Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by Gary Ellis

Year built	1994
Location of boat	Utah
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	1997
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes, no doubt about it.
Gear that's been added	Among the many additions are a system of blocks that lead all lines aft to the cockpit, a jib downhaul, a system for reefing from the cockpit, sail slides for the main, a storm jib, a tiller-tamer, compass, VHF, AM/FM/CD, annual bottom paint job, sunbrella for cockpit (under anchor, golf umbrellas for sun protection when under way), hand grip to increase ease of re-boarding after swimming, vertical spar aft for lifesling and fishing rod holder, barometer and clock set, propane converter that allows use of disposable propane tanks left topsides, stanchion-mount grill, wind direction indicator, canvas cockpit cover, anemometer, "down the hatch" wind catcher, small electric fans, tiller extension (assists lounging efforts on light air days!), interior lights throughout, and others.
Structural or complex improvements	Other than leading lines aft to cockpit, none. I do dream of stern rail seats. I have become addicted to them from charter vacations. I would also like to figure out how to configure a bimini to work with this boat. A traveler would be a nice addition if I could figure out how to minimize the detrimental effects on cockpit comfort. A more substantial cleat with backing plat for anchoring would be nice.
The boat's best features	Light weight, water ballast, easy and fun to sail, easy to trailer, huge cockpit with sufficient support for aging backs, enormous sleeping area below cockpit, inexpensive, enclosed head, sufficient room for week-ending and more, swing keel and kick-up rudder allow beaching, superb visibility from cockpit, efficient floor plan below, low maintenance required, incredible amount of storage space for a boat this size, a very pretty boat.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Despite no through-hull openings, I sometimes find a small amount of water in the bilge. I assume that leaks occur around some of the deck hardware. This began before I installed the system that leads lines to the cockpit so it is apparently a factory error rather than my own. I would also prefer a more substantial trailer, with factory equipped brakes.The additional feature that I would most like would be an anchor locker forward. Stern rail seating would also be nice. Although trailering is easy once loaded, it is always quite the challenge to bring the bow completely to the roller when putting the boat on the trailer. The owner's manual acknowledges this problem and recommends using abrupt stops from slow speeds on paved surfaces to scoot the boat forward on the trailer. I have never found this to work. Next season, I intend to try another strategy: a few drops of dish soap on the trailer bunks to decrease friction.Backing plates on the cleats would be nice. The single nylon cleat forward for anchoring makes me me restless during evenings when on the hook with increasing wind. Two nylon cleats, port and starboard, for docking and a more substantial cleat (with backing plate) amidships would be nice. Oh, almost forgot. A second set of reefing points on the main would be very helpful. I find that I need them once per year or so. She does, however, sail very well on reefed main alone when the wind comes up.
Sailing characterisitcs	She is a pleasure to sail. She is fast, dry, points very well, and is comfortable on all points of sail. Downwind, it is important to note that she can round up uncontrollably 15+ knots. ' gets your attention! Rounding up from a downwind point of sail is avoidable by partially retracting the keel. Friends who own boats with fixed-keels consider her to be quite tender. Her ultimate stability is very good.
Motoring characterisitcs	She behaves very well under the bronze breeze. A motor mount is molded into the hull on the port side. In strong breezes and bare poles, I have been concerned about the possibility of heeling to starboard removing the water intake from the lake, leading to overheating or worse. I would certainly recommend that owners opt for a long shaft outboard. My 8hp Honda four stroke is otherwise a very good match.
Liveability	She is an extremely comfortable pocket cruiser.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	I managed to break the bow light while putting Lizzie Lucille on the trailer on a particularly steep ramp. Although MacGregor no longer uses the light model on my boat, a representative of the company found the name of the manufacturer and thus put me on my way to finding a new one.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
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