26M versus 26S for sailing

[mc.vanderheijden]

Hello,
I'm from the Netherlands (and not native English). I'm willing to buy a MC26 in the next few months. I've seen the promo-DVD for both the 26S (sailingboat with helm-stick) and the 26M. Those DVD's are quite similar but .... all the heavier sailingweather the 26S faced, is taken out in the 26M promo-DVD. I like sailing and not the powering.
My question: is the 26S better for sailing than the 26M in windy and wavy conditions or with what purpose the sea is less rough in the 26M promo-DVD.
Kind regards, Marinus C. Vanderheijden

[Alex]

Marinus
Please open link. I hope you can find all information
http://macgregorsailors.com/phpBB/viewt ... hlight=26s

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Ive owned a Mac 26S, 8 HP Merc out board, and this is an excellent sail boat. I dont think it has the comfort compared to my Mac 26X, and thats the main reason I sold the S and purchased the X. In addition, the "X" is more comfortable in heavier weather in my opinion because of the higher side board. (this would be comparable to the Mac M obviously).
It is interesting that the Mac S, X, and M, have been off shore, made long trips, and the write-ups Ive seen indicate that the captains of each were seemingly happy with their boats. Trips from Florida to the Bahamas are common by the North East Trailer Sailors' Club. Amazing, but true.

No one would disagree that the "S" is faster under sail, but when the X or M cranks up 50 HP or more -- its another story
The "S" is a sailboat, and the "X" and "M" are power sailers -- which makes them more fun in my personal experience.

Maybe my experiences noted above can be of a little help...

[They Theirs]

We agree with LOUIS B HOLUB…acknowledge some increased creature comfort with the larger cabin powersailor.

The “pure sailboat” hull design of the 26’S performs very well in sailing competition, day sailing, cruising, and makes hull speed motoring with a small outboard. The 26’S sails faster than it motors.

The powersailor motors three times faster powering than sailing. The motorboat hull design provides better motorboating, and offers a hybrid, marginal, sailing experience.

The High-Freeboard of the powersailor 'magnifies' the quick motion of a light, narrow water ballast design, 'decreasing motion comfort' for sailors in bumpy/rough conditions or on the hook. The powersailor 'High-Freeboard' (more windage) heels over more, makes tacking difficult, and makes the boat wonder at anchor or on a mooring in the wind.

We consider the 26’S lower center of gravity to be more comfortable in heavy weather than the motoring hull design, high-freeboard, and quick motion of a powersailor

Classic and current production



26’s

[John McDonough]

I agree 100% with Louis, I owned a 1988 mac 26d (daggerboaard).with a 10 hp motor. I owned it for 10 years and bought a 1997 26X, then I upgraded to a 2000 26X. I am still friends with the man I sold my 1988 26d too. The 26d or the 26s is without a doubt a better sailing Sailboat. It will sail circles around the 26X or 26m.

I have tried everthing to make my 26X Sail faster, but finally relized that It will never be a fast sailboat. Just a cruiser with a big motor when you need it.


Good Luck.

[TAW02]

as far as I can advise, I'd say the 26S is better for what winds might give. As well as seas too for that matter.

The 26M is a fair weather fun boat. The 26S is much like the 25M that I once owned. The older Mac seemed to have more 'Presence' in the water and would point and sail with a steadfast truity that is hard to explain. For me at least. In your 'later years', you may prefer something like the 26M for its ease of sailing protected waters and for its low maintenance features. Other than that, I might select the 26S or MAC25 for that matter.

Big T

[delevi]

We consider the 26’S lower center of gravity to be more comfortable in heavy weather than the motoring hull design, high-freeboard, and quick motion of a powersailor

I like the high freeboard. Makes me feel safer in heavy seas. Keeps the waves from washing overboard and I like the extra room in the cabin. No experience with an S or D Mac, but the M is quite stable under sail, despite the freeboard. Only exception would be sailing a broad reach in heavy winds with big quartering waves. I believe this is the boat's most difficult point of sail under such conditions. However, I understand that most sailboats experience this problem. When the Admiral and I chartered a boat in Greece this summer, we encountered 35 kts and big seas, sailing about 25 degrees off the wind. The boat behaved much like the Mac. I had to drop the main and sail under genny alone, which kept the stern from being knocked around. This was a Jeanneu Sun Oddesy 32 w/ bulb keel. Plenty of freeboard in that puppy.

