26x Review in Boatworks Magazine

[Newell]

Sometimes I get so focused on the merits of my X that I slip outside certain realities and think that I can invent my around some of it's sailing performance problems. On one such sojurn I e-mailed FM with some ideas and received a nice, though suspect reply, toting achievements that are suspect in my view.

Please notice in his response in this thread that he can only add ballast on Starboard tack. This isn't true the X has the valve on the Starboard side and you must be on Port tack in order to fill when sailing in a breeze.

The X is a great boat but if you are getting crazy about how well it performs as a sailor just enter a local beer can race, LOL.

[richandlori]

for goodness sake....I all the time wasted worring/preaching about the extra 100 or 200# on the back of the Mac. What about adding the stern-rail seats and then having two 200# guys back there? You should see all the junk I store in my aft bunk and I'm still happy with the preformance and was able to stay in front of Aya16 (mike)

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

my attention to rear end weight (158# Tohatsu 2-stroke 50hp vs. 410# Suzuki 4 stroke 90, 115, or 140hp) has more to do with trailering than with sailing performance.

[richandlori]

my attention to rear end weight (158# Tohatsu 2-stroke 50hp vs. 410# Suzuki 4 stroke 90, 115, or 140hp) has more to do with trailering than with sailing performance.

Now that's a good point.

[Hamin' X]

What about adding the stern-rail seats and then having two 200# guys back there?

Picture two 200# guys asking for tooth brushes to remove bugs, after trailering to the marina.

[Mark Prouty]

Question: How can you tell a happy Mac powersailor owner with a big motor?

Answer: By the bugs in his teeth.

[aya16]

Ouch.... you have a blue hull Rich I always thought you would be faster.
After our Sat. sail I had to go to my shrink and he said "what did you expect he had a blue hull". He recomended I sell my boat give the money to him and I would be fine. He also recomended I keep a close eye on the water stream coming from the faster boat.....But hey your one decent guy and I wouldnt want to be beat by anyone else. By the way went sailing with an old friend of yours yesterday Rick and Molly. Great couple, dog people too like me. He was able to beat me back to the marina too.
Mike

[richandlori]

Glad you got to go sailing with Rick and Molly. They are another example of great Mac folks. I spent the entire weekend with an eye patch over my left eye from a piece of MacGregor Fiberglass that got in my eye during a boat mod on Thursday. Talk about painful! But, hey my stereo and speakers are finally installed, even if it did cost me a trip to the Dr!

[richandlori]

He was able to beat me back to the marina too.
Mike

Rick and Molly have that Blue Hull advantage also!

[James V]

As far as BIG motors go, there is a point on where you sail and what seas you are in. If you are in 2+ foot seas most of the time, anything above 7 mph will be hard on you and the boat. So when you say that "no damage has been done in years" is not taking into account the conditions that you are motoring in nor the amount of motor hours or high speed.

[aya16]

Rich sure you still want to be in the parade of lights next month?
I keep getting visions of your skeleton as you plug in the 6000 watts of lights. Dont worry in the vision your still smiling...

Good thing it wasnt a stereo tv you installed you would have to wait to heel to enjoy it. Heel get it....

[mssydnie]

Great Thread! Haven't been able to check site in a while. Was interested to see that this thread almost accepts "Frank" I too sometimes follow his posts with interest. Look...just sort the wheat from the chaff...a lot of what he has written on his web site has merit.

Sorry all you "power" guys! I have posted previously that as I get older and because my occupation has tremendous stress...I just want to putts'a
around ... and slow is plenty fine by me. Have Suzuki DF50...for last 4 seasons on 2002 MacX...great motor!

Will also try to get copy of Boatworks Review...sounds great.

[Frank C]

I was surprised yesterday to stumble-across this BoatWorks magazine that's been mentioned earlier. BoatWorks is a "seasonal issue" by the editors of Sail magazine. It has some particularly appropriate articles relating to recent forum topics, including:

• - Replacing your mast
  - Installing flexible water tanks
  - Making your own hard dodger
  - Bottom cleaning
  - Testing your batteries (by Nigel Calder)
  - Review of Minn Kota electric kicker

The 26X review is kinda a pablum affair (as are most reviews) and the interior floorplan got screwed up ... they are showing the plan of some other boat, not a Mac. Still, it's a worthwhile issue to browse this winter, for planning upgrades & mods. For anyone who could not find it (assuming you're not under some 'boycotting vow'), look on WalMart's magazine stand.
(for a buck off retail)

[Lovekamp]

It had a few problems: said MacGregor had no factory website, told of how used the SailNet forum was, didn't mention this forum at all, and didn't really explain the difference between the X and the M.

The profile and floor plan is for the M, rather than the X, and to make it worse, they reversed the image! The photos, at least, were from the X sales brochure.