MacGregorSailors.com

ive been searching for about a year for the perfect boat only to realize there is no perfect boat for what I want to do and wondering if a Macgregor 26 may be the closest there is... If at all possible I would like to have just one boat instead of two yet i have several obstacles that one boat needs to be able to remedy...I live around mosquito lagoon area and absolutely love that area to fish in but most of the area I fish in that holds the most redfish are under 2 feet... i also been a dream of mine to be able to camp out on a boat in the Bahamas and Miami to bimini is only 50 miles... i am a single parent of two kids 8-9 and have absolutely no help from their deadbeat mother and want to be able to create lasting memories for them as well as myself. im sure a mac26 is up to the challenge of mosquito lagoon and while not a designated fishing boat it has a cabin to let the kids go down in and play while i fish ..kinda fun for everyone... yet im not sure about if its up to the task of crossing the gulf stream...
pangas are ocean worthy shallow boats yet no cabin so camping in Bahamas would be difficult.. ive looked at several sailboats corsair f27 my bank only wants to loan 22k for one while its a challenge to find any below 40k and it seems every time i keep coming back to my original idea but wonder about its offshore capabilities.... everyone says "pick weather window" and no matter if i was in a true blue water boat or not id be picking optimal weather cause who wants to go spend a weekend in Bahamas when its raining and oceans are nasty...however i know that sometimes the noaa isn't exactly accurate they predict 1-3 all week long and i could get across and on sunday when its time to return those 1-3 are 6-8 when im at the halfway point of 25 miles across.... my question is if these boats can handle the typical sh~t weather that can pop up unexpectedly? i know the safest decision will be stay home in the safety of your house with doors locked but i want to create lasting memories for my kids and myself but cant seem to find the boat to do it on

For everything except crossing the ocean, I'd say the Mac or is perfect for what you want to do. Very stable (with ballast in), very large inside, very light (with ballast out) for high-speed motoring (the is supposedly better at high-speed motoring, while the is supposedly better at sailing, due to larger rig and greater deadrise), and they're pretty tough boats, despite what those who don't know anything about them like to think. A full enclosure would be the way to go, too. Probably most cost-effective to buy a used late-model boat with all the whistles and bells already installed.

The Corsair is not something I'd cross big water in, and it's got a tiny cabin. But it's a fast sailing boat, as trimarans tend to be. Far from cheap.

As to crossing big water, I'd take mine across Lake Ontario in a heartbeat, which is about the same distance (though I've only crossed it in much larger boats), but the admiral wants no part of that. That's what trailers are for. But I know how the weather and water tends to behave, where to go, and when to quit, 'cause I spent most of my sailing time on that Lake.

Someone with experience in making that crossing would have to advise on the advisability of that trip. Especially with kids. And if you do cross with kids, do file a float plan with someone, have the necessary safety equipment (including EPIRB), not just the legal minimum, and cross with a group if you can. Some experience under the belt would be a prerequisite - learning the boat, or how to sail, on a trip like that is not good, especially when things go sour.

But at least you would have a big engine, and if you carry lots of fuel, you could always motor across at full throttle minus about 10%, making it about a 3-hour trip (tour?).

so is a 26x or m capable of say 6-8s not that I would ever intentionally go out in weather like that but lets say I read online and noaa says 1-3 all week long and I plan a 3 day weekend in bimini with kids and on sunday when Im ready to get back and its 6-8 and I have to chose between getting fired at work and being homeless or going across...in 6-8s will the x or m get me home safely?

I guess that's my concern is a mac 26x with a 90 sounds perfect for me but im wondering if once im already over in bimini and reports start coming in the gulf is at 6-8 and not the 30 second interval 6-8s can a mac 26x or m get me back home safely
how big of waves and nasty weather can a 26x or m take if you HAD to in order to get back home so you don't lose your job for example

I'd shoot for an , the swing keel is more forgiving than the 's daggerboard.

I have a 26x for many of the same reasons you listed. They make decent (albeit not "great") power boats for pulling toys, running to beaches, etc.

The cabin is great for kids "camping" and it still can be fun sailing.

Many people have crossed over to Bimini from Florida in 's and 's, in fact there are a few great stories in the "features" section on this site. It seems like the most important factor in that crossing is making sure you get the right weather window.

