I am new to this forum and have been looking at the 26' s for about a year. It just seems that there is more room in the cockpit of the x model is this true or Iam I crazy. The admiral likes the interior of the M but the head of the X seems bigger. Has anyone out there owned both Models? Thanks any help on my decision would be greatly appreciated.
26M or 26X
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Standing Fast,
Since no one else has answered your questions, I'll try. I own a 2006 26M, and have never owned a 26X. None the less, this is my understanding:
The MacGregor 26X and 26M designs are very similar:
The cockpit area of the "X" is larger, but the cabin is smaller.
The "head" enclosure in the "X" is larger, but the rest of the cabin is smaller.
The rudders on the "M" are slightly different, but the main sailing difference is the hull shape and the rotating mast. The "M" is slightly faster, under sail, than the "X".
The design of the "M" changed in 2005 with the introduction of a "Sliding Galley" unit, which provides a few extra square feet of useable space.
Either way, 26X or 26M, they are about the best in affordable, trailerable, sail/power boats.
Since no one else has answered your questions, I'll try. I own a 2006 26M, and have never owned a 26X. None the less, this is my understanding:
The MacGregor 26X and 26M designs are very similar:
The cockpit area of the "X" is larger, but the cabin is smaller.
The "head" enclosure in the "X" is larger, but the rest of the cabin is smaller.
The rudders on the "M" are slightly different, but the main sailing difference is the hull shape and the rotating mast. The "M" is slightly faster, under sail, than the "X".
The design of the "M" changed in 2005 with the introduction of a "Sliding Galley" unit, which provides a few extra square feet of useable space.
Either way, 26X or 26M, they are about the best in affordable, trailerable, sail/power boats.
Not sure I agree with the extra useable space comment Dennis, I doubt that you could fit that sliding galley between the dagger board trunk and starboard bulkhead where my '03 galley is.
I also have much more wide open access to the aft berth on my '03M without the galley in the way and the seat back in my way. There is also the isue of fewer moving parts on the fixed location of the '03-04 galley vs the later model sliding galley.
Standing Fast:
The X vs M is a bit of a hot button issue because most folks are very biased towards the model they own, I am no exception, I prefer the '03-04M interior layout over the later M models although I admit that I like those imitation wood windows on the '05 model.
I have been on the X boat and did notice the cockpit was much larger and that there is something like a back porch on the X transom but as dennis mentioned this would subtract from interior space given that the two boats have the same hull dimensions.
They moved the helm seat right over the top of the engine well on the 26M and eliminated the back porch the X had and gained 15" of interior space.
The rotating mast is likely a performance gain and the daggerboard has fewer mechanical parts to fail than the X swing keel. The M has a taller and stouter mast with a larger mainsail (170 sq.ft.). The M also comes with an optional blue hull.
The M also has a different interior color scheme from the X. Your best bet is to go aboard the different models with your wife and see in person which layout suits your needs.
The '03 rocks because it is what I have.:dance:
And now for the X ...
I bought a 1999 26X last year, chiefly for the price ($11,500 after negotiations) - but I also found a few items about the X that seem preferable to me. At the same time, there are features in the M that I wish I had in the X.
The M's cockpit is a bit smaller? Maybe. The X helm does take up more footroom, and the "captain's seat" behind the helm is the same height as the other seats - this could be a visibility problem for shorter helmsmen. The foot-well in the M is reduced, at the companionway, by the "bridge deck" and the traveler. I will say the M has a better setup for fuel tanks - the "flip up seats" permit you to fit two 12-gallon tanks. If you're expecting to do a lot of motoring, that's a definite advantage.
For me, though, the X cabin seems more liveable ... I should say, it's more to my tastes. I like the fixed galley and the cabinetry beneath it; I believe the X has more usable storage space than the M. I like the head next to the companionway, and I'm certain it has more room and a higher overhead than that in the M's head - meaning there's room for me to haul up my pants, with the door closed.
I also like the swing-up centerboard on the X, because I believe it would be less prone to damage if I did run into the shallows.
On the minus side - I'd prefer lifelines to the top of the bow pulpit, as on the M but not my X. I don't have a traveler; the main sheet shackles to the helm pedestal. And the blue hull of the M is good to look at.
Which boat is right for you?
My best advice is to find a dealer or yacht-broker who has both in stock, and give them a full-out comparison. If you present yourself as ready to buy, the dealer may take you out for a comparison sail - which would be best of all - but at the very least, have them get the extra stuff out of the way, so you can try the living spaces out for size. Lie down in the v-berth and see if you're comfortable :zzz: ... same for the quarter-berth under the cockpit ... stand at the galley and ask yourself how you'd feel about cooking :stirthepot: or washing dishes ... "dry-sail" the cockpit, and ask yourself how you'd feel about tacking and how you'd control a gybe ... close the head door, sit down on the porta-pottie (don't actually use it!), and then stand up and pantomime pulling up your trousers
. Spend enough time in each boat's cabin, in each cockpit, on each foredeck, to convince yourself how you'd feel about spending a whole weekend there in that boat.
Now - which one feels most comfortable to you? Maybe more important - which one feels more comfortable to your Admiral? That's the boat to get! :2cool:
(By the way, Capt. Kermie, if you'd fill your ballast tank, maybe your '03 26M would be more comfortable in a seaway....)
I bought a 1999 26X last year, chiefly for the price ($11,500 after negotiations) - but I also found a few items about the X that seem preferable to me. At the same time, there are features in the M that I wish I had in the X.
The M's cockpit is a bit smaller? Maybe. The X helm does take up more footroom, and the "captain's seat" behind the helm is the same height as the other seats - this could be a visibility problem for shorter helmsmen. The foot-well in the M is reduced, at the companionway, by the "bridge deck" and the traveler. I will say the M has a better setup for fuel tanks - the "flip up seats" permit you to fit two 12-gallon tanks. If you're expecting to do a lot of motoring, that's a definite advantage.
For me, though, the X cabin seems more liveable ... I should say, it's more to my tastes. I like the fixed galley and the cabinetry beneath it; I believe the X has more usable storage space than the M. I like the head next to the companionway, and I'm certain it has more room and a higher overhead than that in the M's head - meaning there's room for me to haul up my pants, with the door closed.
I also like the swing-up centerboard on the X, because I believe it would be less prone to damage if I did run into the shallows.
On the minus side - I'd prefer lifelines to the top of the bow pulpit, as on the M but not my X. I don't have a traveler; the main sheet shackles to the helm pedestal. And the blue hull of the M is good to look at.
Which boat is right for you?
My best advice is to find a dealer or yacht-broker who has both in stock, and give them a full-out comparison. If you present yourself as ready to buy, the dealer may take you out for a comparison sail - which would be best of all - but at the very least, have them get the extra stuff out of the way, so you can try the living spaces out for size. Lie down in the v-berth and see if you're comfortable :zzz: ... same for the quarter-berth under the cockpit ... stand at the galley and ask yourself how you'd feel about cooking :stirthepot: or washing dishes ... "dry-sail" the cockpit, and ask yourself how you'd feel about tacking and how you'd control a gybe ... close the head door, sit down on the porta-pottie (don't actually use it!), and then stand up and pantomime pulling up your trousers
. Spend enough time in each boat's cabin, in each cockpit, on each foredeck, to convince yourself how you'd feel about spending a whole weekend there in that boat.Now - which one feels most comfortable to you? Maybe more important - which one feels more comfortable to your Admiral? That's the boat to get! :2cool:
(By the way, Capt. Kermie, if you'd fill your ballast tank, maybe your '03 26M would be more comfortable in a seaway....
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