macgregor venture 22 ? for learning sailing couple

[mark west]

sail boat needs :smaller the better 18' to 23' shallow water 3to 4ft at pier most time can blow out 1 to2 ft deep . cabin over night for 2 people 2 dogs, swing keel , stable , easy to sail and learn on, sea worthy the sound gets bad in little time .
Macgregor venture 22 came up as candidate any other i should look for .
found 1979 venture 22 what to look for good and bad on this model any weak areas of concern

 

[dale4643]

I think your on the right track, but you do have a lot of choices. Besides the Mac there is Catalina, Siren, San Juan, Chrysler, Hunter....man the list goes on. The Catalina is a very stable one (heavier keel), very well built and there was a lot of them made that's why there are a lot of used ones out there. I could tell you all the differences but the reason I went with the Macgregor 22 was because of the trailering weight and the big price difference. Other sailing sites will bad mouth the Mac because of the thinner hull but I have been very impressed in the 3 years I've been owned mine. I had never sailed before and my wife had never even stepped on a boat and it has been very forgiving but my advise is still practice safety, watch the weather and read some of these posts....even from the newbies cause they will point out common mistakes. We go out almost every weekend in the summer and have never day sailed, we always spend a night or two and has been plenty of room for us although were now ready for a 25 or 27.

 

[dale4643]

Btw areas of concern with that model is no different then with any other swing keel sailer. Keel condition, soft deck spots, sound hull, standing rigging, sails (cause their expensive), no leaks from top... overall alot of the stuff is repairable, but some things like sails are expensive. You may want to find one in turnkey condition if your not a "handy" kind of person. And another thing the hull is alot tougher then alot of people think. Because of our stupidity we lost anchor hold in a bad storm in the middle of the night once and spent 8 hours banging against the rocky shore with no damage. Was caught in a sudden tornado that came within 1/4 mile from us and no time to get to shore (were in Oklahoma) and have sailed sailed in 25 mph sustained winds with gust to 35...(not advised) and the only thing we worried about was getting demasted. Yes, were not on the coast but short choppy 2 foot waves coming from wind and yacht wakes from all different directions is scary as hell! I do know the difference I lived in Baltimore for 10 years and sailed the Chesapeake with friends. The point I am making is the Mac (Venture) is tougher then what alot of people think. My advise to you is do your homework. Good luck and hopefully you will find the one that fits you and your wife...and your dogs of course!

 

[topcat0399]

A Venture/Mac is probably right up your alley.

Big ticket= motor/sails/old trailers. Old Macs are known to leak topside in various places. Nothing a little effort can't fix. Make sure you understand how to check the condition of a boat - learn what a core is and how to check one. Some things are a PIA to fix.
Know the value of things before offering up.

Before you know it you'll be hooked...

 

[Sumner]

I'd also consider the 26S. With the water ballast vs. the ballast weight in the keel it is about the same weight on the trailer and you have that ballast even if you have the centerboard up some in shallow water. It will float in less than 20 inches of water.

It is a faster boat and much more room inside which can big if you start staying on the boat or taking trips with the boat. Ruth and I had never sailed and although we weren't great at it we learned and I don't think the boat was any harder to learn on than say if we would of bought a 22. It is very...

...easy to launch and retrieve. How many boats can you put in the lake without a ramp ? I love the boat,

Sumner

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]

 

[centerline]

I agree with most everything that has been said.... but I would stick with a more sought after brand like the macgregor, catalina, san juan, cal, ect.... as these will have a following of people that can offer you a tremendous amount of knowledge and support , as well as having a better and quicker resale when you decide to get a bigger boat....

also, do your homework on what problems to look out for, and if they can be remedied with the skills you have or can easily learn.

and dont purchase someone elses abortion, which is what I call a project boat that has been hacked, cut, drilled, modified and glued together so bad that even the current owners of it dont want it any more.... it costs more money to undo someone else's attempts and make it right, than it does to purchase a very nice boat to begin with and just start sailing it....

