McGregor 26 Sail to Bahamas?

[TaoJones]

There have been a number of threads here involving sailing MacGregors in the Bahamas, supershooter. If you look up above to the menu line that runs below your name, third from the right is the small search link. Click on it, then scroll down in the small box that opens to the Google Custom Search box.

Enter "MacGregor Bahamas" in the box and you will pull up a list of threads that will provide you with a lot of on-point reading. Enjoy.

TaoJones

[olepedersen]

I used to live in Stuart area, Pt Salerno. and i often took my 26' Tanzer to the bahamas, but I sailed south from Stuart to at least west palm beach to get a better angle on the stream if I was going to Bimini I would go to Ft Lauderdale or miami remember a small boat with an o/b sail very slow. Ole

[Vasco]

See them every year in the Bahamas so somebody's doing it.

[s/v Moondancer]

The builder has faith in them...check the video.

http://www.macgregor26.com/

[supershooter]

We watched that video several times before my brother bought his. Impressive, but they are VERY experienced and they build them. We are so so and this is our first sailing experience. We were getting a feel of peoples thoughts and hoping that in 2011 we might find someone to travel along side just for safety in numbers. Thanks.

[Tom Spohn]

I have owned a 50hp 26x and a 70hp 26m and had a blast with both boats. Cruising under power on anything but a mirror surface is more like 10 to 15 knots although top speed is a bit higher.

For info on going to the Bahamas check this out:
MacGregorSailors.com

[cosmosmariner]

Originally Posted by supershooter

We watched that video several times before my brother bought his. Impressive, but they are VERY experienced and they build them. We are so so and this is our first sailing experience. We were getting a feel of peoples thoughts and hoping that in 2011 we might find someone to travel along side just for safety in numbers. Thanks.

We did a round trip to Abaco in '08 - '09 from Lake Worth Inlet to West End then on to Abaco. We went in our Watkins 25', (at West End inthe avitar). She is shoal draft stub keel with 2000 lbs ballast and a displacement of 4800 dry, 2.5 ft draft. Fully loaded for a six month voyage with 2 people aboard we calculated displacement at 7000 lbs and draft of 3 ft (design emersion factor is 600 lbs per inch). We had choppy 3 -4 ft seas across and a bad onshore wind of about 50mph approaching West End with 10' breaking seas (breaking over the boat, we do have a full cockpit enclosure).

In my opinion, if you have a boat that can withstand 10' seas breaking over her, the most important factor is crew experience. If you are going in 2 years practice everything you can in all sorts of weather and both of you should be able to handle the boat alone, and as a team. As an example about 20 years ago I put on a life jacket and told my wife that I was going to jump off the boat and that she should execute the MOB plan we had been practicing. She executed the drill perfectly. I'm including part of our trip report on that leg of the trip to give you an Idea of what might be encountered.

"On 11/15/08 at 0830 hrs we departed the marina and headed out the Lake Worth Inlet on a falling tide and SSW winds and crossed the Gulf Stream. We had an uneventful crossing seeing a few commercial ships and one much larger sailboat that passed close enough to shout greetings to each other.

We arrived in Bahamian waters a few miles from West End, Grand Bahama Is. about 10pm. The 2008 cruising guide we were using said the jetties at the entrance to the harbor were not lighted so we decided to just sail 'hove to', a tactic that slows the boat to one or two mph, until daylight. The wind got stronger and soon we were in 6 to 8 foot seas. Earlier we had seen lighted red and green channel markers at West End so we decided to head for them and get in out of the worsening weather. By the time we got to the channel entrance the seas were 8 to 10 ft and breaking. We have a completely enclosed cockpit but left the vinyl up on two of the windows so that just the screens were in place. Two 10' waves broke onto the enclosure and water came in the screens and got anything in that area of the cockpit wet. We came into the turning basin with 10' breaking following seas and 50mph winds with jib up and 18hp engine at full throttle. Once inside the small turning basin Deb went out onto the fore deck and we dropped the sail and she quickly got out the 60' chain and about 20' of 1/2 inch line secured it and dropped the anchor as we had done a hundred times before but in record time and a perfect set the first time. While she was handling the anchor I was busy trying to keep Wu-Hsin away from the jagged rock walls as I turned her into the wind ready for the anchor drop then backed her down and set the Delta with two strong pulls with the engine. Finally at 0200 we were in out of the bad seas, tidied up the cabin and had a couple of scotches! We toasted each other with our favorite toast since retiring, "We're here!" The next morning we came into the dock and cleared into the Bahamas. Several people said they were awake at 0200 because of the sound of the wind and saw us come in. They said they wished they could have helped us but that we came in and anchored so cleanly and quickly they figured we didn't need any help. "

The Italian fishermen are superstitious like actors so they never say good luck but instead say "In boca Lupo, crepi Lupo!" Which means if you find yourself in the mouth of The Wolf may The Wolf shrivel up and die (before you come to harm). Keep us posted on your progress.

