We struggled for about a year and half trying to find a similar rain leak in our 2002 26X. It turned out that it was rain getting into the rub rail, which acted as a perfect conduit to channel the water back to the very end of the rub rail at the stern. I pried off the plastic cap over the end of th...

I second the Wallas 800. It may seem expensive, but we have found ours to be very much worth it because it doubles as an excellent cabin heater with its own internal fan in the lid. It has heated our 26X very well during cold nights in the San Juans, the Canadian Gulf Islands, and our own native wat...

I'm glad this will prove useful to some folks. The key was to stop thinking that the mount had to go on the "bottom" (topmost when folded up) rung of the ladder, and realize that it would actually work better mounted on a vertical rail of the ladder, allowing it to be swung out 90 degrees....

I posted a simple mod ( linked here ) that allows a small outboard (such as our Honda 2hp) to be carried on the swim ladder of a 26X. It's on the mod page, if anyone is interested. The solution worked well on our recent two-week cruise in the San Juan islands. [mod] ModEdit: Moving to Modifications ...

I would agree with all that is said above, except to be cautious about having the centerboard down all the way when there is a strong current. We sail in the Columbia River where currents can be very strong. We learned this the hard way during our first Spring docking (when the river current is stro...

Rick's version: I was raised around sailboats in Puget Sound, and hoped to own one since my youth. Over a period of 17 years, my wife and I sailed occasionally with some friends who own an Ericson 27. Off and on, we contemplated buying a boat of our own. Living in Portland, Oregon however, we felt t...

Yep, it's that front hatch lip alright. I sanded the lip extensively (though I didn't take a quarter-inch off like Duane did), and found that it helped for a while. However, we found that the hatch was wearing right through the gelcoat on the cabin top under the rails, which eventually would lower t...

We have a 168, which is the predecessor of the 178. We like it very much, so I expect the 178 will be at least as good if not better.

Since this topic has been dredged up again, and since I see my post in it from a year ago about Easy-On bottom wax, I figure it's about time I followed up with my long-term evaluation of the product. Basically: Don't buy it. Sorry Duane, I hope it doesn't cause too much trouble for you. It seemed to...

There are many variables to consider, of course. For any low speed maneuvering you will want the rudders down. The Mac is difficult to control under engine thrust alone. Putting the centerboard all the way down will allow it pivot in a very small radius. If that's not practical, a small amount of ce...

Here in Portland, Oregon, we have a Boater's World and a West Marine close to our house. We purchase from both. Boater's World prices are almost always lower, but West Marine has a larger selection and more often has the item in stock. I sometimes compare West Marine to the legendary Powell's Bookst...

Please note that the forward window shape can vary depending on the model year of the boat. I have seen earlier Macs with forward windows that are basically square or slightly rectangular, but with rounded corners. Later boats often have windows that are "swept" toward the outside, as a pr...

Moe--

Our boat is hull 5157! We took delivery in August of 2002. I know many others were produced after ours. Not sure just how many, though.

Sounds like you guys have discussed this issue pretty thoroughly, but for what it's worth I thought I'd throw in the advice Blue Water Yachts in Seattle gave to us when we purchased our 2002 X, and what our experience has been since then. Blue Water says that if the boat will be kept in the water ye...

Good points, Dave. I'll certainly consider them. I don't think there is a diver near our marina, and I've never seen one working there, but then again I haven't asked. Apart from the points you raised, we would also have to find out whether marina management would even let us use such a thing. Also,...