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new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 -

Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/12/17 07:02 PM

Good afternoon everyone.

i'm not new to boating. We have several power boats/pwc's. And i grew up sailing a sunfish and even racing a little on the lake (as a kid). But this is my first cat.

i picked it up on the trailer for $250 bucks. As far as i can tell it's 100% complete. I printed out the manual and took it with me and i couldn't find anything missing. The main sail is in a sail bag but the jib was wrapped around the forestay (i think that's the right terminology). The only thing missing is a couple of hull plugs.

it lived it's life inside until may when this couple bought it. and it sat outside since.

[Linked Image]

so it's skuzzy looking but it all wipes right off. I'm headed over there after work to pick it up. I am going to drag the entire trailer and everything onto one of our equipment trailers from work. I'll deal with the beat old rusty trailer later. I may turn it into a cart to get it from the garage to the water for when it's not stored at the lake front.

Anyway, i just wanted to introduce myself. I'm pretty excited to get this thing rigged and out on the water. hopefully by sunday i'll have it sailing!
Posted By: Mn3Again

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/12/17 07:32 PM

Welcome to the "sail fast club" and Congrats !

Some elbow greese and maybe some Oxalic acid will do wonders for you (i personally use sno bol toilet cleaner) - of course protect your eyes and skin

I would carefully feel the hulls (esp tops) for soft smoooshie spots - if they are right in front of the bows - you may have some real issues - but if they are absent ! awesome!!!!

I would also carefully inspect the trampoline - try using a fingernail to "break" a thread or 2 - if they pop like twiggs - you may need a new tramp
You really should replace a worn tramp - you could fall through it during mast stepping or while sailing -

Last word of caution would be your standing rigging (bridals, side and forestay) - if you don't know how old they are, or they have kinks, or freys, or rust ...or they were used in salt water - you may be wise to spend the money and replace them - prob much cheaper than your mast falling over in a parking lot or ramp

Anyway - enjoy!

PS what kinda boat is that?
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/12/17 08:29 PM

It's a macgregor venture cat 15.

i'll check for soft spots but the hulls were in very good shape. I couldn't find a mark anywhere on them but admittedly i didn't push for soft spots. The boat looks rougher than it is just from the organic material that's on it. Overall it's a really clean boat. the standing rigging looked pretty good. definitely no rust. the side stays were wrapped long ways (so not tightly as to make a coil) around the mast and look to be in good shape. i'll know more once i lay everything out in the yard.

The forestay i can't tell yet. I"ll know once i get the jib off of it and see how it looks.

the bridals... i'm assuming that's what the side stays go to? sorry i'm not up on all the terminology on these yet.

i'll check out the trampoline. it seemed flexible and didn't have the brittle texture that old nylon seems to get. but i'll check a little closer when i pick it up. a new tramp is 250 bucks which isn't bad. I was looking at another one that needed a tramp so i priced them (same model).

i'll update pics tonight. i'm picking it up after work.
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/12/17 08:33 PM

OHHH Bridle being the Y that connects teh fore stay to the front cross bar.

ya i'll check that out. looked to be ok though.
Posted By: Mn3Again

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/13/17 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by 2k2wranglerx
OHHH Bridle being the Y that connects teh fore stay to the front cross bar.

ya i'll check that out. looked to be ok though.

Bingo!

just as a warning - not trying to scare or make you spend more

I personally update ALL my standing rigging (steel cable) every 2 years
I sail a lot , and in salt water

I was a little late on my schedule (a few months) and demasted a few months ago - some very hidden rust inside the wires where i couldn't possibly see - not uncommon
Posted By: waterbug_wpb

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/13/17 04:28 PM

pick up a copy of Rick White's catsailing book/video if you can find them... Lots of tips on how to sail a catamaran like that one. It is a mind-shift from your sunfish sailing

Biggest point is to get out on the water and have fun!
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/14/17 12:07 PM

Thanks for all the help guys.

picked it up the other day. the trailer is a basket case. coupler is done, tire off the one wheel and the other is flat. So i grabbed the equipment trailer at work and dragged everything up onto it.

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and got it back to work. Going to secure it a little better and tow it all up to the lake. I may just cut up this trailer and make a dolly out of it. Not sure yet.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Mn3Again

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/14/17 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by 2k2wranglerx
So i grabbed the equipment trailer at work and dragged everything up onto it.


Well played!
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/14/17 01:17 PM

after talking with the neighbor (who came out and helped me get this onto the trailer) the previous owners weren't exactly truthful. it's been outside a year, not 2 months... which i suspected by the amount of grime on it but that's not the end of the world.

Tramp seems sturdy. it has a little bit of separation on a couple of the grommets but overall seems ok. My guess is that's teh first thing i'll replace on it. It might not be this year, but it'll happen.

as suggested i'll probably also do the stays as well. I'm dragging it up to the lake house tonight and i'll have it pressure washed and laid out int he morning.
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/17/17 12:18 PM

A quick scrub and some assembly and we had a successful sail. It needs a few things. Mainly pulleys. they're old and crumbling. I popped 1 seam on the tramp but overall it seems pretty decent. i'm going to sew up that seam and see how it holds up. Probably get a new tramp next year since the season is half over for us here. also some more polishing on the aluminum is needed. I hit it with a quick polish and it made a big difference. But it could be way better.

