Couple questions about fixing up my Venture 2-24

[Captain_Kirk]

Hello everyone. I have a couple questions that hopefully you guys can help me figure out on. I'm currently in the process of fixing up my Venture 2-24 and have everything stripped off the deck and then deck is currently primed awaiting for the weather to be agreeable for me to apply Brightside and the cabin is all sanded and waiting for the deck to be completed.


Question 1:
I'm cleaning up my hardware since the previous owner decided to not only use house paint to repaint the boat, but applied it carelessly to coating all the hardware with white paint. The part I need to clean the paint off next is the winch, but it seems to be made out of an odd material. I'm honestly not sure what it's composed of, here's a picture: http://imgur.com/jNYBRRl
Is it alright for me to sand the paint off this or should I use a paint stripper on it? I just don't want to ruin it since it isn't cheap to replace. Also, do you guys use handles for the winch? I read somewhere that you don't really require the winch handles for these and since I didn't get one with it I'd be curious to know although I think making one wouldn't be too difficult.


Question 2:
I removed the windows and replaced the aged oxidized plexiglass with smoked plexiglass. There is quite a bit of a gap between the window frame and the hole for the window on the boat. What's the best way to reinstall? Do I just put the window in place and then kind of hold it in the right position while the adhesive takes hold. I'm assuming it will just require lots of 5200?


Question 3:
I haven't really inspected the keel fully, but it seems to be in alright shape. The fiberglass casing is a little cracked. From what I can tell it looks like it's from a rough loading rather than the keel expanding. It moves up and down freely as much as can be noticed while on the trailer anyway. I plan on buying a new keel bolt from Blue Water Marine as cheap insurance ($26), but is there a good way to examine the pivot hole without completely pulling the keel out? I was thinking about using an inspection camera if I can get my hands on one or buy one since it would be cheaper than getting it lifted to pull it out and examine. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience in that.


Thanks for taking the time to read this. I appreciate any and all help you might be able to offer. I'm new to sailing and don't even know how to sail yet. I bought the boat, because I always wanted to try it out and I like working on projects. Never worked on a boat before so it has definitely been an experience, expensive at times, but enjoyable.

[topcat0399]

Sorry Captain - this forum moves a little slow sometimes.Some threads have replies over the course of weeks-months-even....yes years.

Hello everyone. I have a couple questions that hopefully you guys can help me figure out on. I'm currently in the process of fixing up my Venture 2-24 and have everything stripped off the deck and then deck is currently primed awaiting for the weather to be agreeable for me to apply Brightside and the cabin is all sanded and waiting for the deck to be completed.


Question 1:
I'm cleaning up my hardware since the previous owner decided to not only use house paint to repaint the boat, but applied it carelessly to coating all the hardware with white paint. The part I need to clean the paint off next is the winch, but it seems to be made out of an odd material. I'm honestly not sure what it's composed of, here's a picture: http://imgur.com/jNYBRRl
Is it alright for me to sand the paint off this or should I use a paint stripper on it? I just don't want to ruin it since it isn't cheap to replace. Also, do you guys use handles for the winch? I read somewhere that you don't really require the winch handles for these and since I didn't get one with it I'd be curious to know although I think making one wouldn't be too difficult.

Your winch looks like mine but yours has some kind of wooden cap on it? It also has some-kind of added strip around the middle probably to add traction.
Don't be afraid to take the thing apart and clean it up. Its an aluminum drum probably with some ratcheting pawls and small springs inside. I doubt you would hurt it. Just know that I found out the hard way that the center post is probably BRASS so if you have to coax it apart _DONT USE A BIG HAMMER.
Ours came with a screwy home made winch handle that we have never needed to use.


Question 2:
I removed the windows and replaced the aged oxidized plexiglass with smoked plexiglass. There is quite a bit of a gap between the window frame and the hole for the window on the boat. What's the best way to reinstall? Do I just put the window in place and then kind of hold it in the right position while the adhesive takes hold. I'm assuming it will just require lots of 5200?

My answer to you is get rid of the frames and do glue on windows. I gave up trying to get those over complicated windows to stop leaking. It was a HUGE improvement.


Question 3:
I haven't really inspected the keel fully, but it seems to be in alright shape. The fiberglass casing is a little cracked. From what I can tell it looks like it's from a rough loading rather than the keel expanding. It moves up and down freely as much as can be noticed while on the trailer anyway. I plan on buying a new keel bolt from Blue Water Marine as cheap insurance ($26), but is there a good way to examine the pivot hole without completely pulling the keel out? I was thinking about using an inspection camera if I can get my hands on one or buy one since it would be cheaper than getting it lifted to pull it out and examine. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience in that.

