V222 Shake Down Trip

[Rudder Nonsense]

As a new member, but old lurker, I thought I'd say howdy now that I'm a Macgregor/Venture owner.

After a couple years pondering and searching, I found and purchased a semi local 1973 222. Using all the tips on what problems to look for I'd gathered from this and other sites, I think I've done quite well with my purchase. It will need some cosmetic repair and a few minor hardware items replaced but is quite sailable in its current status with one exception.

After an easy launch and mast stepping, my stepson and I motored out of the harbour and proceeded to raise the main. We found out quite quickly that it jammed badly and often when pulling on the halyard. Our solution was to have him pulling the halyard and I eased the sail into the receiving slot and raise slowly and incrimentally. However, we also found out the hard way that the tiller tamer wasn't doing it's job. (Later in the day, we found out the PO had added a washer that wouldn't allow the tightening of tension.) Needless to say we fell off the wind a couple times before I figured this was embarrassing and utter nonsense. Or more appropriately Rudder Nonsense! Ureaka!!! The boat was named before it even officially sailed! LOL!

Anyway after finally getting both main and genoa up and trimmed we proceeded not only to catch but pass those boats that set sail and left us in their wake. This helped the old ego out a bit. I was quite impressed with the upwind performance as I've heard these boats lack in this regard. We held a close hauled tack for about 3 miles before practicing our tacking skills. It was only blowing 8 knots as I confirmed from online weather records, but the boat performed well in these light winds. I'm very happy with my purchase.

Now I'm looking into fixing the jamming issues with the main, it appears that the mast sail slot has been widened a bit above the sail entry point (as I noticed tool marks there) and the bolt rope? jams in the wedge shaped slot created by the widening. Anyone know how tight the mast slot should be at this location?? or should I just experiment narrowing it little by little?

In the end, I have all winter to fix and enhance this boat to the point I want it. My approach will be do one thing, test, then do another. That way anyback stepping that may occur will not be a major setback hopefully.

Cheers all!

 

[Freedom77]

HI NONSENSE: Happy Thanksgiving, eh. Welcome to the Legion of the Damned. First off, I love Nanaimo. My wife and I stopped there twice on cruises. First time we were aboard the first ship that had stopped there in 25 years. Mounties were out in full dress and the town rolled out the red carpet. Nanaimo Bar should come packed with insulin. Is Cristo's still there. Best onion soup I ever had. Have good friends who live in Sanich, Victoria. You will enjoy your new V-222. We had one for 5 years and trailed all the way from BC to Baja. Spent a week in the San Juans. They are a very responsive boat and can turn in their own radius. Keep us posted as to you adventures. As to the problem with the main sail track luff rope, I found that as I raised the main and would keep my hand on the luff rope as it went into the track and this would help guide it. The slot comes from the factory wider at the entry point. Think about having track slugs installed. Two things will happen, 1, main will go up and down easier 2, easier to reef. also need to buy a sail stop to keep slugs in track. A sailboat is a hole in the water into which you pour endless amount of money. Fair Winds and Full Sails...

 

[Rudder Nonsense]

Hi Freedom,
LOL about Nanaimo Bars! They should also have a dentists phone number in white chocolate on them as well! I'm not sure of Cristo's as I never visited. The new cruise ship pier sure makes it easier for the passengers. Tendering en masse isn't my cup of tea. I spent a year working on a cruise ship and often stayed onboard during tendering stops. Thanks for the tips on my jamming. I'll be looking into slug tracks to fix that as the admiral's bad back keeps her from assisting in alot of the grunt work leaving me to run the show when we leave the kids on the rocks. This was a desiding factor in switching from power to sail as in any wave situation over minor chop, we had to slow to a less pounding speed anyway. We figure we are going in more comfort and much less expensive outings now. Gas prices are just getting crazy these days. Now we get there slower but can take the entire weekend to do it.

I just got back in after hybridizing my sailboat into a sailfish boat with the instillation of my downriggers and other fishing gear. I"m glad I took a shake down run as it really helped me to figure out where to mount what. It is set so fishing gear doesn't interfere with sailiing gear and vise versa. Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to deside, fish or sail? Guess I'll keep coins in pocket each outing.

