Own a 26X, here's what I've learnt... Quality was not a high priority during assembly... 1. Fibre glassing rule was quick is better than quality, who cares it's all hidden anyway. until you have to get in and fix the leaks (which brings me to 2). 2. Some silicon is better than no silicon, apparently. And don't use stuff that will last, use cheap white stuff that loses its consistency. Leaks so bad in the rain it uses water ballast whether you want to or not. Have buckets and sponges on standby. 3. They drilled the ladder 1 inch too far to the left, so the ladder bolt is too close to the rudder support block to fit properly and so is fitted crooked, and leaks. 4. Because the ladder is in the wrong spot, they had to fit the rudder one inch to the left also, so the 3rd bolt is barely in the support block. 5. Yes you can raise the mast in under 10 minutes, after 40 minutes of prep work... 6. The rudder walls are so thin the knot in the ropes just break through the wall and jam inside the rudder. I fitted strengthening plates to all 4 rope holes. 7. The spreader poles will hit the guard rail cables and snap when lowering the mast, unless you unclip the cables and have more cables to snag because they have to stay undone until the mast is raised.... 8. The steering wheel is so large you can barely fit past it to walk down the isle. I removed it and fitted a 13 1/2 inch one. 9. The switch panel wiring was not done by a wireman. It was done by the first year apprentice at 5 minutes to knock off on the Friday of a long weekend... 10. My galley sink outlet wasn't sealed properly and water leaked in from between the fibreglass and the outlet tube. So much so that after a few hours of sailing the port side of the boat had bucket loads of salt water that had to be manually sponged out. 11. Speaking of sinks, both sink hoses were so long they were just a series of kinks that never drained properly and became blocked. Am I glad I bought it? No.... But after all the hours I've spent fixing it I may as well keep it. Would I buy another one? No...
I Had the full DVD given to me with the boat purchase. I edited the video on my PC to condense the viewing to the most interesting points, I am surprised that I am the only one with the promotional video. Since putting this on I have tried to relocate my original copy of the DVD amongst my sea of library collection as requested by some of you. But to this day it has found its way to another location somewhere unknown to me. My opinion only to anyone that is viewing this video and are looking to purchase the Macgregor X, I find the boat gives me the enjoyment and pleasure and does what i ask of it. (My opinion only) Please note that I use my boat in inland waters and not at sea. The Boat has the room inside to give you all you need for a family holiday and more. As most model Macgregor's do. The other feature that sold me on the X is this boat has the entry point to the rear of the craft once on the trailer. If you are over the age of 50 and still want to be active and use a watercraft and have it stored on a trailer and don't need a crane to get yourself over the transom to access the boat then this is a good option. This is a plus if you want to do trailer parks in between water destinations. My best advice for anybody looking at this craft to purchase is to ask an owner who uses one and sails them regularly and get their opinion on your needs to the craft and its applicability of what you are after, as on any boat!!!! The needs you may want in the Macgregor may be different to theirs and so on. I have shown and taken many people for a sail and motor on my Mac and most not all have been impressed with the comfort and room on board Myself, I did not buy this boat to race around the cans or take people for a ski. Can the boat do this YES and more. If you purchased a ski boat and and was asked to stay away on it for a 3 day tour you would have to pass. As well if you purchased an open top day sailer same deal. All about compromise to the best of the watercraft You will only now find these boats on the second hand market, as well as the M model. Look closely at the condition and how well the boat has been looked after and that goes for any boat. As well as the motor. If you speak to owners that have ongoing or any problems with there X you may get an idea on what to look for in the second hand market and areas of major concern. The outboard motor always needs service and maintenance once a year or every 2 years (depending on use)because the boat is too big to paddle. Sails are always an issue with any sailboat, Rip's and stretching can reduce the performance to any sailboat. Gel-coat chips from wear and damage is a constant battle entering jetties and mournings as well as rub railing I have owned My X for about 6 years now and have not looked back. This boat will see me to my retirement of boating. The X does all and more of what i ask if it. Dump the 600ltrs lt's of ballast water and get home fast mode i call it As well as taking out 6 people in the cockpit out for a sail and party to cooking up a small banquette in the galley to feed the crew. Fishing and cooking the catch on the rear mounted BBQ for the day. I am not selling or have sold boats just owned and built one. In my opinion for the price this boat gives you a week away and maybe more, easy trailering to destinations and launching and retrieving of the X. i WAS SOLD IN THE FIRST TRIP OUT ON IT. This boat gives me relaxation time away from general busy work time that i look forward to the minute it gets in the water. Trev
Thanks so much for the great write up. I am looking to move up from my 20' Prrcision. I don't care about having an outboard, but the standing headroom and galleyand head has me sold.
