MacGregorSailors.com

I'm in the market for a Macgregor. I have been looking at them and like the versatility of being able to trailer, motor along or sail. I am looking for input from folks who have owned both the X and M , What they liked about each, which they prefer and why. I hear the M is much faster under sail? The more advice the better. I have been on other sites that say the mac is no good and to get a Catalina or something instead. I imagine that the mac heals quickly due to the hull design and ballast system. I guess that's the trade off for not having a massive trailer and a 40 foot tongue to launch. Everything is compromise! Can't I have my cake and eat it too?

I am trying to learn as much as possible. We're in Iowa and lake MI is 4.5 hours away. We have a really nice lake that's about half that distance with about an 8 mile stretch called Rathbun that we can go to, as well as a couple other lakes in the middle of the state. Usage will be several weekends during the summer and maybe even a few days on the big lake as well. I am looking at this as a stepping stone towards a larger dream of ocean sailing. And yes, we'll need to move to a coastal state to do that.

I imagine this subject may have been broached a time or two and I don't mean to start a controversy. Forgive me, I'm new.

Thanks,
MJ

Rule No 1 - Most people on other sites have never sailed in a Mac so know nothing about them, they just regurgitate clap trap from ignorant people that have previously posted they have never researched the subject and point out that a Mac once fell over and people were killed without telling you that there were 6 adults on the roof and the skipper decided not to fill the ballast tank before they went out,

Plenty of keel boats have the keel fall off, and that is a manufacturing problem, not filling the ballast tank is a skipper problem.

The M is slightly faster than the X under sail, but then again how good a sailor are you to squeeze that last bit of performance out of it, a well sailed X will run with a reasonably sailed M,

I find the X to be a stiff boat in compared to others I have owned or sailed on, the first 5 degrees of heel disappears in a flash but it sure stiffens up after that, and 5 degrees in nothing

Hope this helps, buy a Mac then you can point at the idiots that told you they were not a good boat and laugh, then fire up the motor and do donuts around them

Hi MJ,
Not sure from what part of the world your from but sailboat mike has hit the nail on the head.We're both from Australia. These boats really get ridiculed. I confess I use to ridicule the boat too. Quite simply i believed people that never sailed them thinking they were better then me. I owned a Macgregor 26S and when people use to say, "Not one of those tupperware looking sail boats with the big motor that sail like a brick" I would defend my-self by saying" no not that one...the one that looks like a traditional sailboat." No one knew what I was talking about because they are very rare in Australia. Shame on me and formal apologies to all that own an X or M .I have now recently put down a deposit on a Macgregor X and received the survey report this evening. After spending hours and hours on research and what type of boat ticks the boxes for me I could only find one boat that ticked most of them. It was the Macgregor 26 X and M. I don't have the funds for a newer Tattoo, or a Mack 28 or its more expensive brother the Imexus 28. They have borrowed designs and features from the Macgregor 26 X and M but on a larger scale. So finally choosing the Make,I now had to choose the model. X or M. Now looking at the models more closely my choice was made up over much deliberation. The M has all the newer design features which do, I believe make it the better boat. For me however being the better boat was not the best boat for me. The key features for me which out weighed the better M was:
1) The larger cockpit was the major decision I spend most of my time on deck not below.
2) I like where the head is rather than where it is on the M. Also more headroom in there I believe.
3) Most boats tend to need some maintenance and customising when bought. The generally lower purchase price allows me to afford this.
4) Lower purchase price as X's are an earlier build.The trick is to find one that has been lightly used and not neglected with as much goodies as possible.
5) Most X boats are now on their 2nd trailer which is now an Aussie built, designed, and properly complied. The original trailers are quite questionable.

As I mentioned the on paper seems to be the better boat with a lot of upgrades but the choice for me was the

Im not sure if its because the X's and M's are so rare in the southern states of Australia, but I always get admiring crowds around the boat at the jetty and everyone wants to have a look around it.

Im sure its just a case of jealousy that nobody takes any notice of their run of the mill boat that looks like every other.

The Mac is certainly the eye candy of the waterways

That's good info. Keep it coming. I want as much opinion as I can get. The larger cockpit on the X is attractive. I wonder how much bigger it is? Anyway, keep the good info coming!

thanks,

In the used market you are buying three things.

Boat it is what it is....
Motor worst case is new one at 3-10k depending on HP (9.9-60)
Trailer - worst case fix is a new one at 5k

If you are going used and you plan to go in the ocean I suggest the M boat because of the plastic dagger board and the deeper hull. In the ocean you will need the deeper hull. Also, in used boats anything that swivels on hinges or on a metal hinge is a corrosion issue. The X boat has a swinging center board.

