New to me 2001 Mac 26X

[billybax]

I've owned an O'Day day sailor for over 40 years and have wanted a bigger boat for a long time but I couldn't find one that fit my needs until I heard about the MacGregors. I got it in the water last week but there was no wind so I haven't sailed it yet. The original 50 HP Mercury 2 stroke ran great. I have a bunch of questions so I'll start a list:
1. I'm in Pittsburgh, PA and hope to sail it in Lake Erie but our local lake has a 20 HP limit. Has anyone added a second motor? Is there a way to add a second motor?
2. I'd like to add a side boarding ladder. Is the one on BWY a good one? Are there better ones?
3. I'd like to add an anchor roller. My red/green lights are on the deck. I see BWY has one with a place to add the lights on it's port side. Is this OK or might the anchor chain partially obscure the lights.
4. It looks like my prop has had a rough life and has some bent or missing tips. What prop should I get as a replacement?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but I'll leave it here for now.

Bill Baxter

[pitchpolehobie]

I've owned an O'Day day sailor for over 40 years and have wanted a bigger boat for a long time but I couldn't find one that fit my needs until I heard about the MacGregors. I got it in the water last week but there was no wind so I haven't sailed it yet. The original 50 HP Mercury 2 stroke ran great. I have a bunch of questions so I'll start a list:
1. I'm in Pittsburgh, PA and hope to sail it in Lake Erie but our local lake has a 20 HP limit. Has anyone added a second motor? Is there a way to add a second motor?
2. I'd like to add a side boarding ladder. Is the one on BWY a good one? Are there better ones?
3. I'd like to add an anchor roller. My red/green lights are on the deck. I see BWY has one with a place to add the lights on it's port side. Is this OK or might the anchor chain partially obscure the lights.
4. It looks like my prop has had a rough life and has some bent or missing tips. What prop should I get as a replacement?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but I'll leave it here for now.

Bill Baxter

Welcome aboard!! There's a few Midwesterners on here. I sailed pymatuning last weekend and hoping for more Erie, I'm a Youngstown guy.

1- yes some have added an outboard bracket on the X series on the starboard transom, its in the Mod section

3- I think the bwyachts one is OK for meeting requirements. I sail a 2002 26X.

[Russ]

1. I'm in Pittsburgh, PA and hope to sail it in Lake Erie but our local lake has a 20 HP limit.

This is interesting. I've seen "no wake" limits. But not a HP limit. Why? I understand no wake, but how do they enforce a HP limit?
I guess you could mount a small kicker if you have no choice.

[dlandersson]

I sail on Lake Michigan.

I use a side boardng ladder, generally, in my experience, 4 or more rungs is best - reaches further into the water.

I've owned an O'Day day sailor for over 40 years and have wanted a bigger boat for a long time but I couldn't find one that fit my needs until I heard about the MacGregors. I got it in the water last week but there was no wind so I haven't sailed it yet. The original 50 HP Mercury 2 stroke ran great. I have a bunch of questions so I'll start a list:
1. I'm in Pittsburgh, PA and hope to sail it in Lake Erie but our local lake has a 20 HP limit. Has anyone added a second motor? Is there a way to add a second motor?
2. I'd like to add a side boarding ladder. Is the one on BWY a good one? Are there better ones?
3. I'd like to add an anchor roller. My red/green lights are on the deck. I see BWY has one with a place to add the lights on it's port side. Is this OK or might the anchor chain partially obscure the lights.
4. It looks like my prop has had a rough life and has some bent or missing tips. What prop should I get as a replacement?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but I'll leave it here for now.

Bill Baxter

[Starscream]

I've owned an O'Day day sailor for over 40 years and have wanted a bigger boat for a long time but I couldn't find one that fit my needs until I heard about the MacGregors. I got it in the water last week but there was no wind so I haven't sailed it yet. The original 50 HP Mercury 2 stroke ran great. I have a bunch of questions so I'll start a list:
1. I'm in Pittsburgh, PA and hope to sail it in Lake Erie but our local lake has a 20 HP limit. Has anyone added a second motor? Is there a way to add a second motor?
2. I'd like to add a side boarding ladder. Is the one on BWY a good one? Are there better ones?
3. I'd like to add an anchor roller. My red/green lights are on the deck. I see BWY has one with a place to add the lights on it's port side. Is this OK or might the anchor chain partially obscure the lights.
4. It looks like my prop has had a rough life and has some bent or missing tips. What prop should I get as a replacement?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but I'll leave it here for now.

Bill Baxter

Welcome, Bill.

