Which Do I choose, 26X or 26M? Should I choose MacGregor?

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Matthew

I have been reading all of the postings about the 26M and 26X vessels, I have looked at Catalina and Hunter models. I really like the fact that the MacGregor is so versitle as a power or sail boat, but after reading about the quality of how the boat is put together (example type of wires). I am not sure if the MacGregor is the best way to go. Can someone tell me their comparisons on MacGregor vs. Catalina & Hunter Water Ballast boats? Also, comment on which is better, the 26X or 26M? This will be my first time to own a sailboat, so your opinions really count to me.
 
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Mark Alexander

What to choose?

Tough question. I have been on a Hunter 26 water ballast. It is a much nicer and higher quality vessel than the Macgregor IMHO. But there is a distinct price difference. Never been on a Catalina but the same is probably true. Here is my rule on boat. The more you pay, the less likely you are to use it. It is probably cheaper to buy a boat with all the doodads you expect to have. It is a buyers market when it comes to boats. Set a price you want to pay and you will find one to met that criteria. Mark
 
Dec 6, 2003
295
Macgregor 26D Pollock Pines, Ca.
Really depends on what you want to do...

Yo Matt- A really tough-to-answer question. 26M vs. 26X? Two similiar but different boats. Pick the layout that most fits your needs. But, beyond that, you must consider your REAL needs, ie. if this is your first sailboat, how much boat do you want to learn on? Have you had any lessons or been on any boats at all? Don't be in a hurry to part with your cash, decide what you want to do and THEN get used to being poor. For instance, do you want to race or cruise? Salt water or fresh? Live aboard or trailerable? Big family or singlehanding? All of these decisions need to be factored into the equation. How much money do you really want to spend on this? Remember, the purchase price of the boat is usually less than half the cost of the whole adventure, so if you want to get in for around $20k, figure on spending no more than half of that for the boat itself. Trust me, the accesories ain't cheap. Where are you planning to keep the boat? Marina slips can be hard to come-by, will the boat be living in your driveway? If so, get a boat that is easy to get on and off the trailer. As to whether or not a MacGregor is your best choice, you must again look at your bottom line and intended use. If you have a bunch of money to spend and want something to impress the neighbors, buy a Swan or Tayana. If you're a poor, working-class dude like me and just want to learn how to sail and have a reason to leave work early on Friday, buy a Mac and learn how to do some basic wiring. They're really not all that bad and if you can get over the big motor thing you can get an older model (26 D or S)for a real good deal and have a bunch of fun on-the-cheap. Seriously, steaks can't tell if they're being bar-b-qued on the back of a five thousand dollar boat or a five hundred thousand dollar boat, so everything else is just for posterity!! Buy a boat and go have fun...! Jeff
 
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Matthew

Answers for Jeff about 26M and 26X

Ok, to answer some of your questions. We have been looking at a water ballast boat because we live in Dallas, and do not want to focus on only one lake, we want to be able to go down to Austin (200 miles away)with the boat if we want to and stay in it for the weekend in stead of a hotel. Money is not a big deal, I don't care if I pay a million dollars if the boat is the best value. Not that we want to waste money, we just want the best value for our money. The difference between a cheap made KIA automobile or a precision manufactured Toyota or Lexus means more to me than status and or how much I pay. We plan on moving to Jacksonville, so we want a boat that we can play around in the intercoastal and St. Johns River. So we will use in both fresh and salt water. We had planned on getting a larger sail boat for our relaxing time on the water and a Chris Craft Corsair for our ski time. I just figured that having a dual purpose may be a good choice, but reading all of your comments about how the 26M is not put together well and the wiring was terrible, I questioned my ideas about the MacGregor. Swan or Tanya? Never heard of them. Are they like the MacGregor or more like the Catalina and Hunter? We want more of a hybrid sail boat that will turn into a motor cruiser if we want it to be, but does not lose the sexy lines of a sail boat. My wife and I do not have kids and by the time we have some, I will have the itch get bigger anyhow. All in all, I plan on owning this boat for only a couple of years, so I want something that has good resale value and is put together with quality and care.
 