Most Sailing or Powerboat people have comments in regarding these boats. Sometimes judging the ability of this watercraft. BUT until an individual actually owns one sails one and uses it for what the boat was designed for I personally find they don't know what they are talking about. Do I own one? YES First thing the boat was designed to be trailered to inshore waters lakes and rivers as a family and recreational boat to take a family of 4 away cruising with a motor to get you out of trouble when needed and NOT designed to sail across open ocean waters in large seas. But I am sure there are some who would take theres much further out and not have a problem if the weather was in there favor. Having a confident skipper and a well maintained boat is the key to any boating. Usually you will find specific boats built to do what they are designed to do. Deep keel sailing Yachts to do ocean sailing. Small sailing boats for day sailing and racing around the cans. Secondly the boat seems to handle its own capabilities as a power-sailer and this is what it was designed for does this with little effort. The head room and in this 26 is truly amazing as well as the comfort of the cockpit area. The high free-board does take some time to get use to with the wind but if you take your time it can be easy to master. Maintenance on these boats is like any another boat. Check your safety gear as well as anything that takes its toll on fatigue ie. rigging and motor. The 26x launching and retrieving goes in and out on the trailer with ease. Small adjustments only needed once the boat is on but overall REAL EASY. Will the 26x win yacht races? maybe in its own class. But I am sure most or the owners out there did not buy theres to race. Will the boat pull a skier? yes if you have the right motor like all ski boats. As most sailboats they need ballast to stay upright, these boats use water ballast to keep them stable. If you follow a few easy steps and always fill the tank at the boat ramp these no problem with stability. Takes about 3 mins to empty at the ramp once you finish for the day, saves carting around unwanted weight on the trailer. In heavy winds they tend to heel a bit more due to the high free-board but I don't have a problem in reducing the sail area to keep it comfortable.(works for me) Another bonus with these is once they are on the trailer you don't need a step ladder to get on the boat. This very much appealed to me in my later years of cruising and traveling. As for towing they are quite large but once again time and practice goes hand in hand for any large caravan or boat. With all our gear in the boat total weight is about 1900 kg. But this can vary from boat to boat depending on the amount of stuff you put in it or modifications that have been put on-board. If you are looking at Buying one ask a Macgregor owner (Like Trev)who has used one for a while. But overall I am sure other Mac users comments will have Merritt to your questions on the boats ability to what you are looking for. If you have a family these boats will cater for the best fun with or without sails. For the galley space as well as the dinette and head area all have the benefits of a much larger boat. My views on the Macgregor are from my own personal experience from the past few years sailing the Macgregor 26x Steve
Thanks for the great write up Steve. The wife and I (Middle age but no kids) are looking at a MacGregor 26X for lake sailing in the Greater Seattle area (and any Washington/Oregon lakes we make a weekend trip out of). I had a 21 foot I/O cuddy that was a bear to travel with since it had a single axle trailer but lots of fun out in the water. There will be much to learn about sailing, if we do go with the MacGregor, as I believe in being extremely safe out on the water with my passengers lives at risk. I keep reading nothing but great things about this craft. We are not looking to be purist with sailing and think this a good option for us with 3 MacGregors bring offered for sail in our area. Any idea what these weigh with the original tandem trailer and general supplies and fuel? How much tongue weight. We have a stout Tundra with upgraded tires but it's a V6 that can only tow 4500, officially.
@@marcoavila2426 Sounds like you have got it sorted. There is quite a few forums on these boats with lots of well timed knowledge. Reading them is my suggestion to any questions you may have. My option on this boat is. give yourself time to grasp the handling and parking the boat as well as the safety. Check all aspects of the craft yearly to keep it maintained. (I do for the crews sake) Rodger design these boats specifically for in-shore waters. Take time once you get it in the water to know your limits with the craft and learn from it. Yachts will pass you by but the comfort for a 26 its up there. These boats still turn heads but on the other hand very practical. Enjoy Marco
I disagree regarding the ease of putting it on the trailer. A combination of low draft and high sides makes it blow around in the wind very easily, and without the rudders down (impractical on some ramps) it is extremely unresponsive to steering with just the engine at low speeds. The result is you're quite likely to find the boat sitting on its trailer sideways... Overall I love mine, but easy to get back on the trailer? No.
@@bigglyguy8429 Most of the Macgregor Trailers have what they call Goal Posts. Raised poles that help stop the side ways movement caused by wind and current pressure. Not all sailboats have good trailers some are very difficult to launch and retrieve. Let alone having 26ft to get back on the trailer. Some minor adjustments to a standard Mac trailer can make it easier at boat ramp (Even single handed). Most of the forums will show what works and what does not , with modifications to align the boat to a central location each time.
