MacGregorSailors.com

Hi Folks, New forum member here. Thanks for this great resource.

My wife and I have been researching purchasing a Mac26 M or X for the last few years and are ready to purchase. We live in Nashville and have not found any close by in good shape.

Any pointers from other users on purchasing remotely? Experience and expectations when working with a surveyor, trailering once purchased, or potentially shipping. Due to our schedules, it might be a sight unseen purchase so interested in input from others on navigating this process.

Thanks,
jonny

Welcome Jonny.

It is not unusual to purchase a Mac a distance from your home; the greatest distance I have read was a fellow in Alaska purchasing a Mac in Florida. I don’t see how to safely do this without seeing the boat personally. That means checking out the trailer as well as the boat. Checking the bearings, and checking the frame for rust.

If it is a sight unseen purchase, find a surveyor with really good reviews on the surveyors knowledge of the & ; these are not conventional sailboats.

I wish I could say more, but hopefully, someone who has done a long distance purchase will chime in.

I hope this is of some help.

If you do have interest in a Mac a distance from your home, see if there is a member of this forum nearby that Mac who may be able to be with you when you check out the boat. Do this by checking the “Users Map”

Welcome to the Forum Jonny!

There are several resource tabs here on boats (& other stuff) for sale.
These tabs can be found at the “Main Site”.

Every boat is gonna be unique to some level and yet some are gonna be pretty much stock. Take your pick.
The only suggestion I’d offer on a ‘remote’ purchase is try and make sure that any required paperwork needed in your locale is available.
Some states register the boat, trailer and engine separately and then there are states that just register the boat or a combination of the three. For example New Hampshire registers the boat and the trailer separately while South Carolina registers just the boat and the engine (regardless of size and vintage). There are no trailer registrations in South Carolina (which explains the numerous sketchy ones around here…) Not having the purchase paperwork and titles and prior registrations complicates things.

We walked away from a Sea-do Sportster we wanted to purchase several years ago because the seller had lost the paperwork and the folks at the South Carolina DNR really dragged their heels on getting him the replacements. Nothing is ‘real’ until the paperwork is done.

Meanwhile, Up in New Hampshire when we bought a used boat trailer for our runabout the manufacturer serial number placard was a printed foil sticker that had faded into oblivion and there was no prior registration traceability available so our local town clerk was very helpful in getting a state issued alternate issued serial number and verification that the new number was physically stamped on the frame.
Night and day difference between the two states helpfulness and responsiveness.

You would be best prepared if you know what your jurisdiction specifically requires ahead of time so you can get what you need from the seller or at least understand what you’ll need to do if the documentation isn’t available.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

I'm in the Chicago area. I purchased my 97X in Littleton, CO.
Had it shipped with uship. Very pleased.
There's a X (needs washing) in Wisconsin yoiu can snag for $6500. Just sayn'

jonny wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 7:34 am Hi Folks, New forum member here. Thanks for this great resource.

My wife and I have been researching purchasing a Mac26 M or X for the last few years and are ready to purchase. We live in Nashville and have not found any close by in good shape.

Any pointers from other users on purchasing remotely? Experience and expectations when working with a surveyor, trailering once purchased, or potentially shipping. Due to our schedules, it might be a sight unseen purchase so interested in input from others on navigating this process.

Thanks,
jonny

jonny wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 7:34 am Hi Folks, New forum member here. Thanks for this great resource.

My wife and I have been researching purchasing a Mac26 M or X for the last few years and are ready to purchase. We live in Nashville and have not found any close by in good shape.

Any pointers from other users on purchasing remotely? Experience and expectations when working with a surveyor, trailering once purchased, or potentially shipping. Due to our schedules, it might be a sight unseen purchase so interested in input from others on navigating this process.

Thanks,
jonny

I joined here last October after buying a 26X out-of-state and have been documenting our journey as we go along.

We were in a similar position to you 10 months ago, had decided on a 26X or 26M but had to travel to look at any. We found a 26X listed two hours North of us in Phoenix, jumped on the highway on a Saturday and then got a message from the seller that it had sold while we were still an hour away. Strike one. I spent the drive home deep diving listings and found a local listing from a couple years before, so I called the seller and he still had it and was just off the highway on our way back into town.

