Would you take a MacGregor 26X into the Rocky Shield?

[Tony E]

Hello everyone. I am new to this site and also new to sailing.I just purchased a 1998-26X and I am just starting to sail. I live in Saskatchewan Canada and if you go about an hour south of where I live there is this big, sandy lake called "lake Diefenbaker." There is a yacht club there and all of the shore line (100 miles of it or so) are pretty much sandy and very user friendly. I went there 2 weekends ago and that was my first time putting my 26x in and trying to sail and it was great. If I go an hour or two north of where I live, there are 100,000 fresh water lakes with great camping and fishing opportunities, etc. I have been going up there fishing and camping for 25 years but I have always taken an aluminum boat ( because of rocks) and camped on islands,etc. I bought the 26X because it can adapt and go in 12 inches of water, etc. My question is, would you feel comfortable taking a 26x and using it as a base camp in the great Canadian rocky shield where every inch of shore line is rock,rock and more rock? Is that pushing my luck too much? My basic plan is to head to this one lake, launch the 26x and use my motor to drive across the lake to where the fish are and then simply drop anchor and hang out and fish for a few days. What do you think?

[SeaGriff]

I also am from Sask & also have an X. I've sailed on Last Mountain, Lenore Lake, Deifenbaker
Candle, Tobin, the heart lakes and my favorite Deschambault. And yes it does have rocks but if you watch
and use a depth sounder it is manageable and well worth it. The best part is the abundance of anchorages
around the lake well protected bays and the water is warm enough for swimming. Go for it and have fun.

[Chinook]

I would absolutely take my Mac to such a place. That said, prudence is essential in avoiding trouble. The boat needs to have a functional depth sounder, and you need to make sure it's set and reading properly. You should also know where the transducer is located, and whether it's measuring depth near the bow or stern (usually the stern). You should have good ground tackle and be proficient in anchoring techniques, so that you're not dependent on trying to beach the boat. For places where the bottom doesn't afford good holding, a long mooring line (300 to 500 feet) stored on a reel is handy for securing the boat in the middle of a narrow inlet. Anchoring out necessitates a dinghy of course. If charts are available, have them handy. If not, gain local knowledge of reef locations. Lastly, keep the speed down and always keep a good lookout. If you're getting into questionable waters, have someone on the bow to visually watch for depths.

[Steve K]

As long as you know what's under you
Don't know the area you speak of, but very familiar with changing bottom, submerged rocks etc.

A depth sounder for sure is a must on many lakes, particularly on man made ones where the water level changes a lot. I had a submerged mountain peak sneak up on me once..... (somehow my sounder was in simulator mode, reading 500 ft.... the moral being, pay attention). It shredded about a foot off my dagger board (a problem not so bad with the swing keel centerboard on your boat) I was doing 6ktns at the time............ boat still floats

Learn about proper anchoring and always make sure you won't hit submerged rocks when the boat swings on the rode.

Have fun with it

And in case you do make a small mistake........... these boats are tougher than one might think.

Best Breezes,
Steve K.
Mac 26D "Three Sheets"

[Phil M]

I live in Saskatoon, not far from you. I have sailed in many of the areas you have mentioned, and my answer to the rocky shield is NO.
The map of Lac LaRonge, one our largest lakes with hundreds of islands, was originally made with a sounding line, and it is only lake map in the entire province that has all the details that a sailboat needs in order to navigate the rocks and reefs. This map is not very good compared to the coastal maps that chart plotters utilize, but at least it does help if you try to sail there. There are numerous reefs not on the map.
The other lakes have no detailed maps available. None. zero. not available. When you hit a submerged rock or reef ( and you will if you go) it is not like hitting sand or clay in Diefenbaker Lake. Your daggerboard will be damaged, and your rudders will take a beating. And hope your motor is up.
If you think you can see a reef or rock that is only 2 feet below the surface, you cannot. At times they are near the shore, at other places they are far from shore. You become paranoid as you sail along.
Trailering your Mac on gravel highways is no fun either.
Stay away from the shield with your sailboat.