[supershooter]

Thanks, - Tom, I read the Bahamian travels on the Mac site. Enlightening!!! Also sorta scary. Things sure broke alot. Maybe the 91' would fair better since there is no steering cable, it uses a tiller.

[supershooter]

Thanks also-Cosmos, I'ld say we may sail the Mac in ICW and coastal just to get a feel. Probably go bareboat when we're ready for GB. It seems like the Mac won't be able to accomidate the....ah....luxury my wife may require (shower). Sailing school next May is basic keel and coastal cruise. We're taking bareboat after that. The Mac my brother owns only has a 9.9 o/b. I think ANY weather would override that small eng. As for gaining exp. we are sailing every chance we get. And here on the lakes, when they say a front is coming in, we head for the lake!

Also we anchored in 25 mph winds once this summer. The double anchors had no prob holding her into the wind.

I love all the stories and can't wait to read more. Soon I hope to write one!

[RayfromFrance]

The MacGregor is great. I sail in Ibiza and simply drove from Spain to Ibiza in a half day, no wind, at 20 knots. Well, 18 knots. I also tried a bigger engine on her, 90HP, and reached 28 knots but sure, she began to tremble !!! The fun thing with MacGregor is that you can empty her water ballast under motor and then sail with a super light sail boat in very light winds AND you will sail faster than anyone else. However, do not forget to clean out the inside and put a big floatable up in the mast, since she might capsize. No problem with capsizing then; simply get onto the centerboard and she will come right back up again !
People seeing this thought I was crazy, but they did not laugh when they saw the speed with were going at.

It is a great boat for times when there are no winds at all, simple to get home again. In France, they now construct a similar boat Eclipse, with the same concept but a bit bigger.

Today, I am back into good old saling......but I had lots of fun with the MG26X

All the best, Raymond

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Super,
Welcome aboard and I hope you have a great sail to the Bahamas with your Mac. Yours, obviously, is not the one that will take the huge engine so don't be tempted to go larger than your 9.9.
Just came back from Kentucky and spent a night at Fort Cambell and one at Scott AFB. Great country!
Thanks for serving.
Regards,

[Solitude]

A friend of mine wants a Mac 26m?? I understand the idea is to run from weather but don’t you have to fill the water ballast if it gets rough? Wouldn’t you just be a displacement boat then? What do you do if you are out for the weekend and the weather gets rough on the way back?

[supershooter]

Well, I dont know. My brothers is a 26s. We never go out without filling the ballast. But I would guess if you aren't sailing you wouldn't need it filled because it should act like a runabout. If I got into bad weather, I would fill it anyway!

[Tom Spohn]

The ballast tank must be filled to sail and can be filled to motor in rough weather. The rudders and center board (dagger board on the M) are down when sailing and up when motoring faster than 6 knots. When motoring the directional thrust of the outboard provides the steering and it works well. With foils down and motoring top speed is limited to about 6 knots. You can leave the ballast in for motoring in nasty weather and can exceed the 6 knots if the foils are up. I would characterize the boat with ballast and motoring as a "semi displacement" boat. It wants to be a displacement boat, but with 50 or 70 hp on tap you can get the bow out of the water and almost on plane--looks like a mini Bayliner with sails! Your top speed will vary depending on the waves. I used to motor at 10 knots in easy waves , 8 knots in moderate waves, and 4-6 knots in the big ones which were no fun at all. In flat water you dump the ballast and can motor at 15+ knots. So to the question what do you do when the weather gets rough on the way back--it depends on how much warning you have. With lots of warning drop the ballast, pull up the foils and head for the barn. If you get hit unexpectly leave the ballast in and sail or motor depending on wave height.

[jingerebir]

Originally Posted by supershooter

Hi,
My name is Tim. Has anyone sailed a McGregor 26 from Stuart to Bahamas? My brother and I are thinking about it.

I think it is a good and fun thing and plan on doing it again.

But I will leave from West Palm Beach this time.
I would not mind having a partner boat on the next trip.

Plan on much taking much longer than you expect.

Make the boat as light as posible.
25 mph - 1 mph for every 100 lbs.

Do not plan on using the sails for any long crossing with a Mac, most 26 foot boats under sail are just too slow to be fun or safe, unless you have idea wind. Sails will be great once you get there.

Make sure that you have good weather, big waves will slow you down and make you sick, boat should be fine, should not be real hard with a boat that can do 16+ mph loaded. Zip accross the gulf fast 10 mph and you will hardly notice the current.

Leave befor dawn you do not want to get in at night.


2*12 gal and a 6 = 30 gal or about enough gas to get you 1/3 of the way to Haiti.
GPSs
gerneral safety stuff,
Spot rescue insurance
Read charts and cruising guides before going.
Lots of water, but not to much you can get go water at most marinas.