I might finally be in a position to get a 26! :)

[sailboatmike]

Too funny. Why can't all of you be in Tampa and be my neighbors? lol...

You can consider me your neighbor, its only about 12,000 miles from my front door to yours, so I guess borrowing a cup of sugar is no really going to happen

[NiceAft]

Too funny. Why can't all of you be in Tampa and be my neighbors? lol...

You can consider me your neighbor, its only about 12,000 miles from my front door to yours, so I guess borrowing a cup of sugar is no really going to happen

Dear neighbor,

Get off of the sugar habit, it’s no good for you.

I would’nt mind borrowing a cup of Fantales though .

Ray

[Bilgemaster]

Ahoy! And welcome aboard...almost. Like you, I was very much drawn to the Mac hybrid power-sailers as clearly the most suitable craft for the time being here on the shoally Potomac and Chesapeake. Curious to learn what model you may end up with. Not to make a virtue of necessity, but I ended up with a nice enough 2001 26X primarily because it was what I could afford. The 26Ms tend to be at least about twice what I paid for my "light fixer-upper". In retrospect though, I prefer the X's bigger cockpit, wider stern entryway and more open cabin layout. Frankly though, the Ms have their virtues too, and I'd have been perfectly happy with either.

Like some wise earlier posters, I'd recommend you check out a few Macs in the flesh before you decide. Mac owners tend to be pretty helpful folks on the whole to noobs in their midst, especially once gorged with extra cheese pizza, and there should be plenty down your neck of the woods in the Hanging Chad State. If you're willing to travel a bit, say north of the Mason-Dixon to frostier climes, then right about now is the beginning of prime bargain hunting season. Craigslist is your friend...the old "Crazedlist" regional searches amalgamator might have been better, but they're sadly no longer with us. Instead, SearchTempest.com will still do the trick for national, regional or distance from a zipcode searches.

Happy hunting!

[dlandersson]

Mac owners tend to be pretty helpful folks on the whole to noobs in their midst, especially once gorged with extra cheese pizza, ...

[Herschel]

So what'ill take?

After thought. My boat is not for sail, sorry for the wording on my previous post. I meant, if you want to see one of our boats and get a feel for it before you buy. I am keeping this baby forever. I love it.

Mostly I think I will keep my Mac indefinitely, but I do find that as I get older (I am 73) I find myself thinking more about keeping things easy and comfortable. These guys catch my eye from time to time.

[Bilgemaster]

Mostly I think I will keep my Mac indefinitely, but I do find that as I get older (I am 73) I find myself thinking more about keeping things easy and comfortable. These guys catch my eye from time to time.

Those pontoon "party barges" really would be just the ticket for leisurely bobbing around a river, lake or calm bay. If I had one on Elephant Butte Lake in New Mexico--one of my personal favorite places on Earth--you might not see me for months, except for the odd ice and beverages run. I wouldn't mind some sort of little cabin though...No call to live like some waterborne coyote.



By the bye, here's a simple recipe for a light and refreshing cocktail-cum-wine-cooler taught to me by a dashing retired British airline pilot with whom we spent many idyllic evenings in the Butte's "just so" State Park campgrounds. It'll likely be just as refreshing aboard a Mac, a pontoon party barge or a huge inflatable duck, and won't clobber your cerebral cortex to the point where using a nearby cactus as toilet paper might seem like "a good idea at the time":

[*]Jug of Taylor brand Port
[*]Quart of generic Lemon-Lime soda
[*]Maybe a lime slice, if handy

Mix to taste, and thank you for your support.

[Seapup]

To the original poster, You asked larger motors and fuel consumption. The powersailors are great boats, the power is more a great play feature IMO than high speed cruiser for covering distance. I had a honda 50 & then suzuki 90 on mine. 30-40 minutes straight line (about how long a 6 gallon tank would last me) was about as long as I could tolerate running fast and then would drop back to hull speed to relax.

[robh2]

That's too funny. Nice relaxing catamaran.

Thanks again everyone.

[Herschel]

To the original poster, You asked larger motors and fuel consumption. The powersailors are great boats, the power is more a great play feature IMO than high speed cruiser for covering distance. I had a honda 50 & then suzuki 90 on mine. 30-40 minutes straight line (about how long a 6 gallon tank would last me) was about as long as I could tolerate running fast and then would drop back to hull speed to relax.

Hey, Now we are getting somewhere. This has to be the next step in the evolution of the motor-sailor! I give it 5 smiles!

[Herschel]

With a healthy sized jug of Bilgemaster's brew, of course. Didn't mean to leave that out!

[Highlander]

With a healthy sized jug of Bilgemaster's brew, of course. Didn't mean to leave that out!

Just might b a ballast issue once U drank all of the Ballast tho ! & where,s the head ?

J