Venture 22 in Big Water

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Faris

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Apr 20, 2011
232
Catalina 27 San Juan Islands
Anyone have any experience with coastal sailing in a Venture 22? I do most of my sailing in Puget Sound. So far, I haven't encountered conditions that really make me nervous in the little boat. I am going to beef up some of the standing rigging though. But in terms of handling, even the lightweight doesn't bother me in up to 5-foot seas (though it's not terribly comfortable).

What I'm considering is a trip from Seattle to Ocean Shores (about 2/3 of the way down the WA coast) - in August. I haven't sailed that stretch, but I understand it can be rough - particularly the return (northbound) trip. Anyone sail this stretch in a V22 or similar?

The other option I'm considering is sailing to Olympia and figuring out a way to get towed the 50 miles over land to my destination (then back a few days later). I'd rather make the long sail, and provided weather was cooperative, that would be easier. Lacking the ability to control the weather, though, I'm a bit reluctant.
 
J

Jim W -V21

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Mar 25, 2011
8
venture 21 Grays Harbor
I wouldn't try it. I've never had a sail boat on that stretch of water, but I ran a charter boat out of Westport . I have sailed across the Grays Harbor bar in a V21 on a nice day. The water & the bar can get snotty with little or no warning.
 
Roger Long

Roger Long

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Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
This fellow sailed a 16 foot open dinghy from Scotland to Iceland and made similar long voyages:

http://woodenboat.com/boat/?tag=wayfarer-dinghy

If he can do it, why not you. Ah, the "you" part. That has more to do with it ultimately than the boat.

Would I do it in a stock Venture 22? No. Would I expect to make it if I did with proper preparation? Yes.

I offer this thought. If you were ready and capable of making this trip, you wouldn't be asking the question here. You would already know the answer because would know what is involved and what preparations need to be done to do it safely.

The suitability of the boat model is only one small part of the the answer to your question and you would need a lot of very good answers on other things to make up for some of the serious deficiencies of the type for that kind of voyage.
 
thomasgoodmaniii

thomasgoodmaniii

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Jan 2, 2011
51
oday 1975 oday 27 hampton,va
what are your plans to upgrade the standing rigging? i wouild think that making thicker chain plates and glassed over marine plywood behind them would be a start with heavier stays. my standing riging also has 2 ferrels on every eylet with a couple inches between i have considered putting a cable clamp in that space to add a redundant layer of saftey.
 
F

Faris

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Apr 20, 2011
232
Catalina 27 San Juan Islands
Roger Long said:
I offer this thought. If you were ready and capable of making this trip, you wouldn't be asking the question here. You would already know the answer because would know what is involved and what preparations need to be done to do it safely.
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I think that's a good thought. Mostly I'm wondering about conditions. I know the limits of my abilities (or at least I like to think so), and I have a solid idea of what needs to happen to the boat and/or know who does. I just don't know much what to expect on the coast in August. That's part of why I was considering this short trip - to sort of test the waters, so to speak. Also, I've sailed heavier and/or longer boats in bigger waters, but haven't spent much time in my V22 yet.

We're spending most of the summer cruising around the San Juans, so I'm sure I'll get a better idea of what to expect out of her and whether I want to go down the coast. Just not sure what to expect for conditions that time of year.
thomasgoodmaniii said:
what are your plans to upgrade the standing rigging?
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Mostly things you mentioned. I'm going to make these changes regardless of whether I make the coastal trip. I'm rebedding all of the deck hardware and backing it with metal plates, beefing up the chainplates, installing thicker shrouds/stays with swageless terminals. The rudder needs a bit of work because it just doesn't feel right - looks solid, but my gut doesn't trust it. The keel has been recently reworked and the motor (though only 5 hp) is in stellar condition. Reefing points are installed in the brand new main, and I have a storm jib that's never been used in real life.

Other necessary mods: Still has no boom vang, so I'm putting one in (hopefully next weekend). I'm teaching a sailing class, so I can't do it this weekend. Also, I'm reworking the block/cleat assembly on the transom-rigged mainsheet. I hate it the way it is. I also need to go through the electrical system because it's pretty shabby.

