MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ETEC

[jschrade]

My feeling is that the Macgregor is a much better sailboat than it is a motorboat. In fact, it really stinks as a motorboat.

If motoring is your thing, I would suggest looking at motorboats. Cranking up the horsepower on this boat is not only dangerous but fails to achieve what you could get in a motorboat. It simply won't fix the itch, so save yourself the money and headache and go look at a SeaRay! You'll get well beyond 24mph!



Jim

[Russ]

Also, the MAIN selling point of this boat is it's dual purpose. I mean that DVD from MacGregor makes it clear and unambiguous, this boat is made to motor fast AND sail.

You don't suppose MacGregor was practicing some creative marketing do you?

The biggest criticism of the Mac is as a motorboat it stinks and as a sailboat it stinks. There is no utopia. It's a compromise boat with a huge cabin for a 25.9' boat.
I agree that if you want a fast motorboat, buy a SeaRay, sailboat buy a J boat.

--Russ

[kadet]

My feeling is that the Macgregor is a much better sailboat than it is a motorboat. In fact, it really stinks as a motorboat.

If motoring is your thing, I would suggest looking at motorboats....

It's not much of a sailboat either
Conversely if you only want to motor around at 8mph and sail everywhere why not get a real sailboat like a 26s or GEM550.

The point of the 26M/X is to do both, maybe not well at either but acceptable at both.

Ironically it is exactly 20 miles to my destination so I got this boat for a specific purpose.. Motoring to Moreton Island then sailing home. My point is to achieve the advertised 20MPH you have to flog your 60 and keep weight down, I would prefer to cruise at lower revs at 20MPH with a 90 rather than WOT with a 60 for comfort and noise levels. I don't won't to go faster just easier.

Mornings here are normally mirror flat so motoring at speed is really a good option, in the afternoon when it's time to come home we get the sea breeze come up anywhere from beams on to a run in 10-20 knots of wind with 2-6 foot of chop, it is a wide shallow bay. Makes for great sailing not so pleasant motoring.

So it horses for courses one man's wet spray ridden motor may be another's perfect cruiser so my point is work out what you want to do with this boat then get the motor to suit, just don't believe the factory hype that the boat can easily do 20mph with a 50 or even a 60. Having used the boat now for 3 years I regret not getting the 90 but that's not to say some might regret not getting a 20

Same point as Russ, he submitted while I was editing

[Doug W]

So far, I am quite pleased with my Etec 60 which I've had since Nov '09. When I'm playing around and cruising above 3000rpm, it drinks a bit more gas than I expected; however, I compensated with a 12 gallon tank. Easy Maintenance! I like the larger prop it came with.

...Doug Galactica
http://starsloop.blogspot.com/

[rfrye94760]

Also, the MAIN selling point of this boat is it's dual purpose. I mean that DVD from MacGregor makes it clear and unambiguous, this boat is made to motor fast AND sail.

You don't suppose MacGregor was practicing some creative marketing do you?


--Russ

"Creative marketing"....you sir are a Gentleman... I, on the other hand, am not.
First, Russ, I really like my boat. I really like the guy I bought it from (Bill at Boats 4 Sail)and would buy from him again and have recommended him and the 26M to others. I really like taking my family and friends out sailing and motoring.
On the other hand...
I really dislike liars. You see it isn't a case of he claims 20mph and I'm getting 18 or 19. He claims 24 and I'm getting 18 or 19. So it's not a 5 or 10% difference we're talking about, it's 20 to 25%. That's beyond an acceptable amount of hype or creativity as far as I'm concerned. So then the person who made that statement lied and is, by definition, a liar. As I recall the man who made that statement was Roger MacGregor. The same man who claims in a video the 26M is sailing in 40-50mph winds and (I believe it was) 18' seas but the video clearly shows to anyone who has seen conditions like that to be much more mild. Call it creative if you want but...
Oh, Mike Inmon, feel free to jump back in at anytime to address any of this...after all you're MacGregor Sales at the Factory. If other dealers should contact you regarding Etec issues, as your post suggests, because "we would like to address any problems we can. The fewer problems the more boats we sell.", then as a MacGregor representative why not respond to my and other's posts regarding things like this?
Bob

[jschrade]

With the ETEC 60 and a brand new boat with a waxed hull and perfect sea conditions, I was able to get close. Another part of the story is that the mast was not on the boat which would have a big impact on windage. Given that, we could assume there was nothing down below either, no anchor, chain, rode ... In a nutshell conditions that even a brand new boat would not achieve.

