Restoration: Venture 22 (MacGregor)

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by smithy

My concern is fuel vapor in the boat. That aft section is open-air to the rest of the hull, with the electrical panel being the first thing it meets before any crew in the cabin. I'm guessing it would be prudent to wall off that aft compartment with plywood and glass tape, to create a sealed off area for fumes that might come from the fuel tank. Does anyone see an issue with this, beyond the obvious surface prep?

Apart from any fire risk - Petrol stinks and yer don't want it in the bilge So to my mind your plan sounds very sensible. I would also suggest that you consider how the new locker will drain, as odds are that it won't be 110% watertight. and will save having to mop up - hard to tell from the photos, but a drain hole into the O/b well looks a natural solution (don't really want even a hint of petrolly water in the cockpit).

Also, I think a good idea on the cockpit locker access - I would suggest however that you keep at least the first few feet of 1/4 berth for use from inside the cabin - being able to tuck things away is probably the best use for most 1/4 berths. and being short has a plus - as can always reach the stuff .........I wouldn't bother with making 'em actual cupboards......downside is that the new / additional bulkhead will be halfway down the 1/4 berth But I see you have usefully sized crew and, anyway, given that the new bulkhead won't be structural, it can get fitted in pieces

BTW I am glad this thread popped up again

[David_Old_Jersey]

Oh, if you are looking for paint ideas - I would suggest Bilge Paint. Grey in the Bilges. and White for any GRP surfaces that are not gelcoat smooth.

Covers a multiple of sins . and takes a few knocks. and you don't have be too fussy on preparation. or finish. If some don't stick well, you know exactly which areas then need a bit more prep before touch up.

MarineStore: International Danboline Bilge Paint 2.5L

Might not be the cheapest solution (it's got marine written on it ) - but works a treat. No doubt their is a domestic / industrial equivalent for a fraction of the price........but I leave others to experiment on that

[smithy]

I wasn't planning on walling off the quarterberth from the cabin - rather the aft compartment from the quarterberth, and bilge under the cockpit. Simply take the three walls that go halfway down, and extend them to the hull bottom, for a little 2x2 foot space accessible from that deck hatch.

I'll go looking for paint at West Marine, they seem to have cornered the marine supply market here in the DC area. I need white enamel for the interior, which needs a generous application to improve the 40 years of funk it currently enjoys. The power washer helped, and I'm not worried about mold or mildew creeping out from old formerly hidden areas, but it's ugly as sin.

[tager]

Don't forget to go sailing, it makes the work easier.

[Goblinfog]

My 2nd sailboat was a Venture 222. Restored her, sailed and raced her for 8 years. Had many wonderful days on her. INTERLUX Watertite Epoxy Filler from West Marine is what I use. Im repairing blisters right now on my S2. But you can use it topside also.

[smithy]

Originally Posted by tager

Don't forget to go sailing, it makes the work easier.

No doubt, but I need to put just a few more things in order first. Like getting the registration paperwork back, setting up running rigging, and replacing a few blocks. I am well aware that perfect is always the enemy of good enough, and fully intend to be on the water in the next month or so.

[smithy]

Long time no update.

We got in the water yesterday, just to make sure everything works. Had a little trouble locking down the keel, once due to insufficient depth, and then again because of excessive forward motion keeping the keel from fully dropping (but I didn't figure that out until later). The motor works great, I got a good sense of the boat's balance, and figured out which running gear I need to upgrade and sort out.

Me at the helm...


Out in the river...


Returning by sunset



Just need to clean up a few things on the inside, give it a good washing down, and sort the wiring before I'm "done" enough for my purposes. Been reading a ton here, even if I'm not posting, and appreciate this community's generosity with knowledge and advice.

[crashkahuna]

I used to have one of these boats and it was fun on the lake where I was at. I also used that cockpit locker for the gas but used a tank with a hose and vent that came out the hull. You at least need to vent it to outside. Have fun with the project!

[steve_hendry]

Yet another paint option is porch paint from Home Depot or Lowe's.

Our first two boats were MacGregors, a 21 followed by a 25.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Cheers for the update

Seems that the crew at least have discovered what the foredeck is really for

[smithy]

I bought a gallon of Interlux semigloss white, did the whole interior. There are some parts of the exterior that could use a touch-up, but I'm afraid it would stand out - so it's all or nothing for now. Just a good scrubbing would help... but I've been focused on getting the important parts sorted out.

[SeamanLou]

We just mix up two part resin with saw dust to thicken it. Works fine, seals tight, and permanent.

[SeamanLou]

Originally Posted by smithy

So I picked up a little 22' Mac, in decent shape outside, pretty rotten inside, for a mere $300 a couple months ago. While I've rented sailboats for years, grew up on the water as a kid, this is my first large boat I've owned myself.

