This modest monohull measures 25.58 feet overall and 23.58 feet on the waterline. It displaces 5,400 pounds, carries 2,040 pounds of ballast, and has a calculated hull speed of 6.51 knots.
Design and Construction
The C&C 26 is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim. It has a solid fiberglass hull and deck rather than a cored laminate.
Its 10.42-foot beam gives it a relatively broad midsection for a 25-foot hull. With 2,040 pounds of lead ballast and a displacement of 5,400 pounds, the ballast-to-displacement ratio is about 38 percent.
Below the waterline, the boat has a fixed fin keel drawing 4.60 feet and an internally mounted spade rudder—a modern underwater profile for the period. In 1978, the design was developed into the C&C 26 Encounter, a closely related derivative of the same basic boat.
Rig and Handling
The C&C 26 carries a masthead sloop rig. The foretriangle measures 34.50 feet high on an 11.16-foot base, while the mainsail has a 29.25-foot luff and a 9.50-foot foot. Sail area is 138.94 square feet for the main and 192.51 square feet for the jib, giving a total of 331.45 square feet.
Against the boat’s 5,400-pound displacement, that produces a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of about 17.2—a moderate figure suited to a light-displacement coastal cruiser. The fin keel and spade rudder contribute to a maneuverable, easily driven hull, with a theoretical maximum speed of 6.51 knots.
Accommodations and Machinery
The builder fitted an inboard engine as standard, placing the machinery inside the hull rather than on a bracket.
The available record doesn’t specify the number of berths or describe the galley and head arrangements. The interior must therefore be judged from the boat’s dimensions alone. An overall length of 25.58 feet and a waterline length of 23.58 feet leave a short overhang and a comparatively long, straight side, while the 10.42-foot beam suggests a roomy middle body for the length.
Model Distinctions
The similarly named C&C 26 Wave is a distinct boat developed from the C&C 27 Mark V, not a variant of the C&C 26. That distinction is worth keeping in mind when reading classified listings or old brochures.
Refits and Ownership
Because the C&C 26 is out of production, any surviving example depends on owner stewardship for its systems and rigging. Its standard inboard engine, masthead rig, and solid fiberglass hull can be maintained using generic marine practices.
The 1978 Encounter development shows that the basic tooling underwent a short production evolution before the tooling closed. The C&C Design Group’s job number 75-14 and the 1975 design date place the boat at the front edge of the marque’s late-1970s small-boat output.
The Verdict
The C&C 26 is a clean, conventionally built small cruiser from C&C’s Canadian peak. Its sensible fin-keel-and-spade-rudder underwater profile and moderate masthead rig neither overwhelm nor underwhelm its displacement.
It’s an out-of-production design whose simplicity and solid fiberglass construction make it a low-drama entry into coastal sailing. However, the thin documentary record means a buyer must verify the systems firsthand.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with wood trim, with no cored laminate to delaminate
- Broad 10.42-foot beam for its 25.58-foot length
- Fin keel and spade rudder for easy handling
- Inboard engine fitted as standard
Cons
- Sparse published information about the interior arrangement
- Out of production, with no factory support
