Jason, I envy you for your boat-- it's a great design, rather like a surfboard with a mast, that doesn't get the recognition (or treatment from owners and others who take it for granted) that it deserves.
Keep Googling for 'venture 22' and you'll see many sites where people have restored this sort of boat. There is one for a Venture 17 in which the guy described jacking it up in his garage and removing the iron centerboard for sanding, priming, painting and polishing (the single most dreaded job for one of these boats, perhaps the most common, and yet surprisingly easy since the boat without it weights less than a Toyota. Think of it as removing the differential out of a small pickup truck-- about the same set of tasks. Two guys and sufficient liquid refreshment can knock it out in one weekend. Get it done before football).
Some of the MacGregor owners on this site will have a pretty good clue; others are newbies like you. My advice in general is to use the best-quality methods, parts, and materials you can-- stay away from Home Depot and make your investment worth something. I wish you the best of luck-- it is truly a great boat (I'd have got one myself if I had not ended up with something of a little more sentimental value) that will NOT cost you an arm and a leg to restore and equip very nicely; and you will love it when you're all done.
You are ever welcome to email me... and keep us all posted with pics and reports in these boards!