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AndyS

Comments re: MacGregor fit and finish

It's been said a million times: "every boat is a compromise". The key is to know exactly what compromise you are making as you go into the deal. With MacGregor, you have a solid, proven hull and a lot of boat for the money. Depending on how particular you are, you may sail it away and be perfectly happy and never change a thing, or you may get into the details and want to make a bunch of "improvements" - that is something to decide as you look at boats, and you have to be realistic with yourself. For instance, in my case, I wanted the layout of the 26M and the ease of trailering of a Mac, and I was willing to accept that I'd want to re-wire it in a year or two. Here on these boards we grouse about the wiring, but remember there are a lot of folks out there sailing ten year old 26X's who have not had any big electrical problems. As far as the difference between 26X and 26M, you HAVE to look at both boats for yourself. They are very different inside. For me, I really like the way you can remove the table in the 26M and have a nice big "living room/lounge" area, but then you also can't look out the windows when you do put up the table - compromise, compromise. I also like the colors inside the 26M better, but the head area is less useable - again a compromise that I didn't mind making since I singlehand a lot and will rarely even use the head. As far as holding value - I think if you look at most 26X's on the market, you'll find that they seem to hold value very well. As far as Hunter and Catalina go, they are a little more pricey - but by the time you add all the "options" to the Mac, I don't think it is a huge difference. The difference is more in the layout and the trailerability. A close friend of mine has an older (1998 I think) Hunter 26, and his experiences with it definitely helped me choose the 26M. Compared to the Mac, the Hunter seems HUGE on it's trailer - it is wider and sits a lot higher, and by his report is very unstable on the road. I also found it significant that early this year when I asked a Hunter dealer why they never bring a 260 to their boat shows around New England, the dealer told me that "they could care less if they ever sold a 260" - basically, that dealer gave me the impression that they wanted to sell bigger boats and not be bothered with us small fries. Conversely, MacGregor only has one model to deal with and one "class" of clients. Finally, as others have already posted - think hard about what you plan to do with the boat. I live on the Narragansett Bay, so I could definitely have done with a used 30' or so, but my brother lives on Lake Champlain and my parents like to spend time on Adirondack lakes - in order to be able to enjoy my boat and family in all those places, I needed a trailerable and was ready to accept compromises to be able to do so. I've had my 26M for six weeks now, and had her out sailing 6 times, and each time I go out I am a bit more confident that I made the right choice of boat. - AndyS
 
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Ray D.

Which do I choose?

You need to remember that the Catalina and Hunter are sailboats only and the MacX or M is a powersailer. Each has both advantages and disadvantages. You might want to consider the towing weights of each boat too. The Catalina with a trailer is around 4500 pounds, so you need a larger vehicle to tow it. The Hunter weighs even more than the Catalina. The Mac weighs the least. The Hunter 260 is over 9 foot wide, too wide to tow legally without permits in many areas. If you are a do it yourselfer, the Mac allows you to install anything you want to your own quality standards, if you don't want to bother installing anything, Catalinas come with lots of extras, but for a price.
 
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Kory

Catalina and Hunter may not work for you!

Ray is right on. If you are going to tow your boat 200 miles, you will want to keep the boat under 8 feet wide. Do you have a lot of time on your hands? The traditional sailboat is slooooooow and limits you (working full time?) My wife and I like to island hop in the san Juan Islands. We sail to our destination and on Sunday afternoon we rev the motor up and dart home. We wouldn't be able to go anywhere if we had a traditional sailboat (other than a circle). The wiring for me is not a problem. We purchased our boat from a very good dealer (may have paid a little more) but we received a very well rigged boat. Remember that most of the rigging is done by the dealer. If some people report automotive connectors and parts, Thats a dealer issue. Check out your dealer carefully! You get what you pay for... if you were thinking of a Hunter 260, you should be able to get an M($33,000) fully loaded (shore power,dodger,furling,stern rail seats 70 hp motor, etc...)for thousands less than the Hunter ($40,000+ similarly equipped w/9.9 hp motor). Hunter has a starting price of 25K but even the steering wheel and trailer are options. If its your first boat you may want to buy the X or one of the older models before you pay the high price for a new boat. Many people find they don't have the time for a sailboat or find raising and lower the mast is a pain for a weekend jaunt. What ever you do, sail (setup and tear down) one first. If you choose an X or M, they are both fine boats with unique designs. GOOD LUCK!
 
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Matthew

Good Points about Hunter.

I went and looked at a Hunter today, I have to say, it felt cheap inside the hull, like I could tear the thing apart in 5 seconds flat. I am going out on a water ballast Catalina on Friday, so I will have better idea about that. I have heard that they are more sound when it comes to quality. Now I hear that the Catalina has steering problems. All in all, I have a lot of time on my hands to sail, so setup and breakdown is not a problem as long as it is productive time. You guys that own a 26M or 26X, what do you think about how it is put together. Does it feel cheap inside, like they decided to go with the cheaper version of fabric etc.? Power is good, but if I want power, I have a ski boat, now it is just a mater of do I want ski behind my sail boat or not. Why can't this be easy?
 
