Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26X by Robert Boan

Year built	2001
Location of boat	Miami, Florida
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
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	2001
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes, after a lot of research this became the perfect boat for my family. The non sailors in the family appreciated "getting there fast" when we had to and I enjoyed the peace and tranquility of sailing when I wanted to.
Gear that's been added	roller furling jib, cruising spinnaker with chute, portable A/C, Portable generator, wood on floor as well as on all doors in head and galley, dual battery, dual 9 gal gas tanks, bimini top, interior curtains, three 12 volt outlets, boom vang, hatch adjuster, hatch and companionway bug screens, sunbrella hatch cover, dual anchors, solar trickle charger, T.V. VCR combo.
Structural or complex improvements	None other than attaching a turnbuckle to the backstay in place of the plates that came from the factory. Also installed a lever on the forward hatch to allow me to leave open.
The boat's best features	The ability to get out of the way of a storm or get to a destination very fast under power. The kids love it because we can tow one of the inflatables like ski bob or a ring and pull them. The ability to be beached is also great. It allows me to sail in places I never could before. I never have to check tide charts nor worry about running aground.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Nothing has broken but the trailer is showing a lot of rust and deterioration after only 2 years.Raising the mast was not very easy until I replaced the plate attachment on the backstay with a turnbuckle. This allowed me to give it a lot of slack in order to make attaching the forestay easier. The rig could then be tightened very easily.The boat moves around at anchor a lot more than the other boats around it.
Sailing characterisitcs	Certainly not the best but I feel it's adequate. It does move in a breeze but I doubt it will win many races. It doesn't point very well. I will , however give up a little here to gain the other things this boat can do.
Motoring characterisitcs	Unbelievable. I get looks everywhere I go. At slow speeds you must use the rudders to gain control. I cruise at 15 mph with a lot of gear and 4 persons on board.
Liveability	Very nice for our family of 4 for a weekend.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Good. I had to order replacement spreaders as mine broke. (It was my fault. I laid the mast on the ground fo an extended period of time and the spreaders carried the weight all that time.) Macgregor sent me the parts and kept me informed of its delivery date.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	My dealer in Miami used to be a strictly sailboat dealer several years ago. Now they almost exclusively sell motor boats with the exception of the Mac. I wish they were still mainly into sailing. The advice they gave me on the engine was great, however, the technicians who delivered the boat could not offer much help in the way of sailing tips.
Other comments	You cannot beat this boat for the money. We have added wood, wall paper and curtains to the interior and it looks like a more expensive boat.

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