Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by Jim Connors

Year built	2011
Location of boat	Spring City, TN
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	less than 10 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2011
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	The main reason for my purchase was that my fiancee had just had knee replacement surgery. To sail on my old Helms 24 we had to take a dinghy out to a mooring I had set about 100 yards from the dock. But it was very difficult for her to get onboard from the dinghy. With the Mac 26M we can tie up at our dock, even though the water depth is only about 2 1/2 ft.
Gear that's been added	I had my dealer Bill Beers add his own custom package which he lists as "Lines led aft." This has been a great addition, allowing me to operate everything from the cockpit. What really sold me was being able to raise and lower the jib from the cockpit. On my old boat, dropping the jib was a huge evolution, but now we can do it single handed, no muss, no fuss. BTW, I would definitely recommend Bill Beers at BOATS 4 SAIL. I was given his name by another customer on my lake who was very pleased with all facets of the purchase. So when I called Bill, he did everything in the world possible to make the purchase a pleasant event. ANd since the purchase he has continued to show his support by sending me a few items that I needed, as well as providing a few things for my old boat to help me sell it. I just purchased a bimini from Softopper but haven't installed that yet.
Structural or complex improvements	no
The boat's best features	Shallow draft with the daggerboard raised, ease of raising and lowering the mast, and ease of launching and trailering the boat all make this a snap compared to my deep draft Helms 24. It is a real joy to bring my boat to the dock instead of having to leave it out at the mooring buoy.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	I dislike the lack of turnbuckles on the standing rigging. I could tune my Helms precisely, but I can't do that well tuning the Mac 26M. The calipers or whatever they are called on the shrouds are terrible for adjusting, especially once in the water where you are apt to drop parts and lose them in the lake.
Sailing characterisitcs	Although my new Mac heels a lot more than my old Helms, it also points a lot higher into the wind, which surprised me. So in strong winds that tend to heel it over, I just point right up to a soft luff. That takes care of the heel and also allows us to point closer to our intended course. I have not been able to establish a solid "heave to" set up yet in the Mac, but am still working at that.
Motoring characterisitcs	Motors nicely with my Nissan 9.8hp. I plan to install a 60hp later, but haven't chosen the motor yet. I am waiting to hear how folks install various OBs before making my final choice, particularly which prop provides the best speed.
Liveability	Nice. Per suggestion of Bill Beers, I put an old queen size sleep sofa cushion in the aft sleeping area, and it fits nicely. There isn't as much hidden stowage aboard as with my older boat, but there is a lot more living space, which is a good trade-off. Looking forward to cooler weather so we can start making some overnight or long weekend trips aboard.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	N/A
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	See comments above. I would highly recommend Bill Beers at Boats 4 Sail. I was pleased with his great prices, with his "Lines-Led-Aft" package, and with his concern for making sure the customer got what he needed to have a great sailboat, but without breaking the bank. And on top of all that, he has a great sense of humor, and his location is fun to visit. He also provided me with numerous extra parts, a mooring bouy, a kite, and even some Hawaiin shirts. What more could you ask for?
Other comments	I haven't had a chance to do all that I had planned to with my new boat. Family medical problems have taken away most of the summer. But I do look forward to using it often in the cooler part of the year. I do wish their water tank had a better configuration, but understand the need to keep prices low.

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