Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by Doug Tuttle

Year built	2005
Location of boat	Bohemia River, MD
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	2005
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Absolutely!
Gear that's been added	Dealer-installed: sail slugs & main halyard led aft, depth finder, companionway & hatch hand-holds. Personal additions: cruising spinnaker [with chute scoop and dedicated halyard led aft], large aftermarket bimini, running backstays, 1000W inverter, microwave, Garmin GPS, 12v pressure water to sink.
Structural or complex improvements	"Ease of sailing" modifications: 2:1 tackle on daggerboard and rudder lifting lines, mast rotation control lines to cockpit, 5:1 mainsheet upgrade, jib sheets led through cockpit track-mounted camcleats, intermediate [20%] mainsail reef points.
The boat's best features	In a word, versatility. It is a perfect compromise for the upper Chesapeake Bay, where many fixed-keel sailboats are stranded in the marina or shut out of certain tributaries at low tide and the wind typically dies late in the day. The daggerboard on the 26M can be retracted by a foot or two with only a marginal increase in leeway for shallow-water sailing [and, unlike with a swing keel or centerboard, the center of effort does not change - so handling isn't greatly affected]. When the wind dies, or a storm appears on the horizon, just fire up the 50hp outboard and head for home at 16-18 mph [the advertised 20 mph is not possible with a painted bottom]. There is more headroom in the cabin than in any other 26 footer and great natural light through the ten windows, making any time spent below far more pleasant. The raised helm seat is great, whether sailing or motoring, and rather narrow space between the cockpit seats has the benefit of providing a comfortable footrest for the crew when heeling.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	We put a few marks on the blue hull gellcoat during our first season [trailer-sailing], and are now [slipped] noticing some scuffs from the fenders. Overall, the blue hull is less practical than white would be [and it costs more], but its appearance is one of the things that attracted us to the boat originally - it "lowers" the boat visually, off-setting the unusually high freeboard.
Sailing characterisitcs	The 26M is a cruiser, not a racer; it is easy to sail, challenging to sail well. The rotating mast is a major performance advantage, greatly improving airflow along the luff, but pointing ability is directly affected by headstay tension - which typically exhibits some "sag", especially with the roller furler. Trying to eliminate the sag through increased standing rigging tension can affect the ability of the mast to rotate, so the best mod is a pair of running backstays [the 26M rig has no fixed backstay]. In any wind of much more than 12 knots, it is more comfortable - and faster - to reduce heeling by putting a 20% reef in the main [the standard reef points are closer to 40%]. Off the wind, raising the daggerboard definitely adds speed and reduces rudder pressure - you can literally steer the boat between a run and a broad reach by adjusting the depth of the board. In light air, flying the cruising spinnaker is the way to go.
Motoring characterisitcs	The ability to motor faster than a traditional sailboat was a major enticement to buying the MacGregor. Top speed observed during our first season [before bottom paint] was 19 mph with two aboard. Running into chop at WOT with the ballast tank full can be a pretty wet ride, but with the tank drained the bow rises - adding speed and exposing more bottom so that spray is deflected more horizontally. A quartering following sea calls for continual steering input, but significant wakes can be taken head-on without any drop in speed. When maneuvering at low speeds - drop the board a foot or so, raise the rudders, and the boat can be spun quite sharply.
Liveability	We daysail, so can't comment on sleeping comfort, but it has far more room below than any similar-sized trailerables. It is not a "party boat", the most we've ever had aboard is five, and six would be a maximum.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Have not dealt with the factory directly.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	We purchased from SuperSport Marine. John Gerber delivered the boat [from Nebraska] directly to our driveway, essentailly rigged - including the jib furler - and ready to sail. The "option package" items and the Nissan motor were very professionally installed.
Other comments	A lot of boat for the money, and really without peer if trailerability or shallow-water operation is a priority. Not a racer, but lots of fun.

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