I was told that a Mac 26 D was the best bet for the new sailor? What is the opinions here ? txs guys in advance..mark H.
Mac 26 D
- Thread starter Hawk4661
- Start date
- Status
88 Mac
Well I have a 26D and it is a very nice sailer. They are a bit of a crank if you have the original rudder but the replacement IDA rudder clears that up fantasticly. It is an easy boat to learn on, It sails much like a CL16 or an Albacore. I find that the boat points very well (lets you sail close to the wind). Its best point of sail seems to be a broad reach. If you pull up the dagger board you have a shoal draft and only take about 24 inches of water to float. The water ballast makes the boat very trailerable. I tow mine with a V6 Sebring. Although make sure you fill the ballast tank as soon as you get it in the water as your stability ad self righting capabilities depend on it. The mast is easy to put up even without the kit that is avalible. Im not sure where you are sailing but I find the Mac a good boat for use on the great lakes.
Well I have a 26D and it is a very nice sailer. They are a bit of a crank if you have the original rudder but the replacement IDA rudder clears that up fantasticly. It is an easy boat to learn on, It sails much like a CL16 or an Albacore. I find that the boat points very well (lets you sail close to the wind). Its best point of sail seems to be a broad reach. If you pull up the dagger board you have a shoal draft and only take about 24 inches of water to float. The water ballast makes the boat very trailerable. I tow mine with a V6 Sebring. Although make sure you fill the ballast tank as soon as you get it in the water as your stability ad self righting capabilities depend on it. The mast is easy to put up even without the kit that is avalible. Im not sure where you are sailing but I find the Mac a good boat for use on the great lakes.
26S is also good
If you've been reading this forum long, you know there's not a lot of difference except the S has a centerboard instead of a daggerboard- Because of that, the S may be a hair slower, but not much. Do search the archives here- ther are some detailed discussions of the 26D & S. -Paul
If you've been reading this forum long, you know there's not a lot of difference except the S has a centerboard instead of a daggerboard- Because of that, the S may be a hair slower, but not much. Do search the archives here- ther are some detailed discussions of the 26D & S. -Paul
No best bets
Hawk, the reality is that there is no such thing as a "best bet for new sailors." There are a lot of boats that are forgiving, easy to learn, etc., but like shoes, another person's best bet may not be your personal best bet. There have been several threads talking about boat preferences, including a recent one that asked if people would be willing to buy their boat again (knowing what its really like). Read the archives, have serious discussions with yourself (when you're spending that much money, talking to yourself is excusable) and anyone with a stake in the decision about what you hope to do with it, where and what you expect the normal conditions to be, what the boat absolutely must have,and what's nice but not necessary, and what your budget will allow. Ultimately, the real best bet is the boat that is so fun for you that you will make up excuses to go sailing, even if it was harder to learn than a different boat might have been. Look around at different boats, this is one time when going shopping is fun. Like George, I have my prejudices - I'm the original, and still happy, owner of my 1985 h23. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
Hawk, the reality is that there is no such thing as a "best bet for new sailors." There are a lot of boats that are forgiving, easy to learn, etc., but like shoes, another person's best bet may not be your personal best bet. There have been several threads talking about boat preferences, including a recent one that asked if people would be willing to buy their boat again (knowing what its really like). Read the archives, have serious discussions with yourself (when you're spending that much money, talking to yourself is excusable) and anyone with a stake in the decision about what you hope to do with it, where and what you expect the normal conditions to be, what the boat absolutely must have,and what's nice but not necessary, and what your budget will allow. Ultimately, the real best bet is the boat that is so fun for you that you will make up excuses to go sailing, even if it was harder to learn than a different boat might have been. Look around at different boats, this is one time when going shopping is fun. Like George, I have my prejudices - I'm the original, and still happy, owner of my 1985 h23. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
It Depends.
Right after we were married, my wife and I bought a 16ft. Boston Whaler 4.6 and learned to sail on that boat. We sailed that boat for 10 years without a motor. You really learn lots about wind, waves and other boaters under those conditions. My second boat was a Mac 25, with a swing keel. Great boat, pointed well and learned about engines and docking a larger boat. That is my take on the best way to learn.
Right after we were married, my wife and I bought a 16ft. Boston Whaler 4.6 and learned to sail on that boat. We sailed that boat for 10 years without a motor. You really learn lots about wind, waves and other boaters under those conditions. My second boat was a Mac 25, with a swing keel. Great boat, pointed well and learned about engines and docking a larger boat. That is my take on the best way to learn.
- Status