Venture Project

As you can see, being exposed to the elements and serving as a good place to store garbage, it was not a pretty sight.

But, with the exception of leaves, moss, compost, assorted junk, rust, and mold,
I could see that it was salvageable.

The inside, on the other hand, was a collection of stuff including the boom, a ladder, golden shag carpet (from the 70's), ropes, rusted tools,

cushions, wood, brooms, PVC piping and the rudder assembly. And don't forget the several inches of water that was not leaking out.
(A good sign, I thought.)

It was clear; it would need some work.
First we had to get it home.
This meant replacing the rotten trailer tires. Which involved dragging the boat and trailer away from the garage, jacking up the trailer on blocks and removing the old tires, running to Farm and Fleet, buying new ones, and reinstalling them.

Then, for the slow drive to Doug's lakeside cabin, in Delavan, Wisconsin,
to begin the clean up.
Did I say clean up?

A little elbow grease, and "viola", she's ready for the haul home.

With a little (a lot, really) help from my friends, we had to build a gallows like structure to lift the boat, build and place horse like stands underneath it, so we could get a closer look at the keel.

Once elevated to about 30 some inches, we slid the stand underneath the stern and lowered it onto the horse and braced it to support the load.

Then I had to do the same to the front, after moving the gallows and lift to the bow. Once raised, I could pull out the trailer, and slide the new brace under the front of the boat.

After some bracing, she stands.
We kept the strap on for insurance.

Now to take a look at the keel.
500 pounds of steel, covered in resin and fiberglass, about 8 feet long, 4 inches thick and maybe 18 inches wide.
Hummm. This side looks OK. A small hairline crack toward the rear.

While I make the decision, it is time to start to strip out the inside. This includes most of the wood, all of the 70's carpet and accompanying mold, the foam flotation from the v-berth,

Now for the real clean up.
This involved, scraping, grinding, sanding, power washing and finally a bleach wash and rinse. This meant every square inch of the interior, from bow to stern. We removed all the hatches and the pop top, too. We had to sweep and vacuum all the paint chips and dust, and dried carpet cement and then, bail out all the water we used to power spray and clean. There are some tight spaces here.
Just ask Detti.

The next phase included two coats of primer, and two coats of acrylic paint. From top to bottom, and again every square inch, save a few where no one will ever see.

We cleaned the windows as best as possible, re-sealed and screwed them back in.
Washed the foam from the v-berth with bleach and re-packed them in the bow.

No pics for this next step. This was much simpler said than done.
This was where Detti returned to help raise the keel into the slot underneath the boat. Again, with some blocking and the floor jack and the re-attached winch cable, we, which included, Detti, Maureen and myself, were able (after many tries and about 2 hours) lift the 500 pounds up into the boat and align the 1/2 inch bolt hole in the keel with the 1/2 hole inside the keel housing, from inside the boat. No margin of error here.
What a feeling of accomplishment to get that back together.

So this is where it stands now.
Inside stripped, cleaned and painted. Windows removed and repaired and reinstalled. Some temporary carpeting. Some of the original cushions in place, as well as the old trim that covers the seam where the hull meets the topside...

Now, up to Delavan, to see if she floats....

Dad and I check for leaks.

Now with Sean, myself and Dad. Still dry!

It was early Spring and a little cool.

We take her out to see how she handles.

Seems to work OK and not taking on water.

Now with both sails and a crew.

We work our way out from the pier.

The sails are raised.

Slight breeze, but does the trick.

Bringing her back in.

The refurbishing of my unnamed 1972 MacGregor/Venture 222began in the spring of 2001. We found it uncovered and uncared for next to a small garage, next to an old school house, just north of Harvard, Illinois.
	As you can see, being exposed to the elements and serving as a good place to store garbage, it was not a pretty sight.
But, with the exception of leaves, moss, compost, assorted junk, rust, and mold, I could see that it was salvageable.
	The inside, on the other hand, was a collection of stuff including the boom, a ladder, golden shag carpet (from the 70's), ropes, rusted tools,
cushions, wood, brooms, PVC piping and the rudder assembly. And don't forget the several inches of water that was not leaking out. (A good sign, I thought.)
	It was clear; it would need some work. First we had to get it home. This meant replacing the rotten trailer tires. Which involved dragging the boat and trailer away from the garage, jacking up the trailer on blocks and removing the old tires, running to Farm and Fleet, buying new ones, and reinstalling them.
Then, for the slow drive to Doug's lakeside cabin, in Delavan, Wisconsin, to begin the clean up. Did I say clean up?


And in a short 24 hours....


	Not bad... considering 30 years of age, at least 10 years of neglect, rain, wind, snow, sun, mother nature, etc. (You get the idea.)
A little elbow grease, and "viola", she's ready for the haul home.

