I recently saw a 26M at the boat show. Looked great. But then I read online that Mac boats are lousy under sail, heel too much, not a quick as the official movie would have you believe, are made with cheap materials, etc. I have a capri 16.5 and I thought the Mac would be a great way to explore the North Channel, etc., something which would be nuts in my present boat. I assume that many of the sailors at this site have sailed many different boats and thus can compare them without the hype of the company. If another thread covered this topic, please refer me there. Thanks, Neil
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26M Owner
We have had our 26M for one season,and sailed it in different conditions. The boat sails fairly well,and I'm getting better with getting it to point. It's tender to about 15o,heeling quickly,but firms up well,which is a characteristic of the water ballast. It's no Island Packet,but for the money,it's a good value. The quality is decent,but you will probably want to do several upgrades to make the boat easier to sail. Since I bought a sailboat,not a powerboat,Im not sure about the top speed claims,as I rarely motor faster than 10kts. All in all,We're happy with the 26M,as it fits our needs for a reasonable price. My only "complaints" about the boat would be that the cockpit is a bit tight,and it's a bit snug getting off and on the boat. Rather than take the opinions of those who trash the Macgregor boats(many of whom have never actually been on one),check out MacgregorSailors.com,and see what the people who own them think. The go out and sail one,and see what you think of it!
We have had our 26M for one season,and sailed it in different conditions. The boat sails fairly well,and I'm getting better with getting it to point. It's tender to about 15o,heeling quickly,but firms up well,which is a characteristic of the water ballast. It's no Island Packet,but for the money,it's a good value. The quality is decent,but you will probably want to do several upgrades to make the boat easier to sail. Since I bought a sailboat,not a powerboat,Im not sure about the top speed claims,as I rarely motor faster than 10kts. All in all,We're happy with the 26M,as it fits our needs for a reasonable price. My only "complaints" about the boat would be that the cockpit is a bit tight,and it's a bit snug getting off and on the boat. Rather than take the opinions of those who trash the Macgregor boats(many of whom have never actually been on one),check out MacgregorSailors.com,and see what the people who own them think. The go out and sail one,and see what you think of it!
The 26M
As KyakDan said, it is initially tender, but it does harden up fast the further it heels. As far as "company hype" well all companies are guilty as charged, it is part of the advertising and sales and is to be expected. The basic hull and structure of the Mac is quite sound and solid, it starts out well built but that is where it ends. In order to keep the boat affordable to the average income earner cuts in finnishing quality have been made. By that I mean the little things like rigging tackle, sail quality, the use of goofy ring dings etc. The Mac comes begging for upgrades and lacks the finishing touches you find in more expensive boats, but then that is where you start customizing it to your own needs. There is lots of room for custom modifications to suit your individual tastes/needs, just be prepared to spend a few more $$$. In the end you will have a fine boat that ends up costing as much as a more expensive one would have at the outset but will be more to your liking. It is the versatility of the Mac that is so appealing to those that own them.
As KyakDan said, it is initially tender, but it does harden up fast the further it heels. As far as "company hype" well all companies are guilty as charged, it is part of the advertising and sales and is to be expected. The basic hull and structure of the Mac is quite sound and solid, it starts out well built but that is where it ends. In order to keep the boat affordable to the average income earner cuts in finnishing quality have been made. By that I mean the little things like rigging tackle, sail quality, the use of goofy ring dings etc. The Mac comes begging for upgrades and lacks the finishing touches you find in more expensive boats, but then that is where you start customizing it to your own needs. There is lots of room for custom modifications to suit your individual tastes/needs, just be prepared to spend a few more $$$. In the end you will have a fine boat that ends up costing as much as a more expensive one would have at the outset but will be more to your liking. It is the versatility of the Mac that is so appealing to those that own them.
Keep in mind that the generalization
"mac boats are lousy under sail" does not take into account the 26s and 26d in which you will find people dazzling others as they watch them go by and say "I didn't know a mac could sail that fast!" Don't know about the 26m and 26x...never been on one.
"mac boats are lousy under sail" does not take into account the 26s and 26d in which you will find people dazzling others as they watch them go by and say "I didn't know a mac could sail that fast!" Don't know about the 26m and 26x...never been on one.
26 M....
Ive owned a 26-S, and now a 26-X. No complaints on either. In my opinion, these boats are well built. I think the 26-X and 26-M have nice cabin space and accomodations for on-the-water comfort...And having some horsepower is fun too ! Safety is a good feature of the Mac (it floats when flooded)... The MacGregor trailers could use some improvement, however.
