First Time Owners: Mac Venture 2-24

[lambert170]

First off, this site is great. I have already stumbled upon tons of useful information.
My buddy and I have been looking for a used boat at least 22' for a decent price. A few days ago we found a 1972 MacGregor Venture 2-24 that sails, but has a gutted interior on craigslist with a price of $1200. We went and took a look at it and ended up getting it for $1100.

The hull has been repainted, main and jib sails are there and in ok shape, rebuilt swing up rudder, new v-berth support structure, and new cabinet/sink/countertop. We already ditched the cabinet you see in the picture. It is way to big and bulky. We figure we will build another one similar, but only about half as deep. Apparently, a previous owner also ripped the majority of the interior fiberglass out. It also came with a homemade trailer that is in decent shape.

So now for the questions. My friend and I are still in college and besides sailing with family members growing up, are both new to the sailing world, so any help is very appreciated.

1) Do you think we got an ok deal? In the last few months is was rare to come across even a 22' with a trailer and sails under $1500, so we were suprised to see this 25' for $1100
2) The first thing we are planning on buying is an anchor. What criteria should we use when picking one out? Is there a minimum weight it should have?
3) How important is it to have the styrofoam under the benches in the aft portion of the boat? It is not currently there, but by the time we get done building the interior we will have added a considerable amount of weight so were assuming it would be a good idea to add it before we get too far into the build.

Thanks again for any help, we really appreciate it. I am a Construction-Technology major at TX State so hopefully I will be allowed to use some of the schools super nice tools occasionally. I'm sure many of you have been in my shoes and have learned tons of valuable information, so feel free to give us some advise and criticism, good or bad.

 

[MrMikey64]

Congrats on the new purchase, and welcome to the club!
As for whether you got a good price, you should already be a good judge of that, since you've been shopping around for awhile. Sounds like a good price - you may have found one cheaper,but it may have needed much more work.
I will leave the anchor question to someone with more knowledge than I have...
Finally, as to the styrofoam, I personally would make sure it is in place, but I have heard of some people who have removed it. These boats are renowned for being virtually impossible to sink - but if you don't have the foam, then who knows?
I hope you will have fun with your project, and will be able to use some of the ideas here. From what I have seen here, a lot of Mac owners like to modify their boats inside and out - and it looks like the PO got you started! Enjoy!

 

[lambert170]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm pretty sure we will add foam to the boat, just not sure what type yet.

Does anyone know if this anchor will work for my application?

http://austin.craigslist.org/boa/1195478985.html

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Regarding the anchor, there is no one single correct answer and I'd seriously question anyone who gave you one for the following reasons:

certain anchors hold better in specific bottom conditions - not knowing where you intend to sail and what the bottom is, e.g., mud, sand, grass, etc makes all the difference;

is this for a lunch hook or intended to hold in storms, overnight in calm weather, etc? Again, a 30 knot wind can create a huge drag force vs. something you only itnend to use while anchoring on a calm day for lunch;

what type rode do you have or plan to get? the smaller the anchor, the more chain you might want to have.

You get the idea and won't elaborate further other than to say either find someone who asks you these questions before answering or give us the info and we can give you an idea what might be best.

 

[Robspan]

I agree with Don - it's hard to generalize on anchors. But if I had to, I would say that the heavier, the better. You have to balance that against size and convenience. But in my experience, the bigger the anchor, the better you sleep at anchor. The heavier the anchor and the more chain you have, the better chance the anchor will bite again when the wind shifts, the anchor gets pulled out and the boat drifts.
Also, get a real brand. Some knockoffs aren't the same, eg, you could get a Danforth or a Danforth knockoff for less money. IMHO, the difference is worth the extra money.
I have two anchors on my 26. One is a small lunch hook, that I use when I'm anchoring for a few hours, and one that's three times the size of the other, for when I'm anchoring overnight and want to get a good night's sleep. If I had to have just one, no contest. It would be the big sucker.
FWIW, I think you got a great deal on that boat.

As to flotation, once again, opinions vary. I owned a boat that was very heavy for its size and raced it offshore for 25 years. I had minor leaks but I was on the boat and was able to take care of them at the time. In Macs, you're probably not going to be offshore, and the chances of needing flotation in inshore waters is slight. It's really a matter of what you feel comfortable with. If you can use the space for other purposes, use it. If it makes you feel better about being on the boat, put in some styrofoam. Mine has styrofoam and I don't think I need it but I don't need the space so I haven't taken it out.

 

[Paul Brinkley]

Think you got a good deal. Exterior looks good. One thing is for sure: you have the opportunity to set up the interior any way you want it! Best of luck to you. Sail that boat! -Paul