MacGregor 26 as a first boat. Please if your a sailing purist and hate motorsailers keep the hate to yourself. I'm looking for general advice on a trailerable day sailer.

Any options you'd reccomend? I plan on day sailing with occasional overnights on Lake St. Clair or Lake Huron or Erie.

Thanks

Our first boat was a MacGregor 26, not a motorsailer, tho. We used to trailer it to the Keys every summer for two weeks, rest of the time sailed it on the Chesapeake Bay.

Under the right conditions sails pretty fast, since it is light.

Not a bad boat, if you don't mind spartan conditions. It is akin to camping in a pop up trailer.

[sneuman]

This is not hate, but based on observation:

They are much better powerboats than sailors. Even on a beam reach and trimmed reasonably well, I have seen MacGregors on the bay that struggle to make headway when other boats do just fine.

When I arrived at my marina a few years ago, there were two Macgregor 26s in slips side by side. The one sold very quickly. The second one I saw a few times on the water over the next two years or so and now it has been sold too. Don't know if the owners gave up on sailing or traded up, but I assume the former because I don't see them back with a new boat.

A plus though: they seem to be in demand and hold their value.

[Rising Star]

Our first sailboat was Mac26X. A very forgiving boat to assist our learning curve and get aclimated to overnight gunkholing. Tender while sailing but will stiffen up at about 15 degrees of heel. You won't run down most sailboats but you will have fun with minimum work.

I have thought of it with great longing every time our fixed keel touches bottom.