Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by Rod Hinerman

Year built	2005
Location of boat	Western NY
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	solo
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2005
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes. Have watched the design progression of the MacGregors over the past years, and got really interested in them when 26X came out. Then saw the26M at Annapolis show, went back two more times tolook it over, and decided it would be a good fit for way I wanted to use the boat. (Lots of dockside socializing, day sailing, weekending, and one or two trailering trips per year.)
Gear that's been added	Bimini, mast raising system, VHF, AM/FM/Cassette/ speakers, extra cabin light, cabin and cockpit 12V receptacles. Installed propane 2 burner camp stove, placed propane bottles in sink area, covered over sink area (and work space to right of sink) with laminate flooring, to give additional counter-top space. Would rather do dishes in bucket in cockpit, than mess with the sink, and water system. Removed water bag and sink drain, to make additional space under galley for cookware/dishes, etc. Built screened, slide in companionway hatch.
Structural or complex improvements	No
The boat's best features	For my money, the interior roominess would be #1.Dining and bench seating high enough off floor, and upholstered enough to offer much more comfortable seating than the two previous 22 footers I sailed. Being raised somewhat, also offers better storage space beneath seats. The space available in rear berth is great! V Berth for me, would be a bit short on length. Sliding galley can be moved to create 3 different seating arrangements on port side. Galley is high enough to offer stand-up cooking which is a real bonus.With additional countertop work space and table, putting meals together is a snap.Mast raising system is the nuts! Retrieving boat to trailer is easier than my C-22, and about same as my O'Day 22 was.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	One portlight was cracked across corner, through the screw hole. Looked as if that screw had perhaps been torqued a little too much creating astress crack. Contacted dealer, who sent a new window lens, interior frame, and tube of caulk to make the fix.
Sailing characterisitcs	Some initial tenderness, but stiffens up when sails start to lift the water ballast. I think a lot of the "tippiness" that people mention on the26M's comes from the fact you sit higher off the water than many boats, and describe a larger arcas the boat begins to heel. I felt uncomfortable with it my first sail, but this goes away with more time under sail on the boat. Lord knows, the two 22 footers spent enough time sailing on their ears!
Motoring characterisitcs	Having been a sailor so long, didn't feel the "need for speed" and installed a Yamaha 8HP 4 stroke, high torque outboard with electric start and alternator. Love the high, forward looking helm seat and wheel, for comfortable motoring. By GPS, does 6.5 mph at about half throttle, and 7 mph full throttle with water ballast. Haven't yet tried it unballasted to see if it will kick up a notch. As others have mentioned, high freeboard catches the wind and some daggerboard is advised when docking, or slow speed motoring, to keep the boat from bow steering.
Liveability	After using 22 footers for 25 years, the 26M is like moving up to a 27 or 28 footer for interior space. Makes a great weekender (or more) on the water, and acts as a handy camper on the road as well.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Haven't dealt with them directly.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Bought from Boats4Sail in Wisconsin. Will echo what others have said about Bill Beers of Boats4Sail, the guy is dead nuts honest, his prices are right, he stands behind his sales, and he's very informative and helpful. When I picked up the boat, he went through rigging process with me to mast raising/lowering steps, and then we secured it all for trailering. This saved me a bunch of time when I got home, by not having to gothrough the manual and the rigging protocol.
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