We met up and had a look at his 1996 26X. It was in no way prepped to sell and priced above the one we had left to look at, but at least we knew there was a local option not about to get snatched up. We already had a trip to San Diego planned for early October and saw a 26M listed on Craigslist for a decent price just North in OC, so we messaged the seller when we got to San Diego. He replied a day later that it was still available and we asked if we could set-up a time to see it that weekend, and then... crickets. Strike two.

After we got home we saw a Facebook listing for another 1996 26X, this one in Salt Lake City. As fate would have it, our AZ NHL team had been moved to SLC that summer and I had gotten a pair of complimentary tickets for a week day game during the first month of their season. I had selected a random Tuesday I knew I had a free weekend before in case we decided to make a trip of it. This was now fast approaching and the Facebook seller had sent us a walk around video of the boat, which he wanted to get sold before moving out of state. We decided to make the trip and see our old team's new home, as well as look at the boat while visiting downtown Salt Lake for the first time.

We drove to Phoenix the following Saturday, boarded a flight to Salt Lake City and reserved a U-haul pick-up there while still on the the runway. We grabbed a Lyft from the airport to the U-haul, which was just down the road from the mexican catering storefront the boat was stored behind. The hull was in good shape inside and out, the current owner had paid a professional to replace the battery and cables, the fuel line, oil, plugs and filter, as well as the steering cables and trailer tires. He had bought it the prior summer to use strictly as a motor trawler so couldn't speak to the condition of the sailing rig, which appeared to have been neatly stored away about a decade earlier, with the sails now in an advanced state of decomposition. We had a brief discussion in the truck cab to decide on a reasonable price, he agreed and 10 minutes later had rolled it into the alley to hook up to our U-haul. He followed us to the local Walmart with his hazards on as the trailer lights were definitely history, and we said our goodbyes after signing over the title in the parking lot.

I went in and procured a set of trailer lights and a utility knife to splice them in while parked under a lamp post, meanwhile, my GF procured a king size bedding set for the rear berth. Once street legal, we towed her up to a Comfort Inn and crashed after what had been a very long day that started two cities ago and ended with our first boat parked outside the hotel.

Either the X or M are great boats with specific unique propeties for a "sailboat".

Your decision now might be between the X or M.
I've never been inside on an X, however, I hate the location of the head on the M. The "X" seems like a better location.

The X seems to have a larger cockpit. The M has that rotating mast and no backstay.
Other options might be important to you. I love having the aft cockpit rail seats and the bimini and dodger. Others don't find it as important. Some features are more important to people. Having a roller furling headsail is a must for me.

As mentioned above, the things to look at are the wear items. The trailer and motor are the biggies. Metal subject to salt water rusts and these trailers will rust in weird places (inside the tubing). A neglected or old motor might be at the end of its life.

Sail condition is another biggie. I have the original mainsail and it's worn out. Stretched. However, it can be replaced with money.

Just about everything else on these boat will last forever. Fiberglass cleans up easily with elbow grease.

Post your journey here and I'm sure you will get some pointers and advice.

I personally would never make such a purchase sight unseen.

A trustworthy surveyor is essential, but I would not trust them alone. They focus on seaworthiness, which may not include things you will notice. (What if it just smells?)

You just can't know without seeing it with your own eyes. And surveyors do miss things.

I was lucky. I only drove 160 miles for my Mac.

I bought mine on eBay over 20 years ago, sight unseen, from New Mexico (I live in the Philly area). Not much chance of getting a boat surveyor in the middle of NM! But I did have long talks with the owner, and got LOTS of photos, so I had a fair idea what I was acquiring. I felt I could trust him after our talks, so I went for it. Drove out, found the boat to be exactly as described, and hauled it all the way back to Philly… through 60 mph crosswinds in Oklahoma! All in all, I did well… good price, good boat… and I can sell it now for what I paid for it… and had all these years of enjoyment. What’s not to like?

Thank you all for the feedback and pointers!

With your help, I have located a 2001 26X and have a surveyor booked for Friday. Might be picking her up next week if all goes well and no big surprises.

We're motivated and will update the thread with any new info and I'm sure a few other threads as we settle in.

Happy Labor day to all!

Cheers,
jonny

Good luck!

Congrats on your finding a Mac26X!
Hope it works out for you!

Good luck with the potential purchase!! That survey will also come in handy for getting insurance if you decide to buy the boat afterwards. Welcome to the Fleet.