|
PRICE: (Retail) |
MACGREGOR 26M |
HUNTER EDGE |
|
|
Base price, standard boat |
$21,500 |
$32,990 |
|
| Surge Brakes |
Option
$584 |
Std |
This is an
option because many owners have no need for the surge brakes. We try
to make the standard boat include only the equipment that most owners want |
| Working jib |
Option
$260 |
Std |
We offer both a
genoa a working jib. It is an option so that the
owner can select the sail that he wants for his local wind conditions. |
| Portable marine
head |
Option
$98 |
Std |
|
| Retail price,
comparably equipped boat |
$22,432 |
$32,990 |
The price on
line 1 has been adjusted for the items that Hunter has standard and that
the MacGregor has as options |
|
Trailer included |
Yes |
Yes |
|
| Mainsail |
Std |
Std |
|
|
Wheel steering |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Engine (Evinrude MSRP price, does not include installation) |
$ 7660 (60 hp Evinrude) |
$8960 (75 hp Evinrude) |
|
| Roller furling |
Option |
Option |
Most owners
equip their boats with roller furling. Hunter’s is far
more expensive. Both work well.
|
|
WEIGHT |
|
|
|
|
Boat weight, without engine |
2625 lbs |
4070 lbs |
We
restrict the MacGregor to 60 horsepower because heavy engines on the
transom hurt sailing performance and make trailering more difficult.
The lighter the better. |
|
Engine weight |
240 lbs |
320 lbs |
|
|
Boat weight with engine |
2880 lbs |
4390 lbs |
|
|
Trailer weight |
575 lbs |
? |
|
|
Total trailering weight with engine |
3440 lbs |
4920 LBS
|
Hunter requires a much more robust tow vehicle. More difficult to tow
and launch. Harder to brake. Requires a heavy tandem axle trailer.
Even with the tandem axle, the Hunter requires a lot more tongue weight on
car's hitch.
5000
lbs is a magic number for towing boats. A very large percentage of tow
vehicles are not rated for more than this. In addition to the boat,
motor and trailer, there will be more. A lot more. Fuel, water,
anchors, safety equipment, camping gear, food, tools, and clothing.
There can be many hundreds of pounds more. With the Hunter Edge, there is
no significant margin for carrying all this and remaining under 5000 lbs.
With the MacGregor, there is a lot of margin
between its weight and either the 5000 lb limit or its trailer capacity.
|
|
Water ballast, removable |
1200 lbs |
1600 lbs |
|
|
Permanent ballast |
300 lbs |
170 (In
centerboard) |
Permanent ballast gives better overall stability when the water tank is
empty. Weight in centerboard gives a bit more stability, but makes it harder to raise and
lower |
|
Total ballast |
1500 lbs |
1770 lbs |
|
| Total
Weight: Boat, engine and ballast |
4380 lbs |
6160 lbs |
|
| Ballast/displacement
ratio |
35% |
29%% |
This is the
percentage of total boat weight that is ballast. It is widely used
as a measure of stability. A higher number tends to indicate greater
stability.
The formula is as follows:
Total ballast weight divided by total
boat weight (including the boat, the engine and ballast)
|
|
SIZE |
|
|
|
|
Length |
25’ 10 |
26’ 4" |
Homeowner’s liability insurance will often cover boats under 26’
without a separate policy. |
|
Beam |
7’ 10 |
8’ 4" |
In many areas, 8’ is the max towing limit without a permit.
The Hunter Edge won’t fit in container. (Two
MacGregors will fit in a 46’ container, reducing shipping costs by half.