Leon

[They Theirs]

Delevi wrote:
I like the high freeboard. Makes me feel safer in heavy seas. Keeps the waves from washing overboard and I like the extra room in the cabin. No experience with an S or D Mac, but the M is quite stable under sail, despite the freeboard. Only exception would be sailing a broad reach in heavy winds with big quartering waves. I believe this is the boat's most difficult point of sail under such conditions. However, I understand that most sailboats experience this problem. When the Admiral and I chartered a boat in Greece this summer, we encountered 35 kts and big seas, sailing about 25 degrees off the wind. The boat behaved much like the Mac. I had to drop the main and sail under genny alone, which kept the stern from being knocked around.
This was a Jeanneu Sun Oddesy 32 w/ bulb keel. Plenty of freeboard in that puppy.

The Jeanneu Sun Oddesy at 32’ has 24% greater length, and a 39% greater beam.
The “M” "HIGH"freeboard/narrow beam with its daggerboard & water-ballast can hardly compare with 11 feet of beam,
and a lead bulb keel sailboat having more than 5 times the displacement.

Freeboard, within reason, is to be desired.
However, excess freeboard provides windage, weight, and vulnerable structure up high... structure that cannot be reefed when the weather kicks up.


Until the 1960s and 1970s, free-board—the height of a boat’s deck edge above the waterline—was comparatively low on sailing yachts but often substantially higher on powerboats. Low free-board didn’t help a sailboat’s accommodation space, which was already constricted by narrow beam, but it certainly added to a boat’s looks. Sailboats from that era are still greatly admired for their pretty sheerlines and graceful overhangs. Production cruising sailboats added freeboard to help reduce the height of ugly deckhouses needed to satisfy the new demand for standing headroom in small boats. Because most production sailboats today are fin-keeled and flat-bilged, their cabin soles are not as deep as in a traditional sailboat. In the search for headroom, the only place to go is up. Freeboard creates windage, so the more freeboard you have, the poorer your performance to wind-ward. In a storm, high freeboard also gives a breaking wave a bigger target. It is difficult to know the truth. Freeboard is far from the only factor contributing to a large range of stability; it may not even be the major factor. And there were no protests in the old days about lower freeboard making boats less safe. So it seems quite possible that modern designers are putting the best face on a feature that exists primarily for creature comfort and has little to do with seaworthiness. On the other hand, high topsides expose a larger surface to the energy of a breaking wave and also move a boat’s center of gravity higher, especially when combined with a high superstructure. In heavy weather, a high center of gravity is the last thing you want. Consider, too, the windage of high topsides and superstructures, which will make a boat harder to handle in high wind.

[beene]

I like the high freeboard. Makes me feel safer in heavy seas. Keeps the waves from washing overboard and I like the extra room in the cabin.

I concur Leon.

I have sailed a T22 many times. Very fast boat, exceptional sailing ability IMO, but I never liked how little free board it had, especially around the cockpit. My 565 has as much more family safe hight above water. With the M, I like it even better... that is until I am trying to return to the slip in 40kt++ xwinds surrounded by other far more expensive toys than my Mac.

G

[They Theirs]

The Macgregor 26, which was made from 87 to 95, is a fine sailing boat. It is the fastest boat that Macgregor has built. (Not counting the catamaran or the 65.) Even though it is a trailerable boat with water ballast, the M26 is faster than most of the boats in its size range.

Whale's Home Page

Lessons About Living for Wind

[ronacarme]

Based on 1988-2000 with a 1988 D, and 2001 to present wth a 2001 X, I agree with the S,D vs X,M comments above. However, my X as always run a 9.9 4stroke (Evinrude first and for the last 2 seasons a Honda), so we knowingly gave up faster sailing for better cabin layout and headroom. A pleasant surprise of the X was its that its rather stiff steering allows it, with CB/sailplan balanced, to self steer upwind or even beam reaching, sometimes for as long as a half hour at a time. On the other hand, at very low wind/boat speeds, the narrow foils of the X stall easily and may leave us drifting slowly sideways or backwards rather than sailing forward. Also, our OB on the X is extra long shaft and keeps pushing the boat in hi waves even with crew on the bow for a headsail change.....unlike the old 8 hp long shaft on the D. ....Ron

[richandlori]

Oh No....


Now it's not just a M vs X debate...but we are throwing in S and D!

[Catigale]

Add some blue paint and we'll make the election season look tame by comparison.....

[They Theirs]

ronacarme
nice comparison

Click Here

[beene]

How else can you throw a wake like this....





G