Living Aboard a MacGregor 26

[Cheechako]

Not sure I'd want to experience "real seas" in a Macgregor 26. A com pac 23, or Chrysler 26 maybe. However, 2-3 weeks in the Bahamas are doable. I crossed the stream with a couple who had a 23 foot boat and she was 6-1 and he 6-3!

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

. I crossed the stream with a couple who had a 23 foot boat and she was 6-1 and he 6-3!

Yeah, its amazing what people used to sail to the bahamas in not too many years ago. I arrived in south florida in the 1970's and met up with the cruising community, and the wannabe's too. Mostly based at the old riverbend marina, coconut grove, and the keys. I eventually put my boat in key largo where there was a small community, and a larger community in marathon and key west.

So,
A schoolteacher couple who spent their summers in the bahamas on a macgregor 22.
A middle aged couple that had returned from 6 months in the bahamas on their oday 22.
A younger couple returned after 6 months on their flush deck cal 24. They went home to minnesota and built a tom colvin 35, then motored it down half finished to complete it.
Another young couple on a tarten 27. He told me they had just about run out of food and money but still had time left on their 6 month cruising permit. So he dove every day on a wreck they were anchored over in hopetown harbor. "It was lobster for breakfast, lobster for lunch, and lobster for dinner. Its hard to believe, but you can get pretty sick of lobster."

There were a lot more, but I dont want to bore the young people with stories of 'the good old days'.

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[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

There were a lot more, but I dont want to bore the young people with stories of 'the good old days'.

Meanwhile back in the land of the dead, we have the Millennials Living at home with their folks.

"About 23.6% of people age 25 to 34 live with their parents, grandparents or both, according to Pew. That’s up from 18.7% in 2007, just prior to the global financial crisis, and from 11% in 1980.
For the first time, a larger share of young people live in multigenerational arrangements than of Americans 85 and older."

For adventure and risk maybe they could sneak into their parents booze locker or throw a party when the folks are out of town. Times have changed all right...just not for the better!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Yeah, its amazing what people used to sail to the bahamas in not too many years ago. I arrived in south florida in the 1970's and met up with the cruising community, and the wannabe's too. Mostly based at the old riverbend marina, coconut grove, and the keys. I eventually put my boat in key largo where there was a small community, and a larger community in marathon and key west.


There were a lot more, but I dont want to bore the young people with stories of 'the good old days'.

Now that does bring back memories of the good old days. Spent a lot of time at Riverbend. Hauled there a lot of times and started and ended a lot of cruises from there.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Interesting video. The boat looked pretty good in pretty rough weather.

However I saw nothing that came close to claimed 18' wave. Maybe one rolled through at some point but nothing on the video.

Also all the sailing videos showed the boat on a nice reach. Wonder what it would have been like trying to beat into the wind?

Skipmac points out that he is skeptical that the waves in the video are 18'. I agree, but I think that it is far more obvious that the wind is not at 50mph. The white windswept lines that would be present over 35mph are not there. The tops of the waves are not being blown off. A few swells are breaking at their crests, but even these tops are not blown away. These light breaks appear to be characteristic of swells encountering shallower coastal water and not wind. It looks like it could be 25 or maybe 30mph, but not 50!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

Skipmac points out that he is skeptical that the waves in the video are 18'. I agree, but I think that it is far more obvious that the wind is not at 50mph. The white windswept lines that would be present over 35mph are not there. The tops of the waves are not being blown off. A few swells are breaking at their crests, but even these tops are not blown away. These light breaks appear to be characteristic of swells encountering shallower coastal water and not wind. It looks like it could be 25 or maybe 30mph, but not 50!

Good catch. Didn't think about that one but now you bring it up, yes that does not look like the sea in 50 kts of wind.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

It looks like it could be 25 or maybe 30mph, but not 50!

Having owned and sailed on a Mac26M, I can tell you that 25-30kts could indeed FEEL like 50Kts...

[crazyoldboatguy]

=== The white windswept lines that would be present over 35mph are not there. The tops of the waves are not being blown off. A few swells are breaking at their crests, but even these tops are not blown away. These light breaks appear to be characteristic of swells encountering shallower coastal water and not wind. It looks like it could be 25 or maybe 30mph, but not 50! ===

The Beaufort Scale. I love it.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by slowshoes

MACGREGOR 26 50 MPH WINDS, 18' SEAS - YouTube

Yea... Couldn't quote ya'll , and late to the comment party...

But I saw 20kts/8ft... maaaaaaybe 10....

[GrowleyMonster]

For a 26' boat the McGregor is pretty roomy. Not having an engine has at least that one benefit.

The boat makes a lot of compromises in the interest of keeping the sticker price down and keeping it trailerable. Myself, I think of it as a perfect lake boat, not such a good sea boat. Bahamas? I wouldn't do it, but it could be done. After doing it once, you might not want to do it again, either. Or maybe you would.

I think you could do better looking for an old 70's cruiser around 30 feet, and rigging for quick and easy mast lowering and raising. But maybe I am biased.

One good thing about the Mac is in calm weather you can make excellent time motor sailing with a 20hp outboard, giving a faster passage to protected waters.

[slowshoes]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Yea... Couldn't quote ya'll , and late to the comment party...

But I saw 20kts/8ft... maaaaaaybe 10....

I didn't post the video with the belief that this boat was actually out in 50 kt winds and 18 ft seas - I think it's pretty plain that it's not the case. The original post was asking about how the 26 handled in anything other than calm seas. I think we can all agree that this at least fits that bill.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by slowshoes

I didn't post the video with the belief that this boat was actually out in 50 kt winds and 18 ft seas - I think it's pretty plain that it's not the case. The original post was asking about how the 26 handled in anything other than calm seas. I think we can all agree that this at least fits that bill.

Slowshoes...

Point well made to be sure... I just crack up at people's approxi-exagger-ation ...

Methinks the poster of the video should be made to ride out 50 (40kts)/18ft for a few minutes.... Let's make it <10s for extra fun...

Was definitely not saying you thought so...

[boatman61]

Florida to the Bahamas and back on an M26..??
Go for it.. just don't sail in a Northerly.. mind.. that advice applies to many boats in the Gulf Stream...

[Hud3]

On a calm day, you could be across the Gulf Stream in three hours.

A neighbor had one, and would take his daughter water skiing with it. I think it sported a 60 hp outboard! As someone noted, it's like a motor boat with a mast.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by skipmac

A couple of posts have touched on this so I think worth pointing out, there are two very different 26' MacGregors.

The older version was a pure sailboat where the newer model can take a large outboard and plane or semi-plane. No personal experience, strictly speculation but thinking the older version would be better in nasty weather.

Skipmac, I think, but wouldnt put money on it, that the older sailing version was actually sold as a 25, not a 26. Feel free to beat on me if I'm wrong.

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