Aside from that, I've just got interior projects to make it more comfortable for a summer in the San Juans.
 
rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,591
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Faris:

I am wrestling with some of the same questions you are...

I know a guy who took a V21 from Chesapeake bay to Bermuda and back (with only a sextant).... but I should mention that he didn't seem that smart to me.... :)

I'm planning a trip around the DelMarVa peninsula this summer in my V222. I've never had mine out in open ocean before. The "biggest" water I've been in was the Chesapeake Bay and the Albemarle Sound. For my trip I have marked all of the places I could duck in out of the weather. ActiveCaptain.com is a great resource for this type of planning. And I have also bookmarked passageweather.com. I have no intention of dealing with anything more than an unexpected squall line and for that I'll drop everything and run with it. A nice thing about our type of boat is that we can take advantage of anchorages that others cannot. My plan it to not be caught out in anything over 30 mph sustained. I've sailed well enough in 25 mph, but I start to get nervous and look for a place to put in. I put two reefs in and a storm jib and she handles very well.

What does your sail compliment look like? I have two mains (one for lighter air and one with reefs) and three head sails, a 125%, a 75% and a 25%. These little boats do quite well in strong winds if the sails are balanced for it. Last summer I got caught out in the Albemarle sound in 25 mph with gusts into the low 30s for a day long trek across the sound. The Albemarle is relatively shallow with a long fetch and the chop builds quickly but with the sails balanced she punched right on through the chop and we had a pleasant (albeit adventurous) sail.

I'd love to hear more about your adventures in your boat (compare notes).

Best,

r
 
F

Faris

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Apr 20, 2011
232
Catalina 27 San Juan Islands
Hi RGRanger,

Yeah, the shallow draft is a real advantage. In my area there are plenty of shallow bays. In fact, the bay in front of my house empties out up to almost half a mile from the high-tide line - that's how shallow it is. So, in these sandy-bottom bays, just pull the keel up and you're good to go where only small motor boats dare to tread.

The coast is a bit different in this regard and there are fewer stops along the way - still plenty if you keep your eye on the weather and don't take stupid chances. I just think the key to such a trip is not having to be at any place at any particular time. Given patience and vigilance, you can sail just about anything anywhere.

I have the original main and jib (believe or not), both in serviceable condition. I still use the jib in fact. My main is brand new with reefing points, and I have brand new genoa and storm jib. From my perspective, the only thing that bothers me is the potential for rigging failure, and I don't know how real that is. I have experience on bigger boats and dinghies, and the rigging just doesn't feel much more substantial than that found on a decent dinghy.

Now granted, this boat isn't capable of generating massive loads as compared to a much larger or much more competitive boat, but it still feels untrustworthy over 25 kts or so. I want the boat to be survivable in up to 50-60 kts winds with the proper skill. That's about as heavy as it gets around here, and that's pretty rare.

I don't mind having problems because of a mistake that I make, but to have a mast break - that just sucks.
 
rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,591
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Hi Farris

I guess you could put backing plates behind all of your chain plates... but given the fact that these boats are 40 years old I don't think failure at the chain plate is a big concern. Have you done the cotton thing on your shrouds and stays to look for meathooks?

As you talked about a rigging failure, I'm thinking that a backup halyard might be a good idea and you could use it as an emergency stay if needed. I think I'll install one on my boat before I leave for my trip.

Good luck and post pics of your trip.

r
 
F

Faris

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Apr 20, 2011
232
Catalina 27 San Juan Islands
Well, the fact that the chain plates are original and relatively inexpensive to replace, I'm just going to do so. I could do a dye test, but I'll just replace them. I'm replacing the shrouds and stays with a thicker gauge, and I'll just keep the old ones (that are in great shape anyway) as a backup.

Cheers.
 
THECUSCUS

THECUSCUS

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Sep 25, 2008
961
Macgregor & Island Packet VENTURE 25 & IP-38 NORTH EAST, MD
Faris
If you buy new chainplates, you can cut the bottoms off the old ones and use them as backing plates for the new ones as I have done. It probably doesn't help that much, but every little bit adds up, and it was better than throwing the old ones away.
 
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