It is also possible to ship a MacGregor, by container, to a favorite
vacation spot.) Container shipping can save you thousands of dollars
in delivery and transportation costs, especially if you are a long way
from the factory. |
|
Draft, board and rudders up |
10" |
18" |
|
|
SPEED UNDER POWER |
|
|
|
|
Max speed under power |
21 mph (60 hp) |
19.9 mph (75 hp) |
With a 70 hp engine, the MacGregor goes 24 mph. Factory recommends a 60
hp engine. |
| |
|
|
|
|
FUEL USE |
|
|
|
|
Fuel flow at low speed:
Gallons per hour |
.5 gallons at 6 mph |
.77 gallons at 6.7 mph |
|
|
Fuel flow at cruise:
Gallons per hour |
3.2 gallons at 16 mph |
5.4 gallons at 15.9 mph |
|
|
Fuel flow at high speed:
Gallons per hour |
6.0 gallons at 21 mph |
7.4 gallons at 19.9 mph |
|
| |
MACGREGOR 26 |
HUNTER EDGE |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
MILES PER GALLON |
|
|
|
|
Miles per gallon at low speed |
11.8 mpg at 6 mph |
8.7 mpg at 6.7 mph |
|
|
Miles per gallon at cruise |
4.8 mpg at 16 mph |
2.9 mpg at 15.9 mph |
|
|
Miles per gallon at full speed |
3.5 mpg at 21 mph |
2.7 mpg at 19.9 mph |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
FUEL CAPACITY |
|
|
|
|
Fuel tank capacity |
24 gallons |
24 gallons |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
RANGE UNDER POWER |
|
|
|
|
Max range, low speed |
283 miles at 6 mph |
208 miles at 6.7 mph |
|
|
Max range, cruise |
115 miles at 16 mph |
70 miles at 15.9 mph |
|
|
Max range, full speed |
84 miles at 21 mph |
65 miles at 19.9 mph |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
TRAILERING, LAUNCHING AND RIGGING |
|
|
|
|
Sits
low on its trailer for easy ramp launching and trailering |
Very low |
Higher |
M26 is easier to launch. Ease of launching depends on how high
the boat waterline is above the ground when the boat is on its trailer.
Every extra inch of height above the ground means that the car and
trailer has to be backed
one foot more down the ramp and into the water (on a typical launch ramp.)
|
|
Mast raising system with brake winch |
Yes |
No |
Hunter edge has more complex block and tackle system, with more effort
required. The effort required to pull on the
Hunter’s rope is far more than needed to turn the MacGregor winch
handle. If you let go of
Hunter's rope, the mast comes crashing down.
With the brake winch to do the work, you can let go of the winch
handle at any point and the mast will stay where it is.
This is big safety feature.
|
|
System for bolting the mast in placed while trailering |
Yes |
No |
The MacGregor has an aft mast carrier and fittings on the pulpit
that allows the mast to be securely bolted, not tied, to the boat for
trailering. We think that it is risky to rely on hand tied rope to secure the mast to the
boat when trailering. This is
where you need somethink absolutely fool proof |
|
SAILING |
|
|
|
|
Sailing speed |
See note at right |
|
We have not raced the two boats under sail. With the lighter weight,
taller rig, better sail adjustment hardware, easily driven hull, and
rotating mast, the Macgregor 26 should be significantly faster. The fact
that the boat goes so much faster with a smaller outboard proves that the
Macgregor hull offers far less drag and will be faster when driven by
sail. Hunter’s hull ridges and a large open centerboard cavity create
extra drag. |
|
Main and jib sail area |
300 sq ft |
330 sq ft |
|
|
Main and genoa sail area |
506 sq ft |
No genoa available |
Larger sail area is essential for good light air performance. |
|
Steering system can easily be disconnected from the engine when sailing |
Yes |
No |
When sailing, you don’t want to have to turn both the rudder and the
engine. It makes steering a lot harder. When connected to the steering
system while under sail, with the engine up, the engine tries to flop from
side to side as the boat heels, putting serious pressure on the steering
wheel. |
| Fully retracting
and kick up rudders |
Yes |
No |
Hunter rudders
retract vertically, but not completely. When fully up, a significant
area of the rudder remains exposed and subject to damage on impact.
