macgregor handling in choppy sea

[amberg11]

i don't have a mac yet,and would like to know what they're like in choppy seas, strong winds,

[40Toes]

It is a lightweight boat with a high freeboard - it handles pretty much as you would expect a boat with those characteristics to handle. Your comfort level in those conditions will depend on your boating experience.

Rod

[Divecoz]

I found it handled better than I expected.. or was lead to believe it would. What are you expecting from a boat, you can tow with a mid size SUV?
If your hoping for a Passage Maker /Blue Water Sailor ? You'll be very disappointed. If on the other hand for whatever reason, you want to be able to move it from location to location at 60MPH and not have to pay for a crane or rent a custom trailer to launch it or have to pay for winter storage.
It may interest you.
My Turn.. Why are you looking At MacGregors? Why are you looking at Trailer sailors?

[puggsy]

I had cause to motor SEAHORSE [ no longer mine] downriver after my little bingle...into the teeth of a 30 knot seabreeze...and she handled it fine...the high sides of the hull did not overpower the Suzuki 50 h.p. even when angle of attack changed on the river bends...

[Boblee]

I find the Mac to be ok in rough seas and high winds providing ballast is in and you keep a patch of sail up but the wife finds anything more than a ripple uncomfortable and even the thought of a sail going up causes problems?
I used to get a bit nervous but after this year with just a mate in some fairly trying conditions found that the nervousness was mainly trying to not upset the missus, especially when he was stretched out sleepimg when she would have been hanging on and glaring .
Guess what I am saying is that whether you feel challenged by the Macs handling will depend on you but can say I have NEVER in almost six years felt threatened and we have seen some situations where it would not be recommended to take a little trailer sailer .
Where the Mac is or can be very uncomfortable is at anchor especially when the wind (or current) puts it broadside to big waves or swell but this can be helped by using a bridle so that it pitches instead of rolling.

[seahouse]

Welcome Amberg11 !

If you haven't seen this video yet, it might help answer your question.

http://www.macgregor26.com/index/gale_2_min.htm

Regards - Brian.

[Divecoz]

Hummm Amber11 where are you??

[amberg11]

I found it handled better than I expected.. or was lead to believe it would. What are you expecting from a boat, you can tow with a mid size SUV?
If your hoping for a Passage Maker /Blue Water Sailor ? You'll be very disappointed. If on the other hand for whatever reason, you want to be able to move it from location to location at 60MPH and not have to pay for a crane or rent a custom trailer to launch it or have to pay for winter storage.
It may interest you.
My Turn.. Why are you looking At MacGregors? Why are you looking at Trailer sailors?

I have a small trailer sailer at the moment, the best was a bruce Roberts 18 footer I have had a bilge keeler but slipping fee were to much so the MacGregor 26 will be my next boat I live in Brisbane Australia were MacGregors cost around fifty to sixty thousand secondhand not a cheap boat.
PS we sail all year round in Queensland

[amberg11]

I find the Mac to be ok in rough seas and high winds providing ballast is in and you keep a patch of sail up but the wife finds anything more than a ripple uncomfortable and even the thought of a sail going up causes problems?
I used to get a bit nervous but after this year with just a mate in some fairly trying conditions found that the nervousness was mainly trying to not upset the missus, especially when he was stretched out sleepimg when she would have been hanging on and glaring .
Guess what I am saying is that whether you feel challenged by the Macs handling will depend on you but can say I have NEVER in almost six years felt threatened and we have seen some situations where it would not be recommended to take a little trailer sailer .
Where the Mac is or can be very uncomfortable is at anchor especially when the wind (or current) puts it broadside to big waves or swell but this can be helped by using a bridle so that it pitches instead of rolling.

thanks mate! that's just what i was wanting to here.

[Andrey-314]

Actually a lot depends on sea wave length. Here some pictures of sailing in 20 knots wind (30 in some gusts) on a 40nm passage with genoa only and favorable
stern wind direction. Short high waves give a lot of fears but the boat is steady on course and moving fast. Sailing by the wind in such conditions is another story...

[magnetic]

Today I completed a 50 mile solo coastal passage from Aberdeen (Hong Kong) to Tai Po (New Territories); this stretch is open to the South China Sea, F5 and swells in excess of 12ft (some cresting waves off of the headlands). Visibility below 2000 metres and 2 major shipping lanes to transit (East Lamma Channel and Taithong Traffic Separation Zone).

In brief, despite half daggerboard and both rudders down, the handles like a pig in these conditions, but remains safe. Constant fighting with the ridiculously small and overweighted wheel, incessant wandering in gusts despite having around 75kg extra in the bows, but solid as a rock both fore & aft and side to side (if you are sensible). The passage was completed under power at 4.5kts in a little over 10 hours; the Honda 50 was chugging at around 2,750 rpm on its 11.625 x 10 prop and has consumed significantly less than one 12 gallon tank, despite the lumpy seas and the headwind.

I motorsailed the final downwind leg, but the majority of it was head into wind-on-tide; the boat coped very, very adequately indeed, though one set of overfalls did get me thinking.... I think today falls squarely into the "don't try this at home" category. The hull appears robust and surprisingly solid, and if anything is going to fail on these boats in harsh conditions it will probably be either the toy steering or the inadequate rig. It is taking time, but slowly every nasty cheap piece of original kit is being replaced with a proper item, and the improvements in comfort, handling and performance are both tangible and incremental.

