26M: How does it sail?

[Feval75]

Hi all. First of all i am sorry for my bad english.
I am interested in Mac Gragor 26M. I own a little trailerable sailboat. I would like to buy a bigger one and i am interested in Mac Gragor for the power but how does it sails?
I like it very much.
What I can not give up if I were to buy it?
Thanks all.

[Québec 1]

Salut ,
Mon 26M fait de 4 a 6 noeuds dependant des vents. Il peut faire 10.9 noeuds avec un vent de 30 noeuds avec les 2 voiles en papillon. This only if you speak french.
Q1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSV1NpFn8Uc&feature=plcp

[Mac26Mpaul]

Hi Feval

Looking at the boat there are certain aspects of its design that would make one think it couldnt be much of a sailboat. However, it does actually work, and work quite well. Dont get me wrong, its no high performance racing craft but its a pretty respectable protected water cruiser/coastal hopper. Contrary to popular internet opinion, it points fine (with the standard jib that I have anyway) and once you get going, there really isnt the slippage you would expect. It is a little slower than similar sized boats, mostly to windward, and sitting in that cockpit, there is a different feel to the boat, but it seems to be balanced very well and is a lot of fun to sail.

No matter how much internet or yacht club opinion you get on them, I HIGHLY recommend, you find a way to get out on one for a few hours or more. I was pleasantly surprised when I first sailed on one
For us, we mainly wanted the most comfortable trailerable floating caravan (cheap family holiday home) we could buy, and I expected, and would have accepted, a worse sailboat. But mostly, I have been very happy with the whole package.

[pokerrick1]

What Bertrand said

Rick

[mastreb]

I will say that the Mac 26M is a very competent sailor. However, it's a bit less forgiving than a full keel sailboat and the feeling of it is different. It's tender, which is to say that it heels easily and rapidly to about 30 degrees. It sails best at a 15..20 degree heel, so you have to trim the sails more often and a bit more precisely than you would do with a full keel sailboat. It also does side-slip a bit more than a full keel.

Once you learn the techniques to sail it and get used to the fact that it requires a bit more attention than a full keel of sailboat of the same size, you'll find that you can easily get to its hull speed. I find it requires about 2X wind-speed in general, so in a 8 knot wind you can expect to do about 4 knots.

I have the 150 Genoa on a roller furler and with it I have a difficult time pointing better than 50 degrees. Because the boat has very little inertia compared to a full keel boat, I had to modify how I tack: I wait until the tack is complete, and the jib is back-winded, before moving pulling it to leeward because you rely on the back-winding to push the bow through the tack.

The boat has high wind-age and a shallow draft, so it tends to be more subject to wind than current, especially if you pull the boards up. On anchor, it hunts constantly so you will need to plan for bahamian anchoring and perhaps an anchor sail.

In all, it's a bit more demanding than a typical full keel boat, but quite a competent sailor and far more versatile. I love the ability to shallow draft.

If you're coming from a trailer sailor already, it should be somewhat similar.

[seacatcapt]

What Bertrand said

Butterfly? C'est un papillon rapide!

[Ixneigh]

It sails fine. It just has a different feel. It it overall a faster boat then my h-23 but that boat did do better off the wind.
I sailed one at a dealer before buying. Do that. That way you know what you are getting. I ordered one even before we hit the dock (literally)
A few observations.

Boat has a nice light helm. No struggling to hold it on course.
Boat doesn't hobbyhorse like some keelboats do.
Boat is a very dry sailor. You don't get much spray on you.
(Not the case when powering fast)
Boat does not sail anywhere near level.
Boat points ok as long as you are moving.
Boat stalls easily in light winds and then you can't steer. Won't carry her way.
I find the boat very comfortable at anchor dispite the hunting. It pitches little and does not roll much. Possibly BECAUSE of the constant hunting. It's never pointed in on direction long enough to get a rhythm going.
Maybe Roger actually designed it that way.

Ixneigh

[dlandersson]

Is that thar cheese-eating surrender monkey lingo?

What Bertrand said

Butterfly? C'est un papillon rapide!

[pokerrick1]

Yes it's French

Rick

[Feval75]

Thanks to all.
So you believe is a safe boat?
I seek not a racing boat, but a comfortable family cruising boat trailerable and I think the Mac Gregor is the right boat.
The last question: has anyone tried to install a shower in the bathroom?
You know the address of the European retailers?
greetings

[Mac26Mpaul]

Using it in the confines of what it was designed for, its certainly a safe boat. Of course, it can only be compared to Trailer sailers, because its no keel boat. Unlike many of the other trailer sailers that claim to be self righting, Macgregor has shown us that this one actually is, and it will also float if full of water. Something else that many others wont do (even if they claim it).

As to a shower in the M. I wouldnt bother. There is barely room for an adult to use the head, and it would be a horrible experience trying to shower in there, not to mention the other problems with trying to get a shower in such a boat. If you simply must have a shower, I'd go with something on deck, and you could probably rig one of those camping pop shower type structures in the cockpit. Of course, I'm speaking from a different climate

Photo is from "Ralph"s setup http://www.trailersailerplace.com.au Not a Mac, but something similar could be arranged on the Mac I'm sure

Not sure about your retailer, but consider second hand. There are some great bargains about everywhere now (even here!) and you may get a very nicely set up one at a nice price

[mastreb]

You would have to seal the head with caulk and even then, the head door would be difficult to impossible to seal. You'd have to use a shower curtain. Installing a drain would also be rather difficult--it would have to be on a pump. That said their is space below the head where a pumped drain could be installed. In any case, the head is too small for my 193cm/120kg frame to consider showering in so there would be no point for me.

Our shower is installed on the transom, and we shower in bathing suits. It works for our purposes.