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George

choices, choices

Matthew, What none of us can do is tell you how you intend to use the boat. There are alot of trailerable sailboats out there. If you want to sail fast there is the Corsair which is a very towable trimaran. If you are looking for a more traditional shape there is a 30 footer coming out this year, extremely fast and at 30 feet it'll be huge and the designers say it'll be very manageable on the road (seen in the February issue of Sailing). Of course, they come with their costs. I was given information overload when I was shopping. I narrowed my search down to the MacGregors because I wanted the versatility that only they offer. I don't care if I'm the fastest, I just enjoy a great day sailing with friends and family and taking my nieces and nephews out for some fun. I figured out what I wanted and I am very happy with my choice. The boat you choose will give you the most satisfation when it can meet your desires. As it has been said before, all boats are compromises, figure out which compromises you can live with and which you can't. For me there were no compromises as the MacGregor 26M fulfills of MY desires in a boat. Sailability, power, transportability. I hope you can get a chance to actually compare all the boats. It's well worth the effort. Good luck.
 
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George

True Value?

Matthew, Just a late thought about value. Often the worth of a car is shown in how slowly it depriciates. MacGregors at six years old are selling for between $16,000 to $22,000. Their original price was somewhere around $28,000 fully loaded. A Hunter 260 six years old sells for between $16,000 to $24,000 often without a trailer and originally priced at about $38,000 fully loaded. And remember a MacGregor fully loaded has a 50 hp motor which is about $6,000 and the Hunter fully loaded has a 10 hp motor.
 
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AndyS

To answer Matthew

As a 26M owner, there are a few finish/aesthetic things that coould be better. Things like a trim ring around the inside windows, a better latch for the head door, a piece of felt cushioning here and there to quiet a rattle. But, as far as the "big" base things go - hull, deck, rigging, and how the big pieces fit together, I think she is sound and sturdy. I think the interior of the 26M, with the carpeted sides and the sand-color scheme, is "warmer" and more casual than the more stark white 26X interior - but again there is the compromise - the 26X is probably a lot easier to clean, they used to claim you could basically open a hose inside the 26X to wash down the cabin. As to feeling "cheap" - remember that this is a trailerable boat and as such, things have to be lightweight. I.e. the cabin table could be sturdier, but at a cost as far as weight and cost go, etc. - AndyS
 
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Hise-Macgregor wannabe

If only going to own it for a couple of years....

By all means buy used! Learn on an older boat that's already taken a depreciation hit, and that won't bother you to much if it gets scratched coming into dock. Just my 2 cents. Good luck on your purchase.
 
Dec 6, 2003
295
Macgregor 26D Pollock Pines, Ca.
Overall, it's hard to go wrong with a Mac...

Hey Matt- If trailerability is a main concern, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better choice than a Mac. That was one of my main concerns when I went shopping for a boat and it narrowed the field down really quick! And hey, don't let my grousing about the electrical system hamper your decision too much, after all, I'm an electrician, so what else am I gonna bitch about? ;D I'll betcha I could find something to complain about on the wiring on any boat! If money is no problem, buy the Mac and pay me to come to Texas and re-wire it for you! Seriously, the Macs are fine boats for doing what they were designed to do, and when you consider the overall picture, IMHO, they are quite likely the best deal you're gonna find in a boat this size. I don't think Macs are great because I bought one, I bought one because I think they're great!
 
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AndyS

Well said, Jeff!

You just encapsulated a lot of peoples' opinions very nicely!
 
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David

Pacific NW Mac Dealer

Kory, Can you tell me the name of the dealer you used? Thanks
 
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Kory

BWY

I used Blue Water Yachts. They are very helpful in all phases of your purchase. Even after the fact they keep in touch with us. They are also the largest volume dealer for Macgregor. They are located in Seattle down on Lake Union. One other thing. If you do chose a mac or any other trailor sailboat, Because your close to Everett, You may want to think about keeping your boat at the everett public launch area. There is locked boat storage right there. You wont have to lower or raise your mast. just something to think about. The launch facilities are great and there are 7 or 8 other mac owners who store there. It runs $75/month. Good Luck!
 
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Big Poppa

Which Boat

The main concideration as you look at these different boats is how you will use the boat and your budget. If you think you will trailer a lot the Hunter and Mac are much easier and faster to launch then the Catalina. If you are going to be in a slip or mooring and launch once a year thats not as much of a concideration. I love the room and ease of sailing of my Mac, but it took me 3 boats to figure out what really fit. I acknowlege the Catilinas are better built boats, but for my use its over kill. My Mac has always come through for me. Think about how and where you will be sailing and go try the boats.
 
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Lyndon Bethel

Macgregor movie

This movie was field on a Macgregor 26x or Mm maybe it will help you make up your mind http://homepage.mac.com/evanchaney/movies/iMovieTheater12.html
 
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