Sailing a Mac - I'm new and help is needed

[Steve]

Hello everyone. I should start out by saying I am very new at sailing, but I will be taking a few hands on sailing classes in the coming months. I will probably buy a 26' MAC within a year or so. I have a few questions so I'll just list them in the hopes that experienced sailors can assist someone like me with limited knowledge, I appologize if they are stupid, but thats how you learn.1.) My main goal in choosing a 26' MAC is so that my wife and I can spend weekends sailing and slepping on the boat. Is the MAC 26' a good boat for weekend and long weekend trips?2.) My main area of sailing will be along the east coast, but mostly in the bays of Delaware (Rehoboth), and the chessie bay around annapolis, the inner harbor, norfolk, and probably down through outer banks. Would the Mac 26' be good for these areas, would I see any problems?3.) Is the MAC sea worthy enough for limited sea travel, say a mile or so off the coast into the Atlantic? What about the Florida keys or possibly Bahamas?4.) What are the rules for dropping anchor for the night, can you do it anywhere? Is there a good reference for places to stop for the night or coves to drops fpor the night? What are the laws regarding stopping and sleeping for the night? Especially in say Baltimore inner harbor or annapolis? Any references or places I could do more research would be great.5.) Could the MAC handle a cruise up the new Jersey coast and out to say long island?In closing thank you for all your help and again I am sorrry if some of these questions are stupid, I am just trying to learn from your experience. I will probably stick to small bays in delaware for a year or so until I learn, but I am always cautious and will probably stick to bays and very close to shore.Thanks

 

[Curtiss Grant]

Sailing a Mac

Don't wait a year. Do it now!! The pleasure of doing it now will turn your year around. For the classes, they are great to get you started but experience is the best.Regarding the Mac, I can address some of your questions but because I am located in the south, I can not address specifics regarding the bodies of water in question.I have just acquired a '91 Mac 26s, meaning it is a swing keel water ballast. I bought this particular boat because of its trailoring capability, (I can trailor it couple hundred miles at 60 MPH and be in an entire new body of water in short amount of time) ability to dry dock (less expensive storage), good sailing characteristics and swing keel for the shadow water of my area. The 26s or 26d's (both referred to as the 26 Classic)sail much better than the newer 26x.Being able to trailor the boat and the swing keel for shadow water enables you to go anywhere! It is big enought that you can do some offshore if you are cautious, the weather is good and you can tolerate some bouncing around. It is a great size for 1 and up to 4. Above that, it gets small. Over nighters are great but I think a week or more would be confining. My biggest diappointment of a Mac has been the tenderness of the boat. I have chartered larger boats and just did not expect the Mac to be this tender. It is tippy and effected greatly by rough water. Because the boat is light, even with the ballast filled, it reacts to the conditions of the water. Smooth water is great but most of the time, you can not get away from the tiller and my guess is that if one installed a wheel, as a few have, you still would have to stay with it. A wheel would just make it easier and would assist greatly for an inexperienced sailor (they are costly). The tide and wave action change the course of the boat so unless you are sailing between 30/40 degrees and less that a beam reach, you have to keep 'steering' the boat.Regarding anchoring, with the swing keel, you can go into very shadow water and DO NOT worry about 'sticking it'. For anchoring, you need smooth water and to be out of traffic. Believe me, you want smooth water for anchoring or else you will be tossed around. I have not anchored offshore but I do not think it would be very good in a Mac. But it is SUPER GREAT to sail at night, throw an anchor and wake up the next morning and take off!Good luck and go do it NOW!

 

[Dave Daiels]

Why the 26X isn't as good as 26 D

We're looking to buy a 26x. Curtiss said they didn't sail as well as the older models. Any specific reasons/problems? Thanks