Special thanks to my good neighbors Doug and Jimmy!	Next: an uplifting experience

With a little (a lot, really) help from my friends, we had to build a gallows like structure to lift the boat, build and place horse like stands underneath it, so we could get a closer look at the keel.
	Once elevated to about 30 some inches, we slid the stand underneath the stern and lowered it onto the horse and braced it to support the load.
Then I had to do the same to the front, after moving the gallows and lift to the bow. Once raised, I could pull out the trailer, and slide the new brace under the front of the boat.
	After some bracing, she stands. We kept the strap on for insurance.
Now to take a look at the keel. 500 pounds of steel, covered in resin and fiberglass, about 8 feet long, 4 inches thick and maybe 18 inches wide. Hummm. This side looks OK. A small hairline crack toward the rear.
The starboard side, though.... Bad shape, to say the least. Will need to remove it now to see how far up the damage goes and see if it is at all salvageable. This took some clever workmanship. With the excellent help of Jimmy and a 2 1/2 ton floor jack, we were able to gently drop the keel out and get a good look.
	Not good. Cracks to the core (plate steel). Rust under the glass, faired resin that would be hard to duplicate, thick chunks of resin gone. No, not good at all. Decision time. Rebuild, find a used one, or order one from the factory in California.
While I make the decision, it is time to start to strip out the inside. This includes most of the wood, all of the 70's carpet and accompanying mold, the foam flotation from the v-berth,
	old lights and wiring, the keel winch, the benches and table,and the windows.
Now for the real clean up. This involved, scraping, grinding, sanding, power washing and finally a bleach wash and rinse. This meant every square inch of the interior, from bow to stern. We removed all the hatches and the pop top, too. We had to sweep and vacuum all the paint chips and dust, and dried carpet cement and then, bail out all the water we used to power spray and clean. There are some tight spaces here. Just ask Detti.
	The next phase included two coats of primer, and two coats of acrylic paint. From top to bottom, and again every square inch, save a few where no one will ever see.

	We cleaned the windows as best as possible, re-sealed and screwed them back in. Washed the foam from the v-berth with bleach and re-packed them in the bow.
Meanwhile, I decided to go with the new keel. Had located one for $150 in Virginia, found a local guy who could rebuild the old one, but it made good sense to get a new one that was all cast iron. So I placed the call to the west coast.
During this time, I scraped,and sanded the trailer after stripping it down. Gave it two coats of metal primer and then 2 more coats of Rustoleum. Then, thanks to my good neighbor Lindy, the keel arrives. I (with Detti) proceed to grind and sand the new keel so as to create a better surface for applying the epoxy primer. That process took four coats per side and several hours between each coat.

No pics for this next step. This was much simpler said than done. This was where Detti returned to help raise the keel into the slot underneath the boat. Again, with some blocking and the floor jack and the re-attached winch cable, we, which included, Detti, Maureen and myself, were able (after many tries and about 2 hours) lift the 500 pounds up into the boat and align the 1/2 inch bolt hole in the keel with the 1/2 hole inside the keel housing, from inside the boat. No margin of error here. What a feeling of accomplishment to get that back together.
So this is where it stands now. Inside stripped, cleaned and painted. Windows removed and repaired and reinstalled. Some temporary carpeting. Some of the original cushions in place, as well as the old trim that covers the seam where the hull meets the topside...
Winch, bench and table all repaired or replaced. Also, we cleaned, repaired, treated and reinstalled all the teak. This included Jimmy doing what he does best which was fabricating sliders for the top hatch out of a piece of teak board.
As we wind down, I had to remove all the old caulking under the rubrail, and replaced that with silicone. Once that is complete, it will be time to step the mast, inspect the shrouds and replace as needed. I'm sure that there are a few details I have left out, but what doesn't get overlooked is the help that my good neighbors contributed to make this happen. Thanks so very much to Danny, Detti, Doug, Jimmy, Lindy and of course, Maureen. And also the boys who were here for Shelly's wedding who helped lift the old keel onto it's temporary resting place. Couldn't have gotten this far without their skill, muscles, help, knowlege, resourcefulness and willingness.
First rigging-Dry run in the Driveway

Now, up to Delavan, to see if she floats....

Dad and I check for leaks.	Now with Sean, myself and Dad. Still dry!

*It was early* Spring and a little cool.**	We take her out to see how she handles.

Seems to work OK and not taking on water.	Now with both sails and a crew.

We work our way out from the pier.	The sails are raised.

Slight breeze, but does the trick.	Bringing her back in.

Summer 06













and just in time for $4.00/gal.....