Hello all, I am getting back into sailing and have a couple questions.

Long story short, I got a great deal from a friend's dad on a 2000 Nacra 5.0 with trailer. Decent condition, and no question I am buying it, but one of the hulls did have some damaged and was patched. See pic here, front of the bow, and upper right.

http://img189.imageshack.us/f/nacra1.jpg/

Over the winter I am planning on tearing this thing down, sanding the hull patches down, redoing the hulls with better resin, sanding and repainting. My first question is how are these to work on? And what I mean by that is what is the hull material, and is it easy to work on?

Second, I grew up sailing a 70s 18f hobie on lake michigan. It was lots of fun, but some of the draw backs where it was heavy making it not fun to pull up and down the beach, and when it was capsize even with 2 people it was nasty to get back over.

How will this Nacra 5.0 compare in performance? From some of the reading I've done it should be fairly easy to sail solo? It's going to be sailed mostly on a 1300 acre lake, with small waves and gusty winds.

Thanks for the input!



edited by: Indyxc, Sep 02, 2010 - 07:33 AM

should be MUCH lighter and easier to sail solo than a h18

but a little slower and a little more delicate...

for righting, how heavy are you?

hulls for a 2000 boat should be foam sandwich, same as the h18

enjoy

check your hull VIN#. I'm wondering if that is a model year 2000 ? ?

Do you have a name?

--
Philip
--

erice

a little more delicate

In several ways. Working on the hulls is pretty simple using the West Systems Epoxy for repairing damage the tricky part IMHO is gelcoat difficulty varies depending on the repair size. If its a small area the preval sprayer works pretty good but you have to thin it out allot to get a good spray then you will still have some orange peel but after wetsanding it will look good!




edited by: fa1321, Sep 02, 2010 - 09:41 AM

Hey guys, my name is Peter. Thanks for the info.

I'm about 180 lbs, 5'11". I'll probably be sailing 2 up with the gf, who is about 120 lbs, or someone heavier.

I'm suprised to hear the 5.0 is slower than the H18. The h 18 we had was fast, but would not fly a hull. Even with two people (320 lbs or so), it would lift one hull and then bury the other, and then slow down due to the drag, and then drop back into the water.

On a windy day on lake michigan it was plain nasty to right even with 2 people. The mast would have a tendancy to point downwind making the trap act like a sail into the wind! Was certainly a pain.

I'll be sailing this thing on a small lake, so that shouldn't be much of an issue.

As far as the year, I'm not 100% sure yet. I knew where the owner kept it and went to look at it. He said it was circa 2000 so could be older. Either way, for the price, i'm taking it. :)

For working on the hulls. I actually already have the West Systems Expoxy and the fast hardner. Can I patch it up with that, sand it, then take it a paint shop to respray/ gel coat the hulls? Are these gel coats hulls or just paint?

Thanks for the input !

i say the speed of the 5.0 will be a little slower than the h18 due to the published handicaps

from memory the h18 has the same handicap as my nacra5.2

and both the nacra 5.2 and the h18 have longer hulls, more sail area and center-boards

all are important for getting around a race course quickly

but you could quite easily find that a 5.0 sailed solo in light lake winds will be faster than an h18 2-up

the nacra 5.0 comes very highly recommended and nacra still basically make it as the nacra 500



edited by: erice, Sep 03, 2010 - 09:16 AM

The 5.0 is a really great boat and will not be any slower than a 5.2 or H18 given the correct conditions. The 5.0 will not point as high as either boat but it is just as fast off the wind. I had a 5.0 and sold it and bought a 5.2 expecting a big difference....Ends up that the 5.2 never reached the speeds my 5.0 did on the gps. The 5.0 is a fast boat in the right hands.

The nice thing about the 5.0, having recently bought one, is that it is fast as TurboCat says (I just need to work on getting the speed out of it), it's light for hauling up and down the beach and it's simple to sail (no daggers, booms etc).

