Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by Jim Brewster

Year built	2004
Location of boat	Lake Perry, Kansas
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
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, without a doubt.
Gear that's been added	Shore power (two circuits each with ground fault interrupters and an additional outlet), ICOM vhf radio, extra cushions, porta potty, Kenyon butane stove, anchor setup, mods to keep the fuel tanks in place when heeling, topping lift (I believe and absolute necessity) added by my dealer.
Structural or complex improvements	Shore power wiring.
The boat's best features	Cost, beauty, simplicity, ease of operation.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The inability to determine the exact position of the rudders and the motor with out leaning way back is frustrating. The steering is beginning to develop a little play. I would like an alternative helmsman's seat that is at the same level as the rest of the cockpit seats. I like to sail from the side rather than on the raised seat which could use a seatbelt and quick release for comfort.
Sailing characterisitcs	My wife and I were both novices when we opted to take up sailing last summer. It was October before we got our MacGregor into the water for a month as winter was fast arriving. At 67 my wife manages the mast raising apparatus by herself with out a problem and makes a great crew. We ordered a jib with the boat which seemed the thing to do; next year perhaps a genoa. I believe it is very easy to learn to sail the 26M effectively. I have never experienced a knockdown, but apparently that is not a great concern to those who have. I installed a 9.9 HP Mercury 4-stroke Bigfoot which is more than adequate for motoring in and out of our Marina and cruising around the lake when the wind is quiet - not too common in Kansas. There should be a molded in lip to retain the fuel tanks under the cockpit seats when the boat heels. This is easily corrected by the owner with a 1"x1"x16" inch or so strip of teak screwed to the edege of the tank area.
Motoring characterisitcs	We first motored around our lake for two+ hours to break in the motor. Now, we seldom motor faster than 5 mph and always keep the water ballast tank full. We have two 3+ gallon fuel tanks and they seem to last forever. We learned to sail according the owner's instruction manual furnished by the factory and kept the motor running at a walk for the first few times under sail. We have motored in winds of more that 20 knots with no problem whatsoever.
Liveability	We have yet to spend the night on our boat, but plan to do so soon and frequently, beginning in its slip. The head is impossible for me to use in any normal fashion, so I transferred the plastic urinal from my airplane to the boat.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Fine. My only complaint is that there do not appear to be any drawings or specifications available to the buyer showing how the boat is put together to help in finding voids for running wiring and behind panel clearances for screwing down accessories, etc.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Mine was just fine.
Other comments

Contact
About
Terms of Use