All I have no sailing experience at all, but have been bitten by the bug. I am looking for something like the Macgregor 26x, and wonder what other options are out there? Are there other boats that offer the same features(speed, ease of sailing and trailering etc.) If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
trailerable weekend cruiser
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Speed?
By "speed", do you mean being able to have a 50 HP engine and pull water skiers? Trailerables (especially water-ballast) are enough of a compromise to begin with. The 26x goes even further as a hybrid sailboat and powerboat. The combination is very popular if that's want you want. Purests say it's not that great a powerboat and not that great a sailboat. I don't know personally. Similar in size are the Hunter 26 and 260, and the smaller Hunter 23.5 and 240. Hunter stopped building the water-ballast models last winter but used ones can be found readily. The Catalina 250 looks nice but I don't know much about them. ...RickM...
By "speed", do you mean being able to have a 50 HP engine and pull water skiers? Trailerables (especially water-ballast) are enough of a compromise to begin with. The 26x goes even further as a hybrid sailboat and powerboat. The combination is very popular if that's want you want. Purests say it's not that great a powerboat and not that great a sailboat. I don't know personally. Similar in size are the Hunter 26 and 260, and the smaller Hunter 23.5 and 240. Hunter stopped building the water-ballast models last winter but used ones can be found readily. The Catalina 250 looks nice but I don't know much about them. ...RickM...
Read this book
First of all, congratulations. You are on the right track. Too many people get the bug bite and scratch it right away. Big mistake. Some suggestions for you. Go to your local marina and ask questions. Most sailors will fall all over themselves to tell you about their boat. Ask them about their past boats also. Great information pool. Be sure to use your BS filter and do not fall in love on the first date. You may be able to crew for some sailors and thus get on the water experience with different boats. The price of the boat is important, but it is by no means the end of your financial adventures. Set up a boat budget and see what you really have to spend. Sails, paint, winch maintenance, etc, all costs money. Even your trailer wil want maintenance money. Go to your local bookstore and get a copy of SAILING BIG ON A SMALL SAILBOAT by Jerry Cardwell. He has a suggested list of boats and writes specifically about the Catalina 22, the Hunter 23, and the MacGregor 26. He will list what was standard equipment on each boat and what were the options for each boat. It is a good read and well worth the price. When you think you have made a decision, go find one and go sailing on her. Enjoy your boat search, and welcome.
First of all, congratulations. You are on the right track. Too many people get the bug bite and scratch it right away. Big mistake. Some suggestions for you. Go to your local marina and ask questions. Most sailors will fall all over themselves to tell you about their boat. Ask them about their past boats also. Great information pool. Be sure to use your BS filter and do not fall in love on the first date. You may be able to crew for some sailors and thus get on the water experience with different boats. The price of the boat is important, but it is by no means the end of your financial adventures. Set up a boat budget and see what you really have to spend. Sails, paint, winch maintenance, etc, all costs money. Even your trailer wil want maintenance money. Go to your local bookstore and get a copy of SAILING BIG ON A SMALL SAILBOAT by Jerry Cardwell. He has a suggested list of boats and writes specifically about the Catalina 22, the Hunter 23, and the MacGregor 26. He will list what was standard equipment on each boat and what were the options for each boat. It is a good read and well worth the price. When you think you have made a decision, go find one and go sailing on her. Enjoy your boat search, and welcome.
Fix the FIRST problem FIRST
Get sailing experience! We all have to start somewhere - for me when I got back into it after a few years off - I took the ASA series of classes - Three big benefits: You will be safer - a lot safer. You will have more fun because you will know what you are doing & have more confidence when stuff happens (& it does happen). You will learn something about the different types and characteristics of the many boat options open to you - Monohull, multihull, racer, cruiser, easy daysailor - what you want is what *you*, not the rest of us - like. Rent, charter or crew for a while - you will learn more about everything involved in this decision. The link is for the ASA - you can use their website to find a sailing school near to you, or even somewhere exotic that you would like to vacation to. Most schools have rental boats after you have taken the lessons.
Get sailing experience! We all have to start somewhere - for me when I got back into it after a few years off - I took the ASA series of classes - Three big benefits: You will be safer - a lot safer. You will have more fun because you will know what you are doing & have more confidence when stuff happens (& it does happen). You will learn something about the different types and characteristics of the many boat options open to you - Monohull, multihull, racer, cruiser, easy daysailor - what you want is what *you*, not the rest of us - like. Rent, charter or crew for a while - you will learn more about everything involved in this decision. The link is for the ASA - you can use their website to find a sailing school near to you, or even somewhere exotic that you would like to vacation to. Most schools have rental boats after you have taken the lessons.
