MACGREGOR 26 PRICE LIST      JAN 10, 2005

STANDARD BOAT, $ 19,990

Ready to sail, including the following:

 

FOR TRAILERING:

Trailer with winch, lights, nosewheel jack,

Centering rails and forward boarding ladder

Mast carrier

 

SAIL:

Mainsail 

 

DECK HARDWARE:

Steering wheel and pedestal

Hinged steering seat for easy transom access

Foredeck hatch

Anchor locker

Outboard well for 5 to 50 hp outboards

Cockpit storage lockers for 2 each 12 gallon fuel tanks with tie down brackets

Mooring cleats

2 Lewmar jib winches, 1 handle

Anodized mast and boom

Anchor roller

Deck tracks for jib and genoa

All required standing and running rigging

Hinged mast step and rotating mast

 

SAFETY:

Water ballast system

Positive foam flotation

Self-bailing cockpit

Non-skid deck surfaces

Bow pulpit and lifelines

Kick up twin rudders and centerboard

Mainsail reefing system

 

CABIN AND ACCOMMODATIONS:

Full standing headroom

Bulkhead mirror

Upholstered hull sides

Galley, with sink, 5 gallon water system, convenient storage lockers, space for a built in stove.

Space for a portable ice chest

Enclosed head compartment

2 double berths and 2 single berths

Berth and inside sofa cushions, seat back cushions

          Table

 

Carpet

Cabin lock

Full hull and deck liners

Large side and forward windows

 

 

ELECTRICAL:

Running and 4 interior lights

Electrical panel

12 volt battery

 

COLORS:

White hull and deck

Black accent stripes, hull and deck

Tan interior liners

 

OPTIONAL ITEMS

 

Dark blue hull with white stripes --  $390

Surge brakes for trailer --$ 489

          Jib, 130 sq. ft -- $235

Genoa sail, 206 sq. ft  (150%)   -- $390

The Genoa jib is a large forward sail that replaces the smaller jib and provides a very large increase in sail area. Like the jib, it attaches to the forward wire that holds up the mast (headstay), and sheets to adjustable blocks mounted on a track on the cockpit coaming.

Genoa equipment (With adjustable fairlead blocks and sheets)-- $69

 

Jib equipment (with adjustable low profile fairlead blocks and sheets -- $69

 

Roller furling system-- Cruising Design Model FF2 (for jib and/or genoa)-- $595

This system consists of a tough plastic extrusion that slips over the headstay, and a hardware system for rotating the furling extrusion. The leading edge of either the jib or genoa slides into a groove on the rear side of the extrusion. By pulling on a line that leads back to the cockpit, the extrusion can be rotated, rolling up the jib or genoa just like a window shade is rolled up on it’s roller.

The roller furling system offers the single most effective way of exactly matching the amount of sail area to the amount of wind. The boat will sail very well with the jib or genoa completely rolled up, partially unrolled, or completely unrolled to full size. The sail keeps it’s shape no matter how much is rolled in. It is particularly useful when sailing into the wind. If the wind becomes too strong, and the boat is leaning too much, simply roll up some headsail and ease the pressure on the rig. In many situations, the boat will actually sail faster with less sail. All this can be done from the cockpit, and it is not necessary for anyone to go to the foredeck to reduce sail area.

In areas where winds are generally heavy, skippers will usually keep the jib on the furler. In light wind areas, the genoa will be attached. It takes only a few minutes to switch the sails on the furler.

Cruising spinnaker, with sheets. (No additional equipment is required.)--  $475

The sail is easy to fly and colorful. It adds a lot of sail area and provides an amazing amount of speed when sailing downwind. It is flown and controlled just like a jib or genoa. Unlike conventional racing spinnakers, it does not require a spinnaker pole or extra hardware.

 

Vang (for better control of mainsail shape)-- $ 69

 

Mast raising system, with brake winch, side supports, pole and all hardware-- $98

          Steering linkage bar, for connecting the steering system to the outboard motor -- $55

Self contained marine head--  $98

 

Built-in counter top alcohol stove-- $290

Ice chest in rear dinette seat -- $58

    

Table filler cushion -- $48

Cockpit seat cushions-- $190

 

Cockpit sun shade-- $495

     The optional sunshade is a comfort on really hot days. It folds back, out of the way, when not in use. It can be left in place for powering or sailing. On a hot summer day, you will always be cooler on the water.

 

Boarding and swim ladder-- $149

     The optional stainless steel ladder can be used for swimming or for boarding the boat while it is on the trailer. The ladder has a significant slope to the rear which makes it easier to use than one that is vertical.

Prices and specifications subject to change without notice. All prices are FOB Costa Mesa, California.

