Hunter 23.5 vs. Macgregor 26s

[Homespun]

I realize that this post may seem a bit dumb considering I am posting it on a Hunter forum, but I'm hoping to get opinions on Hunter vs. Macgregor. I can't find any information on the web regarding a comparison of the Hunter 23.5 or 26 versus the classic Macgregor 26s or d models (not the newer M or X hybrid models). I want to know which one is superior, and I'm assuming most on here believe the Hunter to be so or you would've bought a Mac.

I was originally set to go with a Mac 26s from the early or mid 90's, but then found the Hunter 23.5. The Hunter 26 is probably a bit too heavy for me to comfortably tow.

Does anyone have enough knowledge with these two boats to be able to tell me the areas where one is better than the other, where they're equal, why one would be better than the other? If it matters, I'll mostly be sailing in and around Florida and I am new to sailing.

Thanks in advance for your time. I've already learned a considerable amount looking through the forum archives.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Homespun,
Welcome to the forums.

There is a lengthy tread on this topic in the Trailer Sailor area. Both boats have their supporters. Both have strengths and weaknesses. You need to define what your criteria is before we can suggest which boat is superior for your needs.

You mention towing weight. The Mac's are build lighter, so in that area they are superior.

 

[Homespun]

Thanks very much, Dave. I found an older thread comparing the Hunter 26 and the Mac 26s, but I almost feel as if the 23.5 and the Mac 26s are more comparable due to weight, etc. I could be wrong, but the Hunter 26 seems MUCH bigger to me than the Mac 26s.

The tow vehicle is a V8 2006 4Runner. My criteria, at this point, are as follows:

1. Something that I could tow fairly easily with this tow vehicle.
2. Something that is easy to learn on (I have a couple boatless sailor friends who will teach me and I'm going to take additional courses).
3. Something that I and my wife and small kids can spend some weekends and 1 week a year on, i.e. something big enough to accommodate us and our stuff on weekends/week long trips.
4. Something that is capable of sailing in rivers (in my case the St. Johns near Jax, Fl) but also areas around Florida's coast down into the Keys.
5. Something that is easy to launch and retrieve.

I think that's about it right now. Thanks again for your response. I really appreciate your time.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

True, The internal volume on the H260 is about double that of the Mac. I was slip to slip with the Mac and the H260 did look huge next to it. All that high freeboard comes at a price. We get pushed around a lot when there is a crosswind and we are trying a slow approach to the slip. The new H25 looks about the same size as the Mac 26s.

You have a great list of criteria. Diffidently a candidate for a trailer boat. I'll let the H 23.5 guys handle the "superior" argument.

 

[John23883]

Hunter vs Mac

George has a great site you should view. http://kobernus.com/hunter260/

I own a Hunter 26 and as stated, when we are next to a Mac the size difference is huge. As George says on his site, MOM likes the bigger boat especially for the week long stay. That said, it is quite a bit heavier. Forget the factory specs, George weighed his 260 and and it is closing in on 6000 lbs., look under his tips column. I tow mine with a 2005 6cyl Pathfinder rated at 6000 lbs towing and it never has a problem. My 2002 Pathfinder was rated at 5000 lbs and it never had a problem either. I don't go over 57mph and make sure the hydraulic brakes are working and I have never felt uncomfortable other than changing lanes because it feels like semi length back there. I figured I didn't want to buy a boat and then have to buy a larger one any time soon so I went with the big one.
John

 

[soling42]

Been there too

Been there.
I was "in your boat" doing the same comparisons about 5yrs ago. I went with a Hunter 240 which is basically an upgraded 23.5. I quickly realized that it was just a little too small for our similar criteria in traveling and Fl sailing for a few days at a time. The trailer was a single axle and was actually more difficult to pull than our H260 on a tandem axle. The stowage was very limited and using the head required completely transforming the V berth and being a good sport about using only a small curtain to give mom or guests any privacy while doing the necessaries.

Our 260 filled the bill perfectly for roominess, stowage, real head, running water, stability and having more of a big boat feel while still being no more difficult to trailer. If I could do it over I'd recommend going with a 260. We've trailered all over fl and now keep her on a dock in Sarasota. We'll soon be taking the next jump up in size as our kids are almost out of the house and kelli and I can take more time and do longer runs.

Good luck in your search. Mike n Kelli

Here's both our boats in the yard(whatta wife I have that let me own not one but two boats at once )

 

[Don3098]

I towed my H-26 with a 1997 Infiniti QX-4 for several years. That vehicle, which is really an upgraded Pathfinder, has a 5,000 lb. max tow rating. In retrospect, the boat was too heavy for the QX-4. I now tow with an 07 Toyota Tundra with a 5.7 liter V-8. No problems with an overloaded tow vehicle now!

The H-26 has been a fantastic boat for me and my wife, as we have cruised for up to a month at a time, and tow 600 miles each way to and from our favorite cruising waters. The boat has the roominess of a much larger vessel, with a comfortable sleeping area, lots of storage, and a usable head. I have compared it to the McGregor 26, and there is no comparison in terms of interior volume, build quality, and sailing ability.

 

[Bobbi Ullinger]

I can't speak to the Mac 26, however we've owned our 23.5, Kinship, since 1993. We have trailered it all over NE Ohio and NW Pennsylvania, sailing on inland lakes and Lake Erie. Our 5 kids are all grown, now, but when they were smaller, we would all spend as long as a week and a half on the boat, usually on Lake Erie.

One of the reasons that we chose this boat was the wide open cabin. My wife & I were usually in the v-berth, our 2 daughters in the aft berth, one son on each of the cabin settees, and the baby either with Cathy & I in the v-berth or with the girls in the aft berth. When the boys got older, they often slept in the cockpit under a boomtent.

Now that the kids are grown the boat is quite comfortable for just my wife and I, and we still spend time on board with our kids and now our grandkids, although not all at the same time.

We have been very pleased with our little boat. It served our family well, kept us safe in some heavy weather, provided our family with some great memories, and gave our family some great time together.

 

[Rick Webb]

The Mac was Sized for Transport not Comfort

My slip neighbor is a Mac 26 and my 23.5 appears larger when looking at them. The Macs beam dimensions were derived from the width of a shipping container. I remember seeing a bunch of them being unloaded in the Azores a few years ago.