To the OP the challenge you will run into is fuel consumption. My formula for running out of site of land (meaning I cannot duck into a marina and get more) is to at least double what I need for the trip and the double is on top of a nice padding to begin with. This is from my fishing days as a change in wind and seas can have a real impact of your fuel consumption and force you to take a path not originally planned for. It's not real often that it is comfortable to run at high speed (in this boat) on the ocean. It do a lot of 5-8 knot motoring on windy days even though I am capable of much more but am not in need of a saltwater shower.

The bigger the engine, the more fuel it is going to burn. It's going to take the same energy to push your boat at the same speed. Larger engines use larger cylinders that accept more fuel to create the same energy at lower RPM's (very simple, please no tech beatings).

The max fuel load you will get under the cockpit seats is 24 gallons (~90 liters). Make sure your burn rate leaves you the margin you are looking for. Make sure to have some waterproof foul weather gear for the ride!


Jim

[ROAD Soldier]

The bigger the engine, the more fuel it is going to burn. It's going to take the same energy to push your boat at the same speed. Larger engines use larger cylinders that accept more fuel to create the same energy at lower RPM's (very simple, please no tech beatings).

If you mean larger engines burn the more at the same RPMs I agree. If you are simple going on volume I totally disagree. HP is relative to MPG barring any total mismatch in technology (older 2 stroke vs new 2or4 stroke outboard would not be a good comparison). That is why if you modify a Mazda 1.3L Rotary engine to produce 465HP it will get the same or nearly the same MPG as a Chrysler 7.2L engine that is modified for 465HP provided they are pushing the same weight. That right there is the key to success in increasing MPG is reducing the weight any HP outboard has to push. Less weight the better. That's why I would really like a 200HP ETEC not because I think it is superior in design to any other brands design but because it weighs the same as a Suzuki 140. Someone I know has a Suzuki 140, and I would like to wipe the smile right off his face that he has had for too long for having the fastest engine to date on a Mac.

[Catigale]

Rules for offshore cruising fuel load.

1/3 load for trip
1/3 for return
1/3 reserve

I have found you can double your fuel consumed in 3-4 foot waves with an and 50 HP 4 stroke at hull speed.

[ROAD Soldier]

Rules for offshore cruising fuel load.

1/3 load for trip
1/3 for return
1/3 reserve

I have found you can double your fuel consumed in 3-4 foot waves with an and 50 HP 4 stroke at hull speed.

Dido.

[Catigale]

I like her, but prefer Shakira...

[mastreb]

I'm quite impressed with the Etec 60. With me, my wife, and three kids (600 lbs people), 12 gallons of fuel, and oh say 100 lbs. Of random gear we hit sustained GPS speeds of 17.3 knots in San Diego bay at WOT. That's just at 20MPH. Boat is brand new, unpainted and unwaxed (this was our shakedown cruise). The literature I've seen says 22MPH, which is feasible with the boat empty, but an impractical claim to be sure.

Marketing? Sure. Lying? Doesn't rise to that level. Of course, I was buying a trailerable sailboat and don't really give a damn about top end speed, and the boat is unmodified and on the factory prop. I failed to take note of the WOT RPMs, but I'll post that next time.

[Mac26Mpaul]

I have the Etec 50 which is about 3.5 years old and had the exact same problem with the oil pump causing the motor to go into emergency mode, as described previously. My local Evinrude dealer (which just went broke) fixed it only charging me for an hours labour. He said Evinrude is happy to pay for parts with this problem even as though its out of warrenty - Seems it is a common issue (hopefully resolved with newer engines). I only hope whatever they replaced it with is modified and not the same part...

Other than that, the motor (which has only about 70 or 80 hours) starts first go and runs fine. The hydraulic tilt sounds a bit sick though, and has since I bought the boat.

I have bottom paint and the top speed averages about 14 knots I guess. Don't bother me too much as I rarely cruise at more than 8 knots (due to the price of fuel in my corner of the world) although I probably did buy the boat with delusions of flying to distant cruising grounds at 20 knots

[yukonbob]

hit 19.5knots with two people two dogs lots of gear, gas and full ballast going with very light wind (suz DF70)

[Octaman]

hit 19.5knots with two people two dogs lots of gear, gas and full ballast going with very light wind (suz DF70)

Hey yukonbob - maybe you need to check that number one more time before ROAD Soldier gets on to you

Octaman

[FAAbaddog]

Folks,

How does the ETEC-60 fair in the salt water wear and tear wise?

How much XD-100 oil is typically required to be replaced per 24 gallons of gas usage?

Are there any good alternatives to the XD-100 oil for cost comparison?

BTW, I get my brand new 26M delivered on Friday....wooohoooo!

Thanks!

BADDOG