26C, S, D... what's the difference?

Mar 2, 2011
489
Compac 14 Charleston, SC
Great info in this thread. I'm thinking a 26D or S might make a great next sailboat.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
@Fly_H23 If you run across a Mac 25 in good shape.... and have the tow vehicle to handle it, don't write that off and take a look. The Mac 25 is a fast sailboat ... just pay close attention to the condition of the keel.
 
Mar 2, 2011
489
Compac 14 Charleston, SC
I'm very familiar with the Mac 25, I owned a Venture 22 a long time ago. I just don't like the heavy keel/winch setup. I agree, a Mac 25 is fast!
 
Feb 7, 2013
63
Transcat 48 Fla
Does the swing keel models use fiberglass for the keel and does it have a way to hold it down. I like the swing keel idea if you hit say a sand bottom it will kick back. Im looking at a few brands of boats. Maybe a Flying Scot too.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Does the swing keel models use fiberglass for the keel and does it have a way to hold it down. I like the swing keel idea if you hit say a sand bottom it will kick back. Im looking at a few brands of boats. Maybe a Flying Scot too.
I believe the stock S swing centerboard is glass. Ours is an aftermarket ruddercraft.com that is HDPE. There is no need to lock it down as there isn't much weight to it.

We also have the aftermarket rudder and it can be locked down and needs to be locked down one way or another. Some people pin theirs with a pin that will shear hopefully if the rudder strikes something..

Ours uses a downhaul line that goes to the release cleat shown above. You can adjust the tension where it releases. More info on it here ....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/rigging-1.html

The main reason we bought an S over a D was we would be sailing in a lot of unfamiliar places where our chances of hitting the bottom would go up and we have at times done exactly that. Love the Mac,

Sumner
=========================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...

MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
 
Feb 7, 2013
63
Transcat 48 Fla
I wondered if the swing keel move back from going through the water but I guess it doesn't.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
I wondered if the swing keel move back from going through the water but I guess it doesn't.
It very well might move to some degree but never heard of anyone doing anything about it. The rudder for sure needs to be locked down one way or another or there is a good chance you might break it if it is trailing straight out. In most situations the centerboard is probably dragging on the sides of the trunk which might limit its rearward movement,

Sumner
=============================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...

MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
 

Tedd

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Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
If Macgregor really wanted to make the classic design again, and the molds have been destroyed, would they be able to make new molds from an existing boat?
Yes, they could definitely do that, although it would probably be easier for them to re-make the molds from the original drawings. Now that the company is defunct there'd be nothing to stop anybody from taking molds from an existing 26 D or S and making new boats with them. But making the molds for the liners would be tricky. You'd pretty much have to destroy the existing boat to take a full set of molds from it. You could take molds from just the hull and deck and still re-use the original boat, but you'd have to figure out some other way of doing the interior.
Tedd
 
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Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
The C, S, D, X and M designations only apply to the 26' Macs.
Also, I think the C, D, and S designations are informal. So far as I know they were never used by the company. C ("classic") refers to both the D ("daggerboard") and S ("swing keel") versions and is used to distinguish the classic 26s from the later "powersailors." D and S are used to distinguish the two families of classic 26s from each other.
 
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