We have been very happy with the Mac26s for the past six years. We sail in the bays in south Texas. Because the bays are so shallow, the centerboard and swing keel really come in handy, plus it's nice to be able to run her up on the sand.

Another handy thing is the water ballast. The boat, trailer and gear come in around 3100 - 3500 lbs. pretty easy to pull. Down here in the shallows, if you run aground, you can blow the ballast with an air pump and float / motor off, pretty handy. (draws about a foot without the ballast water) Then you just refill the ballast tank and sail on.

 

wow, I too am looking at these boats. would have thought b more talk :-(

 

Best bet would be to start a new thread I think. If it was me, for my useage, it would be the Mac 26S. Trailer weight is under 2000 pounds so you can trailer and launch it with a mini van. Sleeps 2 adults and 2 kids with ease and sails not too badly. One of the best trailer sailers out there IMO.

 

I used to own a Catalina 25 and loved that boat. However, it was on the plus size with regards to it's being a true trailer-sailor. The boat and trailer together weighed somewhere between 6-7,000 pounds, if I recall correctly. I towed it with a Chevy Suburban, and I wouldn't want to pull it with anything less; and never really felt comfortable even with the Suburban. If you're only going to move it to a dock in the spring and then retrieve it in the fall, then I say go for it. But if you're looking to travel a lot with it, just understand it will need a large vehicle; and count on about 3 hours if you launch at a ramp, and another 3 hours to retrieve. With practice that time can be knocked down to about 2 hours. Good luck!

 

I have owned versions of both. The Macgreggor is much lighter, roomier and shallow drafted. The Catalina swing keel is fully below the boat with a draft over 2' The Mac24 I had floated in less than 10" as the keel retracts in a channel in the hull and is only a couple inches below the hull. The Mac is also more comfortable at anchor.