Ive owned a 26-S, and now a 26-X. No complaints on either. In my opinion, these boats are well built. I think the 26-X and 26-M have nice cabin space and accomodations for on-the-water comfort...And having some horsepower is fun too ! Safety is a good feature of the Mac (it floats when flooded)... The MacGregor trailers could use some improvement, however.
My thoughts...
Hi Neil. It all boils dow to what you want to do in terms of sailing. I read that you want the option of trailering to other locations. Having sailed the North Channel two seasons now I can heartily encourage you to go for it. Join www.trailersailors.org and we'll see you up there in 2007! There are lots of excellent boats, but most weigh significantly more than a Mac. We originally wanted a Lancer 28 - stand up headroom everywhere, hot and cold running water, oven etc. But the "real" weight of one was around 7500 lbs. Not only does that require a dedicated tow vehicle - I would not be as comfortable lugging it around the countryside. Then we started looking at Macs. We settled on a Mac 26S as we were leaning toward sailing performance vs motoring. Just our preference... We were initially concerned with heeling - sometimes also called "stability" although not really the same thing. The boat is stable by the calculations and actual experience - plus it floats if flooded. In terms of heeling, we don't find it tender. It's just a sailboat and it has it's own characteristics. You do need to learn to reef the sails for the conditions. If you do that, it doesn't heel more than most other boats. We often sail in 15 - 25 kt winds on Lake Erie. The boat has been fast, stable and totally predicatable in it's handling. Remember, I'm speaking about a 26S - and it was considered "tippy and unstable" by many (most of which have never set foot on one). In terms of quality, it is extremely well built FOR THE PRICE. You can't compare it (as many like to) to boats costing two or three times as much. But - you can have the fun of modifying it yourself, if you want to (sails just fine "out of the box"). It is totally adequate in strength for it's design purpose. Some bash that as well - but they would be the first to report on any "breaking up" and I haven't heard of any... We love the way ours performs under sail, the space inside, the pop-top and especially being able to easily trailer it. It's all one big compromize anyway! Chris
Hi Neil. It all boils dow to what you want to do in terms of sailing. I read that you want the option of trailering to other locations. Having sailed the North Channel two seasons now I can heartily encourage you to go for it. Join www.trailersailors.org and we'll see you up there in 2007! There are lots of excellent boats, but most weigh significantly more than a Mac. We originally wanted a Lancer 28 - stand up headroom everywhere, hot and cold running water, oven etc. But the "real" weight of one was around 7500 lbs. Not only does that require a dedicated tow vehicle - I would not be as comfortable lugging it around the countryside. Then we started looking at Macs. We settled on a Mac 26S as we were leaning toward sailing performance vs motoring. Just our preference... We were initially concerned with heeling - sometimes also called "stability" although not really the same thing. The boat is stable by the calculations and actual experience - plus it floats if flooded. In terms of heeling, we don't find it tender. It's just a sailboat and it has it's own characteristics. You do need to learn to reef the sails for the conditions. If you do that, it doesn't heel more than most other boats. We often sail in 15 - 25 kt winds on Lake Erie. The boat has been fast, stable and totally predicatable in it's handling. Remember, I'm speaking about a 26S - and it was considered "tippy and unstable" by many (most of which have never set foot on one). In terms of quality, it is extremely well built FOR THE PRICE. You can't compare it (as many like to) to boats costing two or three times as much. But - you can have the fun of modifying it yourself, if you want to (sails just fine "out of the box"). It is totally adequate in strength for it's design purpose. Some bash that as well - but they would be the first to report on any "breaking up" and I haven't heard of any... We love the way ours performs under sail, the space inside, the pop-top and especially being able to easily trailer it. It's all one big compromize anyway! Chris
Macs are different
Neil, I sail a 26X which is pretty similar to the M. Even though I have previously knocked some of its points, I am strongly in favor of the Macs. The keel boats with a ton or so of lead six feet below have a special feel and sail very well. But the Macs (X&M) do so much the keelboats can't. Try this in a Keelboat: Beach and step on land; Motor at 18mph; Trailer low and shallow: Use as an RV on land; Put in wherever you want, 2 miles or 200 miles away; and last but not least have a heck of a lot of fun sailing.
Neil, I sail a 26X which is pretty similar to the M. Even though I have previously knocked some of its points, I am strongly in favor of the Macs. The keel boats with a ton or so of lead six feet below have a special feel and sail very well. But the Macs (X&M) do so much the keelboats can't. Try this in a Keelboat: Beach and step on land; Motor at 18mph; Trailer low and shallow: Use as an RV on land; Put in wherever you want, 2 miles or 200 miles away; and last but not least have a heck of a lot of fun sailing.
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