Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by Craig

Year built	2005
Location of boat	Spain
The boat is sailed on	Open ocean
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2005
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes,she's a great versatile boat that offers great options on sailing or powering. I have towed the kids with a tube and the Mac behaves well. All my sailing so far, has been on the Med with light winds in the morning and a heavier in the afternoon.She sails well in both conditions.I was caught out in a 25knot wind and motored back through the chop.No problems.
Gear that's been added	A few electronic and mechanical sensors(gps,depth, wind and tilt)
Structural or complex improvements	No
The boat's best features	Sailing ability.She sails as well as any boat costing double the price I have sailed on. The kids love powering more than sailing though. Good interior for short stays.All maintance can be carried out by the owner which saves a lot on repair bills.There are plenty of helpful owners out there willing to help with problems.There is nothing complicated about the boat regarding hardware and design.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	I feel that a more detailed owners manual should be supplied,regarding the handling characteristics of the boat, especially for novices.It took me a few hairy incidents to learn how she handles going onto the berth at low power and at close quarters.I now have it down to scratch. Both rudders and daggerboard fully down and she turns on a dime at low speed.Get your rigging set up correctly and you won't be disappointed.
Sailing characterisitcs	In low winds get the sails baggy.
Motoring characterisitcs	Motors well with a 50 Etec and the right prop.I have not used her without the ballast and still manage to give the kids excitement on the tube.I have thrown the boat about under power and full ballast and recovers well.
Liveability	OK for short stays
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	I bought the boat from Macgregor UK.Good service from them.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	The 26M is a practical fun boat that can be used for serious sailing without the major costs involved. I bought the boat off the London boat show after doing my homework on small sail boats.No regrets.

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