New Saskatchewan sales representative. Loon Creek Ent. Ltd. Southey , SK Jerome Therrien Phone: (306)726-4574
MacGregor developed this concept. It has been widely copied, and is now the standard throughout the trailerable sailboat industry. It makes it possible to have very light weight for powering and trailering, and the heavy stability necessary for safe sailing. After launching, the transom valve is opened and a tank in the bottom of the hull is gravity filled with 1150 lbs of sea water. It takes about 4 minutes. The valve is then closed, trapping the water. Under power or sail, the ballast makes the boat stable and self righting. When the boat is floated back onto its trailer, the valve is opened. The car and trailer start up the ramp and the water drains out of the boat, leaving a trailering package that is lighter than most small powerboats. You can also empty the tank while the boat is in the water. Under power, at about 6 mph, open the valve on the transom and the tank will drain in about 4 minutes.
One person can raise the mast, launch the boat and sail
away in 10 to 15 minutes. Launching is easy because the boat sits lower
on its trailer than any other trailerable cruiser. The boat in this picture
is ready to launch. Running the motor in reverse, or giving the boat a gentle
push, will slide the boat off its trailer. Notice that the car's tires are
not buried in the water. Also notice the rear guide posts and the large
V at the nose to keep the boat centered as it goes on the trailer. There
is a ladder at the front of the trailer for easy access.
This is the optional mast raising system. The mast is lifted using
one of the boat's sail handling winches. The mast is so light that a child
can raise it. The system can be left in place while sailing. Even without
this option, one person can easily raise the mast by hand.
There are lots of bridges, and the best sailing is often on the other
side. The mast raising system can be used to handle this problem. Just
lower the mast and duck under. For trailering and for going under bridges,
you disconnect only the forward mast support wire. The other rigging always
remains in place.
Anywhere you can car-launch a 15' rowboat, you can launch a MacGregor
26. There are ramps everywhere, and they cost very little to use. Many
are free. Once the 26 is launched, it needs only 9" of water to float.
On its trailer, the 26's waterline is only 27" from the ground.
This distance is the best indicator of difficulty in launching any boat.
On a typical ramp, every inch higher on the trailer means that the trailer
and car will have to go 12" farther down the ramp for the boat to float
free. Here are some comparable measurements:
MacGregor 26 27" Catalina 250 33" Catalina 22 swing keel 36" Hunter 18 36" Capri 22 winged keel 45" Hunter 23.5 32" Catalina 22 winged keel 45" Hunter 26 36" Catalina 25 swing keel 47" Westwight Potter 19' 31"
The 26 is just under 8' wide, and can be legally trailered everywhere
is the United States and Canada.
Boat Storage: If you keep the boat at home, it is available for convenient
loading, care and maintenance. One person can easily move the boat and trailer
around on level ground because the 26 is light and has a trailer nose wheel.
Light trailering weight. The boat is big, but it is really light,
far lighter than competing trailerable cruisers. It is light enough to be
towed behind standard sized cars. We consider that the weight for the 26,
with all normal gear, is the maximum practical weight for easy ramp launching
and trailering.