MACGREGOR 26 CONSTRUCTION

 

The MacGregor 26 is built to outlast all of us. Each boat is built of individual layers of fiberglass fabrics, laid in 
place by hand, in a carefully controlled process. Hulls and decks are light, but strong, with extra reinforcement 
at all high stress points.

Most of our competitors use "chopper guns" to build their boats. These are devices for spraying a mixture of resin 
and very short strands of fiberglass. We don't use them, even though they reduce cost. They do not, in our opinion, 
give adequate impact strength or controllable hull and deck thickness. They result in heavy laminates with low 
fiberglass to resin ratios, accounting for much of the excess weight found in many competitor’s boats. Light weight 
is the key to easy trailering and to high performance.

 

We have stayed away from sandwich construction. Most of the failures of fiberglass hulls involve the rot or 
delamination of balsa or foam core materials. We use only solid fiberglass laminates in the 26's hull. If exposed 
to water for long periods, balsa coring material can rot and literally turn to soup, causing major structural problems. 
Balsa is fine, in our opinion, for decks and structures that are not constantly immersed in water, as long as there is 
no balsa near holes for hardware. Foam cores are also widely used for stiffening hulls, however, they offer less than 
200 pounds of adhesion per square inch. That is not much better than rubber cement. It takes over 2500 lbs per square 
inch to delaminate the resin bonds that hold our hull laminates together.

 

Spraying gel coat (26x)

 

Production begins by spraying the exterior color (polyester gel coat) on a highly polished and waxed 3 ton hull mold 
cavity. The waterline and accent stripes are also sprayed on at this point. In building a fiberglass boat, the first thing 
you actually make is the exterior paint job. The rest of the hull is laid up against the inside of this paint (gelcoat) layer.

 

 

Initial hull layup (26X)

 

Alternating layers of fiberglass fabrics are then applied. Each layer is saturated with polyester resin and all air and 
excess resin is removed with brushes and squeegees. The resin is then allowed to harden before the next layer is 
applied. One of the benefits of fiberglass construction is that the thickness can be made to vary (by adding additional 
layers) to match the stresses that each area encounters. For example, where the rudders and chainplates are 
attached, many extra layers are added to distribute the loads thru the hull. The resulting laminates are of the 
highest quality.

 

 

Removing hull from mold

 

The cured hull is then removed from the mold.   In the case of the hulls, water is injected between the hull and its 
mold to literally float the hull free from the mold. Each part comes out with a high gloss and molded in black stripes. 
All the fiberglass parts are built in precision molds in the same manner as the hull.

 

 

Removing deck from mold (26X)

 

Here is the deck being removed from its mold.   The window accent color and the non-skid deck surfaces are molded 
in.  the deck liners have already been bonded in place.  (This picture shows the deck of a 26X.)

 

Hardware installation (26X)

 

After the parts are removed from their molds, they are trimmed. When the parts are moved into assembly, they 
are predrilled for hardware, using elaborate hole locating fixtures. Hardware is then bolted in place. Most 
hardware is attached before the hull and deck are joined together, to make for easier assembly. Even so, you 
can easily get at all the nuts and bolts later on if necessary. All items are thru bolted, with large backup washers 
under the nuts.  You will notice that other boats have lots of nuts and bolts showing on the inside, looking a bit 
mechanical. On the MacGregor 26, the nuts are hidden behind small covers that match the interior gel coat color. 
The result is a smoother, more finished interior.

 

The hull and deck are joined with 3/16" bolts on 4" centers. Top grade adhesive is used to insure a watertight seal. 
Many builders use screws or pop rivets for this joint. Bolts are better. Our bolted hull to deck joining system is strong, 
but compact, and adds little to the width of the boat. Many of our competitors use wide joining flanges, which contribute 
a lot to their beam, but add very little to strength or usable inside space.

 

Automated router sytem 

We use automation wherever possible to reduce costs and improve quality.  Here you see a computer controlled 
router carving out a wooden master "plug" from which rudder molds are made.

 

Hull plug

This is the full size mockup, or "plug," that was used to make the production molds for the boat.  The shapes were 
cut on a computer controlled router.  The plug has to be absolutely perfect.  If there is a flaw on the surface, the flaw 
will be transferred to the production molds and then to the parts produced from those molds.  Molds are layed up over 
the plug in much the same manner as a fiberglass hull is layed up in a mold, except that the molds are much heavier.

 

Deck plug

 

 

This is the plug for the deck.  It is complete down to the non-skid surfaces that will eventually  become part of the mold 
and the finished production parts.   One of the big tricks is to prepare the surface of the plug so that the molds can be 
removed without damaging the plug.  We use a lot of high quality wax and thin sprayed on parting agents to permit 
easy release.

 

We are building and selling a lot of these boats. A new one comes out of the plant door every 4 hours. They are being 
shipped in containers all over the world.