Mac 26D
We have owned a Mac 26D for many years. My kids and grandkids have enjoyed many an afternoon sail and overnighted on it. Recently, we passed our 26D on to my son when we bought a Hunter 260. We love both of these boats. Here are my two cents worth of opinion about the 26D/S, Pros: -There was a ton of these boats built, maybe more than any other single make, and there is a large supply of inexpensive used boats on the market. Shop carefully and you can get a great starter boat for very little money. -For a 26 footer, it is very easy to trailer and quick and easy to rig and launch. We have set up next to other brands of 22-26 footers, and most of the time we were on the water 30-45 minutes before they were. Tip: A forestay lever will allow you to tune the rig one time, and then to set up quickly without adjustments from then on. -It is excellent in light air. Get one and go eat the more expensive chunky boats for breakfast. Cons and recommended mods: -When the wind picks up, reef early and do not overpower the boat. The water ballast boats are initially tender, and the boat is faster and more stable if you remember to reef! -Replace all nylon cleats with SS ones and add backing plates -Check wiring and replace with tinned marine cable -Replace the stock rudder with an IdaSailor model or modify the stock one per instructions on the web. This makes a vast improvement in rudder effectiveness and helm balance. -Adjust the mast rake to have only slight weather helm with sails properly trimmed.(see note about rudder above). Rig the boat with the proper tension on the stays and shrouds. Sloppy rigs are slow and dangerous. -On older models, the bolt rope on the main shrinks as the sail ages. Replace the bolt rope(yes you can do this yourself in an afternoon if you are handy) or replace the main if the sail is too far gone. This is very important to allow proper trim of the main to reduce excessive weather helm, a common complaint about this boat. This is a good time to convert to sail slugs too. - The "D" in 26D stands for daggerboard. While this model is slightly faster than the S or swing keel model, unlike the S model, that daggerboard will break if you hit the bottom very hard. This saves the centerboard trunk, but will set you back about $200 for a new daggerboard. If you sail in skinny water, look for an S unless you just must have that slight speed advantage. -Not unlike other manufactuers, Mac trailers leave a lot to be desired. Give strong consideration to the condition of the trailer, not just the boat. Experience: You really need a Van, SUV or pickup if you are going to tow long distances or in mountain regions. If you are mostly around town and live in flat country, you can get by with less, but be careful. Stopping the rig and controlling sway caused by passing semi trucks is much easier with a heavier vehicle. We took our Mac across the Gulf Stream to Bimini twice, with other Macs. On one of these trips there was over 20 boats in the fleet. There is nothing like having your own boat in the Bahamas and being able to go everywhere in the skinny water. We took our Mac to Dry Tortugas/Fort Jefferson (70 miles WEST of Key West). Again we were with a large fleet of small boats, mostly Macs. We have enjoyed the Florida Keys, Florida West Coast, Florida Panhandle, Pamlico Sound and had a blast in places like Key West, Okracoke, Hatteras, Panama City, Tampa, St. George, St. Joe, Caladesi, etc..... We have been through some tough times in the Gulf Stream and some surprisingly tough squalls in Biscayne Bay and other places. We have motored into headwinds coming back from Dry Tortugas where the Macs took a "licken and kept on tickin". (hate to be the one to tell you, but if you remember that Timex slogan, you ain't no spring chicken anymore; better get in all the sailing you can asap) I think it depends on what you are looking for in a boat. Macs are not Blue Water boats. With the proper preparation, careful planning, and respect for weather, you can go a lot of places for not a lot of money. They are spartan in accomodations and finish. The hulls, decks and rig are strong enough for conditions you are likely to encounter on inland lakes and near coastal cruising. Carefully inspect all rigging. All boats are compromises of some kind or another. If you buy a Mac, be prepared for comments from folks that have never sailed on one, much less owned one. Use good judgement, take care of the boat, and the boat will take care of you. Good luck, Bert PS, the Mac 25 was admitted to the Sailboat Hall of Fame. They are tough old boats too, and several are roaming the coasts still.