The impetus for buying it is not family, unfortunately - my wife loaths small boats, and to her, anything smaller than a washington state ferry is "small". I work with Boy Scouts, and they've been making noise for some time about having a sailing-based High Adventure, so this was the perfect excuse for me to acquire one.

Here it is, as I bought it:





Outside is great, if you don't look too close at the crazed gelcoat around the upper deck, and a few loose fittings that need rebedding.

Inside, however, is a different story:



What's not so obvious in this pic is the amount of funk in the foam, and the layer of frozen slime on the walls. The funk of nearly fourty years, this being a '72 I think. And yes, that's ice on the deck... several inches thick back in December.

It's been so cold most of the time, I hesitated to send boys down into a frozen bilge. With a couple weeks of favorable weather now, and a forecast of a clear cool day, I sent out a call for volunteers to work on our little craft.

Here's what we pulled out, for the dump:



Pulled all the old cushions, rotted out trim, the "galley" and upright cooler, old tilt-bowl porta-pot, and some random lumber that was tucked away in the starboard quarter... and what was left of the rusted out battery mount. Full pickup load.

My boys scrubbing it out:





Next up is a complete re-wire. There's lamp wire, crimp connectors, and corroded wire all over the place. I'll tear everything out, solder and shrink-wrap all the connections and put up better anchors to bring it up to code. I think I'm going to install some LED interior lighting, so we have plentiful house lights for overnights with minimal draw... one over the dining table, one where the new galley will stand (old head location forward of the starboard seats), one for the V-berth, one for the portside quarterberth, and maybe even something for the cockpit.

After that, I need to cut new storage hatches along the portside bench, so I can use some of that abundant space under there. I'll install hinged lids, and make sure everything's supported well for sleeping or sitting there.

Then we'll repaint the interior with white latex exterior paint, semigloss. That ought to brighten it a bit. Install some new trim, replace the dinette wood with new boards, and build a galley cabinet. Get new foam and sew covers for everything.

and, and, and... the list seems endless. But that ought to get us to a strong usable point.

I found nearly the same deal, but the guy wants me to take it in trade for my Porsche (rough 79 928). Haven't seen the boat yet, but his description of condition seems about like yours when you began. Do you know if hull is scrimp (sandwich with bulsa or honeycomb in the middle) or single layer? Says hull is fine, sails and mast are new, and boat is ready to sail, but interior sucks. Lots of experience on maint repairs on boat I've crewed on (15 years). Any suggestions, warnings appreciated.

[smithy]

The top of my cabin is balsa sandwich, and I think the rest is glass under gelcoat. I know I have to drill through an extra 3/8" of material when I went through the top for a couple new fittings... but the decking around the cockpit was much thinner, as was the foredeck when I put the handle rails on.

[smithy]

I am happy to report that the Skald survived a week afloat with me and my scouts, and is not much worse for wear. Broke a couple small parts, that were weak anyway, and was glad to find that out under calm circumstances. I also discovered how baggy my main really is, and that I need a new one and a 150% genoa before next season. The standing rigging seems up to the challenge, despite some concerns I had initially.

The boom bothers me, because there linkage between it and the mast looks bent and somewhat compromised. In light winds it's not a problem, but by this fall when things pick up, I think I'd like something else in place. I'd like to not have to replace the whole boom, but rather the fittings for it, so if anyone has a source beyond the obvious (baconsails, ebay, craigslist) I'd love to hear about it.

Otherwise, she sailed fine. I find the swing keel to be a bit noisy when we get strong side-waves (wakes, usually), banging it back and forth a bit. I also bent the -new- stainless lock bolt from such action, so I think I'm going to go the path of some others I've heard from and just get a supply of oak dowel of the right diameter, so that it "locks" the keel but allows for a soft grounding (yeah the mud gets shallow, and not always where the charts say) without bending metal parts. Hazard of sailing the Potomac and Chesapeake, I guess. Someday when I build a proper cradle to get the boat up and inspect the keel in more detail, I need to fair it smooth and maybe brace it with some large washers inside the trunk so it minimizes the banging.

I found my Danforth to work really well in almost all conditions out there - tidal shifts in the soft mud were no problem with a 18# anchor and 10 feet of chain. I also anchored in the deeper channel so the boys could swim for an hour, with a 2+ knot current, and it held the boat just fine in over 60 feet of water with a less muddy bottom.

About the only thing I inherently dislike about the boat is how awkward it is to step down into the cockpit from anywhere forward. There's just no good way of doing it without taking a massive step, it seems, unless one goes very wide outside, but just inside the shrouds. I can't think of an obvious solution, either, besides just getting used to it.

I need to add some more deck hardware, to handle line management better and make single-handing more realistic when the wind is up. To get to everything now either takes 2 additional crew, or a walk all over the boat to get it all up and running. And twice, with my novice crew, they released the forestay shackle mistaking it for the jib shackle... fortunately we didn't crash the mast, but I was in full panic shouting mode twice, and really need to "safe" that system before going out again with someone unfamiliar with my rigging.