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[Linked Image]
Posted By: Mn3Again

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/17/17 01:06 PM

awesome!
Posted By: Jake

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/17/17 01:45 PM

pretty!
Posted By: Damon Linkous

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/17/17 02:42 PM

Great job! I try to tell people using TheBeachcats.com classifieds to look past the grime at the boat, fiberglass can look SO BAD and yet clean up great. Once bought a Hobie 14 that was completely covered in a thick growth of Lichen which powered right off, after a little (lot) of elbow grease it looked great.

Enjoy the Venture and also smart call on towing the boat trailer and all on a flat-bed. I never trust the tires and hubs on an unfamiliar boat.
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 07/17/17 05:02 PM

Thanks guys. Ya it didn't take too much to get it back. i hit it with the pressure washer and followed with a green scrub pad. I'm going to hit it with some marine wax and it may shine again lol

[Linked Image]

The mast/aluminum need some more love. I hit them with some metal polish and a green pad but i'm going to use an orbital buffer next time i go up.

before:

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after:

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Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/14/17 07:43 PM

had it out yesterday. had a decent breeze. got up to 13.5 mph according to my garmin. Felt pretty fast! lol. it didn't fly a hull but when you really get moving it will lift the front 2/3 of the upwind hull. my heavy butt keeps the back 1/3 down lol. so it does flex a bit. and when you're up over 12 mph it gets some resonating sounds from i'm assuming the rudders.

also i still have a ways to go learning these things. So with my sunfish back in teh day when i'd come about i always turned into the wind. This boat just won't do it. it gets it's nose into the wind and just won't finish the turn. no matter how i've tried to make the turn. any suggestions? with the wind is no issue but into the wind i can't figure out how to complete the turn.
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/14/17 07:49 PM

Just looked up techniques... i think i figured out what i'm doing wrong. i loosen the mainsail as i tack but before i tacked i was bringing in the jib. the techniques i saw say leave it as is until the tack is complete then loosen it so it changes sides (and goes to the proper side of the boom).

I'll have to try that...
Posted By: Damon Linkous

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/14/17 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by 2k2wranglerx
Just looked up techniques... i think i figured out what i'm doing wrong. i loosen the mainsail as i tack but before i tacked i was bringing in the jib. the techniques i saw say leave it as is until the tack is complete then loosen it so it changes sides (and goes to the proper side of the boom).

I'll have to try that...

Yes, the main thing is to keep the boat moving forward through the tack. One mistake is to creep up head to wind, stalling the boat and putting you in irons before you even begin.

Once you are committed to the doing the tack, call "tacking!" release a couple of feet of mainsheet, push the tiller over to no more than a 45 degree angle and hold it there while you move to to the other side, passing the tiller behind the sheets. (That part just takes practice, passing the tiller without changing the angle of the rudders.)

If you have crew, they should stay on the old side until the boat is completely past head-to-wind onto the new tack, then move to the other side releasing the now windward jib cleat, the jib will naturally run to the other side and so just sheet in.

If you don't have crew, leave the jib cleated on old tack until you are on the new side and the main is pulling, then release the jib cleat (right beside you) and quickly real in the sheet to the new side.

The above description will get you through a tack without going into irons, it takes practice and fine-tuning the steps to get through the tack quickly.

Also, if you don't already know how to recover from a failed tack (going into irons).

When you go into irons you end up with the boat sitting still and pointing into the wind. At that point it will start moving backwards, so what you do is push the tiller away from you and the rudders will now cause the boat to slide backwards onto the original tack, loosely sheet in the sails so that you can "feel" when they start to drive the boat forward, once you are back up to speed try the tack again.

The only real cure for tacking problems is TOW (Tim On the Water) .
Posted By: Jake

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/14/17 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Damon Linkous
Originally Posted by 2k2wranglerx
Just looked up techniques... i think i figured out what i'm doing wrong. i loosen the mainsail as i tack but before i tacked i was bringing in the jib. the techniques i saw say leave it as is until the tack is complete then loosen it so it changes sides (and goes to the proper side of the boom).





Once you are committed to the doing the tack, call "tacking!" release a couple of feet of mainsheet, push the tiller over to no more than a 45 degree angle and hold it there while you move to to the other side, passing the tiller behind the sheets. (That part just takes practice, passing the tiller without changing the angle of the rudders.)


A "couple of feet" of ease might be a little too much - experiment with it some.



Get through the eye of the wind before you release any mainsheet...

1) make sure you are sheeted in tightly on the main sail before starting the turn. Tight.
2) start to move your weight to the back corner of the boat. moving your weight back lifts the bows and lets them turn to the side and plow less water (less drag).
3) start your turn with a smooth, but commanding, motion on the rudders. Wiggle the rudders as LITTLE as possible throughout the entire turn. Wiggling rudders slow the boat dramatically. Get your rudders to a nice good turn and try to leave them there until you start backing back out of the turning motion. As I perform steps 4 and 5, I try to park a forearm on the rear beam and the rudder crossbar to keep those rudders from wiggling.
4) start to cross the boat as the boat enters head to wind.
5) while you are in the middle of the boat, ease 6 to 12" of mainsheet and keep the sheet with you.
6) make your way up to a normal, forward, sailing position on the boat
7) as you settle in to your position, start to bring the mainsheet back.

