Is a MacGregor 26M (gasp) my best option?

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

While I was associated with a Mac dealership, we had folks want to buy a 26 X to sail across the Gulf Of Mexico. We emphatically discouraged the idea, as a not suitable boat.

How ever, I have friends who have, several times, and in company with other Macs, sailed across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. and further. Very different tasks. From Ft Pierce to Bimini is 45 miles. An X, or and M, with the recommended engine could do that in under 3 hours.

So it really depends

 

[Sumner]

. I listened to the video as well as watched it and Roger clearly was saying 'go ahead … don't worry about these conditions with this boat, it's made to handle it, can't you see?' ...

Maybe we are listening to a different video. I hear him clearly say "In a small boat you don't want to mess around with an ocean this unruly, watch from the beach..............we don't recommend sailing in this stuff however if you get stuck out in nasty conditions it might be reassuring to know that the boat has been out there and done that."

I think that is a long ways from saying 'go ahead....don't worry....

As far as the Great Lakes is concerned, it might not be the best boat for all conditions but I do know a number of Mac owners that have their boat in the Chicago and Michigan area plus some of the other lakes. I don't think anyone was saying the boat is going to handle any condition you will be in on the Great Lakes. You could say the same for a lot of different sailboats of various sizes and makes.

While I'm at it a remark such as 'If you have access to so-called ‘real sailboats’ is not needed to make your point. I don't own a X or M but they are as much a real sailboat as my S or Endeavour in my mind. I don't see a point in making these kind of remarks when talking about anyone's sailboat. They just serve no purpose in my mind.

Sumner

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Maybe we are listening to a different video. I hear him clearly say "In a small boat you don't want to mess around with an ocean this unruly, watch from the beach..............we don't recommend sailing in this stuff however if you get stuck out in nasty conditions it might be reassuring to know that the boat has been out there and done that."

Sumner, I have immense respect for your sailing skills and knowledge. That said, it is something how we can hear the same comments and arrive at different perspectives. That is, I guess, what makes the world go round!

"In a small boat you don't want to mess around with an ocean this unruly" …. ok, so Roger is not distinguishing the 26M or X from any other small sailboat. Basically, he is saying that all small boats are equivalent in these conditions. None are any better or worse in these unruly conditions.
"We don't recommend sailing in this stuff however if you get stuck out in nasty conditions it might be reassuring …." here Roger is saying 'don't worry, this boat can handle the worst conditions as well as any other small boat that has been out in the nasty stuff'. His offhand comment that "we don't recommend sailing in this stuff" is weak and lame in my opinion. It's a throw-away comment because he goes on to say that you can be reassured.

Let's consider that there is a very wide spectrum of sailboats that have been constructed in the 25' to 27' range over the years. Where would you honestly place the 26M or 26X in the spectrum of small boats for the conditions represented in Roger's video? I have no problem with anybody evaluating how a 26M or X will fit their intended use. It's a fair question and it is worthwhile to evaluate all of the facts. What set me off in this thread was the presentation of Roger's video as a qualification that the 26M or X is equivalent to any other similar sized sailboat in safety, build quality and performance.

As you know, I never made reference in any of my posts about any sailboat being a "real" sailboat and I never disqualified any sailboat, inclusive of the 26M or X, as not being a "real" sailboat. I agree with you that this kind of judgement is not helpful in a discussion.