Can't answer this yet. Fortunately our keel is solid cast iron and its next springs project to drop it down and deal with the pivot bolt and such. I did have to rebuild the keel winch almost as soon as we got the boat.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I appreciate any and all help you might be able to offer. I'm new to sailing and don't even know how to sail yet. I bought the boat, because I always wanted to try it out and I like working on projects. Never worked on a boat before so it has definitely been an experience, expensive at times, but enjoyable.

We are headed for the water right now and I will take some pics of our mods for you. Looks like stormy weather but that never stops us. We go rain or shine.

Happy sails.

[Kenr74]

I just redid the windows on my V-222. I got some 3/4" butyl tape, and put it around the edge of the plexiglass, folding it evenly over each side. I put this into the aluminum frame (it was a bit tight, but worked). Then I bedded the frame back onto the boat with more butyl tape. So far I am very happy with the results. One problem I had was that the holes for the windows looked like they were cut out by a drunken monkey with a sawzall. I had to clean them up, and expand them a bit to get the window to fit in easily without making a mess of my butyl tape.

[topcat0399]

I just redid the windows on my V-222. I got some 3/4" butyl tape, and put it around the edge of the plexiglass, folding it evenly over each side. I put this into the aluminum frame (it was a bit tight, but worked). Then I bedded the frame back onto the boat with more butyl tape. So far I am very happy with the results. One problem I had was that the holes for the windows looked like they were cut out by a drunken monkey with a sawzall. I had to clean them up, and expand them a bit to get the window to fit in easily without making a mess of my butyl tape.

I know n eaxctly what you mean.

Must have been Roger saying something like: "Hey ! Time to cut the windows! Get the saw and the blind guy in here now!

[Captain_Kirk]

Thanks for the feedback topcat and Ken.

I actually think the winches I have are made out of some type of composite so I'm not sure what I can use to remove the paint with. I tried sanding it and it just made the surface texture smoother. Maybe just a dap of acetone or maybe some painter stripper, but I'm not sure it is safe on composite material. I might just paint them although I'm not sure how long paint would last on them with all the friction, but even if I got the paint off they look kind of rough.

Pictures of the window modification would be great, because I'm having a difficult time understanding exactly what you guys did. My plexi is already cut for the frames so if it requires a bigger cut I'll probably not be interested. I actually had to buy two sheets of plexi glass, so my windows cost like $80 to make. Ugh. haha The first one I ended up scratching all up while trying to install into the frame and made a completely mess of things with silicone. The second time around it all went smoothly. Here are some pictures of what I have: http://imgur.com/a/mu9cJ

I know what you mean about the window cutouts they are pretty wild someone had fun on the job I guess. In the last picture you can see the new rebuilt/painted windows. I think they fit fairly well, just a little loose and I'm not sure how to hold them in the correct position while waiting for the 3M to dry. I suppose I could use some little wood blocks between the frame and the cutout? The windows leaked when I bought it, at least the port one did.

[DanInCanton]

Hi Kirk,

Your boat is one of the few Mac models I’ve never seen in person, but I hope that my Venture 25 and Mac 25 are similar enough for my advice to be helpful. Regarding the centerboard, I’ve found that the best inspection method short of pulling the pivot pin and dropping the board is to crawl underneath with a powerful flashlight and take a peek between the board and the cavity while manually moving the centerboard from side to side. There should be just enough space to get a peek at the board sides and the pivot pin to evaluate their condition. Having the board raised off the trailer by the winch cable lets it swing freely. Be sure to wear eye protection, as rust flakes and assorted crud can drop off the board while doing this.

Next, put a block under the pivot pin and mount a hydraulic automotive jack under the board at this point. Very slowly jack the board up until you feel a good deal of pressure against the jack and the trailer springs on the axle begin to lift slightly. A board with a healthy pivot hole should barely move upward under the pressure. If the board lifts more than about 1/8 of an inch, then your pivot hole has rounded out because of corrosion or excessive wear. Hope this helps.

Best Wishes,
Dan

[Captain_Kirk]

Dan,

Thanks for that advice. I actually found a local sailboat repair guy and called him about the possibility of dropping it out to inspect it. Oddly enough he said he sailed a Venture for 30 years and would be interested to check my boat out. He said basically what you said in regards of sliding under the boat and checking it out, that's good news since I was starting to think the only way to truly check it would be to drop it out, which I have no interest in doing.

Interesting point about jacking it up. I might give that a try. I can't recall at the moment, but the way my trailer is that might not be doable. The trailer I have has a keel guide on it and I think it has metal beams running underneath it that would prevent it from being able to be jacked that way.

One thing I'm sure of it that it isn't swollen up since it can wiggle a little up and down while on the trailer using the keel winch and seems to have good clearance on each side of the keel housing. That's something I read about the old cast iron keels is that water will get under the fiberglass casing and swell the keel up so it won't drop.

[Catigale]

Correct. Rust expands a lot as it happens, and the classic problem on swing metal keel boats is the FG keel is badly swollen and locks into the keel.