Assessment of Venture 23

[Russ]

First, register the boat in your name before you do anything else. If you can't get it registered, you need to know now. I've seen this go sideways, and it's no fun. You don't say that the previous owner registered the boat, so I'm concerned about that.

apc1589, this seems like sound advice. Also, you should add your location to your profile (upper right click your name and pull down to profile).

Some states are more difficult to register boats/trailers. When I lived in New Jersey, I had a heck of a time registering a boat trailer. I went to the DMV multiple times because I didn't have a title for it. As I recall, I ended up claiming it was "homemade" to get it registered. Then I think that triggered it to need to be inspected for roadworthiness.

Other states are more lax.

I bought my Mac from Blue Water Yachts in Seattle, Washington. Cheryl gave me a bunch of documentation on the outboard motor. Apparently some states need this info. We didn't here.

Jimmy's point could be a bigger roadblock than the repairs.
I remember reading a story about a guy who went to register his boat to find it was reported stolen. The seller "found" the boat along the side of a road and sold it to this guy.

Another registration nightmare story
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26041

[apc1589]

Thanks for the advice. I expect to use an engine smaller than 10 horsepower with this boat, should it get in the water. My understanding of Canadian rules is that this boat, what that size of engine, doesn't require registration. The trailer does require registration, so I'll pursue that once COVID passes.

Have you ever heard of someone converting a MacGregor to an open boat? I had an "outside the box" thought to dispose of the deck and the hull liner, fasten a wooden rub rail around the new gunwale (top of fibreglass hull mold), add thwarts to keep the shell from collapsing, and sail it as an open 23' cutter... It's probably not worth pursuing, as the cabin has utility, but I looked at the lead-painted deck and hull liner and thought "maybe they'd be easier to clean if they were separated", which was followed by "maybe they'd be easier to clean by sending them to the landfill". Just a bit of blue-sky thinking in case someone says "oh yeah, Charlie did that, it was fun for mild weather."

[K9Kampers]

Have you ever heard of someone converting a MacGregor to an open boat? I had an "outside the box" thought to... sail it as an open 23' cutter...

Not a Mac, but it reminded me of a project, The Daysailor Project, whereas a 1960 Pearson Triton was transformed into an open cockpit daysailor.

Tim Lackey has documented his inspirational boat restorations. His Fisher 30 Motorsailer project is my favorite.

[Jimmyt]

Thanks for the advice. I expect to use an engine smaller than 10 horsepower with this boat, should it get in the water. My understanding of Canadian rules is that this boat, what that size of engine, doesn't require registration. The trailer does require registration, so I'll pursue that once COVID passes.

Have you ever heard of someone converting a MacGregor to an open boat? I had an "outside the box" thought to dispose of the deck and the hull liner, fasten a wooden rub rail around the new gunwale (top of fibreglass hull mold), add thwarts to keep the shell from collapsing, and sail it as an open 23' cutter... It's probably not worth pursuing, as the cabin has utility, but I looked at the lead-painted deck and hull liner and thought "maybe they'd be easier to clean if they were separated", which was followed by "maybe they'd be easier to clean by sending them to the landfill". Just a bit of blue-sky thinking in case someone says "oh yeah, Charlie did that, it was fun for mild weather."

And I thought we were slackers in Alabama. Canadians can have a 23 ft boat without registration? Well i’ll be dipped in poo and rolled in rice crispies.

You’re a woodworker. Gut the hull and rebuild it in wood/fiberglass to your own design. Daysailer or cabin theme. Works for me.

[Jimmyt]

Having said that, stripping the paint may be less of a project. But, I will look forward to progress pics however you choose to proceed.

[Starscream]

Thanks for the advice. I expect to use an engine smaller than 10 horsepower with this boat, should it get in the water. My understanding of Canadian rules is that this boat, what that size of engine, doesn't require registration. The trailer does require registration, so I'll pursue that once COVID passes.

Have you ever heard of someone converting a MacGregor to an open boat? I had an "outside the box" thought to dispose of the deck and the hull liner, fasten a wooden rub rail around the new gunwale (top of fibreglass hull mold), add thwarts to keep the shell from collapsing, and sail it as an open 23' cutter... It's probably not worth pursuing, as the cabin has utility, but I looked at the lead-painted deck and hull liner and thought "maybe they'd be easier to clean if they were separated", which was followed by "maybe they'd be easier to clean by sending them to the landfill". Just a bit of blue-sky thinking in case someone says "oh yeah, Charlie did that, it was fun for mild weather."

And I thought we were slackers in Alabama. Canadians can have a 23 ft boat without registration? Well i’ll be dipped in poo and rolled in rice crispies.

Canadian rules are a bit odd. Here, a boat can be one of three things: Registered, Licenced, or Unlicensed (no such thing as Titled). It is true that a boat carrying less than 10HP does not need to be registered nor licensed. A boat license is specifically NOT proof of ownership, but it would certainly help in a dispute. Only a registered boat carries a government-recognized proof of ownership. If the boat has a marine mortgage on it, then it must be registered.

These rules create an odd situation where a low-HP boat really has no proof of ownership - like a lawn mower or a BBQ. Having a bill of sale helps, if anyone asks, but unless the boat is crossing the Canada/USA border then it's very unlikely that anyone will. If someone steals your un-registered boat, the process is the same as if someone stole your lawn-mower. If you bought your lawn-mower at a garage sale without even a receipt, you're gonna have a tough time getting it back.

Licensing is a good idea, although it isn't proof of ownership. It's free, and it creates an ID number for the boat (which must be displayed on the hull). There is a fee for registering a boat, and I did that for Bear Hunt so that I had official proof of ownership. We travel in the US a lot on Lake Champlain and the upper St. Lawrence River, so it made sense to register. Much easier to get through customs when all the paperwork is in order. I would not even think of trying to get across the border into the US with an unlicenced or unregistered boat, even if I had a solid bill of sale. Getting back in to Canada would be just as hard.

The trailer has to be registered in Ontario. You can do that with a written bill of sale.

[Jimmyt]

Thanks for that Starscream! Very interesting!