Are the hulls the same? If not what is the difference?

Thanks,
Dave

The short answer is no. The 5.2 is a 17 foot boat and the 18m2 is 18 feet. The 5.2 was replaced by the 5.5, which is a scaled down version of the 18m2 and does use the same hulls (year selection important when swapping hulls).

The 5.5 is essentially an 18sq with an 8.5 foot beam, boomless sail and 22 square feet less sail.

Nacra 5.2:
http://www.sailboatdata.c…ECORD.ASP?CLASS_ID=4176

Nacra 5.5:
http://www.sailboatdata.c…RECORD.ASP?CLASS_ID=4955

the 1st 18 squares that nacra made used the 17 foot, 5.2 hulls, 1977?-1980?

later on when nacra's 18m2 got more competition from newer squares nacra increased the hull length from 17-18foot, as that was the maximum the box allowed

those longer hulls then became the basis for the 5.2 replacement, the 5.5

BUT, be aware if mixing and matching hulls that even if the hulls are the same length the bridal tang position may not be the same

for a uni rigged boat, like the 18m2, the best position for the bridal tang is on the outside of the hull, but for a jib equipped cat the bridal tangs need to be on the inside of the hull

i'm not sure where the tangs were on the early 18squares but the 5.5 uni and 5.5 sl had different tang locations originally

the location can be changed by removing the foredeck, and moving the tang but it's more structural fiberglass work than most people want to take on

as to where the extra length is, i'm not sure, apparently nacra australia shortened the 5.2 hulls to make the 16m2 by removing the length from the aft of the rear beam

also to be considered in the hull lay-up

5.2's from 1975-1984? had solid glass hulls. the few 5.2's made after the change from the santa ann factory to the woodland hill factory had foam sandwich hulls

most, if not all, 5.5's had foam sandwich hulls

old factory, solid glass hulls should have numbers starting

TRRC2158M82B

where TRR was nacra's number, C is the 5.2, 2158 is the sail number, M is ?, 82 is the year made and B is a month code

after the move to the woodland hill factory, the factory number changed to NAC and the boats had foam sandwich hulls

NACR3002J586
NACB3089E090

where NAC is the newer nacra factory, the letter could be a model type, then sail number and last 2 numbers could be a year built

i have a note of an 18square number being

TRRE0034M79l.........1979

and a nacra 5.0 being

NACA2030A787 ...........1987?

if anyone wants to give me a nacra hull number i'll add it to my small list





edited by: erice, Oct 29, 2009 - 04:57 PM

Great Square info erice.

There happens to be one of the early Nacras for sale in the classifieds right now.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…hp/product/10014/cat/all

and here is an original Nacra sales sheet on the 5.5 based Square.


--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

How To Create Your Own Cool Avatar

How To Display Pictures In The Forums.
--

I stand corrected.

I had no idea that the early 18sq used the 17 foot 5.2 hulls.

Hi Dave

I owned 2 18 sq
a'79 and an '88

The '79 was a 5.5 hull 11' wide. It was built with no foam and used stringers. the hull "oilcanned" badly but was fast. It had a boom that attached to the front x-beam, and came up at an angle. The trampoline platform was stiffened by 2 beams that ran parallel to the hulls from front beam to back beam. Hard on the knees!

The '88 was a much better boat, foam sandwich construction quite stiff for its day. also a 5.5 hull 11' wide also no more stiffenning beams in tramp. Boomless deck sweeper sail. This boat had the same hulls as the 5.5. But, the 5.5 was easely trailered. I think the 5.5 outlasted the 18sq in production, so you will find newer hulls available.

In those days these boats were the fast things in the water upwind. Nacra 5.8, tornadoes, p-19, and Bert Rice (N5.2)with one of the first spinnakers, would reel them in downwind though.

I miss them both. I wonder what a 18sq with a spinn would be like!!

Good luck

Tom Leobold

Hey Tom, any chance you used sail in the Pensacola area?
ThanksI
Ed Baldwin

daveyslack

Are the hulls the same? If not what is the difference?

Thanks,
Dave

Dave, The information given by the other posters is correct. And the 18 sq for sale on this site is mine. It has the all fiberglass 18' hulls. It's a 1979. The hulls are suprisingly solid. I expected to buy newer 5.5 hulls when i bought the boat to be competative but didn't need to. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks
Ed

eric awesome post...I had to save it. Slightly off topic, but something I noticed when I bought and registered my 5.2:

My sail number is 2221. My VIN on the title is TRRC2221M82? (I don't remember the last letter and am too lazy to look it up.) The stamped number on the hull is TRRC2321M82? The tag agency didn't notice, thankfully, as sadly that would have been an issue for them, so its not a big deal, but any idea how that could happen?