It sounds like you plan to spend all your time on a lake - in that case I think the X boat would be better because of it's flat bottom and roomy interior and large cockpit.

A roomy interior is not so important in a pitching boat out in ocean swells because you can't walk anyways and your always holding on to something. But on a lake there are no swells and a lot of time is spent in nice calm waters near the shore - I have not done a lot of lake sailing but the time I have was very nice and I think you would want to take advantage of the X boats roomy interior for that kind of thing.

The M boat has less maintenance, less rigging, and a plastic dagger-board which is good for salt water and the X boat is a little lighter and has way more room in the cockpit.

If possible you should take a first hand look at both the M and the X. And, the M has 2 or 3 different interior arrangements.

When I started looking I assumed I was going to get a new or newer M. But after looking at and riding on both boats, it was an easy decision to get a 2001X. My reasons were:

- The much easier access (for bad knees) from the cockpit to the cabin
- The larger cockpit area
- The size/height of the head (M's was too cramped/short for us)
- The ability to easily install a kicker mount on the stern (we did that, for a 5 hp kicker)
- And even though the rear berth does not have as much headroom, the folding ladder allows for fairly easy access.

But these were my likings ..... everyone has different wants and needs. For me it turned out good. Due to mobility problems after I bought it (2 knee replacements and associated issues), I've installed a 70hp 4-stroke Yamaha and purchase a dual axle aluminum trailer. So I used it soley as a "power boat". It serves its purpose as a seaworthy and somewhat economical boat.

Actually the M cabin is about two feet longer than the X cabin that's why the cockpit is shorter , the X cabin only looks bigger because of it,s open concept , the sliding Galley on the later model M is a nice feature which allows for more people to sit around the dinette table for cocktails or other entertainment purposes , aft stern seats on an M is a nice feature for more room & if u find a boat with a full cockpit enclosure it doubles up the living space , X has I believe a 7% hull dead rise flatter bottom where as the M has a 15% dead rise more rounded hull
the X has a 28ft mast the M has a 30ft mast & bigger mainsail, the M also has more windows slightly more headroom in the cabin

to each his own preference & likes & price range , myself I prefer the later model M floor plan suites my needs & wants perfectly the boat is just a perfect size for me comfortable but wont break the bank when slipping @ a marina

when I get too old too sail I,ll either get younger crew to run the rigging lol but my boat is pretty much modded out for single handling & when I can,t do that anymore I,ll not have to trade her in for another power boat nope just remove the mast & rigging & bingo I got a power cruiser
if u can find some people close to ur location who have a X & M & ask them if they would take u out for a sail & see the interior lay out & u can then have a better idea on how too decide what makes a better choice for u

cheers J

It's all a personal opinion and what John said above is true - the M cabin is actually much bigger than the X cabin but it just does not feel that way because of the wall in the middle where the head is.

The other thing that was a surprise to me is the quality of the build - the later models of the M boats were the best builds - towards the end of the line the factory was putting in extra ribs in the hull and adding ribs to the deck and using better hardware. If you can get your hands on a late model M (years 2012 to 2014) at any price it probably will be a good value for resale.

X hull is a 5% V

Highlander wrote: X has I believe a 7% hull dead rise flatter bottom where as the M has a 15% dead rise more rounded hull

cheers J

MJ,

A Plan B, get a slip in or near Chicago and use your boat as your "vacation home".

I'd say yes to trying each boat. The back bedroom of the M is larger then the X also isn't it?
Ix

Welcome aboard! I'm sure you'll find the great folks here on these forums a hugely helpful resource for finding the right Macgregor "party barge" for you and yours and then understanding its ways. I know that I certainly have, being a rather recently-minted owner of a 2001 26X, my first sailboat, which I've only actually had my big paws on since August 2015, and then in the water only twice since Friday before last, having had to attend to a whole host of "fixin's" before she was truly ready for splashing.

