Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 26M by Edward Botwinik

Year built	2010
Location of boat	Augusta GA
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2010
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	I would definately buy a 26M again. This boat has a combination of traits that doesn't exist anywhere else.
Gear that's been added	I had ordered the factory furler, and I added a Garmin chartplotter/depthfinder. I also orderd it with the upgraded trailer. Otherwise I was happy with the factory's base configuration.
Structural or complex improvements	After sailing a bit, I decided to replace the standing rigging. I now have turnbuckles replacing the original shroud adjusters which I feel allow for better adjustments. I also swapped out the factory furler for a harken furler. The factory furler had no internal turnbuckle adjustment, when I called my dealer about tightening up the headstay I was told to use the shroud adjusters to rake the mast back. I wasn't happy with that answer, which prompted my upgade to turnbuckles.
The boat's best features	The best features are the retractable daggerboard and kick up rudders. This has allowed me to explore shallow rivers and land on the beach to camp out while the tide was out. With all boards up I have a draft of 12 inches. Another wonderful feature is the rotating mast which allows her to point better upwind than she actually should.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The only areas I had issues have been the shroud adjusters which I replaced with turnbuckles. With the shroud adjusters you must be very careful not to bend them. The only other weak point I've found is the latch used on the forward hatch, but cheap to replace with basic hardware. Overall I've been impressed with the strength and quality ( The hull strength on mine has been inadvertantly put to the test a couple of times ).
Sailing characterisitcs	She points surprising well upwind, something I wasn't expecting based on the opinions I'd heard of the boat. The rotating mast seems to be a major contributor to this. Performs well overall sailing, and I've sailed right past supposedly 'faster' boats with my prop up and out of the water.
Motoring characterisitcs	I have a 60HP Yamaha High Thrust with a 14 inch prop. This has allowed me top speeds of around 22 mph under motor. I suspect I could get just a bit better with fewer people or lesser load on board. My family loves the ability to tow the tube around.
Liveability	I wouldn't want to live on this boat long term, but its perfect for short trips up to about a week. It has little storage as most of the interior is dedicated to living space. The head is smaller than I'd think comfortable for everyday use. It lacks any fresh water tankage other than hand carried 5 gallon bladders you can swap out.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
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