MacGregor purchase opinions / suggestions

[deportes]

Hi, I am new to the board thanks for providing such a place! I will retire in Clearlake, CA. I have access to the lake through shallow channels so I need a swing keel type sailboat. Never sailed before but I have a powerboat, looking a for a sailboat that would allow me to stay floating overnight on hot summer nights and the peacefulness of sailing with out having a running motor noise.
Should I go for a 25 26 26X I could buy a 26s without any rigging / sails and painted purple for 300 bucks or a 26s for 4500 with sails and small honda 4 stroke from a used car dealer. Drive to texas to buy a 26x for 9000.
What to do? The 4500 boat is 5 miles from home. The 300 boat is 1hr away. Texas is 27hrs away each way.
Thanks for your suggestions and replies.

[yukonbob]

For what you want I'd shoot for the middle and go with the S for $4500.00 and be sailing this spring. $300 is tempting but you'll end up spending more than $4500 getting it on the water with new sails rigging and a small OB. IMO. Sailed an S (pretty sure it was an S and not a D) a few years back. Solid boat easy to sail with ample room for one or two to crash in a scotch induced sleep for the evening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7su0lv3KrM

[tek]

I would avoid the $300 hull for the same reason yukonbob gave.

But then you are jumping from the 26s to a 26x which makes them completely different boats.
Both are swing keel and can get you into shallow water.

Coming from the motoring crowd, would you prefer 26X powersailor which can take a 50hp outboard and also plane up and motor at a pretty good clip?
or will you be content with the 26s and putting along with a kicker motor during those times when you aren't sailing?

Something to consider is how far you need to travel through the shallow channels. You won't be likely to sail that portion, so if there is a considerable distance to cover you might want the 26x to move at a better pace and allow more time sailing when you get there.

[deportes]

Thanks, their is a 26D for 4k in santa barbara, approx 5 hrs each way from concord. ca. Should I try to go for a swing keel or dagger style? You are right, I will pass on the 300 bucks fixer upper, even though I have 9.5 O/B.
Thanks.

[deportes]

I have a 19.5 ft glasstron 165hp I/O boat for not sailing days, I will be 300 yds from the main lake, biggest lake in California. Hopefully plenty of windy days to go learn how to sail. Thanks. Would you still try to get a X or just stay with the S mainly for sailing?

[dlandersson]

First off, the newest owner has to buy the pizza - and that can come to quite a bit.

You sound like you have a god grip on the makes. Note the the 26D is a daggerboard, not a swing keel.

Do you want a pure sailing boat (25 or 26S) or does a 26X (sails worse but can move really quickly with its outboard). Some things, like tubing, wakeboarding, withh require an X or M.

All the swing keels make nice weekend stays.

[deportes]

Thank you, I think I will go with the 26SorD for the pure sailing purpose. The swing keel would be a good design to have when the lake gets low in the fall, also it should be easier to raise while motoring at 5MPH through the channels to/from the main lake. How much more difficult / inconvenient would a dagger board be in comparison to a swing keel?
Thanks.

[dlandersson]

The swing keel will simply bump up if it gets too shallow - a bit more forgiving.

The daggerboard is a fixed item, it will stick or break - several owners of 26D's have had that happen.

Thank you, I think I will go with the 26SorD for the pure sailing purpose. The swing keel would be a good design to have when the lake gets low in the fall, also it should be easier to raise while motoring at 5MPH through the channels to/from the main lake. How much more difficult / inconvenient would a dagger board be in comparison to a swing keel?
Thanks.

[deportes]

Now I am looking at Graigslis...they are selling a Macgregor 26D with a retractable dagger board, how does that board work, straight up or down, fully extended and pinned? Instead of on a swing pin? The dagger board wouldn't work in shallow water? Thanks.