[Tony E]

Thanx for the advice and good news guys. I guess the key is go slow and watch for rocks all the time whether under way or anchoring. SeagiFF I added you as a friend so we can compare Sask Lakes and travels. I hope that was okay. Thanx again:)

[Tony E]

HI Phil,

I added you as a friend to if that's okay. Us Sask MacGregor owners have to keep in touch cause we are few and far in between. Have you ever taken your 26X up north? Where do you sail? The lake where I am going I have gone to 500 times before and if I use the same root which so far has been a "rockless root" then I should be okay. I think if I start going to a new lake and start going full blast, yes that would be crazy and dangerous. If you use your water ballast and motor, keep your dagger board up and rudders then you are just covering your motor as you would on any boat. This is the number one reason I bought a 26X becuase it has the potential to be a boat/sailboat and it should be able to go up north if a person is careful.

[Phil M]

I have sailed several lakes in the north, including La Ronge, Jan lake, and Candle Lake. Candle is not really in the shield yet, but does have a few areas of concern.
I will send you a private message with some phone info.
Phil

[bhbell]

Hi All,

I too am a Saskatchewan-based MacGregor owner. Just purchased our 2003 26M last summer. This will be our first full season on Lake Diefenbaker. We were very fortunate to acquire a slip a Palliser Regional Park. Looking forward to spotting our fellow Mac owners out on Southern Saskatchewan's "Great Lake".

[Phil M]

That is probably the safest sailing lake in our province with any size to it. The larger lakes up north in the shield are much less forgiving. Yes, hope to meet you out there some day. if I get my Honda BF50A figured out.

[mastreb]

I don't have any experience in that area, but I have bounced my M off the rocks at the shelter island ramp. The hull is surprisingly strong and I didn't even suffer a visible scratch. If you're in suspicious water, go slow, keep your rudders uncleated or put a kick-up cleat (ala Dave B's solution), and use an X so the centerboard will kickup automatically. I wouldn't run an M in shoal or reef areas unless you have a spare daggerboard on board.

[Kittiwake]

We mustn't forget though that Tony is talking about "fishing and camping": no problem leaving the mast (and even rudders) at home for such forays into northern lakes (and keeping the daggerboard up). This has the added benefits of shorter launch/retrieval times, and clear decks for fishing gear. Macs aren't only for sailing! Taking a dinghy along is a great idea in my mind though.
Keeping an eye peeled for uncharted rocks has always been standard practice on the rocky west coast in spite of detailed charts ... and I've got one mashed prop to prove being on the lookout doesn't always suffice.
Kittiwake

[Phil M]

Lac La Ronge in the province of Saskatchewan is our 4th largest lake, has an area of 1414 sq km, and over 1000 treed islands, so when you are out there, you are really out there alone. I have been across La Ronge to the other side, and you don't want to be stranded with a damaged prop and no sails. My sails and motor have been a good backup to each other for that kind of trip. You can go all day and maybe see only one other boat, maybe two. The Salish Sea is a six lane freeway compared to LaRonge.
But I do like the idea of utilizing our Macs without the sails, under normal circumstances.

[Tony E]

Good ideas and discussion you guys. When I take my 26X up north to fish (June 5th) I will not go sailing because then your need for depth and the odds of hitting a big rock or ledge are greatly increased. I would still take the sails but just use the motor. My favorite kind of fishing is pickerel fishing and once you found them you can more or less just drop anchor and bottom bounce and catch them. At this point you are just using the 26X as a base camp to hang out right on top of the fish and relax.Then the biggest decision on your mind is how many pickerel to eat? If the weather goes bad and whitecaps start up then I plan on pulling up anchor and heading to the still side of the lake and waiting it out. Up North there is always a place to hide your boat from a storm.

[mastreb]

You can always beach a Mac if you find a nice sandy beach (with no hidden rocks). On a lake it would be a piece of cake without the tides.