![]() There is nothing complicated about the layout, and a converting power boatie would soon get the hang of things. The wheel, mounted on a pedestal carrying the electronics, is powerboat sized but required very little effort in sailing mode.Īll the control lines lead back to the cockpit where a pair of winches is mounted. When sailing, the motor disconnects from the steering and locks amidships with a very quick and neat gadget. Steering is by wheel – inevitable when it needs to control both a pair of kick-up rudders and the motor. On the wind speed dropped of course, but the MacGregor showed itself to be closer winded than I expected. We had only around 7 to10 knots of wind, yet saw a best boat speed of five knots. The sail area, main and genoa, is 37sqm, which is pretty effective on this light boat. It is a rotating mast, giving better airflow to the mainsail. Forestay and two pairs of shrouds, one on swept-back spreaders, support the mast without the help of a backstay. A hand winch is provided for raising the mast, but there is so little weight involved it is not vital. ![]() Keel area is given by a daggerboard that increases draught from 0.3m to 1.75m. The weight is of course entirely within the hull so the righting moment is not as great as a ballast keel would give, but seat of the pants on review day said stiffness was acceptable. The water is taken on by opening a transom valve, and drained either by getting over eight knots under power or when back on the trailer. To get the necessary weight in the right place for sailing, the MacGregor relies on water ballast, 520kg of it, to add to the 136kg of permanent ballast. The trick to this is a hull shape suited to planing, coupled with low weight. Or when the wind fails you, you do not have to go home at idling speed. For a long weekend at Rottnest you might decide to leave the mast at home and be a powerboat. Five will give the sort of performance usually acceptable in an auxiliary, and 60 is good for 22 knots. The point of the plus-motor reservation is that the power range of this boat is from 5 to 60hp, or nothing at all of course. A price of AUD $45,000, again plus outboard motor, is attractive too. ![]() The idea of touring Australia with free accommodation and the ability to cruise anywhere there is enough water is very attractive. Its accommodation is so spacious and well laid-out that it would make a very acceptable caravan. Unlike the vast majority of US imports, the MacGregor 26 with its 2.34m beam is also trailable without restrictions, and its trailing weight of 1400kg (plus motor) makes it an easy pull. ![]()
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