I've been around a bit; seen the yachts at St. Tropez and the pontoons on Houghton Lake. Sailed the seven seas; and I am a bonified Shellback; having crossed the equator at 00'longitude and 00'latitude. Owned (and built) a few boats; and now my age is such that I am a little slow to handle the 17' O'Day Daysailor II; Hiking straps; spinacker; etc.; even though it's a blast to bear down on some yahoo on a jet ski with sails full and straining to pull me and the boat ever faster. I've become more sadate; a cruiser type. Besides; the Wife is finding it more than just a little irratating to quickly shift from one side of the boat to the other; just as she has settled in; and we need to tack (again). Anyway; we are now looking to purchase a MacGregor Venture VN23 (Venture of Newport). Unfortunately, this boat is no longer manufactured; and the owners of this boat really know a good thing when they have it! This boat is about as close as you can get to a cruising sailboat that is stored in your driveway; easily launched (and retrieved) at the local boat ramp; and really looks the part! (marinas are O.K., I just don't like paying to have my boat sit when I'm not using it; paying to have it launched; ETC....been there..). Anyone out there have one of these boats up for sale?
Trailer Sailor
- Thread starter Lou14627
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ebay
I did a search and found one listed on Ebay. Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.ca/MacGregor-Venture-of-Newport-V-N-23_W0QQitemZ140104145004QQcategoryZ63730QQcmdZViewItem
I did a search and found one listed on Ebay. Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.ca/MacGregor-Venture-of-Newport-V-N-23_W0QQitemZ140104145004QQcategoryZ63730QQcmdZViewItem
trailer sailor ; pt.2
-I really want a Macgregor VN23! Thanks for the response! Meanwhile; here in mid Michigan; most of the snow has melted, with the stuborn stuff still holding out in the shadows of the woods and buildings. My boat; the ODay Daysailor 2; is still resting fitfully under it's tarps in the backyard. The snow layer is gone; and the sun is doing it's thing to dry out the winters leftovers. The river is flowing briskly with the spring runoff; the minnows are in the shallows; and the 'spring peepers' are out of their muddy winter retreats; sounding off in the evening dark with increasing volume. Soon it will be time to pull off the tarps on my little boat and get it into the sun!
-I really want a Macgregor VN23! Thanks for the response! Meanwhile; here in mid Michigan; most of the snow has melted, with the stuborn stuff still holding out in the shadows of the woods and buildings. My boat; the ODay Daysailor 2; is still resting fitfully under it's tarps in the backyard. The snow layer is gone; and the sun is doing it's thing to dry out the winters leftovers. The river is flowing briskly with the spring runoff; the minnows are in the shallows; and the 'spring peepers' are out of their muddy winter retreats; sounding off in the evening dark with increasing volume. Soon it will be time to pull off the tarps on my little boat and get it into the sun!
Trailer sailing
You know, lou,---I love the old MacGregors myself. I think that they were a great boat, but at age 63, I can't see myself ever going back to trailer-sailing with a boat that size, or even the O'Day 222 that I own now. You may want to think about joining a yacht club in your area like I did back in the mid 90s. I was able to get away without using bottom paint until just recently. I used to leave my boat on a mooring for about a week, and pull it out of the water and store it on the trailer with the mast up in the club yard. I'd get in the water and scrub her bottom down while loading her on the trailer. I did that for about 10 years and got tired of it. last year, I installed bottom paint on my boat for the first time since I've owned it. I bought it new in 86. When I first bought the boat, I trailered it for about 8 years, putting the mast up and taking it down every weekend at the local boat ramp. I did a lot of overnighters on the weekends, because it wasn't worth going through all that trouble for one day of sailing. On a few occasions, when I got back to the ramp, some nice fellow either shot my car windshield, let the air out of my tires, or smashed my tail light out. This was another good reason for joining the yacht club. Especially after I traded my old Delta 88 Olds in for a decent looking truck. I've reached an age where I need to make things easier for myself, like installing bottom paint so that I can leave it in the water, but still be able to take it home on my trailer at the end of the season, and adding a new CDI Roller Furler last week, so that I don't ever have to mess with my Gennie and risk falling overboard. Larger trailer sailboats are nice because they are more comfortable and stable than smaller day sailers, but there is a trade off. Joe
You know, lou,---I love the old MacGregors myself. I think that they were a great boat, but at age 63, I can't see myself ever going back to trailer-sailing with a boat that size, or even the O'Day 222 that I own now. You may want to think about joining a yacht club in your area like I did back in the mid 90s. I was able to get away without using bottom paint until just recently. I used to leave my boat on a mooring for about a week, and pull it out of the water and store it on the trailer with the mast up in the club yard. I'd get in the water and scrub her bottom down while loading her on the trailer. I did that for about 10 years and got tired of it. last year, I installed bottom paint on my boat for the first time since I've owned it. I bought it new in 86. When I first bought the boat, I trailered it for about 8 years, putting the mast up and taking it down every weekend at the local boat ramp. I did a lot of overnighters on the weekends, because it wasn't worth going through all that trouble for one day of sailing. On a few occasions, when I got back to the ramp, some nice fellow either shot my car windshield, let the air out of my tires, or smashed my tail light out. This was another good reason for joining the yacht club. Especially after I traded my old Delta 88 Olds in for a decent looking truck. I've reached an age where I need to make things easier for myself, like installing bottom paint so that I can leave it in the water, but still be able to take it home on my trailer at the end of the season, and adding a new CDI Roller Furler last week, so that I don't ever have to mess with my Gennie and risk falling overboard. Larger trailer sailboats are nice because they are more comfortable and stable than smaller day sailers, but there is a trade off. Joe
slow ?
Hey Mick! This is a forum for 'trailer sailors'! There are trade offs; to be sure: the biggest being storage and launch fees; and waiting for the crane to rig, launch and retrieve a "fixed keel" boat. Your 36' Catalina is anything but a 'trailer sailor'. Try floating it off the transport semi-trailer at the local boat ramp! I've sailed over enogh 'blue water', now I've moved to a location that has an abundance of beautiful inland lakes without a heavily populated shoreline....in my situation, the VN 23 would be perfect.
Hey Mick! This is a forum for 'trailer sailors'! There are trade offs; to be sure: the biggest being storage and launch fees; and waiting for the crane to rig, launch and retrieve a "fixed keel" boat. Your 36' Catalina is anything but a 'trailer sailor'. Try floating it off the transport semi-trailer at the local boat ramp! I've sailed over enogh 'blue water', now I've moved to a location that has an abundance of beautiful inland lakes without a heavily populated shoreline....in my situation, the VN 23 would be perfect.
Venture 23
Mick.... I'd pay good money to sit topsides in the sun; anchored out in the lake; on my VN 23; watching someone trying to float that 36' fixed keel sailboat out of a storage cradle, on top of a semi-trailer, at the local boat ramp. I'd even pack a lunch!
Mick.... I'd pay good money to sit topsides in the sun; anchored out in the lake; on my VN 23; watching someone trying to float that 36' fixed keel sailboat out of a storage cradle, on top of a semi-trailer, at the local boat ramp. I'd even pack a lunch!
I'll Bring the Beer!
Lou, you pack the lunch, I'll bring the beer and we'll watch the show together! Cheers, Brian
Lou, you pack the lunch, I'll bring the beer and we'll watch the show together! Cheers, Brian
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