Between the and , I'd personally chose the because
1) The swing keel bounces up if the water gets a little too skinny
2) The Cabin layout is more open and generally felt bigger
3) The head actually had "head room" and wasn't right next to where I sleep (Sorry Kids, you get the back bunk)
4) The cockpit is slightly larger
5) The transom pass-through (right term?) is wider
6) There are extremely good deals on late model X's (I got a 2002, last year of the X)
7) The X is slightly better power boat and seemed to a better transition boat for my family (who are all power boaters, not a sailor among them)

That being said I do envy the 's rotating mast, pointing abilities, upgraded cabin trim and of course....the blue hull

whgoffrn wrote:ive been searching for about a year for the perfect boat only to realize there is no perfect boat for what I want to do and wondering if a Macgregor 26 may be the closest there is... If at all possible I would like to have just one boat instead of two yet i have several obstacles that one boat needs to be able to remedy...I live around mosquito lagoon area and absolutely love that area to fish in but most of the area I fish in that holds the most redfish are under 2 feet... i also been a dream of mine to be able to camp out on a boat in the Bahamas and Miami to bimini is only 50 miles... i am a single parent of two kids 8-9 and have absolutely no help from their deadbeat mother and want to be able to create lasting memories for them as well as myself. im sure a mac26 is up to the challenge of mosquito lagoon and while not a designated fishing boat it has a cabin to let the kids go down in and play while i fish ..kinda fun for everyone... yet im not sure about if its up to the task of crossing the gulf stream...

Hi from downunder,

I am somewhat of a newbie to MacM having had only one but while no boat will be all that you desire I am increasingly impressed by how well this Hybrid PowerSailer Performs. This is footage I shot last week in 10-12 knot winds - May daughter skippering it with her husband. The next day we got caught in some higher winds and came close to a knockdown with an unexpected 35knot gust. She heeled well past 40 degrees but came straight up as we let off the mainsail which was double reefed. I did not film that unfortunately.

At least this footage will give you an idea of how they perform

[img][IMG]http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv28 ... lAhoy0.mp4[/img][/img]
BB

i was just wondering if macs can handle pretty bad conditions ...say 6-8 not that I would intentionally go out in weather like that but if I find myself 50 miles away from Miami in bimini im just curious if the boat is up to it... ive seen the videos of roger MacGregor in 18 foot waves but I know how advertising goes and who knows if there was 2000lbs of lead under the boat etc etc... of all the searching ive done trying to find videos of "regular people" in rough conditions on a Macgregor 26 I cant find a single one... if I do end up getting a mac26 it will most likely be an x just for the cost savings I figure I can find an x for 10-15k or so and still have 10k left to upgrade pieces to make it more "sturdy" but yeah just curious if anyone has been out in some pretty bad stuff 6-8 (or above?) and can give first hand knowledge of if sailing from Bahamas to bimini is a bad idea in this kind of boat

Those were my thoughts when I bought mine .with the 90 h.p motor the boat comes alive .we bought ours not so much to use locally but as a floating camper for the keys and Bahamas .great for scallop diving in crystal river ....

bahama bound have you made the trip yet?

wonder about its offshore capabilities

You should know that I regularly catch a fair amount of criticism on this forum for my guardedness concerning taking the X's and M's deep into blue water trips. Several good sailors and their MacGregors have made the trip from Florida to the Bahamas. You can search for those threads and see what they have experienced. I think it is important to remember that neither of these boats were designed for off shore blue water trips. The fact that they have video out in some pretty rough stuff was intended to show that the boats were well built for the coastal and inland lake waters and could handle whatever might come up in those venues. You can find threads in this forum that shows that experienced sailors have run into some pretty hairy situations even on inland lakes and coastal cruising trips. I, for one, found Tampa Bay too tough to take on in 20 knot winds and the 6-8 ft swells they generated. And I absolutely do not think substantial trips should be made when there is a firm timeline. That is the easiest way to get into trouble. The fact that these boats are trailerable creates a huge option to take them to really neat places to sail. There have to be really nice places to build memories with kids that don't require questionable risks. For example, the large engine makes river cruising and intracoastal waterway trips very feasible. I have taken my X all the way from Sanford to Jax and back on the St. Johns. Many wonderful memories along that "Old Florida" route. There IS a learning curve to these boats, both in the sailing mode and in the motoring mode. I suggest you take it slow and become familiar with your new MacGregor before undertaking any ambitious journey, especially with the kids. This is one voice of 11 years X ownership, 55 years sailing with nine boats including one Newport-Bermuda race, and a "few" years in the Navy. Now, sit back and watch the sparks fly! But seriously, hope you find a good X or M, take it slow, and realize your dreams.

Don't overlook the "tow beast" thread.

