MacGregor 26 - Page 2

sailorman_10 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-12-2002

Hey Assault: Yes I too pondered that question and came to the conclusion that with all those drunk partiers in the water they held on to anything they could. This MAY have included the rig. If its laying at 0 degrees and a couple folks are hanging onto it, the vessel would not come back up. Seems like I read on Mac''s website that 30 lbs on the masthead would hold the boat heeled 90 degrees. I could be wrong.

Randy

soverel28 · #12 (**permalink**) 08-13-2002

aasault,
in the manual it states "Unless the water ballast tank is completely full, with 1400 pounds of water ballast, the sailboat is not self-righting. Without the water ballast, the boat may not return to an upright position if the boat is tipped more than 50 degrees, and will capsize like most non-ballasted
sailboats". The boat has NO ballast and when the boat fills with water there is no righting force. To me this a questionable design.
This boat should not be used unless tanks are full. IMO a boat of this design is to be used in small lakes. Where I sail there are large tugs and container ships that can rock and roll you serverly.
And yes it does sound like the skipper made some poor choices.
Would you take your family in this boat accross the Bay (10 miles) or in the fall or spring when the water is chilly.
PB

sailorman_10 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-13-2002

The Mac26 may not recover beyond 50 degrees without the tanks being full. However, I do not consider this a design flaw as the boat is designed to do things a "regular" sailboat will not do. It will not do something else a regular sailboat will do. SINK. So does my regular sailboat have a design flaw because it will sink if it fills with water? As has been stated many times, sailboats are ALWAYS a compromise in some way. I looked at Mac26''s (though only briefly) when I was looking for a boat a few years back. However, when weighing all the factors that were important to me, I chose to go with a traditional vessel. I did not want to be confined to the dock by weather so the MAC did not fit my criterior any longer. And, no, I would not put my family in a mac to cross a ten mile bay in cold water.

Randy

JeffC_ · #14 (**permalink**) 08-24-2002

A couple of summers ago a friend and I made a weekend trip to Catalina Island. The big news of the weekend was that "another" Mac26 had capsized. Seems she was speeding along in "powerboat" mode, into weather, climbed the top of a large swell, gained some air, and began to barrel-roll while flying over the trough. Landed on her side and had to be towed in, still 90 degrees over. And again, the tanks were empty, presumably either from ignorance or a desire for speed.
There are other manufacturers who make water-ballasted boats in this size range, but I can recall no incidents of any problems with them. This absence of evidence does not prove them to be any safer, though.
And those two children are just as dead as if the boat had gone down, so the Mac26''s "unsinkable" argument is small consolation for their family.
I wouldn''t get on one.

windship · #15 (**permalink**) 08-25-2002

Devils advocate;
Was the mac 26 really meant to be put in the water?
(sorry)

Dennis

mike 2290 · #16 (**permalink**) 08-25-2002

IT SEEMS THERE ARE VERY FEW MANUFACTURERS OF QUALITY SMALL SAILBOATS ( UNDER 80K ). I HAVE LOOKED AT QUITE A FEW AND THEY ALL SEEM TO HAVE SOME FATAL FLAWS . THE CATLINA 250 AND HUNTER SERIES OF APPROXIMATELY HAVE NO SIDE DECKS ( I GUESS TO OPEN UP THE INTERIOR )IMAGINE HAVING TO TRY TO STEP UNTO A DOCK FROM ON TOP OF THE CABIN. I AGREE ABOUT WATER BALLAST ( EXCEPTING OFF SHORE RACING BOATS) THEY ARE ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN .

pbpg · #17 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011

If you look at the Instruction manual for the MacGregor 26, one of the first things it tells you to do is fill the water ballest. I would go further to say that the boat should have been at the pier/dock with the ballast already set. The operator of the boat was not only drunk, he obviously hadn't read the manual or followed the instructions. There is no valid reason to have an empty ballast tank with that many people aboard! He flat out didn't know what he was doing or was impaired. My opinion, FWIW. I still plan on getting a MacGregor. You have to know your boat!

JoeDiver · #18 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011

Sadly, there have been other fatal accidents similar to this one in the 9 years since this thread was last commented on. As long as that design remains on the water, this sort of thing will continue to happen.

Silvio · #19 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011

Wow, 9 year old post. That's gotta be arecord 8-)

CaptKermie · #20 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeDiver

Sadly, there have been other fatal accidents similar to this one in the 9 years since this thread was last commented on. As long as that design remains on the water, this sort of thing will continue to happen.

It is not a design fault, it is an operator fault! Fatal water accidents happen even in the absence of a boat, people still drown. (no lifejacket) Boating accidents happen in all manner of boats and alcohol is usually involved. Don't blame the boat, it does not have a mind of it's own. Blame the operators.
This thread was dredged up by someone with only one post (this one), perhaps trying to start something.