Easing the mainsheet a little puts twist in the main sail to allow it to be a little more powered up to re-accelerate out of the turn. The twist also ensures a better chance that at least some portion of the main is properly trimmed to the changing wind angle as the boat rotates through the last bit of that turn.

A boat with a deep-v hull like that is going to be even more difficult to tack with speed. If you find that the above process just isn't getting it done, leave the jib cleated on the wrong side as you are tacking - it will serve as a wind vane and push the bow down to the new tack once you get to about head to wind. Once the boat is getting close to the correct angle, let the jib across and set in an upwind setting.



Posted By: Redtwin

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/15/17 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by Damon Linkous


The only real cure for tacking problems is TOW (Tim On the Water) .


Who is Tim and how does he make me a better sailor?
Posted By: Damon Linkous

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/15/17 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Redtwin
Originally Posted by Damon Linkous


The only real cure for tacking problems is TOW (Tim On the Water) .


Who is Tim and how does he make me a better sailor?

blush
Surely you've heard of "Old Father Tim"!
Posted By: Ventucky Red

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/15/17 07:54 PM

Hey Ryan.... what lake are you sailing on?

Posted By: Damon Linkous

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/15/17 07:58 PM

Hey 2k2wranglerx since your Venture has hulls like a Hobie 14/16 you might benefit from this 2003 article on TheBeachcats.com

Roll tacking your catamaran.
https://www.thebeachcats.com/news/73/roll-tacking-your-beach-catamaran-sailboat/
Posted By: brucat

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/16/17 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by Damon Linkous
Hey 2k2wranglerx since your Venture has hulls like a Hobie 14/16 you might benefit from this 2003 article on TheBeachcats.com

Roll tacking your catamaran.
https://www.thebeachcats.com/news/73/roll-tacking-your-beach-catamaran-sailboat/



That article is decent for a beginner.

Time on water will help you fine-tune where to put your weight in different wind/wave conditions, etc. The amount and variation of skipper/crew weight may also affect this.

Note that, especially if your battens are tight, and/or in very light wind, your battens may not pop (the sail won't tack) until you release the main.

Releasing the jib late will help reduce the chances of blowing a tack, but is not as fast (e.g. when racing) as releasing when you're head-to-wind, and getting it to draw on the new tack.

Hope this helps.

Mike
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/21/17 12:33 PM

Hey Guys,

Thank you for all the tips/info! I think i'm going at the tack too aggressively actually. giving too much rudder in put and effectively stalling the rudders. also using the wrong technique with the jib.

This thing definitely sails differently than the sunfish/lightnings i grew up sailing.
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 08/21/17 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Ventucky Red
Hey Ryan.... what lake are you sailing on?



Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania.
Posted By: MichaelPace

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 09/05/17 07:19 PM

I too just purchased a Venture Cat 15 a few days ago. It had been left alone outside for a few years but cleaned up better than expected. My main concern is the 1/2" drain plugs. It came with old rubber stoppers which weren't exactly watertight and one side has a crack that may have been caused by an expanding pipe test plug. What do your drain plugs look like?
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 09/05/17 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by MichaelPace
I too just purchased a Venture Cat 15 a few days ago. It had been left alone outside for a few years but cleaned up better than expected. My main concern is the 1/2" drain plugs. It came with old rubber stoppers which weren't exactly watertight and one side has a crack that may have been caused by an expanding pipe test plug. What do your drain plugs look like?


Mine came with the old rubber stoppers as well. So far so good with them.
Posted By: MichaelPace

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 09/05/17 07:41 PM

Great! From what I've found, it was origionally threaded for a bolt with a rubber washer. I may try to repair and re-thread mine some how this winter. Also, I noticed yours had decals on the outer rear of the hulls. Mine have been painted over so I'm wondering what info is on them.
Posted By: 2k2wranglerx

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 09/05/17 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by MichaelPace
Great! From what I've found, it was origionally threaded for a bolt with a rubber washer. I may try to repair and re-thread mine some how this winter. Also, I noticed yours had decals on the outer rear of the hulls. Mine have been painted over so I'm wondering what info is on them.


I know the one just says venture on it. I'll snap pics next time i'm up there. There wasn't a lot of info on it.

and that's interesting. they were threaded? do you have banana hulls or straight hulls? i wonder if they're different. Mine definitely don't look like they were ever threaded. and the 4 large holes under the tramp are at least 1" in diameter. That'd be a pretty huge bolt.
Posted By: MichaelPace

Re: new guy - bought first cat - Macgregor V15 - - 09/06/17 03:27 PM

I'll upload some pics soon but mine looks identical to yours with the banana hulls. I found the original manuals online here

http://www.minresco.com/links/v15/images/vc15.htm

Looks like the straight hulls were threaded not ours.
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