ON EDIT - forgot to mention that all attempts to "tame" the wheel with a bungee cord (tied off from 2 spokes via a pad eye on the cockpit sole) proved entirely futile - sure, the engine and rudder remained "dead ahead" or what have you, but once the bow lifted and decided to point in a different direction, the rest of the boat just followed it, and the tied-down wheel had no means of either detecting or compensating for it. I also sense that an Autopilot would have flattened the house batteries in a matter of minutes, as it would have been in constant operation and the loads required to move the wheel were frequently excessive (especially when both the engine and the rudders were in the water at the same time). My conclusion is either that a) You don't try to solo a Mac (which is untenable in my particular circumstances) or b) you keep hold of that tiny wheel 24/7, or put the boat into neutral before going forwards to do anything and just accept the pirouettes which will inevitably follow

Morwenna is now in her new home in Tolo Harbour, which I think is one of the most spectacularly scenic locations in the World



http://www.360cities.net/image/tai-mei- ... -9.27,40.0

[Divecoz]

Magnetic.."Honda 50 was chugging at around 2,750 rpm on its 11.25 x 10 prop "
I would call this...... driver error... Wrong motor...for sure wrong prop...
But you made it.. You made it on a boat that is really designed for Lakes , Small Lakes and Coastal Cruising..... in sight of land.. says a lot for these little boats.
No doubt a lot of tenacity and perseverance on your part as well Good Job ...

[Paul S]

i don't have a mac yet,and would like to know what they're like in choppy seas, strong winds,

Quite well.. as you should be on a mooring or slip in those conditions

It handles like an empty bleach bottle. Actually it handles better than expected, but not super comfortable. Reef it right, sail/motor it right it is acceptable. You will be fighting it in most rough conditions. With the light weight and high freeboard, it is what it is. The boat can take it. It is built well (well enoguh that is!). The weak spot seems to be the steering rack. Ours (and many others) have had it fail...usually at the wrong time! If you buy used, you might want to replace the steering rack right off. If you can get the rudders parallel, it will sail a lot better too. Add another knot of speed if you buy the faster blue hull!!

It IS a compromise boat.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

i don't have a mac yet,and would like to know what they're like in choppy seas, strong winds,

I and my crew are "fair weather" sailors, but we've been out with 20 knot winds...using only the Jib (nearly half furled). The boat handled the "swells" fine. I noticed that the full ballast will steady a Mac well in these conditions, the Mac seems to "Plow Thru" well. HOWEVER, we've never been in winds greater than 20 knots, and have never put up all the canvas in these wind conditions.

Personally...if you're considering a MacGregor boat, I dont think you'll be disappointed...there's more to this boat than it's abilities to handle rough seas. Some have made the crossing...Florida to the Bahamas. But, in my opinion...this is a fine "protected-waters" craft...with lots of versalitiy for FAMILY ENJOYMENT. We havent been disappointed. This solid boat is a KEEPER for a life time of family fun, and it wont bankrupt a budget.

The older Classics, (I previously owned a 92 Mac 26-S), have great affordable used prices, handles up to 8 h.p. outboards,
Then, there's the later models, 26-X, which can be found at a good price, used, (handles a 50 hp engine well)
Then, there's the late models, 26-M, and these are really nice looking boats...of course, much pricier.

You're in the correct web site, and Forum, to learn everything there is concering a MacGregor family-sail-boat...Dont fail to get the "FREE" Factory DVD...it's very informative.

Good luck...from a satisfied MacGregor owner.

[magnetic]

I would call this...... driver error... Wrong motor...for sure wrong prop...
But you made it.

My views on the fuel injected Honda BF50 and its viability in Hong Kong have been recorded elsewhere e.g. http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... il#p194760 & http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 00#p200493, but it is a standard option for 2008 and the 11 5/8 x 10 prop has given me up to 16.7 kts WOT (now down to around 13.1 kts due to a very dirty bottom and additional weight). http://www.castlemarine.co.uk/pitch.htm

What are you trying to say by "driver error"? I'm not going to recite my qualifications & experience for the sake of it, but it was a properly planned and well executed trip, passage plan filed with the Hong Kong Marine Department (Coast Guard) and it went off on schedule to a tee. I have been out in far worse conditions in my previous Beneteau Oceanis 343 which - being a larger, heavier and altogether better boat - handled much better than the . However, it cost 3 times as much, couldn't be trailered and didn't really get up on the plane as easily

You made it on a boat that is really designed for Lakes , Small Lakes and Coastal Cruising..... in sight of land..

As explained in the first line of my previous post, this was a Coastal passage, within 3nm of land (poor visibility notwithstanding), and you appear uncertain whether the lakes should be large or small. There are many people who use Mac's at sea, and many of the US and Canadian lakes are quite capable of throwing up sea-like conditions. The Mac can handle them, if not subjected to "driver error", but its not necessarily a fun experience. Today's voyage was a necessity due to relocation to a new mooring; to be honest, I have far better ways of spending my time than soloing in F5 seas just to prove my manliness.