1981 MacGregor Venture of Newport 23' Sailboat Restoration

[ping65810]

So with the driveway only having the 1988 Renken bowrider in it, I decided to pick up a local sailboat to satisfy my interests in sailing. I found a 1981 MacGregor Venture of Newport 23' locally, and loved the lines on it, but hated the color, and wanted to redo the trim as well. I didn't pay a whole lot for it, and it came with 2 brand new sails, and a fairly new mainsail too.

So far, I've repainted the hull with Interlux Brightside Flag Blue paint, and the white decking with Brightside White. For prep, I sanded everything down with 220 grit sandpaper on a palm sander, then wiped down with denatured alcohol. I used the brush and tip method for everything, and it does level out very well and ends up being like a mirror.

On the to do list:
Replace bowsprit with wider one, made of douglas fir and maple, replace the taffrails with maple, paint the interior, redo the interior bulkheads and sole on mahogany flooring, update electronics, replace lines and pulleys, etc.

I'll be posting more and more pics as I do more work, here are a few before pics and some pics showing the paint work as it went along.

 

[pmillar]

Re: 1981 MacGregor Venture of Newport 23' Sailboat Restoration

I agree, she does have nice lines. And with your new paint job she looks beautiful. So, that was a brush paint job? You weren't rolling, then tipping? Also, what paint/thinner did you use? Regarding the bowsprit, you might chat with some builders to make sure a pine/maple combo would be up to the job (strength wise) on the bowsprit. I know maple is strong but it never hurts to check. (thinking oak)

New sails are a score for sure.

 

[ping65810]

Re: 1981 MacGregor Venture of Newport 23' Sailboat Restoration

It was actually a brush job. Interlux reccomends the paint actually be burshed on, then tipped, rather than rolled on then tipped. It didn't make much sense until I realized that its a self leveling paint, but bubbles are bad and don't resolve themselves. Rolling would have introduced lots of them LOL.

As an update, started on the non skid surfaces, using the same Brightside paint, with anti skid added, and still need to tape off and do the final coat. I also repainted the bottom, using West Marine brand Anti Fouling paint in red. For this, I used a thin foam roller, and it came out great. One coat, and it went on well. The paint is almost 30% copper, so try to have a hardware store shake it for you before hand.

The bowsprit came off pretty well, although the mahogany is trashed. The new bowsprit is being built out of 2x12 douglas fir, which is actually reccomended for bowsprits because of its strength. The maple is more for looks on top, as well as sides. I'll be posting pics of the upcoming bowsprit project. Here's some pics showing the bottom paint, sides, and just how good the sides came out.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1981 MacGregor Venture of Newport 23' Sailboat Restoration

Hey ping - that blue looks good, a lot better than the "Woodstock" yellow. And that is a fine looking boat too!

 

[EssexCVA9]

Hi, where'd you find the fabric surround for the pop top?

 

[GA_Boater]

Hi, where'd you find the fabric surround for the pop top?

Ping disappeared. If you start a new thread instead of tagging one that's 7 years old, you have a better shot at getting an answer from a current member,

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