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

[NavySailor]

Nice! I need to paint my trailer and the bottom - too bad you aren't just down the street!

[Russ]

Nice! I need to paint my trailer and the bottom - too bad you aren't just down the street!

Yea, same here. Nearest marina and lift is hundreds of miles away for me.

[Hamin' X]

You might want to consider using spreaders to prevent hull distortion. When you lift the boat With your current setup, there is tremendous squeezing on the sides of the hull. Check out the spreaders in the picture below.



~Rich

[81venture]

You might want to consider using spreaders to prevent hull distortion. When you lift the boat With your current setup, there is tremendous squeezing on the sides of the hull. Check out the spreaders in the picture below.



~Rich

thats an excellent Idea

However since the boats we lift aren't such wide beam there isn't as much squeezing as it looks.....the straps sling underneath, then lengths of chain were cut and put in the strap hooks, and the chain hoist hooks to the chain

Not to toot my own horn, but having a 3500lb boat lift in your backyard is pretty awesome


dave

[81venture]

Took the VN23 out last weekend

In case you ever wanted to see a Sloop Rigged Vn23 here ya go...






I use this rig because its just easier. Once I arrive at the launch it takes less than 8 minutes to unstrap and be in the water with rig up. I raise the mast singlehandedly and only have to pin the forestay and I'm done.
I can launch this 23' beast and have the mast up faster than most of the ski boaters...and all the admiral needs to do is hold the two bumpers to slip on once she is off the trailer, and mind the dog.

My Friend has a Cat 22 and he takes around 20 minutes to prep for launch

I also was sailing faster than him with this rig

Cheers Mates!

Dave

[Russ]

Interesting looking rig. Glad to see you out on the water enjoying it.

Here's another project boat if you want to pick it up for cheap. Looks like the bidding is at 1 cent.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251582698214?ru ... 26_rdc%3D1

[81venture]

Interesting he states in the ad " You will notice in the picture the long poles that the sails hang on had been removed while I was painting the boat...these are on site in my yard and should be easily attached. Wood piece on the back of the boat that use to hold the big long pole broke off and can be easily replaced."


The long poles the sails hang on are pretty important


As far as my rig it performs like any other sailboat....a few folks have mentioned that the front of the jib catches in the bow pulpit...When I had that sail shortened to fit my rig I looked at a LOT of pics of other boats and see that a lot look this way....I could've had it cut up a bit higher but I figured if others look that way it would be fine.... She catches good wind. I have another set of sails I use with it as well in stronger winds, a shorter mainsail, and one of the original VN23 blue white jobs...

Maybe one day I'll rig the cutter stuff up...I still have it all, and my current rig didn't modify anything on the boat. It's just so much easier to launch, and quicker. Otherwise it sails the same as any other sloop rig.

Dave

[Russ]

Interesting he states in the ad " You will notice in the picture the long poles that the sails hang on had been removed while I was painting the boat...these are on site in my yard and should be easily attached. Wood piece on the back of the boat that use to hold the big long pole broke off and can be easily replaced."


The long poles the sails hang on are pretty important

Yea, I got a chuckle out of that also. "Long poles that the sails hang on". Hmmmm...the mast?

Your rig looks fine. As long as you are out there having fun, who cares. There are the purists who will comment about sail trim and every other little thing wrong, but a boat that is used is a great boat.

--Russ

[81venture]

Your rig looks fine. As long as you are out there having fun, who cares. There are the purists who will comment about sail trim and every other little thing wrong, but a boat that is used is a great boat.

--Russ

I have noticed that in the sailing world....there does seem to be a bit of an air of superiority in some when you talk about boats in the sailing world, and little tolerance for anything but the "best" materials and the costliest solutions to issues....I've learned to roll with it...I haven't experienced it here as much at all (in fact nada, which surprised me) ...ya'll have been great embracing my redneck style...but I do run into it...especially over my whole "lake-mast" and the fact that I rigged my boat so it was better for me, vs "how it's supposed to be"

You have to understand though...I come from this world




This a guy I know's boat I worked on....he had bad carpet and a bunch of astro-turf leftover from a job...so sometimes we go out with drivers and drive golf balls off the back

no joke....you recognise my shop from other photos so you know this is a real redneck job on the "Grass-boat"

Git-R-Dun!!

Cheers

Dave

[NavySailor]

LOVE IT!

[Russ]

LOVE IT!

Yes

[mastreb]

Yeah, boat snobbery can be way over the top. How many of those guys know how to re-rig their boat in an emergency? None. One thing about MacGregors is we all know our own boats inside and out--because we rig them all the time and because we built everything on them ourselves.

It's funny over on the "other sailboats forum" I'm taking flack for talking about mods to my new boat, as if I'm somehow destroying it by changing anything from factory stock. What a strange mentality for sailboats! The dealer looked at me all cock-eyed when I dropped off a bunch of the stuff I'm putting on right off the bat and wanted to know where the electrical and networking diagrams are.

To me, you get a hull and a bunch of stuff the dealer and builder decided to bolt on, not some kind of "class" or "model" of boat. If you know how to sail, and you know what you want, get your tools out and git-r-dun.

I learned that on this forum.

[81venture]

I never really experienced "boat snobbery" until I entered the sailing world

sure there are the "credit card captains" with their payment wake boats...but most of us live in the real world


I just roll with it...love my VN23

dave

[Catigale]

Your rig looks fine. As long as you are out there having fun, who cares. There are the purists who will comment about sail trim and every other little thing wrong, but a boat that is used is a great boat.

--Russ

I have noticed that in the sailing world....there does seem to be a bit of an air of superiority in some when you talk about boats in the sailing world, and little tolerance for anything but the "best" materials and the costliest solutions to issues....I've learned to roll with it...I haven't experienced it here as much at all (in fact nada, which surprised me) ...ya'll have been great embracing my redneck style...but I do run into it...especially over my whole "lake-mast" and the fact that I rigged my boat so it was better for me, vs "how it's supposed to be"

You have to understand though...I come from this world




This a guy I know's boat I worked on....he had bad carpet and a bunch of astro-turf leftover from a job...so sometimes we go out with drivers and drive golf balls off the back

no joke....you recognise my shop from other photos so you know this is a real redneck job on the "Grass-boat"

Git-R-Dun!!

Cheers

Dave

Cinder block anchor...triples as a trailer jack stand and an extra seat underway.

[mastreb]

Cinder block anchor...triples as a trailer jack stand and an extra seat underway.

It'll drag a bit until it gets a good set, like any anchor.