Up or down, the Hunter rudder will not kick up. .
|
| Twin rudders |
Yes |
No |
Hunter has only
one rudder. If it is damaged, the boat cannot be sailed. The
Macgregor 26 has 2 rudders. If one is damaged, the boat can still be
sailed. On wide, relatively flat bottom boats such as the Hunter and
the MacGregor, a single, centerline rudders can come out of the water if
the boat heels over to an extreme angle, resulting in loss of control.
With the twin rudders on the MacGregor 26, one rudder will always be fully
buried in the water, and effective, even at extreme angles of heel. |
| Centerboard
or daggerboard retract fully into the hull for high speed powering or
beaching |
Yes |
No |
The Hunter Edge centerboard does not fully retract into the hull.
It is true that the Hunter Edge centerboard will kick up if it hits
something, however, the rudder, which will not kick up, will still be
exposed, and subject to damage after the centerboard kicks up and out of
the way. It seems to us odd
to have the most sturdy fin (the centerboard) kick up, but not the most
vulnerable fin (the rudder). A sailboat cannot be sailed without its
rudder. The
MacGregor daggerboard and trunk are sufficiently sturdy to resist damage
in impact at normal sailing speeds. For
safety, at higher powering speeds, on either the Hunter Edge or the
MacGregor 26, nothing but the engine propeller should be below
bottom of the boat.
|
|
Small, low drag opening for the centerboard in hull |
Yes |
No |
Hunter Edge’s centerboard cavity is very large, creating
significantly more drag. |
|
|
MACGREGOR 26 |
HUNTER EDGE |
|
|
Mainsheet traveler |
Yes |
No |
Absolutely necessary for better control
of the mainsail. Nearly all
racing and cruising sailboats have mainsheet travelers, with good reason.
For perfect sail shape in light airs, it is often necessary to have
the traveler positioned to windward for optimum sail shape. The traveler, when positioned to leeward, serves as a vang to take
the twist out of the mainsail.
|
| Mainsheet
positioned so it won’t interfere with the crew. |
Yes |
No |
On the Hunter, the mainsheet is mounted on the pedestal near the center
of the cockpit. When the mainsail is in tight for sailing into the wind, the
system is ok. But when the
boom is let out for reaching or running, the mainsheet drapes over the
leeward cockpit seat and whoever sits there. When the boat is jibed or tacked, the mainsheet drags across the
primary seat area, scooping of hats, sunglasses, or worse. The MacGregor 26 mainsheet is positioned fully forward of the crew area and will not interfere with or grab
the crew. For entering and
exiting the cabin, the mainsheet can be positioned off center and out of
the way. When sailing,
the traveler is rarely positioned on the centerline. It is easily reached by the helmsman.
|
|
Jib fairlead tracks for better control of the jib shape |
Yes |
No |
Nearly all racing and cruising sailboats have adjustable jib
fairleads and travellers. (Check this out at
the local marina). For
optimum performance, the leads tend to be moved forward for reaching and
running. No one position
provides optimum sail shape in all conditions. The need to move the fairlead varies with wind speed, halyard
tension, wind direction, and rigging tension. Sails change shape with age and use, and what might work well when
they were new will not work well as they age. Virtually all
sailboats with good performance have adjustable fairleads.
|
|
Spinnaker |
Yes (option) |
Unknown |
|
|
Rotating mast |
Yes (std) |
No |
Essential for smooth flow of air across the mainsail. The rotating mast provides a lot more power from the mainsail.
The difference in performance is striking, particularly when
sailing with the mainsail alone. It
can add a knot or more to the boat speed. The MacGregor mast rotation system is very simple and has been
totally reliable and trouble free.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
SAFETY |
|
|
|
|
Full solid foam flotation |
Yes |
? |
Hunter’s literature says the boat has full foam flotation. Upon
inspection, we were not able to find where the foam is located. Check with
Hunter. Foam should be placed high up in the boat to improve stability if
the boat is full of water. The MacGregor 26 has 29 cubic feet of
solid foam flotation to support the boat, crew, engine, ballast and
sailing and cruising gear when the boat is flooded. Being a heavier boat, the Hunter Edge should require more.
