All went surprisingly well, with the exception that at 50mph the trailer started to sway and swerve, so I usually cruised at some 45 on the level stretches, closer to forty on the hill, and down to thirty on the very steep uphill from Jacksonville to Townhill.
When I came home and unhitched, the trailer sat down on its tail and that negative tongue weight probably caused the sway. I did not know about that before, because the previous owner hitched me up and I saw nothing that could have told me about this. I'll have to figure something out. In the back of the boat you see a brown blotch and that is a dingy I got with the boat and it is heavy enough to put the rig out of balance. Without the dingy, I would expect no more problems going over 50. But I gotta get the thing home in fall, won't I? How could I get it on top of the car?
Anyway this is a MacGregor 22, sometimes also called a Venture 22 and that is because originally MacGregor designate all his boats 'Ventures', probably owing to the fact that he and some of his buddies at Stamford U founded this company in the course of an MBA class project in the early sixties. It immediately was so successful MacGregor kept it going and sometime in the 70 - 80s the Ventures were renamed MacGregors. There are said to be little if any modifications made to these boat after about 1971.
The 22, of course stands for 22 feet length overall. This one has a cabin with a layout that includes a V-bed for two who can get along with each other and a dinette which can be converted into a double for two not minding to hug all night and then perhaps there could be a fifth balancing on the bench along the hull opposite the dinette. The rest will have to lay mattresses in the cockpit which might be comfortable for four sitting up, including the one in command of the ship. The rest of crew and passengers will have to find their space 'before the mast' or midship on the cabin roof. Before the mast one gets swiped by the foresail when the boat comes about and midship one gets knocked on the head by the boom swinging over. I tell you this so you can figure out how you will distribute yourselves when we cruise down to the Bahamas all together 😳 😁 😊
Also, the cabin roof can be raised 'pop-up camper style' which gives some standing room in the cabin in the dinette area, but also gives free access to the elements including what may come flying in on the wind. I've bee thinking about finding someone who can fabricate a net that can be buttoned around the four open sides of this area, but those a dreams for the future. Also consider that if the cabin roof is u p, the passengers who used to use it as they personal space will have to cling to the gunwales.
P.s. there is no galley, so we will have to fish and eat the fish raw, perhaps with a side of rice which we cooked on shore before leaving for the islands. There is also a porta-potty under the foot end of the starboard V-bed, so there should be no problem on that account unless - but you think that train of thoughts to your own private end. 10 people on board - it sounds like some of the tales of the Cubans escaping Castro to get to the US, back in the 60's
Technically speaking, in a pre-purchase trial I set the mast up almost alone without prior practice but the method used by the previous owners is totally impractical for single 'day sailors'. I'll keep the boat in the driveway to try to make some different arrangements. Wish me luck. The aim is than one weak old man should be able to get this about 25 foot mast from towing to sailing.
Other plans are to find a mooring place for the four months I am still scheduled to stay here. There is a bay on the Harriman Reservoir (lake Wilmington) where there are some sailboats moored at buoys. The area is apparently managed by TransCanada, the electric power company that operates the reservoir. I am trying to make contact to see if I can get a space there. In distance it is closer than Shaws. If it works, all we have to do is 'hop into the dingy' and ferry from shore to ship and later back again.
And that's about it for starters. Welcome to the Wilmington sailing academy.
Isa
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