@@stevejury7762 Hi Steve. I ordered my Mac from Japan, where they don't have trailers (local road laws are weird). So I just have some basic trailer, which was too short and I extended the tongue to fit. There was no ladder or posts of any sort, but I did order some side rails from Amazon, which should help a lot! I haven't had a chance to use them yet, due to covid and now some nonsense about needing a "boat license"... I've lived here nearly 20 years, this is my 3rd boat but NOW it seems ya need one? Pft! Ideally I need some kind of online course with a certificate, as not being a native I'm not eligible for a local "boat license"...
Thanks for putting this up. I'm a newbie 26X owner, and like Roald posted a while back, I'd also love to see the full unedited video. The complete videos seem to be available for the later Mac 19 and 26M models, but not the 26X, as far as I can tell.
Incredibly simple and clean looking boat I wonder what a good price for one is? I found one on CL for 1982 for 26k !!!!!! Is that Charlie Sheen narrating?
Lemmy was a great dude. He leads and people follow him, never spoke don't to the little guy,, wouldn't rush u, showed up early, surprisingly polite, excuse me , let me though, how's your day yes miss, sir. Most people don't know that because the image
Yeah hay I'll look for mine but it's been quite a few years. If I would of ordered the video 2 years earlier I could of gotten the build video of the 65! That's a hens tooth now.
@@AmnonMichaelCohen Because old man Macgregor made his money, grew old and retired. It would be great to see a new boat as practical as the Mac but it takes a lot of investment to do what Macgregor did.
@@bigglyguy8429 Thanks for your care, and it is sad that greed is what people choose over good basic profit. In my invention, I am facing ignorant arrogance from the industry, as they like to copy and compete if and when I win a new market share, so I stay with my invention and keep trying to find the suitable commercial partner, and only after, we may offer our version of sailboat you can also ski with. The prototype I did make is no more because it was just a small one 12' using a LASER sail and a 10HP engine. It seems the market for weekend motorsailers is not large for new trailerable one to enter the market.
@@AmnonMichaelCohen Certainly there WAS a market. Hard to say what has changed? I think boats have developed a reputation for being very expensive in general, which puts most people off. the Mac was affordable fun for a normal family, but of course those spending 3X - 10X the price for something less versatile absolutely hated the things! Maybe the market is ready for a new version, deliberately built up to a standard that defies anyone to call it cheap n nasty? My own Mac 26X is 24 years old and still a great, solid weekend yacht. It's impressive how well it's held up but listen to some people and you'd think it was made of cardboard and couldn't last a season or two? Haters are gonna hate I guess.
i own one and it does not go 24MPH even with the ballast empty. it will go about 16 max with all of your stuff onboard. it is stable with the ballast empty. we went over a 3 foot wave the wave hit the hull and rocked us all around but we did not capsize thank goodness
@@joeprimal2044 Welcome :) When motoring hard it's fine but low-speed stuff like getting it on a trailer, you really need to put the rudders down, and even then it tends to float off sideways in any wind. Get guidance poles on your trailer ;)
@@bigglyguy8429 Thanks. I appreciate any tips. I'm kind of torn between several options on what boat to get. Trailer-able or in the water? Sail or power? I want to learn to sail, but I'd also like to just go out and do a little fishing with my daughter (she's special needs, but has quite the adventurer streak in her ). In the water is great but in addition to the direct costs I have a feeling I'd be spending half my time fixing things or arranging for things to be fixed. Salt water is a harsh environment. The mac 26 X or M seems like a good solution to be my first boat in 35 years to get back into it. It seems a well executed design.
Why would anyone motor along on a plane with the mast up? Can't you lower the mast for powered operations? That open transom would be a load of fun in a following sea. I came home from Catalina Island one October evening with a 4' following swell in a 23' Larson I/O. Each time the swell slammed into the transom, the boat would heave stern first, with the prop breaching, taching the engine up to 5K. Your open transom would have meant a swamped boat on the first swell. No thanks. I'd have to build a sealed fiberglass transom insert to plug that massive hole in the arse.
First of all these boats was originally designed for inland waters not open water sailing with large waves at the rear of the boat. The open Transom is one of the features that makes the Macgregor appealing to sailing lakes rivers and off shore sailing. As for motoring on the plane. Some who sail or motor in over 5 meter tides know the current is something else a yacht owner has to deal with. it comes in real handy to get you out of trouble especially when your close to rocks or reef.
mon Boat : TINOU .Le seul voilier avec lequel tu peux faire du ski nautique , capable de monter a 20 noeuds ( 40 km/h ) Tractable par une (grosse cylindrée ) 2 cabines ,carré, wc independant, flotte dans 30 cm d'eau
