Hull strength on a 26M

[Dennis]

I was wondering about the hull strength on a 26M? I know some of the older boats, you could actually push in on the hull in weak areas! Is the 26M, the same? I guess what Im asking is how sturdy is the hull, deck, etc.? I have the DVD and brochures for it, but that doesnt address strength!

 

[KayakDan]

26M owner

The 26M is pretty sturdy. I think they changed a lot of the hull design from the X,and structural strength seems to be part of that. After our first season with the boat,and having sailed in 5-6ft seas and 25kts,I haven't seen any signs of structural weakness. Actually,the weak spot is the running rigging. You will want to make upgrades to the boat in those areas. Still, the boat is a good value,and we have really enjoyed ours.

 

[Chris (Mac 26S)]

Weak areas???

A lot of "Mac haters" love to bash hull strength.Fact is, if it was weak anywhere, the "Mac haters" would be the first to point out any boat that broke up or suffered a structural failure.But no such luck - and couple that with the fact that there are way more Mac's out there than any other trailerable...Speaks volumes!Instead of just laying up a ton of glass everywhere, Macgregor spent considerable time and expense to engineer a hull that is strong where it needs to be. The benefit is an affordable boat that can actually be towed by the family van.Don't sweat the hull strength...Chris

 

[Ed]

No Problem

Dennis, I have owned three Macs, a V222, 26d and X, and may have your answer. The 76' 22 hull had places where you could push it in. I don't think this was a problem because it took a beating and stayed intact. I never noticed this in the D, and the X hull seems to be much thicker, as I would assume the M to be. Hope that answers your question.

 

[sskeeter]

Hull strength

My dealer had one less layer of fiberglass applied to his personal M. He doen't have any problem taking this out in the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Randy Shanks]

Strong enough.

I had a Venture 25 that was almost 30 years old and the hull on the bottom you could flex by pushing on it. But there was never any cracking so it was plenty strong for the boat. On my new 26M the hull is much thicker on the bottom especially since the boat was designed for planning and taking a beating at higher speeds. You can not flex it by pushing with your hand. After building thousands of boats MacGregor knows what they are doing so don't worry about it.Randy.

 

[Malcolm & Darlene]

Hull strength ...lol

OK,,I have a 74 Mac Venture 25,,It was in Ernesto,,My boat was blown over a dock,,and over two other sunken boats,,as it left the marina in 78 mph winds,It was seen leaving with it's mast in the water,then it uprighted and proceded over other dock,,and then crashed through another docked,,,,took that dock down,,,Landed upon someones front yard,,,,,,well,I was able to remove the boat while the storm surge had the tide 6 to 7 ft.above normal high tide level,,,and motor the boat back to the marina,yeah,,,I have hull damage,,,yeah it still floats,,,,,and this is a ??? how many year old boat ???,,,I'll be back sailing next year ,,,,, Come join me in the bay next year,,,lol...Malcolm,,,,,