I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

A forum for discussing topics relating to older MacGregor/Venture sailboats.
81venture
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Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Wake Forest, NC

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by 81venture »

Well the 3rd Crackboat is gone

Have to love the power of Craigslist...found someone who wanted the boat for FREE to make a pirate ship playhouse. He came by and looked at it, and we struck a deal that I deliver it and he would cut the keel out and get boat off trailer. So I didn't have to do 3+ days of chopping her down. We stripped all the gear and stainless from the top and brought it over. He gave me $100 cash and a case of beer for delivering, surprising me since he is already doing all my work for me.

This is her final resting place, destined to become a kids playhouse

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I took this to the scrapyard

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and got over $500 for it

Took the trailer back home and painted it up nice, and selling it for around $700
I now have TWO 29 foot masts with booms to sell

Not bad for a free boat

Cheers
Dave
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NavySailor
Engineer
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Sailboat: MacGregor 25
Location: Manassas, VA

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by NavySailor »

Pretty good return on your investment!
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Loala
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Sailboat: MacGregor 26D
Location: 96' 26X 40hp Merc. Bigfoot - SOLD! '88 26D now. Fast & Fun!

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by Loala »

Someone got a cheap playhouse.
usererror
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Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:47 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 22
Location: Muskegon, MI

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by usererror »

If your masts are straight (not snapped in half like mine and welded by the previous owner) I'd love to get one, but NC is a long way from MI. :(
81venture
Captain
Posts: 553
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:59 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Wake Forest, NC

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by 81venture »

usererror wrote:If your masts are straight (not snapped in half like mine and welded by the previous owner) I'd love to get one, but NC is a long way from MI. :(

both the 29' masts I have are straight, and have mast step and boom....spinnaker hardware and a Mainsail winch 8) 8)


Been Busy...we are installing a boat lift now so we can hoist sailboats up to 23-24 ft off the trailers and be able to do trailer/bottom/keel work...
Set the post 4ft deep yesterday


dave
81venture
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Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:59 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Wake Forest, NC

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by 81venture »

Got the Boat hoist completed... Now Can lift sailboats off trailers up to 3000lbs

Now Bottom work, trailer work, and keel work just got so much easier

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Camera angle makes her look a little crooked, but trust me the lift is stout! That is a Catalina Capri Wing Keel up in the air...weighs in around 2400lbs

Cheers Mates!

Dave
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Tomfoolery
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Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Rochester, NY '99X BF50 'Tomfoolery'

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by Tomfoolery »

81venture wrote:This is her final resting place, destined to become a kids playhouse
I like to see old boats retasked and repurposed to something useful when they're no longer usable as a boat. Reminds me of the bow of what I think is an O'Day sticking out of the gable end of the tiki bar at the Myrtle Beach Resort. Navigation lights actually light at night, too, though I suspect that's a rather common use for old boats. :D 8)

Amazing what you can find from a thousand miles away.

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Y.B.Normal
First Officer
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Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:55 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Western PA

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by Y.B.Normal »

The bow through the wall reminds me of the Cessna 150 sticking through the roof of a bar in Manitowoc, WI. The "prop" in the ceiling was a ceiling fan with a prop spinner attached. Made the traffic really slow down when it was first installed! :D
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Tomfoolery
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Location: Rochester, NY '99X BF50 'Tomfoolery'

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by Tomfoolery »

Y.B.Normal wrote:The bow through the wall reminds me of the Cessna 150 sticking through the roof of a bar in Manitowoc, WI. The "prop" in the ceiling was a ceiling fan with a prop spinner attached. Made the traffic really slow down when it was first installed! :D
Then there's the Sinking Sailboat sculpture. Another repurposed old boat.

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Not that it has much to do with the OP's topic, other than fanciful repurposing of boat hulls for continued life after death. :wink: 8)
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old puddle pirate
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Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by old puddle pirate »

81venture wrote:Got the Boat hoist completed... Now Can lift sailboats off trailers up to 3000lbs

Now Bottom work, trailer work, and keel work just got so much easier

Image


Image

Camera angle makes her look a little crooked, but trust me the lift is stout! That is a Catalina Capri Wing Keel up in the air...weighs in around 2400lbsi

Cheers Mates!

Dave
what size timbers did you use? Also what did you hook to the chain hoists to lift the hull? Inquiring minds want to know
81venture
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Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Wake Forest, NC

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by 81venture »

We used 6x6 that are 4ft in the ground and 11ft high ...3 80lb bags of concrete each one
the top pieces are connected by brackets I made from steel...puts the weight straight down

2 two ton chain hoists, one on each end....with 6000lb capacity straps slinging the boat bottom

We hoisted her up like it wasn't even there we were actually standing on the boat while we hoisted which was pretty neat

After hoisting we put the boards under her and "pinned" them in. they are for safety and the boat is then lowered slightly so about 50% weight is on the cross beam and 50% still on the chains...so she doesn't swing

it works like a charm....
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NavySailor
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Location: Manassas, VA

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by NavySailor »

Need original sails? Came across these today.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Venture-of-Newp ... 3ce33a14c5
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Russ
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Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by Russ »

Nice job. It's about time you got a real lift for your marina.

It's hard to see in the photo, how did you hoist the boat? Are their straps/slings?
81venture
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Location: Wake Forest, NC

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by 81venture »

RussMT wrote:Nice job. It's about time you got a real lift for your marina.

It's hard to see in the photo, how did you hoist the boat? Are their straps/slings?

There is a 2 ton chain hoist at each end.....then the boat is slung in 6000lb straps underneath and hooked to the chain hoist.....

it goes up easy as pie...after she is up and swinging the boards are "pinned" in underneath and she goes back down so there is roughly 50% weight on the bottom cross support and 50% on the sling/chain.....is very stable!

Keel Work, bottom paint, etc just got a WHOLE lot easier 8)


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dave
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Russ
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Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades

Post by Russ »

I see the straps clearly in those photos. Nice job. I'm certain it is a whole lot easier now.
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