I can take out my wife and 7 yr old to just cruise around, just me and the 7 yr old if things get fun...and solo when I want to. Also, as I have learned and heard on this forum the hull volume is great if you don't have your weight properly distributed fore and aft - it's forgiving.

I bought mine in May/June and can't stop sailing it at every opp - been bitten by the bug.

David

Indyxc

For working on the hulls. I actually already have the West Systems Expoxy and the fast hardner. Can I patch it up with that, sand it, then take it a paint shop to respray/ gel coat the hulls? Are these gel coats hulls or just paint?

Yes you can use that but you might want to get the slow hardner and some filler for deep gouges and scratches. The boat was gelcoat origallly but people do paint them the guy TurboCat painted his 5.2 and it looked good he could probably give you some great pointers he loved his 5.0 he still talks about getting another one.

I have a 5.7, the larger brother of the 5.0. I weigh 170 lb & solo it more often than not. Solo is a bit of a handicap because I can't hold it down once the wind gets up past 15 mph. In those case I have to power down, &/or point more, as opposed to full reaches.
I have dumped mine 5 times. With two people & a line, righting is a couple of minutes. I have righted it 3 times solo. Twice I used the aid of a bag, once just myself,(on a windy day) It is very easy to swim the mast around into the wind. With 15-20 mph I righted it solo by just hiking out on the line.
This is my first cat, so I can't compare it directly to others, but I like it a lot.
You can determine your model year by the hull number.
It will look something like this, mine is an '84.




edited by: Edchris177, Sep 05, 2010 - 11:34 AM

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Thank you everyone for their input.

I paid for the boat yesterday and it is mine! It actually turned out to be a lot older than the owner thought, but again for the price, it's still a great deal. Looked at the sails,and they are the orignal Narca 5.0 sails in very good condition.

Hardware on the boat is also in good shape, except over the last couple weeks, someone stole one of the Harken ratchening jib blocks. I looked online, and found this:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=51659&BASE

That's freaking expensive! Are there any other brands that I can use that are cheaper! $320 for 2 new blocks is a lot!

Worse off I want to find one locally so I can sail this weekend! Does west marine stock these in store?

Thanks



edited by: Indyxc, Sep 09, 2010 - 10:28 AM

Yep that is what they cost! It's the ratchet mechanicsm that does it, and you really need it. You can rig it uni (just the main) and get out, but tacking will be more difficult.

I have a spare pair that I was saving for an emergency. I could probably sell you one of those for $60 but I wouldn't have access to it until this weekend and it would take 2-3 weeks to ship from Canada at a reasonable cost (I could ship it quicker but for the cost you would be better off buying the new ones). If you are interested PM me.

Are you in the Great Lakes area?

Regards,
Dave

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

you can look in the classified section of this site, and ebay as well.

west marine may have it, but not likely as it is a pretty cat specific part.


It's hard to believe someone would steal an old part like that (not impossible)...

You can get if from anyone who is a Harken dealer, which is just about everyone. The part was common across a lot of different boats in the classic line. I would call Harken, ask for Jim or one of the small boat guys and they should fix you right up. Or upgrade to the new Carbo line, which has a better angle range, which was a drawback to the classic blocks. If I had to order new, I would get the new carbo series ratchamatics.

O.K. Andrew, I know your just chompin' at the bit for somebody to ask, so . . . I'll bite. Why the user name change? MN3??

--
Philip
--

Name Changed to protect the guilty

Quote

That's freaking expensive! Are there any other brands that I can use that are cheaper! $320 for 2 new blocks is a lot!

Ronstan gear is usually a bit cheaper, and a bit stronger.
they do have blocks that would work here, but i think they now use a dyneema line vs a metal shackle to attach. there are also the old Seaway brand from hobies (crap.. dont buy em)

If you are going with Ronstan gear ideally you would want the 55 mm orbit blocks like thers http://www.apsltd.com/p-9…-single-w-bkt-cleat.aspx they go for about $125.

