Introduction (+ questions abt Venture 25 & boat restoration)

[oldwillow]

Hello All,
I am new to this site and as of a few days ago am a new owner of a Venture 25 (1976). This is like a boat I showed to my wife back in 1976 in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta Canada and now I get to have one. This one is nice, but not as nice as the first one we saw. I got it by closed bid at a Salvation Army store. I took closeup photos showing that I have work to do:





I have a 15 foot racing catamaran (Sea-Spray from Calgary, Alberta) that I stopped sailing 20 years ago due to back problems. I have several questions as the Venture is not set up like the Sea-Spray and of course it has things that would not fit on that little cat. I'll ask more later, but at the moment I am in the process of trying to get rid of mildew, moss and lichen. I have tried household cleaners, borax and bartender's friend and the bartender's friend seems to work the best. Anything better?
My wood is in poor shape. Should it be replaced or just sanded down? What type of wood should I use?
I noticed something that looked at first like a white drain on the bottom port side of the hull about amidships with a broken piece of black plastic stuck inside that may have been able to swivel at one time. What is that supposed to do if it is not a drain?

Thank you for your help and thanks especially for this site. I was able to step the mast by myself from my reading here.

Richard

[kmclemore]

Welcome!

I still am waiting for the slice with anchovies and olives, however.

[dlandersson]

Extra cheese, please

Welcome!

I still am waiting for the slice with anchovies and olives, however.

[kmclemore]

Rchard, I'll try to answer your questions though I'll admit up front that I don't know a lot about the Venture 25.

As to the cleanup, Bartenders Friend is quite popular, so you've made a good choice. Oxalic acid will remove most rust stains. Folks also use a mixture of bleach and water to wipe things down which often removes or lessens mildew stains and helps prevent their return.

As to the wood, teak would be my choice. In fact, for the hand rails you can find these ready-made on the web from many boating supply firms. One word of safety, though - the dust from sanding teak is toxic, so wear a mask when sanding or cutting.

And as to the plug, I'm not sure, but have you downloaded and read the manual on this site? It doesn't seem to mention the plug, but it just may be helpful in setting up your boat. Click "Resources" on the top bar, then click "Manuals' for the list of Mac manuals we offer. Here's a direct link to the V25 manual:

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/manuals ... Manual.pdf

Finally, I'm going to change the title of this thread so hopefully you'll draw more venture owners to answer your questions. Hope you don't mind.

Cheers,
Kevin

[Tomfoolery]

I noticed something that looked at first like a white drain on the bottom port side of the hull about amidships with a broken piece of black plastic stuck inside that may have been able to swivel at one time. What is that supposed to do if it is not a drain?

The drawings of the V25 on the 'net show a galley on the port side. Same with the (later) M25's, though in a little different configuration. Sure sounds like one of those infamous Mac glassed-in thru-hulls for the galley basin. My X still has the two originals (there's one in the enclosed head on the X), and they work fine and seem strong enough for what they do (and are above the waterline), so I just keep using them as they are.

For heavy dirt, I just use a pressure washer. And a hose and bucket of boat soap inside. A wet vac takes the water back out when I'm done washing and hosing the interior. And oxalic acid is great on rust (from the PO's handiwork with carbon steel fasteners ), as already stated.

WM has teak hand rails of various lengths, and I've seen plastic on other sites, if you prefer not to deal with the maintenance. http://www.westmarine.com/buy/whitecap- ... P012482600 If they're cracked at all, just toss them and replace them. IMO, at least.

[oldwillow]

Extra cheese, please

Welcome!

I still am waiting for the slice with anchovies and olives, however.

Yes, I agree with extra cheese and especially with olives (black for pizza and green for spaghetti) but not sure about anchovies (sorry Kevin). Another reason for folks to come to Montana.

Thanks for the 'welcomes' and thanks to Kevin and Tomfoolery for answers and direction and thank you, Kevin, for the new label for this thread. You both have led me to hours and hours of reading. I'm getting more and more excited now that the shock of winning the bid for this boat is waning. It has been suggested that the fixture on the bottom port side of the hull may be part of the knot-meter. As soon as I get back to Montana in a week or two, I'll get a chance to look inside to see what is on the cabin side of that fixture (i'm presently back in Alberta).

From your suggestions, I have downloaded the V25 manual and have been looking at options for the boat's woodwork (guess I'll need a name for 'the boat'). Is it appropriate to ask questions to threads that are a year old in that thread or appropriate to ask those questions here? Until I learn the protocol I'll ask about ideas of replacing or dealing with the old leaking ports. They need some work.



Thank again and it's back to reading,

Richard

[email protected]

!