[Azzarac]

One other thing for you to think about: If you plan on using the boat for extended trips, are you going to want to stand up in the cabin? At 6' the S and D was too cramped for me plus the crew to be comfortable. I can actually stand up in the cavernous X and the four of us can move around. The same goes for the cockpit. The X is large and comfortable for entertaining guests in the cockpit whereas I seemed to stumble over people on the S,D or M. I too came from a powerboat background and thought the 50hp would be a benefit. Turns out I'm not in that big of a hurry when I'm out sailing but it is nice to know it's there should bad weather come up or there is a need to get back to the marina quickly...

[dlandersson]

Azzarac has a really good point. I can't speak to the cockpit of the S, but the X's cockpit is significantly bigger than the M, and I go sailing to be outside. OTOH, the X's cabin is not as big as the M, but it's plenty big enough for a family of four, cooking, eating, games, TV, etc.

I have friends who simply "camp out" in my X at the marina in the summer. They have a blast.

One other thing for you to think about: If you plan on using the boat for extended trips, are you going to want to stand up in the cabin? At 6' the S and D was too cramped for me plus the crew to be comfortable. I can actually stand up in the cavernous X and the four of us can move around. The same goes for the cockpit. The X is large and comfortable for entertaining guests in the cockpit whereas I seemed to stumble over people on the S,D or M. I too came from a powerboat background and thought the 50hp would be a benefit. Turns out I'm not in that big of a hurry when I'm out sailing but it is nice to know it's there should bad weather come up or there is a need to get back to the marina quickly...

[deportes]

We have a house on the lake so staying out for long stays won't be necessary, may stay overnight on hot summer nights with the wife maybe for the fun of it! The price difference is approx 10k unless I drive to Texas which would take a lot of work, I do like the X model but don't think I would be able to find one in the west for less than 14K.

[dlandersson]

And that's a good concern as well. I'd check out the cabin space of an S and you may want to look at a 25 as well. They are swing keel and tend to be inexpensive.

Let me know if you find an S (or an D) for sale around the Great Lakes. I'm always looking.

FYI, this X was for sale last week, I think they were asking $9k

http://www.boats4sale.pro/detail/us/nFF ... ler-Bimini

We have a house on the lake so staying out for long stays won't be necessary, may stay overnight on hot summer nights with the wife maybe for the fun of it! The price difference is approx 10k unless I drive to Texas which would take a lot of work, I do like the X model but don't think I would be able to find one in the west for less than 14K.

[deportes]

Thanks, I will let you know if I see anything like that in the great ;ales area. I will be looking then for a swing keel for sure in the 25 / 26 foot length. It would be great to find a X model around the San Fco bay area for 9k.

[Tomfoolery]

The has a lot more room inside, and can go well above hull speed with a 50 hp or more, but it's not great at sailing. It does OK, especially when you've adjusted to its quirks, but it won't be winning many races against 'real' sailboats. But it has the things that make the admiral happy. And I pull my youngest on a wakeboard with it. And I still get to sail, if not beat a lot of keel boats (but I have outsailed a couple of them, larger than mine, since I got it ).

The 26S is a very fast sailboat. Can't go fast under engine power, as it has a real displacement hull, but they are fast under sail. And since it can't motor fast no matter what, a small OB is all you need, and cost of ownership is low. Weighs even less on its trailer than the , which is light to start with for a boat that big. And leaving 1200 lb of water ballast at the dock is nice.

Pick your poison. I'd like one of each.

But if it were me, I'd be careful about rig, sails, OB, and trailer. Those will cost if they're not in good shape. Price new sails, and a trailer, and an outboard to see what it would take to bring a basket case back to life. Even running rigging - lines aren't cheap. Unless someone gives you a boat for free, blown out sails, mangled standing rigging with broken wires, and/or a rough OB will cost you more to bring up to snuff than what you can normally buy a clean used boat for with good sails and rig and so on. Basket cases for cheap seldom are cheap in the end compared to what you can get an older boat for that's ready to sail.