|
|
Fully beachable |
Yes |
No |
When the Hunter is beached, it will sit on its exposed centerboard and
rudder, which will be subject to damage. The MacGregor will sit
squarely on it hull
|
|
Rudder and centerboard fully retract for high speed powering or
beaching |
Yes |
No |
Hunter Edge’s rudder and centerboard are subject to damage when
powering at high speed or beaching. Hunter Edge’s centerboard and rudder
do not fully retract. |
|
Thoroughly proven design |
Yes |
No |
There are 2400 26M’s out there sailing. Only a few of the Hunter Edge’s
have been built. MacGregor 26’s have been proven through hundreds of
thousands of hours sailing, powering and trailering. |
|
Engine can be hand started |
Yes |
Very difficult |
Big problem if the battery goes dead |
|
INTERIOR |
|
|
|
|
Berths |
All berths (6) parallel to the boat’s centerline |
Rear berth side to side |
Bunks arranged at right angles to the centerline are very uncomfortable
when even moderately rolling at anchor, or when sailing. |
|
Rear berth |
Easily accessible |
More difficult to access. |
|
|
Galley |
Movable |
Fixed |
The MacGregor 26 galley slides to the rear on rails (in 2 seconds) to allow more room for party
time in the main cabin. The sink and storage are still reachable when
stowed. The attractive galley and molded in sink are made of
fiberglass, the same as the hull, The Hunter Edge galley has a very small
countertop, with limited working area and no room for a serious stove. |
|
Interior volume |
Similar |
Similar |
Hunter Edge is slightly wider, with slightly less headroom. M26
interior goes clear to the transom. The rear end of the Hunter Edge’s
interior is taken up by the very large rudder system, leaving less room
for a fore and aft rear berth. The Hunter’s hull to deck joint
trim rail is wider than the rail on the MacGregor 26, accounting for a
significant amount of the difference in the boat’s width. But this
adds nothing to the interior volume and comfort.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
MACGREGOR 26 |
HUNTER EDGE |
|
|
Centerboard trunk |
Trunk is incorporated into the head bulkhead and front dinette seat and
is less obtrusive |
The Hunter Edge’s big centerboard trunk and table dominate the
interior, making it hard to move around in the boat. |
|
|
Cabin seat back cushions |
Yes |
No |
|
|
Carpeted floor |
Yes |
No |
|
|
Cabin headroom |
6’ |
5’ 10" |
|
|
Front window |
Yes |
No |
Its nice to see where you are going from inside. |
|
Cabin access |
Large opening with conventional sliding hatch |
Relatively small opening with folding hatch |
The MacGregor has a large, sturdy sliding hatch . The Hunter Edge's
hatch is smaller and folds up, blocking
forward view. It also depends on a small rubber gasket to resist leaks.
The Hunter Edge’s hatch, when half open, is a head knocker.
Again, check the marinas. Almost
all sailboats have sliding cabin access hatches.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
COCKPIT |
|
|
|
|
Steering pedestal |
Relatively small steering pedestal |
Very large and tall pedestal, occupying a significantly large area of
the cockpit |
|
|
Skipper’s position |
Seated |
Very high, semi standing |
Both systems
offer an excellent view in all directions.
|
|
Protected rear end of cockpit |
Yes |
No |
Items placed on the Hunters cockpit seats (cameras, binoculars, dogs,
or worse), can easily slide off the seats and out of the boat. |
| Seats on
lifeline posts |
No |
Yes |
These
seats offer a good place to sit, but two crew members (along with the
helmsman, who is also up pretty high,) create a big problem for stability.
We consider it to be a significant problem. We prefer to have
the crew seated as low as possible in the cockpit. |
|
APPEARANCE |
|
|
Looks are in the eye of the beholder. Compare the photos on the Hunter
and MacGregor web sites. We are obviously biased, but we think that the
MacGregor is a far better looking boat. |