Bahamas in a

http://www.ne-ts.com/cr/cr-404bahamas.html

Herschel wrote:You should know that I regularly catch a fair amount of criticism on this forum for my guardedness concerning taking the X's and M's deep into blue water trips. Several good sailors and their MacGregors have made the trip from Florida to the Bahamas. You can search for those threads and see what they have experienced. I think it is important to remember that neither of these boats were designed for off shore blue water trips. The fact that they have video out in some pretty rough stuff was intended to show that the boats were well built for the coastal and inland lake waters and could handle whatever might come up in those venues. You can find threads in this forum that shows that experienced sailors have run into some pretty hairy situations even on inland lakes and coastal cruising trips. I, for one, found Tampa Bay too tough to take on in 20 knot winds and the 6-8 ft swells they generated. And I absolutely do not think substantial trips should be made when there is a firm timeline. That is the easiest way to get into trouble. The fact that these boats are trailerable creates a huge option to take them to really neat places to sail. There have to be really nice places to build memories with kids that don't require questionable risks. For example, the large engine makes river cruising and intracoastal waterway trips very feasible. I have taken my X all the way from Sanford to Jax and back on the St. Johns. Many wonderful memories along that "Old Florida" route. There IS a learning curve to these boats, both in the sailing mode and in the motoring mode. I suggest you take it slow and become familiar with your new MacGregor before undertaking any ambitious journey, especially with the kids. This is one voice of 11 years X ownership, 55 years sailing with nine boats including one Newport-Bermuda race, and a "few" years in the Navy. Now, sit back and watch the sparks fly! But seriously, hope you find a good X or M, take it slow, and realize your dreams.

I agree with this.

I've been sailing for 40 years. Most of my youth was in the Atlantic up to Martha's Vinyard down to the Chesapeake and I've seen all kinds of weather.
Personally, I would not take any 26' boat out in heavy seas and the Mac is capable, but the wind blows it around easily. Yes, Roger Macgregor sent Mike Inmon out in that gale off the California coast to show that the boat is tough (and posted the Youtube vid), but nobody should do that on purpose.
My biggest concern with my boat in rough seas is my crew. They are not seasoned enough to know what to do if something happened to me. Plus, they get freaked out when the boat is tossed around. I've had the Mac in 6 foot swells and it's dicey with the wind blowing. Not the same as a heavy keel boat. The Mac is safe, but that doesn't mean it would be comfortable in a heavy storm. Best to avoid them.

With that said, people have taken Macs to the Bahamas. The key is prudence and time. You have to wait for perfect weather forecast and be willing to stay there if necessary to wait out a return window. You have to gain the knowledge and skills to handle a boat (any boat) offshore. It's doable, just don't do it your first year. Get some education, experience and local knowledge.

As for shallow fishing. The boat technically draws 12" of water, but the motor extends below that. So I don't know how much depth you really need with the Mac to clear the prop. Both X & M models have unique design differences. The M doesn't have a backstay which may make fishing easier without lines overhead to get in the way. However, I agree with comments that state that the X keel will swing up if you hit bottom. That is a nice feature if depth is an issue for you.

What about a Cat or Trimaran? The Mac is a BIG boat for a small price. I don't think you can find a 26' monohull boat with more room in the cabin, shallow draft and easily trailered.

Good luck in your search. BTW, there is a link above "classifieds" where you can find boats for sale.
Keep us posted what you decide to do.

--Russ

whgoffrn wrote:.... im wondering if once im already over in bimini and reports start coming in the gulf is at 6-8 and not the 30 second interval 6-8s can a mac 26x or m get me back home safely ....

People with even 35-40 foot boats don't just go to Bimini or back if the weather turns. They stay put on one side or the other. Lots of people in the yard where the Endeavour is make that trip every fall and back again in the spring and sit on one side or the other for a few days if needed sometimes longer.

You have the Keys nearby and they are beautiful. Make them into your 3 day trips and save Bimini for once or twice a year when you might have a week or more just in case you have to sit it out over there.

There are so many places to go in Florida and you can trailer quickly to a lot of them, even the west coast, and motor to a nice spot and then start sailing. The X and M are great at that. Get in the water and within an hour you are some place that is nice where with say my S it would take 3-4 hours to get to the same destination,

Sumner

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Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

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whgoffrn wrote:bahama bound have you made the trip yet?

which one .....done the scallops .did the pirate sail last year .broke my heart to miss it this year .been to Florida a few times with it .scallop diving and swimming with manatee was a blast with this boat .we scheduled do at least a month in the keys nov-Dec .we have 9-12 year old girls .may do the Bahamas in the spring ?we home school so we can travel .we went down from a 41 sailboat to our mac .we kept a 26 foot power boat for a year after we bought our mac just to make sure were going to like it .there is no perfect boat but for the money I don't think these boats can be beat .when you buy one its almost a blank canvas that you take and customize to make your own .