 

[rgranger]

Hi Rudder:

I just finished my second year with my V222 (also a 1973). I've owned two Mac V21s a Coronado 23' and a Coronado 25' in the past and for what I want in a boat the V222 is the best set of compromises. You are correct! They do sail very well. To share a few things I've learned about mine...

1) You can reef the main by rolling it about the boom. The boom has a thumb screw that you loosen and then the boom will roll. You can roll up the main to any size you wish. (It took me a season to figure that out ) Also if you leave the thumb screw loose when using the entire main, you get a better shaped sail. The boom will roll a bit with the sail and that gives a nice bevel to the foot instead of the sharp corner you typically see as the sail cloth meets the boom.

2) The boat will handle VERY WELL in heavy air if you have the correct sized head sail up and the main reefed appropriately. When I purchased my boat it came three different sized head sails. I have taken my bout out in 30 mph winds with a deep reef in the main and a small storm jib. We punched right on through with a relatively smooth sail. Chased down other boats that looked like they were getting pounded. And as you mentioned already, they sail fast. I've run down a Cal 27 recently. :dance:

3) The keel bolt will spit a bit of water from time to time. The easiest way to deal with that is to keep some plumber's putty handy and smash a blob of that over the bolt heads and nut.

4) The best mod I've made so far is a down haul for the head sail. I used an inexpensive block from Tractor Supply and attached it to the stern rail with a simple hose clamp. Ran a line back to the cockpit through another block at the shrouds. When I raise the Genoa I thread the down haul through the hanks along with the Genoa halyard. When the wind picks up and I need to dowse the Genoa, I can just release the halyard and haul on the down haul. The Genoa comes down nice and tight. If I also pull on the sheet, the Genoa lays snug and well controlled on the deck (pulled to one side). You don't have to go forward and wrestle with a big flapping monster. Then under the relative calm of the main only, you can go set your smaller jib.

I like the story of how your boat "told you her name". I have a similar story. My girls helped me restore our boat. We stripped all of the hardware (including ports) and interior wood from ours, sanded, painted and rebuilt her. The girls wanted to come up with a name and I said, lets take her on a shakedown and see if she tells us her name. We had a light air day and mid-afternoon we anchored for a swim in a secluded cove. While we were swimming a swarm of dragonflies landed on the boat and on us as we swam. So our boat is named Dragonfly.

Fair winds friend,

r

 

[Freedom77]

HI fellow Venture/Mac Owners. On the subject of reefing the main. The roller reefing is great if need to reef before leaving the dock. I found it to be a PITA under sail. By the time you need to reef you're holding on for dear life and trying to reduce sail. It's like being up to your ass in alligators and trying to drain the swamp at the same time. I installed reefing point at two points in the main and can now single or double reef easily. Also I can't uese roller reefing due to mid boom mainsheet setup. Just need to find a local sailmaker and buy a little tackle. Mo Money! NONSENSE, glad to hear about cruise ship dock in Nanaimo. We had to tender both times. Fair Winds and Full Sails....

 

[rgranger]

HI fellow Venture/Mac Owners. On the subject of reefing the main. The roller reefing is great if need to reef before leaving the dock. I found it to be a PITA under sail. By the time you need to reef you're holding on for dear life and trying to reduce sail. It's like being up to your ass in alligators and trying to drain the swamp at the same time. I installed reefing point at two points in the main and can now single or double reef easily. Also I can't uese roller reefing due to mid boom mainsheet setup. Just need to find a local sailmaker and buy a little tackle. Mo Money! NONSENSE, glad to hear about cruise ship dock in Nanaimo. We had to tender both times. Fair Winds and Full Sails....