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--

just 1 digit wrong, perhaps the sails came without numbers and whoever ordered the numbers got 1 digit wrong???

here in japan the 1st 5.2's weren't sold with sail numbers based on hull number but on japanese importation

so my boat had J65 on the sails and not 2158, or whatever

but later 5.2's i've noticed here have sail numbers that look to also be hull numbers, like 3158

erice

just 1 digit wrong, perhaps the sails came without numbers and whoever ordered the numbers got 1 digit wrong???

here in japan the 1st 5.2's weren't sold with sail numbers based on hull number but on japanese importation

so my boat had J65 on the sails and not 2158, or whatever

but later 5.2's i've noticed here have sail numbers that look to also be hull numbers, like 3158

Maybe something like that. Its the hulls that don't match, though. The title matches the sails. Not a big deal either way. Last letter was F, btw.

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--

erice

the 1st 18 squares that nacra made used the 17 foot, 5.2 hulls, 1977?-1980?

later on when nacra's 18m2 got more competition from newer squares nacra increased the hull length from 17-18foot, as that was the maximum the box allowed

those longer hulls then became the basis for the 5.2 replacement, the 5.5

BUT, be aware if mixing and matching hulls that even if the hulls are the same length the bridal tang position may not be the same

for a uni rigged boat, like the 18m2, the best position for the bridal tang is on the outside of the hull, but for a jib equipped cat the bridal tangs need to be on the inside of the hull

i'm not sure where the tangs were on the early 18squares but the 5.5 uni and 5.5 sl had different tang locations originally

the location can be changed by removing the foredeck, and moving the tang but it's more structural fiberglass work than most people want to take on

as to where the extra length is, i'm not sure, apparently nacra australia shortened the 5.2 hulls to make the 16m2 by removing the length from the aft of the rear beam

also to be considered in the hull lay-up

5.2's from 1975-1984? had solid glass hulls. the few 5.2's made after the change from the santa ann factory to the woodland hill factory had foam sandwich hulls

most, if not all, 5.5's had foam sandwich hulls

old factory, solid glass hulls should have numbers starting

TRRC2158M82B

where TRR was nacra's number, C is the 5.2, 2158 is the sail number, M is ?, 82 is the year made and B is a month code

after the move to the woodland hill factory, the factory number changed to NAC and the boats had foam sandwich hulls

NACR3002J586
NACB3089E090

where NAC is the newer nacra factory, the letter could be a model type, then sail number and last 2 numbers could be a year built

i have a note of an 18square number being

TRRE0034M79l.........1979

and a nacra 5.0 being

NACA2030A787 ...........1987?

if anyone wants to give me a nacra hull number i'll add it to my small list

edited by: erice, Oct 29, 2009 - 04:57 PM

I just acquired two Nacras and am having trouble identifying what they are.
One is hull number TRE00870276
it is over 17 feet maybe 18 feet and 8 feet wide

The second one is over 18 feet and 11feet wide its hull number is
TRE0181M82 and the last number after the 2 is either a one or an I.
Help.

We probably need a little more info but my guess is that the first one is a 5.2. It is a 1976 model and the only other Nacra made back then was the 18 sq which is 10 ft (or so) wide. The second one is a 1982 and is likely an 18 sq because that is the only Nacra of that vintage wider than 8 ft 6 in.

D,

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
--

you might need to check the numbers again

if they start TRE then they may not be nacras as the nacra code was TRR

if they are both TRRE then they could be 18sq hulls, the 1st an early 17' 1976 boat and the 2nd a later 18' 1982 boat

other give aways on the 18sq would be; 18sq marking on sail, big clear window in sail, 2 fore-aft tramp tubes, no jib, 2 forestays instead of 1 with bridal, forestay tangs on the hull outer edge instead of inner edge like a jibbed boat

tapering mast with boom mounting almost at tramp level

pic and video in this thread

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=210538#Post210538

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxo5NRwWR_Q

pics of what you have would help



edited by: erice, May 09, 2010 - 08:56 AM

Quote

My sail number is 2221

Thats the Sail number on my 5.2 as well.

Sail numbers mean nothing. I picked my own, as did my wife who had a NACRA Square. There is a lot of lost information about Squares, evidenced by the instant discussion. Here is a link to a discussion including info from Dick Lemke, who was one of the last officers in the Square fleet

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=28076&page=2