We have owned a Mac 26D for many years. My kids and grandkids have enjoyed many an afternoon sail and overnighted on it. Recently, we passed our 26D on to my son when we bought a Hunter 260. We love both of these boats. Here are my two cents worth of opinion about the 26D/S, Pros: -There was a ton of these boats built, maybe more than any other single make, and there is a large supply of inexpensive used boats on the market. Shop carefully and you can get a great starter boat for very little money. -For a 26 footer, it is very easy to trailer and quick and easy to rig and launch. We have set up next to other brands of 22-26 footers, and most of the time we were on the water 30-45 minutes before they were. Tip: A forestay lever will allow you to tune the rig one time, and then to set up quickly without adjustments from then on. -It is excellent in light air. Get one and go eat the more expensive chunky boats for breakfast. Cons and recommended mods: -When the wind picks up, reef early and do not overpower the boat. The water ballast boats are initially tender, and the boat is faster and more stable if you remember to reef! -Replace all nylon cleats with SS ones and add backing plates -Check wiring and replace with tinned marine cable -Replace the stock rudder with an IdaSailor model or modify the stock one per instructions on the web. This makes a vast improvement in rudder effectiveness and helm balance. -Adjust the mast rake to have only slight weather helm with sails properly trimmed.(see note about rudder above). Rig the boat with the proper tension on the stays and shrouds. Sloppy rigs are slow and dangerous. -On older models, the bolt rope on the main shrinks as the sail ages. Replace the bolt rope(yes you can do this yourself in an afternoon if you are handy) or replace the main if the sail is too far gone. This is very important to allow proper trim of the main to reduce excessive weather helm, a common complaint about this boat. This is a good time to convert to sail slugs too. - The "D" in 26D stands for daggerboard. While this model is slightly faster than the S or swing keel model, unlike the S model, that daggerboard will break if you hit the bottom very hard. This saves the centerboard trunk, but will set you back about $200 for a new daggerboard. If you sail in skinny water, look for an S unless you just must have that slight speed advantage. -Not unlike other manufactuers, Mac trailers leave a lot to be desired. Give strong consideration to the condition of the trailer, not just the boat. Experience: You really need a Van, SUV or pickup if you are going to tow long distances or in mountain regions. If you are mostly around town and live in flat country, you can get by with less, but be careful. Stopping the rig and controlling sway caused by passing semi trucks is much easier with a heavier vehicle. We took our Mac across the Gulf Stream to Bimini twice, with other Macs. On one of these trips there was over 20 boats in the fleet. There is nothing like having your own boat in the Bahamas and being able to go everywhere in the skinny water. We took our Mac to Dry Tortugas/Fort Jefferson (70 miles WEST of Key West). Again we were with a large fleet of small boats, mostly Macs. We have enjoyed the Florida Keys, Florida West Coast, Florida Panhandle, Pamlico Sound and had a blast in places like Key West, Okracoke, Hatteras, Panama City, Tampa, St. George, St. Joe, Caladesi, etc..... We have been through some tough times in the Gulf Stream and some surprisingly tough squalls in Biscayne Bay and other places. We have motored into headwinds coming back from Dry Tortugas where the Macs took a "licken and kept on tickin". (hate to be the one to tell you, but if you remember that Timex slogan, you ain't no spring chicken anymore; better get in all the sailing you can asap) I think it depends on what you are looking for in a boat. Macs are not Blue Water boats. With the proper preparation, careful planning, and respect for weather, you can go a lot of places for not a lot of money. They are spartan in accomodations and finish. The hulls, decks and rig are strong enough for conditions you are likely to encounter on inland lakes and near coastal cruising. Carefully inspect all rigging. All boats are compromises of some kind or another. If you buy a Mac, be prepared for comments from folks that have never sailed on one, much less owned one. Use good judgement, take care of the boat, and the boat will take care of you. Good luck, Bert PS, the Mac 25 was admitted to the Sailboat Hall of Fame. They are tough old boats too, and several are roaming the coasts still.