Oday 26 v. Macgregor 26x as beginner boat

[craboutofwater]

Hello again-

I live in New Mexico and want to learn to sail on the local inland lake. I have narrowed down the local inventory to an 1984 Oday 26 priced at $8,000 and a 1995 Macgregor 26x priced at $4,000. Both are in excellent condition with good sails, trailers and excellent maintenance records. I plan to learn to sail here and then relocate and sell the boat within two years so the ability to resell the boat is a factor.

I would love to hear some independent thoughts on the value of each of these boats at those prices.

[Sea Dreaming]

We have a 26x. These a great boats for gunkholing and areas that have shallow draft. Very easy to trailer and set up and launch. Good for week long trips. Nice for a small family as a floating motor home.
Having said all of that, its not a great sailer. Its fine for day sailing in good weather. However, the boats are very light which limits its abilities and is not great in anything over 10-15 knots. But that maybe our skill and not the boat. Colorado winds are very fluky. If the winds pipe up they also become gusty and unpredictable so we packed in for the day.


I have not sailed an oday but my gut is, if you really want to learn to sail the oday may give you a better boat
If you want to do some cruising light the 26x is a very nice camper sailer.

One other thing about that x -the price is really low for an x. Does it have a motor? Check it carefully. Also check the rigging and sails well. Many of these boats are not updated and these three things get abused. You could be lucky but the low price should prompt you to ask why.

[Island Time O25]

Agree with previous post but would add that resale wise M26 would probably return if not all of your investment but certainly a good portion of it. O26 may not fare as well being already priced above it's book value. Although not having seen either boat I can't speculate any further.

Recently I actually owned O'day 25 for couple of seasons and back when I was boat hunting in the early 2000s I looked at a few M26s and almost bought one. IMO if re-sale was not an issue I'd go with O26 as it is a real sailboat which will allow you to learn real sailing. M26s sound good in manufacturer's sales pitches but in real life not so much.

[phantomracer]

Had a Mac 26M . Great boat. a lot better than it has ever been given credit for in 'real' sailboat forums. Check out Macgregorsailors.com and ne-ts.com for die hard communities supporting the boats.

Yes it is a compromise boat, and I think a great first boat. We wouldnt own the boat we have now if it wasnt for the Mac.

Can't beat the resale value! bought for 26k delivered... sold it 13 years later for 21k! Not being made anymore.. i suspect the prices may go up as demand does

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by craboutofwater

... an 1984 Oday 26 priced at $8,000 and a 1995 Macgregor 26x priced at $4,000.

It would help if you would outline your sailing goals over the next few years, especially the anticipated mix of actual sailing vs cruising.

Those prices seem way out of whack. Especially the 26X. Look very carefully at both. I would strongly suggest to look at several available boats before deciding, so you have a better grasp of the market.

If you just want a learning platform, a smaller boat might be more reasonable and less hassle to own, store and sell.

[DDabs]

Get a Macgregor 26 and learn to waterski

[jbpatents]

A 1995 MacGregor must be a 26S not 26X. The price is more reasonable for an S. I owned a 26D (similar to 26s) and now own 26M (similar to 26X). The 26d sails much better than the M, as its hull is more like sailboat. The hull on the x and m is more like speedboat.

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