Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by John Walton

Year built	2008
Location of boat	Michigan
The boat is sailed on	The Great Lakes
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	solo
Liveaboard?	Yes
Owner bought the boat in	2008
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes. I researched most cruisers and found the 26M to be a good fit. It has proven to be just what I wanted.
Gear that's been added	The package from Boats4Sail (Bill Beers) was very good. In hindsight, buying from him and getting his package that really facilitates solo sailing was the best decision I made (in spite of having to drive to Wisconsin). There are enough things to learn the hard way, that setting up the boat with him and being able to do most things from the cockpit is a must. It saved at least a year of alterations and additions. That being said, I have made a number of additions on my own. (CD/stereo; extra anchor; 50 hp outboard) Had I bought the outboard from Bill I would have saved lots more trouble, but I'm the type who wanted to save some money.
Structural or complex improvements	No. But I am intending to reinforce the trailing edge of the keel that never sees water. That is to prevent the sharp edge from digging into the pocket if grounded. (Use 1/2" pvc pipe which conforms to the keel pocket.
The boat's best features	Trailerability. Motorability. Cabin size.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	So far, so good.
Sailing characterisitcs	It's not the fastest sailer, but some of that is my problem....I expect to improve in 09. The 'high board' may turn out to be a problem in higher winds.
Motoring characterisitcs	No problems other than of my own making.
Liveability	Very comfortable.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	n.a.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	I very much recommend Boats4Sail in Wisconsin. Worth the trip. Bill Beers has been a great teacher and has been very supportive of the requests I've had. He was a godsend.
Other comments	Trailer bearings need beefing up. Mine on the right side seemed warm after a few hundred miles. The manual shows the lack of robustness in the design. I will be looking closely at these this spring. It is possible that they were set a little too tight at the factory. I've kept them greased and they seem to be settling in. But I'm taking a look anyway. Also, seems too much toungue weight....even with 50 hp motor on the back. Is there a way to reduce toungue weight? I've done everything inside of the boat that I can.

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