I also agree with what Sumner said about possibly going bigger to begin with.... in the macgregor line of boats, everything is nearly identical in deck layout and ease of handling, but you just have more room in the 25-26 models and with a privacy area for a portapottie....
they all tow equally as nice and the launch and retrieve is simple as well.... good luck in your search

 

[mark west]

thanks for responses haven't seen the boat yet elderly man bought the 22 venture said its late 70 early 80 model . w/trailer, cabin raises. was kept under roof until he got it 2years ago said its in sailing condition just need cleaned. he never took it out too much work to set up by him self. when snow clears we will see boat how do you check swing keels condition its on trailer. also check the hull whats best way to and what am I looking for I know basic ,the keel and hull core are the areas i need advise price of boat is 1,000.00

 

[topcat0399]

A core is a filling between two layers of fiberglass that should be fully stuck. On a boat such as that Venture they are likely 3/8 plywood in most places. If water gets into a core it can rot it out causing soft spots on the decks or worse. For us it was worse.

Walk they decks and topsides everywhere watching for spots that sink.
You can get a good idea of a core condition such as these using the butt end (handle) of a screw driver as a tapper. Everywhere there is a core you tap tap tap tap all over the core listening. A good core has a thack thack thack sound. A wet core goes "thunk". You can't miss it. Its best to tap both above and below the entire core if possible.

A wet core isn't always the end of the world - it depends on where it is what it does that matters. A soft spot in a foredeck might be lived with but a wet core under a mast step or in a cockpit floor should probably be attended to.

That boat likely has cores in these places:

Foredeck, both side decks, cockpit seats, cabin top under mast, cockpit floor, under hatch covers.

We ended up replacing almost every core on our boat thanks to the failed silicon previous owners used to seal things and our ignorance concerning such things upon purchase. We also ended up with rags for sails that we still haven't replaced.

Don't get me wrong - we love our shabby little boat but don't be fooled by a nice coat of house paint when writing the check.

I will leave the keel part to someone with more knowledge on the subject.

Good luck.

 

[mark west]

thanks top cat your talking about top decks and lower decks ? how about the hull is it core or solid

 

[centerline]

thanks top cat your talking about top decks and lower decks ? how about the hull is it core or solid

hull and liner are solid glass.... the cabintop/foredeck, cockpit floor/settees, hatches and the coaming where the winches are mounted are all the cored areas.

if its a late 70 to early 80's, it will be a macgregor rather than a venture, and it will have a fiberglass liner inside, so the seating, vberth, ect will be formed all out of fiberglass rather than built out of wood..

 

[dale4643]

Mark if it all appears to be there, especially the sails (not ripped up) you will probably be alright. Basically the advise these guys are giving is to make sure it's not rotted from the inside out. Also make sure there are no BIG cracks in the fiberglass anywhere especially around the mast step (where your mast connects to cabin top). You will probably see some small spider cracks but thats not a killer.

With the keel that kind of takes an experienced eye on how the bolt connects, but at least look up underneath there and make sure that the keel is not totally rotted out, like huge pits. The good thing with a few bucks, elbow grease and knowledge you learn here online you can bring an ugly old boat back to life and be proud of it and the improvements you made. My boat was litterally black when I got it.

Take someone with you thats familiar with sailboats and don't be afraid to negotiate with the fellow since you will probably have to spend around $600-800 for a descent used outboard. I don't kn

 

[dale4643]

I don't know about the market there, but if it's all there and just needs some TLC as they say, it sounds like a fair deal. Are all the cabin cushions intact? Does it have the pretty rosey red windows?

 

[Sock Puppet]

How big are your dogs? This may seem like a small thing, but it's not.

While I really, really liked my Mac 22 it got small pretty fast. I'm in a different place with two kids, but two dogs can take up a lot of space as well.

in my mind the 22 is a prettier boat than the 26, and it may have had a slight edge in "feel" while sailing, but I wouldn't go back after having the 26. With that said, I sold it to a couple who wanted it for their first boat and I've heard from them since that they are more than happy with it.

My advice is to not get in a hurry. You'll probably know the right boat when you find it. $1000 more on the asking price is really insignificant once you have an idea of what costs/improvements can run. If you're able, it's better to buy one that's closer to being done than not. Little things like cockpit cushions can cost way more than you think.

Absolutely go look at a 26S before buying a Mac 22 or 25. Seriously. They are nice boats, but the 26 has an interior layout that you may find worth the added cost.

 

[mark west]

thanks all of you for advice will net you know more when i can see boat .owners 83 and cant go to were boat is stored in this weather .

 

[Freedom77]

Our second boat was a '72 V-222. Great boat. Cozy for two people. will sleep four. Good sailer. Added genoa and spinnaker. Had her for five years. Used to drop anchor at Catalina for a week at a time. Recommend long shaft 7.5 HP outboard. Traded up to V-25. Keep us posted.