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Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 8:06 am
by Bobby T.-26X #4767
marsanden wrote:And, about the engine, what is , in your opinion, the best engine to power this boat
Tks in advance,
marco
marco,
i suggest the Suzuki 60/70 powerhead (335#) as a first choice for a 4-stroke.
however, you might consider a new tech 2-stroke. these include the Tohatsu 70/90 powerhead or the Evinrude 75/90 powerhead (both about 315#).
the benefit of the 2-stroke is that you can jump up to a 90hp, which i believe is the best size for the Mac, and still maintain light weight.
top speed with the Suzuki 70 is 22mph, Tohatsu/Evinrude 90 about 25-28mph (depending on prop selection).
recent quotes indicate similar pricing. anywhere from $8000-9500 installed.
Bob T.
"DaBob"
'02X w/ '04 90-TLDI
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 5:25 pm
by Nettech
I am a new mac26x owner. I am primaraly a sailer first, and a power boater second. I read a lot on this forum and others about how early you need to reef etc. Our last two boats were a Helson 22, and a Compaq 24. The Admiral and I are both ASA certified. My two cents: They sail better than I thought after all the reading. We had ours out in steady 18kts, gusting to over 22kts. Never felt the need to reef. Heel was on par with both the lead keel boats. We did roll in the genny some after awhile just so we could have more of a relaxing sail. Oh, seas were 4ft, no problem. Of course the admiral is a heeling junkie, so that may have something to do with the no reefing. Only problem is docking the d--- thing in those winds. Anyway, if you know how to sail, you will be just fine.
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 6:49 pm
by James V
Nettech - when I have any winds I find backing into the dock much easier. And the only way to do it without the fins or daggerboard down.
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:47 pm
by Frank C
Nettech wrote:I am a new mac26x owner. I am primaraly a sailer first, and a power boater second. I read a lot on this forum and others about how early you need to reef etc. Our last two boats were a Helson 22, and a Compaq 24. The Admiral and I are both ASA certified. My two cents: They sail better than I thought after all the reading. We had ours out in steady 18kts, gusting to over 22kts.
Interesting feedback, Nettech. I've been out in same kind of winds & seas on my 26X, with first reef and a std.jib. I can't see how I would have survived with the full main - let alone the Genny.
But, I just enrolled in an ASA course - maybe that will teach me some of your secrets!
Nice to see your comments, and looking forward to more.
Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 4:11 am
by Catigale
Ive found the gusts are the hardest things to learn to handle (still learning!) on the Macs..I suspect this is an issue about the boat being very light for its length and has little momentum
In the Cat 36 on SF Bay, we were fully clothed and taking gusts up to 35
but the 20000# (?) of boat will keep going in whatever direction you have her pointed, I could just pinch up and roll her back upright with a twist of the wheel
...so of course, I learn to sail Catigale on the upper Hudson where it puffs and huffs and spits, reverses direction every once in a while suddenly...
FIrst time I got the Admiral up onto Lake Ontario in a steady 15 and we stayed on the same sail trim for 30 minutes for the first time
"THis is great !!!
Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:04 am
by Nettech
Interesting feedback, Nettech. I've been out in same kind of winds & seas on my 26X, with first reef and a std.jib. I can't see how I would have survived with the full main - let alone the Genny. But, I just enrolled in an ASA course - maybe that will teach me some of your secrets! Nice to see your comments, and looking forward to more.
Well, I am not going to say we were not "well" heeled over. But the wife seems to think that the more sideways, the more fun. We just let out the main and genny sheets to de-power them, and run more into the wind. I like to do this on any new sailboat (even chartering or renting) to see what they will handle and just how tender they are. Like I said, was really impressed with the mac compared to what I had read.
another question
Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 11:54 pm
by marsanden
Thanks to your answers,I would want to propose an other question: how do u sleep in a macgregor 26x.
I have verified that the boat, if has the ballast empty, is wery unstable, and therefore wery sensitive also to small waves. The situation improves with ballast filled and the rudders in the water.
With the drift in water, the noise is too hith for sleeping, cause it plays in the mast coat.
So i was wondering if ud mind me knowing your experiences on sleeping into a macgregor 26x into an harbour or, better , in a oadstead.
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:36 am
by Catigale
After all day fighting with the lines in 20 knots plus, I usually go below and fall right asleep
Having ballast in and pulling up on the centerboard line ust a bit stops it from clunking as much. ...other than that I sleep pretty well aboard with the Admiral and two First officers
they get the rear berth, and the Admiral and I take the table berth, or one of us in the doghouse gets the Vberth....that would be me.