Recommendation
I recommend at least a season on a much smaller boat. I'm on my second season of sailing using a 10.5' Sprite and find I'm still learning about the power of the wind, and how to harness it. And I've had a blast on Long Pond and in Cape Cod Bay. I plan on sailing a bigger boat, but after going along for a sail a couple of times (many people at the local marina nearly wet themselves when you ask if they'll show you how to sail their boat) I realized I should wait. Buyer beware! Good luck and happy swimming.
I recommend at least a season on a much smaller boat. I'm on my second season of sailing using a 10.5' Sprite and find I'm still learning about the power of the wind, and how to harness it. And I've had a blast on Long Pond and in Cape Cod Bay. I plan on sailing a bigger boat, but after going along for a sail a couple of times (many people at the local marina nearly wet themselves when you ask if they'll show you how to sail their boat) I realized I should wait. Buyer beware! Good luck and happy swimming.
I'm beginning to sound like the proverbial broken record, but, Cal 20...Quick, inexpensive to buy and maintain, 900lb fixed keel, SAFE, sleeps four. A beginner can sail it alone after a couple of lessons, it's that easy to sail. Sea worthy enough to have been singlehanded from San Fransisco to Hawaii. And all the Cal 20 racers keep them on trailers. Look on Craigs list on the web or Ebay for one. Preferably the earlier model with the bulkheads.
Hunter 23 great choice
The hunter 23 is a very stable and fast trailer sailor. It will comfortably sleep 2 and has all the provisions necessary for a weekend away. Stepping the mast can be a little tough and definetely takes two people but I don't think you'll find a better built small boat anywhere. With the winged keel draws 27 inches of water. Enjoy!
The hunter 23 is a very stable and fast trailer sailor. It will comfortably sleep 2 and has all the provisions necessary for a weekend away. Stepping the mast can be a little tough and definetely takes two people but I don't think you'll find a better built small boat anywhere. With the winged keel draws 27 inches of water. Enjoy!
Hunter 23
Hunter 23s tend to heel quite a bit. They may not be ideal for first timers. They do sail excellently and are easy to trailer and step the mast. Their main problem is the water ballast. It keeps the center of gravity higher, hence the quickness to heel. Our first boat was a Chrysler 22. Nice strong boat weighing in at about 3000#. Swing keel weighed about 800#, got the weight deep where you want it. Still, with the keel up, we could get anywhere our friends with the H23 got.
Hunter 23s tend to heel quite a bit. They may not be ideal for first timers. They do sail excellently and are easy to trailer and step the mast. Their main problem is the water ballast. It keeps the center of gravity higher, hence the quickness to heel. Our first boat was a Chrysler 22. Nice strong boat weighing in at about 3000#. Swing keel weighed about 800#, got the weight deep where you want it. Still, with the keel up, we could get anywhere our friends with the H23 got.
Hunter 23 vs. 23.5
Just a minor clarification to Henry's post...his remarks pertain to a 23.5. The 23 has a fixed, shoal depth, winged keel. I think Richard's comments were regarding the 23 with the fixed keel. The water ballast with swing keel is probably easier to trailer. There are also a number of devoted H23 trailer sailors on this site who have made launching and retrieving the H23 somewhat of an art form. Several claim to be able to routinely do it each way in less than an hour. I love my H23, but I've gradually worked my way up from smaller daysailers. If you were going to trailer it and stay in the water over a weekend, the time spent towing/launching/retrieving is easier to justify. Lots of pros and cons which I'm not going to go further into here - check archives on water ballast if you are considering going that route. If you are strictly going to be a day sailor and sleeping berths/cabin space don't matter, check into the H21.7. Many favorable posts about it, too.
Just a minor clarification to Henry's post...his remarks pertain to a 23.5. The 23 has a fixed, shoal depth, winged keel. I think Richard's comments were regarding the 23 with the fixed keel. The water ballast with swing keel is probably easier to trailer. There are also a number of devoted H23 trailer sailors on this site who have made launching and retrieving the H23 somewhat of an art form. Several claim to be able to routinely do it each way in less than an hour. I love my H23, but I've gradually worked my way up from smaller daysailers. If you were going to trailer it and stay in the water over a weekend, the time spent towing/launching/retrieving is easier to justify. Lots of pros and cons which I'm not going to go further into here - check archives on water ballast if you are considering going that route. If you are strictly going to be a day sailor and sleeping berths/cabin space don't matter, check into the H21.7. Many favorable posts about it, too.
First Boat
Start out with something like an O'Day Daysailor. Its around 19' easy to trailer, lanch & sail. After your comfortable with that, you can move up. Good Luck!!
Start out with something like an O'Day Daysailor. Its around 19' easy to trailer, lanch & sail. After your comfortable with that, you can move up. Good Luck!!
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