Obviously, if you can find someone out there who's owned both a 26X and a 26M, then he or she would be in the very best position to advise you as to these fairly similar models' relative strengths and weaknesses. I can tell you, having spent a lot of my free time rummaging through sailboat listings far and wide, that as a general rule, an older Mac 26X (1995-2002) will tend to cost far less than a 26M (2003-2012), and those less than the much rarer successor "offspring" of the 26M, the possibly now defunct Tattoo 26 (2013- ?). That said, I have seen 26Ms going for as little as about $14,000, with some extensively and exceptionally well modified turnkey "needs nothing" 26Xs asking much more than that. I can also assure you that right now in June is probably NOT the optimal time to be buying any boat...or, for that matter a motor cycle, surfboard or scuba gear. Nope. Winter is the best time to be on the lookout for bargains on such warm weather toys. That said, luck trumps all and a "cheap" boat may well cost more in the end. One thing you'll have going for you foraging from Iowa is the fact that most of the boats you're likely to go see will be fresh water boats. That salt water can be especially hard on any boat, particularly one left in the drink at a dock for long periods. What you'll be wanting, and be far likelier to find than "coastal dwellers" like me, is a nice seldom-used trailer-sailer that got hauled off to the lake a couple-few times a year, pottered around, and was then towed home to the driveway after every outing...That is, the sailboat equivalent of Granny's old Chevy that she only drove Sundays to church. I've looked over lot of sad and woefully neglected Macs out there firsthand. Not just 26Xs, but also a couple of super cheap or even "just-come-get-it-outta-my-yard-and-it's-yours" 26S, 26D or other sometimes smaller "Venture" models, predecessors of our hybrid power-sailer 26X and 26M models. Some folks call them "Classic Macgregors" or often just "26Cs" for short. They're said to be great little sailers and comfy cruisers when well-found (and not typically to be had at such give away prices when so). I thought seriously about pulling the trigger on a 26S in nearby Maryland in not such rotten shape, but decided to instead hold out for a 26X, since I realized I really did want that biggish motor too. Glad I did.

I was awfully lucky on the price I paid for my semi-decent light-fixer-upper 26X in late March 2015, with that winter chill still in the air...Lucky enough, that is, that I expect other owners might prefer I not mention the actual buying price. Suffice it to say that a decent pretty much sail-ready 26X might be had right now out your way for around $10,000 to $12,000 give or take...maybe significantly less if there are any identifiable "issues" with it, its motor, or its trailer. Just understand that that very same 26X could very likely be had for a couple or even a few grand less as a "Santa Special".

Being a sort of sub-species of reasonably well paid librarian-archivist-historical-researcher in a single-earner household, that initial purchase price was a primary consideration for me, if I was to get this whole "Sailing" thing off the ground about a decade ahead of a vaguely imagined schedule as a post-retirement pursuit. Hence, the decision for a light "fixer-upper" 26X was sort of made for me...It was simply what I could afford. That said, having since seen (though not sailed on) a 26M, I think I prefer the 26X for its far larger cockpit, easier access thereto and that bigger head right near the companionway hatch. The 26X's swing-up centerboard also seems a more sensible feature over the 26M's daggerboard arrangement, given that I'll be chiefly tooling around in the thin waters of the often shallow Potomac, Chesapeake Bay and related rivers and estuaries. I imagine I'd prefer to hear the sound of that board just bumping up out of the way than digging in hard with maybe some shrill splintery-cracking noises. Don't get me wrong: All things being equal, I'm sure I would have been pretty happy with a 26M for the price I paid for the X, but then even accounting for natural bias and my near utter lack of actual knowledge of that "M" path not taken, I really do think I prefer having an X. I simply believe it's the better choice for the situation at hand.

Sure, I'd like to sail to the Bahamas, or maybe even around the Mediterranean or Black Seas some day, and maybe one day I'll have a boat more suitable for that sort of cruising, but for right now and for the foreseeable future, the 26X seems like just the right safe comfy hybrid craft to tote me and mine around on our waterborne adventures just tooling in and around the Chesapeake. And if I want to get all "Old School" and start hankering for that "fixed keeley" experience, there's always my little Com-Pac 16 "foundling" that I got for a buck. Sorely neglected for about a decade, and not long ago being engulfed by weeds and creeping vines marching up her hull, she's not looking too bad nowadays, is she?:

AS FOUND:



NOW:



Anyhow, best of luck in your search! My hunch is you'll know her when you see her, and then it won't matter much anyhow if it's an X or an M.

Here is my two bits worth.

I got an an M because I liked the interior better. About as non technical a reason as you can get. Smaller cockpit, I don't care. Rounder bottom or flatter bottom, I don't care I saw the nicer, more attractive interior. Hey, I'm a designer

We were going to purchase an X in 2003, but the Admiral was diagnosed with breast cancer, so everything on hold. By the end of 2004 we were ready to proceed. They did not make X's anymore, so we saw an M at the boat show. As far as I was concerned, the interior of the M sold me over the X. We could have purchased a used X for less $ than the new M, but that interior sold me. We purchased a 2005 M right there, and have never looked back. We ( yes, the Admiral is a thirteen year survivor) love our Mac.

Here is my advice.

[1] Check out each in person.
[2] Make a decision Whatever it is that floats your boat, life is far too short and unpredictable to get hung up on little differences.
[3] Sail


Ray

~~~_/)~~~