Moderator Note:

For your protection, I have redacted your email address. We do not allow personal email addresses, or phone numbers in the open forums. Members can contact other members via PM (Private Message), or email by clicking on the appropriate icon under your profile to the right. As far as resurrecting old threads, just mention that it is an old thread in your post. Also, you can click on the profile link of other members to see if they are still active, as some members have moved on and do not check into the forum on a regular basis. Welcome aboard and have a blast! ~Rich---Hamin' X~

[TIMBOAT2]

You forgot the most important thing: lots and lots of elbo grease!
T
PS.... Welcome aboard.

[TIMBOAT2]

Hey,
I might mention that I have been working on my 1977V25 for a long time. What I did with my junkey wood was cleaned it up with the afore mentioned elbo grease, then two coats of epoxy and three coats of varnish. It looks good, seasoned wood has a special look. Before you go to much further check out your keel for slop and cable issues, I didn't early on and am now in scramble mode due to some serious keel issues as I leave for vacation on Saturday with the boat.(maybe! )
T

[Bilgemaster]

Welcome aboard! Although I have a 26X, I found Brian Gilbert's book, Fix it and sail: Everything you need to know to buy and restore a small sailboat on a shoestring (Camden, ME : International Marine, 2006) [ISBN 0-07-145809-3] hugely helpful in my own very light restoration. So much so, that almost exactly a year ago I posted about it on the Venture Forum, since Mr. Gilbert ended up tackling a fairly decrepit "forest find" Venture 222. Having such a "Classic Mac" yourself, I imagine you might find it even more helpful. My original posting even had a link for a freebie download, which may or may not still work, though you'll have to be patient if you want it (like a 2 or 3 hour wait as a "non-subscriber"). Still, my hunch is that you'll find it well worth the wait.

[Freedom77]

Hi Oldwillow: Like the Edsel by Ford, Roger had a few ideas that weren't, in my humble opinion, great. Early on I took an angle grinder and cut out the PITA built in "galley" and glassed in the area which made a longer quarter birth and more sitting area. Original galley didn't have through hull, just a jug to catch water. Made other mods including locker for hanging coats, etc in head area, storage bins in dinette area and other creature comforts. Didn't sail any better, just sailed prettier. He changed the Mac 25 and put in a stowable galley which slid under quarter birth. Still trying to figure out how to post pics. I'm old enough to remember when the crank was on the side of the adding machine. BTW, what is your hull# ?

[oldwillow]

I was able to spend some time on the boat and made some discoveries:
what i thought was a drain is indeed the sensor for the knotmeter
the inside wasn't in too terrible condition after getting rid of the rotting leaves and murky water
all the leads on wiring that I've found so far have been corroded almost completely off
the swing keel as the boat sits on the trailer is about 4" to starboard of the keel bracket on the trailer (oops for PO and me for not noticing before)
the plumbing for the galley may be original and looks very unappetizing
elbow grease seems in short supply (Need someone like Tim),

Thanks to Tim for the option of fixing up old wood - we like the look of old wood in this house. (Tim, I hope your keel issues are resolved.) Thanks to Bilgemaster for the link to Fix It and Sail. I now have even more reading to do. Freedom77 - your mods sound interesting and started my minds eye going in new directions. I would live to see pictures, drawings or descriptive paragraphs and are you saying that I can put a through hole drain from my galley without wrecking the boat or reeking havoc?
Freedom77, the last few digits on my HIN are 0926M76H. I guess that means that it really is a '76er.

Do people think I can replace the sensor part of the knot meter without redoing the through hull fitting? The fitting looks pretty good and I'd like to be lazy if I can. What are preferences over using sikaflex or 4200 as a sealant? I've seen some pics of a port light cut into the deck area forward of the mast. I like it but wonder if it causes strength problems on the deck. Thanks!

I have a short list of names for 'the boat' which include 'OldWillow' and 'Mosswood'.

Wishing some of you pizza lovers were closer so I could feed you, but lately I've been eating frozen dinners or Knorr noodle entrees. Not as good as pizza!

[Catigale]

The fix it and sail book is a good read but there is some stuff to rethink in that. Most important, get advice here about blocking your boat up for work and don't follow his. Unsafe.

The keels on these boats have to be secured well. There are a lot that end up chopped up in landfills because the keels end up at lake bottom. A venture without a keel is worth -$100, the junk Tow away price.

[Freedom77]

Old Willow: I have V-25 Hull #928, launched January 2, 1977, which means yours, #926 probably came out of the factory at almost the same time. Whoda thunk? My thoughts on through hull fittings are, the fewer the better. Freedom turns 40 this year and is still in good shape. Has been sitting in the side yard for almost 8 years since my beloved first mate Penny passed. Enough dirt inside to plant a garden. Hopefully I will either get Freedom back in the water or regretfully sell her. A lot of miles and a lot of great memories.