Refurbishing a MacGregor 26

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No_Rub3572@reddit

Am I the only one here who’s going to point out that this is not a MacGregor 26? At least not the ones people are familiar with. The classic 26 d/s are decent sailors, the x/m are hybrid monstrosities.

Roger MacGregor sold 7/8 of a boat and left the rest to the owner to figure out themselves. It was a cheap kit that was designed to be a cheap kit.

I had an 88, the build quality and sailing characteristics were far better than the 94 hunter26 my friend had. People like to regurgitate opinions that they don’t have any experience with.

Roger also made prototypes and one offs for his friends that were amazing. This looks like a prototype, never heard of a 26c with a fixed keel and an inboard. If I had to guess, it probably sails a lot better than the kit boats.

I found mine in a barn. It was mossier than this one. Two days with a pressure washer and a scrub brush (inside and out) and it will look like a different boat. Probably doesn’t have a balsa core, so there’s really not a lot to go wrong. Nicopress rigging is like 100$ for the whole boat. New chemical toilet is 100$, camp stove and a cooler and there’s not much left to do. The front hatch is a bit of an issue. An off the shelf unit is probably 1200$ but you can do your own.

The transom plate is probably soggy, they were ply and never lasted. Rather than replacing it, you can drill drain holes and pour acetone in from on top, it displaces the water and then evaporates. You can then backfill it with epoxy and it will hold up fine. I ran mine for 5 years with a 10hp hi thrust Yamaha hanging off an outboard bracket. No signs of flexing even under hard throttle.

Think practically. It’s a trailer sailor. It’s free. If you put 1000$ into it and use it for one year you came out ahead. 7000$ and 300hrs is absolute bull. 700$ and 30hs is probably closer to truth.

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DemandNo3158@reddit

My 13th boat is down at my dock, I have experience. You're looking at a biblical effort to restore that wreckage to usability. Can be done, but when finished, it's still a mediocre sailboat. Choose something with a more rewarding outcome! Good luck 👍

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blueberrybannock@reddit

I’m all for a project boat, but find a different free boat. I rebuilt a Macgregor 25 last winter, but the hull was in far better shape and it was still real cheap. I won’t lose money on it, and you certainly will lose money on this one.

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bmw_19812003@reddit

I agree with most of these posts saying you would be much better off finding a ready to sail boat for the same price it will cost to restore this.

It’s a big risk trying to restore this because it’s very likely you are going to find something beyond your abilities, budget or most likely patience and just give up on the project.

That being said if you are 100% determined to move ahead with this start with stuff that costs little to nothing. Clean it up, pressure clean, find any rot, corrosion etc. don’t make any repairs, buy any gear or materials until it’s 100% clean, rot and corrosion removed and you have a clear picture of what your getting into.

Then make a detailed plan/budget of what it will cost and how long it will take. Don’t guess on costs run down everything you will need and get real numbers. Also realize that number will be low it will probably double by time you’re done.

Then make your decision to move forward. It gives you a good spot to decide and cut your losses without too much of a financial loss.

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