Hi Freedom

I have two main sails, one with two sets of reef points and my boom and mast are set up with jiffy reef eyelets. It seems the P.O. had the same opinion as you and set her up for jiffy reefing. During the first year of ownership (before I discovered the roller reefing) I used the jiffy reefing but I really didn't like all of the cordage hanging off of the sail and I didn't have all of the bugs worked out (it was not as smooth as I thought it should be) Since I've installed the down haul for the headsail and can tame the head sail on the deck, I find that I can lower the headsail, point up, reef the main (but I need a good guy at the helm) and then pull the headsail back up. But I see your point. My next project is to set up my running rigging for single handed use (all lines to the cockpit) and when single handing, I probably won't want to roller reef the main.

Do you have any pics of your jiffy reef system?

 

[Rudder Nonsense]

Hey Ranger,
Thanks for the input.
re 1:We did a practice reef on the main and all went well. I guess we willl see though in a windier situation. Great tip on leaving the thumbscrew loose at full main. Will give it a shot.
re 2:The boat came with a jib and a 150 genoa, but no storm jib. I'm toying with a furling headsail in the future. Seems quite a few DYI ideas on the net to look at.
re 3: I've already reglassed the keel bolt hole as it was "stretched" by PO. Bought an new bolt, nut, pan washers and rubber washers. It appears a tight seal, and a pressure washer blasted up from below yeilded no leaking at all when tested the seal.
re 4: I'll definately look at a downhaul if I don't go with the furler idea.
Gotta love BOATS (Bring On Another Thousand Sucker!)

 

[rgranger]

Hey Ranger,
Thanks for the input.
re 1:We did a practice reef on the main and all went well. I guess we willl see though in a windier situation. Great tip on leaving the thumbscrew loose at full main. Will give it a shot.

Next time you have her set up, would you mind getting some shots of your jiffy reef set up. Mine was clunky when I tried it and the foot did not sit well. So I'm guessing I'm doing something wrong.

Fair winds,

 

[Rudder Nonsense]

Next time you have her set up, would you mind getting some shots of your jiffy reef set up. Mine was clunky when I tried it and the foot did not sit well. So I'm guessing I'm doing something wrong.

Fair winds,

I roll reefed on the boom. I don't have jiffy reefing. I can't say I had a perfect foot as the sail had a few folds and bulges, but not too bad of shape. I can take a few shots of this set up if you need them.

 

[rgranger]

I roll reefed on the boom. I don't have jiffy reefing. ...... I can take a few shots of this set up if you need them.

Thanks Rudder but I'm good with the roller reef. That is what I do now. I tried to set up a jiffy reef system with a haul on the boom so I could just release the main halyard and pull the reef haul and it would all come down to the first reef point. But it did not operate smoothly and left the sail bunched at the foot. The clew would not sit in the right spot... etc. I'm sure I need to just adjust something but I lost my patience with it once I figured out the roller reef. I guess it is something to come back to some day.

r

 

[Faris]

First, welcome. I'm from just down the Strait from you - in Blaine. Well, I'm not there right now, but sail back and forth from Seattle and have a house and slip up there. Spent a lot of time on Patos, in Boundary Bay, and in between, looking over your way and thinking we need to get over there.

About the track for the main: You know, bolt ropes tend to get caught there if they are not fed straight. For this reason, it really takes one person to guide the bolt rope and one person to hoist. Even so, they sometimes bind up. My guess is that the previous owner widened this slot in a vain attempt to mitigate the problem.

There is, of course, a few inches where the slot is wider near the boom so that the bolt rope (or slugs) will feed up into the track. That tapers over a distance of about an inch until it reaches the width that the slot is all the way up the mast. So, if you want to restore it to its original width, that width should be constant all the way up the mast (above that bit just above the boom where the slot is actually wider, not just bent open).

You'll enjoy your V22 in this area. I think it's the perfect boat if you want to sail often. I spent most of the summer on mine. If you want a pleasant over-nighter, sail down to Patos Island and hook up to one of the two buoys in Active Cove. Hard to get in the summer, but it's almost completely vacated now.

 

[TheJoe]

As a new member, but old lurker, I thought I'd say howdy now that I'm a Macgregor/Venture owner.

After a couple years pondering and searching, I found and purchased a semi local 1973 222. Using all the tips on what problems to look for I'd gathered from this and other sites, I think I've done quite well with my purchase. It will need some cosmetic repair and a few minor hardware items replaced but is quite sailable in its current status with one exception.