1. I'm in Pittsburgh, PA and hope to sail it in Lake Erie but our local lake has a 20 HP limit. Has anyone added a second motor? Is there a way to add a second motor?
Yes, but only a small one since the mount must be attached to the non-reinforced fiberglass of the transom. See details here:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=27563
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=27734

2. I'd like to add a side boarding ladder. Is the one on BWY a good one? Are there better ones?
No comment other than...why? Something else to store while underway. Something else to drop overboard. Something else to get in the way of lines. Climbing up over the side, from the water, is FAR. Then you are flopping over the side into the cockpit getting everything wet. IMHO it may be better to find a way to make the stern ladder work better for you. I have seen owners who move and/or replace the stern ladder to make it work better.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28273&p=349942&hili ... er#p349942

3. I'd like to add an anchor roller. My red/green lights are on the deck. I see BWY has one with a place to add the lights on it's port side. Is this OK or might the anchor chain partially obscure the lights.
I wanted an anchor roller once too. Then I installed a piece of black 3" PVC tubing on the bow pulpit and I store the anchor in there. Works perfectly, cost about $20 with the stainless pipe clamps, and super easy to install. Installing an anchor roller has been done successfully, but requires a fair amount of work in difficult-to-access places.
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=25635&hilit=anchor

4. It looks like my prop has had a rough life and has some bent or missing tips. What prop should I get as a replacement?
There's no way to answer this question without knowing the design max RPM of your motor, and the actual max RPM with your existing prop at full throttle. With that info one could take a reasonable guess on what prop you need. Otherwise, I'd say just replace it with the same one and hope that the PO had it dialed in well.

[Be Free]

If it's not too badly damaged you may be able to dress it with a file and some careful application of force to straighten it out. There is a high probability of breaking it, but you can try.

Your best bet may be to replace with the same prop. You will find two numbers stamped into the side of the prop. That will be the diameter and the pitch of the current prop. The other thing to match is the number of splines. You can take the prop off and count them but I'd look up the engine online and get it out of the manual.

[svscott]

Hi Bill, welcome to the club. What lakes are you going to go boating on? There are several PA Mac owners across our state. I'm up in Erie and spend many hours each year on Presque Isle Bay/nearby lake erie.

I trailered my X down to Yellow Creek Campground while attending a class at IUP last week and went paddleboarding around the reservoir Friday evening. I knew ahead of time that I wouldn't be able to use the X in the lake due to its Honda 50 but decided to just use the boat as an RV. It beat the heck out of going to a boring hotel and watching TV after my college class let out! All of the locals with campers there at the campground were amused and stopped to chat with me since my "camper" stood out like a sore thumb. As a side bonus, I met an awesome guy at the boat ramp that took and then sent sent a few professional quality photos of me paddling Yellow Creek Lake.

I'll probably add a kicker motor bracket to my X, on the starboard side for my spare nissan 5hp motor that I use for powering my 26D. I bought the X to go exploring different lakes and maybe eventually to explore the Erie Canal so having a backup motor would be nice... especially since I already own an extra motor!

@Russ, a handful of PA's lakes, especially the man-made reservoirs use a HP limit rather than a speed limit. I think it's pretty dumb - no wake or speed limit makes much more sense!

[billybax]

Thanks guys! Lots of good info I'm still looking at.

1. A second motor is a low priority right now. Lake Arthur at Moraine SP is a small lake and I would only use the motor for raising and lowering sails and getting back when the wind dies. I don't know how strict enforcement is. If I'm using my 50HP only at no wake speed would anyone care?

2. I'd like to add a side boarding ladder.
Why? The Admiral has a bad knee and had trouble getting on board. Putting treads on the rung and a handle will help. I also like the Idea of a swim platform like this: https://macgregor.sailboatowners.com/mo ... 017&mn=26X

I had the boat on Raystown Lake last weekend. I was the only sailboat on the lake and I see why. Very narrow and no wind. But the grandkids enjoyed being towed on a raft behind the boat. The weekend was planned as a mountain biking weekend before I bought the boat. I also got some strange looks with the boat at the campground.

[dlandersson]

My kids use one like this very nicely

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-mar ... ecordNum=9

[svscott]

Thanks guys! Lots of good info I'm still looking at.

1. A second motor is a low priority right now. Lake Arthur at Moraine SP is a small lake and I would only use the motor for raising and lowering sails and getting back when the wind dies. I don't know how strict enforcement is. If I'm using my 50HP only at no wake speed would anyone care?