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 4:39 am
by Beam's Reach
We've never had a problem sleeping aboard. Well, there was the one time that we were rafted together with another boat and very strong winds blew up through the night and had the boats slamming together as we pounded up and down on the waves. We were slamming together so hard that we popped a bumper. But once we separated the boats, it was OK.
We've added an extension to the V berth to make it more comfortable and the Admirmal and I sleep there. We've also just added extra foam but haven't tried it out yet. Two boys in the rear berth and daughter on the table berth. Works quite well and everyone sleeps fine.
We usually have the boards up because we tend to anchor in shallow water off an island. At the dock it doesn't really matter because the marina's breakwall shelters the area pretty well.
We keep a couple of bungee cords handy to pull the halyards away from the mast to keep them from slapping. And I've been tempted to climb aboard some of our neighbour's (unoccupied) boats to do the same...there should be a clause in all marina contracts requiring this to keep the noise down.
So try it out. I think you'll find that except in very high winds, it's very comfortable.
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:52 am
by Catigale
I scored major points with the Admiral when I went out and got Coleman inflatable queen size mattresses for the berths...you inflate them in 1 minute with the Sevylor inflator (same one used for the tender) and they roll up into a small cylinder for stowage, we tuck them on the sides of the vberth while underway. Kids like the vberth for playing so we try to keep it open mostly.
They are much more comfortable than the foam cushions..cost about $25 each IIRC.
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:53 am
by Idle Time
I sleep better on our X than I do at home on my new memory foam mattress.....I sleep in the V and the "Captain" (since I must be the Admiral) now sleeps on the table bunk. It makes it easier for him to get in and out of bed. He's 6'2 and got tired of banging his head. If it is cold...we both use the table bunk but in hot weather here in Florida....I like the V
He likes to say "the X isnt the best powerboat....nor is it the best sailboat...but it does both fairly well.....
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 8:00 am
by LOUIS B HOLUB
Marsanden....overnighting on the Mac X is very accomodating. The front birth is more comfortable when the back rest is removed from the dinette seat. The back bunk is large and comfortable. We've overninghted with and without the ballast within the marina. If conditions are wendy, the ballast is filled. I think an important item is tying things securely...halliards, and securing things that bump, thump, jingle, ring, boink, klunk, slush, etc.
Overnighting on the Mac is great family fun. Our prior boat, a Mac 26S, was enjoyable too. We've also had fun overnighting at State Parks. The Mac is easily air conditioned for those humid hot evenings.
Happy Sailing...
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 10:43 am
by Catigale
I got the Admiral on board with staying on the hook with (what else) more technology.....GPS with anchor alarm..(I use the Garmin 76CS)
I found the hook a lot more comfortable that mooring - less noise, better breeze through boat, and the swish of the tide going by instead of slapping halyards..
Of course, it helped that it was 65 degrees (nice for us), a full moon under the Cape Cod stars, the kids fell asleep at 7pm, and we were snuggled under a blanket in the cockpit with a good bottle of red wine until 11
engine
Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:38 pm
by marsanden
tks for ur answers.
another question:
i d like to buy an engine, 2 or 4 stroke, for the 26x.
not more than 40-60 cv cause the italian rules.
i look for a good engine for this boat, good for trowling too.
which one do u suggest me?
Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 6:11 pm
by Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
Marsanden,
What do you mean by 40-60 cv? Is that horsepower or a displacement in the motor (ie. cc)?
The Mac is a good boat to power at a multitude of speeds. If you are going to run wide open most of the time as a traditional powerboat, then probably it doesn't make much difference between 2 or 4 stroke. But I like my 4 stroke quite a bit especially when running it slowly, like with powersailing for example. I think it gets better fuel economy at the lower RPM's than a 2 stroke does. But the new 2 strokes are supposedly a lot better although I've never run one myself.
I have a 26X in Florida but I learned to sail in the Med and intend to buy a Mac 26X or 26M to keep in Greece. I'm just waiting for the right time and boat to come along. It will be the perfect boat to keep on a trailer under a tarp during the winter and just launch it for my summer holiday trips. I'm not going this summer though so maybe next year.
Steve, how do you get a queen sized air mattress to fit in a 26X? I tried all sort of ways but the compression post was always in the way. Biggest I can fit in there is a twin sized.