MacGregor 26 the boat for Me???

[Sea Dreamer]

About heeling - I'm a whimp! Just ask the Capt. Last summer was our first season with our and we hadn't sailed in over 25 years. The first time she heeled - only to about 20 degrees - I freaked. I was sure we were gonna tip. What was bad is I had the wheel so guess who couldn't blame the Capt. I don't think I've ever turned a wheel the opposite direction so fast! She came right back up level, pretty as you please. That feeling that you're going to fall out of the boat takes some getting used to but at the same time it's an exhilarating feeling seeing the water skim by. As long as we stayed around the 15 degree mark, I was fine. I think in reality it's just a matter of getting comfortable with the boat, and learning what she'll do. I was definitely more relaxed later in the season (and we didn't get out more than a couple days/month last summer) and I'm looking forward to this summer. As far as your children, my best advice is be sure they always wear their PFD's and stay seated when in the boat. Growing up with power boats, my father always required us to stay seated, and if we wanted to change seats, we had to check with him (or whoever was driving) to be sure it was safe to do so before moving. It's a good policy, and keeps everyone safe.
I'll be happy to chat with your wife...we started an Admiral's section last fall, but since it was the end of the season, we didn't get a lot of traffic on it. However, I still think it's a great idea, and hope to see it become active this year as the season gets going. Please encourage your wife to jump in and post...

Clarissa
"Admiral" on the Connie Lee

[ronacarme]

Mac 26 X has worked well for us...Ron

[ronacarme]

test ron

[bastonjock]

macboomer are you aware that the MacAlisters were pirates on the Scottish east coast??

These days they have given up the "stand and deliver" part and in in general peacefull sailors.

Have a good look at both the x and the m,there is not a lot between them on performance,its the interiors that saway most people

[patsjoy]

I have a older classic 26D (1990) model. The boat is easy to set up. Can't say if I would save any time if I kept the boat in the water. I live next to lake Macatawwa in Holland, Mi. and I only live a mile from the boat ramp. That is a short enough distance that I don't even disconect the mass from the base. I don't have to travel more than 25mph down the road. I can, and do anchor the boat over the week-ends, that way I can avoid the busy time at the boat ramp. I sleep better when the boat is on the trailer, but with 2 hooks out all the time, I never had problems dragging toward shore. Because of weather, I believe that it is easer to anchor a boat that is covered. I spend about $500 a year on boat expenses. Ins. gas, boat ramp, beer, upkeep on toll vehical. ect.. Last year I spent about 120 hours out on the water. try that on any other boat! Pat

[bastonjock]

Pats got it right on the nail,these boats are cheap to run,this year im going to keep the boat on a trailer in my back yard and launch it at the puplic slipway 12 miles away,if i want to go sailing,i either motor or ride the tide down to the sea,if its a bit too blowy out there i can cruise the rivers and drains of New Holland.

it costs me 10 gb pounds a day to use the river system,so i can launch,enter what is referred to as the middle level and its all free after that.

My wife preferrs the inland water ways to the sea and we have had some great familly trips on the river and around to visit the seal colonies,and there are some absolutely tranquil sunsets and sunrises,ive sat the boat on the sand bank,put the barbie on and just chilled as i watched the sun set over the marshes.

[Rick Westlake]

Macboomer,

I kept my 19, and later my 26X, at the marina on-post at Fort Belvoir, VA until a couple of months after I retired. If you're at a base that's on the water, MWR probably has a marina for when you're using it - and don't many bases have storage for camper-trailers and RVs even if they don't have marinas? Fort Belvoir had both ...

Fort Belvoir Marina had several Mac Ms and Xs, plus a few "Mac Classics" and a whole lot of small trailerable Hunters and Catalinas. A fair number of them had been left up on the trailer while "Daddy" was off at the sandbox ... They'll take care of yours, too, when you need it.

(No, I'm not ex-military. Ex-DoD civilian, "civil serpent" type.)

Hope this helps, good luck, and God bless you for your service!

[Erik Hardtle]

Check out my Website and click on Ship's Log to read about my families experience with the MacGregor.

I owned the first MacGregor 19 Powersailor for 8 years and moved up to the 26 for the past 7 years.

http://www.always-online.com/hardtlefam ... tshore.htm

I have 2 kids, a wife and a small dog... they all enjoy going out on the boat every chance we get.

Good Luck

Erik
KnotShore

[tangentair]

Macboomer,

I kept my 19, and later my 26X, at the marina on-post at Fort Belvoir, VA until a couple of months after I retired.....

Here at Great Lakes Naval Base, the MWR has a fairly nice marina and at least 3/4s of the people who use it are not active duty military and a sizable portion of those are not ex-military or gov. service either. The facilities are open to the public, getting to them can be "tricky" the first time, but once your in, its a snap. The harbor is pretty silted up at this point and they intend to dredge sometime in the future, and it is a rough place to be when the winds are out of the S.E. but the costs are still at least 80% of than the sourrounding marinas. It would be my choice except the facilities in my side yard and the seasonal costs just can not be beat.
Ron