You MAY get away with a 40 mm orbit block though such as these http://www.apsltd.com/p-9…ingle-wbecket-cleat.aspx they go for about $95. I don't THINK that the working load on those blocks would reach more than 385 lbs (the safe working load) but I am not sure. I am pretty darn sure that they would never experience the breaking load of 1100 lbs for those blocks.

Either way you would have to add some kind of swivel to the setup, http://www.apsltd.com/p-8…vel-shackle-316-pin.aspx

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

It sounds like you are not sailing htis season, the boat is a winter project?
If that is the case I would email Dan Berger on this site & ask him if he has a set of blocks. Or send Wolfman 60 clams & buy his. They do come up for sale on this site in the classifieds.
You want the ratcheting system, & over the winter you should be able to source a good deal on a used set.

And, yeah, Andrew, spill the beans, what's up with MN3?



edited by: Edchris177, Sep 09, 2010 - 10:05 PM

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

mummp

You can get if from anyone who is a Harken dealer, which is just about everyone. The part was common across a lot of different boats in the classic line. I would call Harken, ask for Jim or one of the small boat guys and they should fix you right up. Or upgrade to the new Carbo line, which has a better angle range, which was a drawback to the classic blocks. If I had to order new, I would get the new carbo series ratchamatics.

O.K. Andrew, I know your just chompin' at the bit for somebody to ask, so . . . I'll bite. Why the user name change? MN3??

Hey guys,

I am in the great lakes region, SE Michigan, but will be sailing mostly on Cass Lake, which is about 1300 acres.

I will be sailing this season, and doing most of the work over the winter, but do want to get it up and running as is.

I ended up going to a local sail shop, and the had a similiar block but it was the newer rachomatic type with the load sensing ratching system. I need ONE of this weekend, so I bought it, and will just get a replacement matching one over the winter vai ebay.

Anyway, are these rachomatic ones, seen here:

http://shop.torresen.com/ships_store/index.php?p=details&mfc=Harken&sku=2628&frm=g

Are these worth it over the standard one way rachet for the jib?

Does anyone have the Harken non ratchomatic version of this? The Harken 2628 is the rachomatic, is the 2616 the same thing, but with an on/off ratching option only?

Thanks!

http://shop.torresen.com/ships_store/index.php?p=details&mfc=Harken&sku=2616&frm=g

Is it that one, or this one? Harken 186 I have a feeling these come in 3 flavors. Ratchomatic, on/off ratchet, no rachet.


http://shop.torresen.com/ships_store/index.php?p=details&ident=175065&mfc=Harken&sku=186&prod_name=Harken+2.25+Single+Block+with+Adjustable+Cam+Cleat+%26+Becket&sectionid=5040

http://www.apsltd.com/p-3178-57mm-carbo-ratchet-single-150-cam-matic-becket.aspx

That's what I use, don't need auto rachets for the jib blocks.

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

The old $153.85 This is what is on my boat.



http://www.murrays.com/mm…_Code=C-BL&Store_Code=MS

If I had to replace them it would be with the new carbo blocks that are cheaper.

The new $116.20



http://www.murrays.com/mm…_Code=C-BL&Store_Code=MS

Thanks for the info guys. I am keeping the rachomatic one I have. It's the only one a local shop had, and I want to sail it this weekend. It's expensive but, oh well. Tomorrow is the maiden voyage.

A couple more questions. I was reading the nacra assembly manual, and it says the main sail is hosted and then hooked up on a hook to the top of the mast (like my Hobbie 18 was).

I was working on the boat today, and it looks like I just hook the shackle to the top of the main, raise it to the top, and then just tie the main raising line a clear to the bottom of the mast. There is no hook at the top of the mast? Is this normal? The nacra manual says there should be. This is a 1983 Nacra, per the hull.

