Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26S by Tony Green

Year built	1990
Location of boat	Lake Pepin, MN
The boat is sailed on	Rivers
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2004
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes. Most definitely. It is a great starter boat with enough speed and sailing ability to keep the experienced sailor interested.
Gear that's been added	Cabin lights, storage bins, lazarette vent, transom protector in outboard well, new anchor light, hatch screen.
Structural or complex improvements	Nothing major. Previous owner added most upgrades I was looking for.
The boat's best features	Affordability, value, ease of use, water ballast, beachability, storage, trailerability. This is a lot of boat for the money. They are lighweight but strong where they need to be. Maintenance is minimal, although they are pretty bare to begin with. Our kids loved to beach the boat and the shallow draft expands sailing grounds significantly. Water ballast is a snap and we found it to be idiot-proof. Cockpit and cabin are roomy for a 26-footer. Queen-sized berth aft is glorious. Stern lazarette is huge and interior storage is generous. Enclosed head is a big plus.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Excessive play in the rudder was my biggest complaint and complicated upwind sailing in a stiff breeze. Many guys go with the IdaSailor aftermarket rudders for this reason.The centerboard jammed in the trunk occasionally, but we always were able to shake it loose.
Sailing characterisitcs	Overall it's a good sailing vessel and pretty fast. There is excessive weather helm in 15+ winds and lots of slop in the rudder/tiller that makes higher winds more challenging. You need to reef or drop the mainsail early in a good breeze to keep the boat balanced. We sailed under 150% genoa jib only on many occasions. We had a spinnaker but never used it--the genoa on a whisker pole was plenty of sail running downwind.Centerboard is useful to tweak boat balance and was an effective poor man's depth sounder.
Motoring characterisitcs	She motored without difficulty in forward and reverse. Our Mercury 9.9 HP 2-stroke, electric start, long shaft easily got her to hull speed (6-7 knots) at 1/2 to 2/3 throttle). Long shaft is recommended and electric start and alternator were nice to have. The motor well design prohibits turning the outboard much, and we kept a gas can in there too, further limiting rotation and tilt, but the rudder only was usually enough.Lots of owners complain about poor handling of Macs under power, but we never had much trouble. Plan ahead, act decisively, keep steerageway on, use dock lines liberally and you'll be okay.
Liveability	There was plenty of room for our family of four, although we never spent more than a weekend aboard. A couple could go much longer. The pop-top and enclosure are the only way to get standing headroom. Duckwalking up to the head and V-berth gets old. Interior lockers and cooler are all under cushions. The galley is awkward--you have to sit sideways next to the stove and sink. Overall it's a good design in the world of sailboat compromises. We were always comfortable below decks.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Never had to contact them, except in 1990 for a brochure and video.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	We bought the boat through Hooper's Yachts in Afton, MN. They were very knowledgeable and easy to work with.
Other comments	Don't listen to MacGregor's critics. These boats are plenty tough for what most of us will ever dish out. They just don't fail like the naysayers predict. We never had anything break and never once felt unsafe in this boat. We would definitely buy another.

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