Hello, I am going to look at a '76 V22 soon and was wondering what to look for. It is supposed to be sail ready, but having only owned a sunfish knock-off I don't know what to look for in a bigger boat let alone a venture 22 specifically. Any help appreciated.
Joe

 

[rgranger]

The most important thing is to take a hard look at the keel. If it is badly rusted, cracked, or of the pivot hole is enlarged and weak,...

run away.

If not, then it becomes a matter of what you want, are willing to live with, can fix yourself, or willing to pay to have fixed.

 

[Rudder Nonsense]

I agree with ranger on the points he brought up. However, I think it really comes down to how skilled a handyman are you, how well supplied is your tool shed, and how much work and expense are you willing to take on to make your sailing dreams come true.
My personal thoughts, (no offense intended to any current owners) is a used v22 or v222 is a low cost entry boat. Some that may be selling found out their interest wasn't that keen and have either cheaped out in replacement hardware such as zinc coated fasteners, turnbuckles, bolts etc. and or have implimented quick cure fixes.
I for one have already replaced the zinc bolts for the mast base, keel lock, and shroud turnbuckles. Also topping lift fittings and cleat bolts.
I have had to re fiberglass a stretched out keel lock bolt hole and am currently removing and replacing the transom. This is an often overlooked and difficult to replace part in the v22 if you have the outboard well and not the full stern model. Fortunately I have a fully equipped air tool set and the air chisel made short work of removing the old rotten wood. This weekends project is to fiberglass in the new transom. With out those tools, I"m sure I would have had to either raise the deck or cut out the outboard well to remove the old wood.
I'm nor sure, but I believe the 76 had a fiberglass coated keel. These are the major PITA's of this model and removing them is a major undertaking. Googling this will provide you with many examples of how it can be done and you must deside yourself if feasable.
Apart from that, take a good look at your sails and realize that if they are original, they are well aged, have probably had lots of sun and may or may not have been cared for correctly. New sails add up fast!
One V21 I looked at had a mast that looked like it had been hastily and badly straightened as wrinkles in the aluminum were quite odvioius. This boat also had very bad fiberglass repairing done to deck and new "patch" had not properly fused with original glassing. The "handyman" had not feathered the old glass, in fact it looked like he didn't even grind off the paint covering the gel coat.
One v22 I looked at had the keel winch replaced with a ratchet winch, not to mention the cable was badly frayed at the keel attachment. If that let go while keel was up, I bet it would have broken the trunk swinging down.
I have rebuilt 5 boats from the hull up in my life, all power, but my golden rule is look hard and long at the wood! Rotten stringers, transoms or bad fiberglass repair should all be walked away from unless you are up for the cost and labor involved.


ps: should also mention, check the rudder for rot and standing rigging for binds, kinks and rust.

 

[rgranger]

... and one thing to add to Rudders excellent list of things to consider... you can check the health of the standing rigging (all of the stays that hold the mast up) by running a cotton ball along the cable. If little pieces of cotton stick to the cable, that means you have broken strands within the cable. You don't want that.

 

[TheJoe]

I'm pretty handy and have restored a couple power boats, one of them replaced a transom, but I'm not looking for a major project right now.
It seems like the keels are biggest issues with these boats. I am anxious to have a look at this area and how it is built. I haven't been able to find a lot of info or pics on the damage they are prone to and how they are fixed. I think I read somewhere that and you make an aluminum housing to go over (or inside?) the trunk to help prevent keel pivot hole damage. I would like to take this thing pretty far up and down river some day and want to be sure it will be reliable far away from home. Any specific advice in that area?

Thanks for the help guys, if there are any resources you can point me to that would be great.
Thanks
Joe

 

[Kestle]

... and one thing to add to Rudders excellent list of things to consider... you can check the health of the standing rigging (all of the stays that hold the mast up) by running a cotton ball along the cable. If little pieces of cotton stick to the cable, that means you have broken strands within the cable. You don't want that.

Damn, that's a great idea! I'm adding it to my winter maintainable list.

Jeff