Second, the mast sits on top of a ball as per the manual. However, the mast seems to sit high up on this ball, and is not cut out on onside like it says in the manual.

Is this a aftermarket mast or something?

Also, since the blocks are off, can someone point me to a manual on how to tie the sheets for the jib?

Thanks for the help!

My Nacra mast base looks like this. Make sure the ball is screwed all the way down, mine turns easy and I have found it not all the way down. There were two different size mast balls and bases. Only the larger size is available now. Make sure you don not have a large ball and a small mast base.


On my 5.8 the main halyard is connected to the sail with one of these.

The large ring hooks to one of these.



Something like this should be at the top of the mast.

This is the new style hook mine is only riveted to one side.

The 5.0 might be different.




edited by: skarr1, Sep 11, 2010 - 09:54 PM

Murrays list a halyard for a 5.0 that is part wire. Maybe the wire hooks on the bottom of the mast like a Hobie.
http://www.murrays.com/mm…2-4173-50&Category_Code=

You have an '83 model, it should be the same as my '84. There should be a 1/4" "ball" swaged onto the wire halyard. You should be able to see it about 3-4' from where the wire halyard attaches to the line portion of the halyard. When raising the sail this ball travels through the sheaves at the mast top, & comes domw the FRONT side of the mast about 3'. There is a small fork riveted to the mast. Pull the halyard til you hear it "click" & it won't pull any further, this means the sail is all the way up. As you give it that last few inches of travel, hold the halyard 1-2' in front of the mast. this allows the swaged ball to clear the fork. Now move your hand right up against the mast, keeping the halyard exactly in line with the center of the mast, & release some pressure. The ball should engage UNDER the fork & lock the sail. It really is very easy, & once you've done it, you get it every time. If it doesn't hook, something is binding the sail & it isn't all the way up. You may have to rotate the mast so you can keep the line at the center of the mast.
The mast steps were made in 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" sizes. I think your .83 uses the smaller ball, & they don't sell them anymore. I can post a photo to show how the step should sit on the ball if you need it.
The fix is to replace the mast base,(Murrays has a kit to changeover) or go to an industrial supply company,buy a bag of 20 delrin 1 1/4" balls, drill & tap them to 9/16" fine thread, & sell the others to guys with older style bases.
Philip (MUMMP)gave me this site; http://www.mcmaster.com/#plastics/=8tbkt3

Damon has the Nacra assembly manual on this site, there are 2 of them, slightly different versions. Go to the technical hepl section here at The Beachcats, there is a ton of info. Let us know how it goes.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/index.php?module=pictures&g2_itemId=35212



--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Here is a photo of what my mast step looks like. The bolt,(or 1/4" pin) for stepping the mast is in place. If you do not have the captive ball system, you may not have the bolt/pin. It makes for a much more secure arrangement as the mast is going up or down. The wishbone is the mast rotator on a boomless nacra.


Here is a photo of how to rig your jib blocks. I combined 2 photos to show each side, in case the explanation wasn't clear. The remaining line just lays in a coil just below the bottom of the picture. You will have an appx 3' length of 3/16" line attached to the clew of the jib. Fold the 3' line in half, place the folded end through the grommet at the jib clew, then feed the two loose ends through the loop. Even everything out & pull tight. After you hoist the jib & tension it, tie one of the loose ends of the 3/16" line to each of the small blocks using a bowline. Run a piece of 1/4" shock cord from one end of your V brace bar (below the front beam) up to the strap eye on the mast,(or through the end of the diamond wires)& over to the other end of the V brace bar. This will prevent those small blocks from hanging up on the mast base every time you tack. Make sure to run the jib lines over top of the shock cord.




edited by: Edchris177, Sep 12, 2010 - 03:21 PM

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Edchris177....In looking at your pictures, I have to ask... do you leave that bolt in all the time? I use a pin while stepping the mast and immediately pull it out. I was always told that if you break a shroud or forestay and the mast comes down the bolt will be bent and bound so tightly that a sawsall will be needed to free it. The Hobie 20's have roughly the same setup, where you have to rotate the mast 90 degrees while stepping. Pain in the ass!

