Hunter 260 or MacGregor 26X

[Viviana]

We are looking to buy a 26' boat. We are looking both at the Hunter 260 and the MacGregor 26X. We will sail our boat in the Mississippi river. We'll need to lock through the dams at times and we will like to at times cruise up the river several miles (20 or more) by motor and then sail down the river. The Mississippi can have a hefty current at times.What do you recommend to us? We have seen the Hunter 260 and liked the interior and apparent quality. Viviana grew up sailing in a river in Argentina, had to deal with similar current and weather conditions (changing and dying winds, sudden storms) and likes the idea of having the availability of a faster engine to get to places or return home or find an island cove before the storm hits. She likes the possibility of a 50 HP motor. We want to know which boat is best at sailing. Many thoughts are shared in the MacGregor forums from people who went from power-boating to sailing. We are the ones going from sailing to sail-cruising. Does anyone here know how does the MacGregor compare to the Hunter? We also need the low (when lifting the center board)draft for the more shallow areas in the river.We will appreciate your comments,Viviana and Greg

 

[Frank]

Hunter sails better

The Mac is a neat idea and an interesting compromise and if you need to go fast under motor it will do that too. It is not a great sailboat, and does not sail near as well as the Hunter. But if you just want to sail down wind and down current the Mac will do fine. All boat designs make compromises and the Mac folks had to make some big ones to make there power sailer. For what it is I think it is great, but it is not a great power cruiser. Nor is it a a great sailing vessel.

 

[Ron Mehringer]

Your situation

Based on all I've read, the Hunter is the better sailboat. But your situation is somewhat unique and the Mac may be just the thing you're looking for. Going 20 miles upriver under power will take a long time in the Hunter. The Mac will get you to your start point quickly and leave more time for sailing.Ron Mehringers/v Hydro-Therapy

 

[Mike Pajewski]

Mississippi and sailboats

Greg,I can give you first hand experience about Mississippi sailing. We lived in Bettendorf, IA for four years and sailed our Hunter 26 out of Marquis Harbor Marina in Moline,IL. In the photo forum, there is a picture of us sailing past Riverdale, IA.The current can get hairy at times, especially in the early spring. We would launch in mid-May, as most of the marinas did not open till May 1. It was nearly impossible to sail upriver in May, but by June it was pretty easy. We never had a problem with the eight horse outboard on our boat, but the 9.9 would be a better choice. By August, the current is negligble. There was an older Mac 26 and a Mac 19X in our marina. The 26 sailed pretty good, but the 19X did not point very well. He motored most of the time and very rarely sailed. The 26X is a larger version of the 19, and I suspect they made some of the same trade offs. Locking through at the LeClaire and Rock Island locks was never a problem. You have to watch out for wing dams and lateral dams, especially late in the summer. Also, always stay on the windward side of tows and barges.We weekended quite often on our 26, pulling up to various islands along the river, or into some quiet sloughs. The extra headroom and enclosed head made weekend cruising comfortable. The cockpit table on our 26 got a lot of use.Sailors are a minority on the river, but it does not mean it can't be done. The Hunter 26/260 is an ideal boat for the river. I would highly recommend a boater's safety course, as they will concentrate on issues involving the river.Good Luck,Mike PajewskiH26 "Loon"

 

[Viviana]

Thank you for all your information

Thanks everyone for your comments and interest. We are making arrangements to go try both, and in similar conditions, so that we can see how we feel in the boats. We'll keep you posted!!Thank you,Greg and Viviana