2. I'd like to add a side boarding ladder.
Why? The Admiral has a bad knee and had trouble getting on board. Putting treads on the rung and a handle will help. I also like the Idea of a swim platform like this: https://macgregor.sailboatowners.com/mo ... 017&mn=26X

I had the boat on Raystown Lake last weekend. I was the only sailboat on the lake and I see why. Very narrow and no wind. But the grandkids enjoyed being towed on a raft behind the boat. The weekend was planned as a mountain biking weekend before I bought the boat. I also got some strange looks with the boat at the campground.

I had the same thoughts about just using the motor for on/ off the dock but for me, it's not worth the hassle to have that conversation with the fish and boat commission or the water conservation officers that spotv the big old motor from a mile away. I've got my old boat floating all summer long in a small ocean of fresh water (Lake Erie) and if it's too rough on the Lake, I'll stay in Presque Isle Bay.

You should come visit Erie! We've got a few great transient marinas or a sweet anchorage in the Presque Isle State Park marina bay area, if that's more your speed. I also know and ride some pretty good mountain bike trails within 20 minutes drive from the lake or of your want, there is a 13 mile flat loop around the state park, or is you are into torture, bring a fat tire bike and ride the beach.

No shortage of sailboats where I play... here's a few pics of race night in the bay on Wednesday evening.

[billybax]

I just noticed the typo in my subject line. I have a 2001 not 2021 26x. But you knew that since a 2021 doesn't exist.

I'm actually from Erie (Girard, PA) and learned to sail on my buddy's dad's boat at Presque Isle Yacht Club. I crewed a few races with them. I hope to do a lot of sailing in Erie. My brother has a fishing boat that he usually launches at Walnut Creek and I've caught a lot of walleye and steelhead with him. I'm thinking the Mac 26x would be a pretty good fishing boat too.

Diandersson, That ladder looks great. I used to have a West Marine 2 miles from my house but it closed a few years ago.

Bill

[svscott]

I just noticed the typo in my subject line. I have a 2001 not 2021 26x. But you knew that since a 2021 doesn't exist.

I'm actually from Erie (Girard, PA) and learned to sail on my buddy's dad's boat at Presque Isle Yacht Club. I crewed a few races with them. I hope to do a lot of sailing in Erie. My brother has a fishing boat that he usually launches at Walnut Creek and I've caught a lot of walleye and steelhead with him. I'm thinking the Mac 26x would be a pretty good fishing boat too.

Diandersson, That ladder looks great. I used to have a West Marine 2 miles from my house but it closed a few years ago.

Bill

I picked up my 98 26X last September and have been using it to explore different lakes and places that I never did with my 87 26D. The X is nice as an all purpose boat and to explore with - you can cover some distance much faster with that big motor. I have gone out a couple times without bothering with raising the mast - once on the bay just to test the motor after buying the boat and again to explore Kinzua reservoir during last years mountain bike festival... then I camped on it in the parking lot. A couple weeks ago, we went up and checked out Chautauqua Lake for a couple hours. We motored to one end of the lake then sailed back to Bemus Point - it was great because my friend's 5 and 7 year old children had never been on a boat and they got to go fast in power boat mode and then sail. A couple weeks before that, my family and I trailered the boat to cedar point and lived in it for a few days in their marina and enjoyed the park at a leisurely pace.

I've gone out on the lake in the X and fished for walleye twice this summer and will be doing it more. Idle speed is about perfect for trolling, or with the furling genoa, you can unroll the correct amount of sail to maintain the right speed. Frankly, fishing from the X is a bit difficult without an autopilot... but that made it exciting. We had 6 lines in the water and holding a straight course is important so they don't snag or tangle. I'd need to leave the helm to net the fish but couldn't lose focus for too long because the boat would go off course. The downside is that initial setup is pricy for the fishfinder, rods, net, rod holders, etc.

I'm sad the Robinson West Marine closed. I used to work in the area a few times per year and would always visit that store. I am honestly surprised Erie doesn't have a good marine supply store. I have to drive to Cleveland or Buffalo if I don't want to order from the internet.

[billybax]

My prop:





Is that 8.8 x 11?

The prop measures 10" in diameter.
Maybe it used to be 10.88" LOL.
I guess I'm looking for a 10.88 x 11 prop.

I haven't found a direct replacement yet. Any suggestions?

Bill

[Be Free]

Definitely replace. That is way beyond repair.

If you can't get an exact match, 1" change in pitch will change ~200 RPM at top end. 1" change in diameter will change ~500 RPM at top end.

[billybax]

I found a direct replacement'
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085R ... VG0Y&psc=1

It even matches the reference number stamped on the side of the old prop: No.48- 85632A45