You are correct. I left the bolt in as I didn't know any better. A thread a while back (I think it was Wolfman Dave/Damon)addressed the issue of how much damage could be done if you suffered a demasting with the bolt/pin in place.
I only raise mt mast once a year, & resolved to remove the bolt, but...
Thanks for the reminder, I'm going to pull it out before next sail.
On another note, those pictures of the beams you sent me. The old 500 that you sailed to death, are you interested in selling the front beam in the photo?

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Thanks for all the help guys.

With all the help here, I was able to rig the boat, and take it out for the first time Sunday and yesterday. It did great and I had a blast. Had 3 people on it, and everything worked properly, except some old ropes broke (trapeze and tramp).

Edchriss-

The bottom of my mast looks like yours in the pic, except it doesn't have the sides cut out, or any holes for pins. Likewise, the ball looks larger than that, and doesn't sit anywhere near that far in the hole. About half the ball is captured under the bottom of that necked part of the boom. I forgot to take a picture, but I will tonight. I am a bit worried, because I think if I were to capsized right now, the bottom of the mast would popped off the ball. The previous owner said he turtled it before, and never said he had that issue? I'll take a picture tonight, or soon.

Also, my Nacra is missing the wishbone on the front of the mast, and noticed the mast is rotating like crazy. Basically it follows the sail. This is slowing me down I'm sure, but then again my Nacra doesn't have the cleats like yours does on the front cross member to mount the lines to. Should it have one?

Thanks again for the input. Helps a ton!.

IndyXC,
EC's mast base looks like the old style 1.25" and will have to be replaced when the ball finally kicks it. Sounds like yours is an even earlier one than that. I would suggest drilling a 1/4" hole in the front part of the casting for a pin during stepping. It has to go immediately under where the ball sits just to keep it from dropping under off of the

Normally you don't leave the pin in once you have stepped the mast. The shrouds and forestay keep enough tension on it that it shouldn't jump off the ball when you capsize. If it does then your shrouds aren't tight enough. The should be tightened to the hole on the adjusters that you can reach with one person hanging on the shroud and one person putting the pin in (between 150-200 lbs of pressure or thereabouts). That should give you enough tension to keep the mast in place but still allow it to rotate freely.

I believe you can get the wishbone from Murray's Marine and the cleats are just standard and are mounted to the front beam.

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

The wishbone is a mast rotation device, it was optional on the boomless models. Murrays sells the part, $39

You may be able to find a used one from a parts boat, email Dan berger, he usually has lots of stuff for sale in the classified section, & is a good guy to work with. You can also ask for the cleats to mount to the front beam.
Nacra says on boomless boat the rotator is to induce rotation. I've never raced, so I'm not knowledgeable about getting every last speck of speed, but the rotation certainly does help. If you ever forget about it & have it on the wrong side, you suddenly find yourself flat on the water when all your instincts say you should be flying. The photo above is old, I don't have it rigged like that, one of the guys here,(Philip, or Ron B?)told me to tie a line to the eye strap on the beam,(just inside the cleats)then out to the end of the rotator, then back through the cleat. This gives a 2:1, & you need it. I was surprised how much force there is trying to turn the mast. In very light air I cleat both sides, it prevents the mast from banging to & fro & shaking the wind out of the sail.

Quote

The bottom of my mast looks like yours in the pic, except it doesn't have the sides cut out, or any holes for pins. Likewise, the ball looks larger than that, and doesn't sit anywhere near that far in the hole. About half the ball is captured under the bottom of that necked part of the boom.

Does it look like this?

This from G Amicks boat, a 5.2 that he resurrected, he has lots of pic, look in members albums, scroll down to Amick, he did a fabulous job.
Dave, I'm pretty sure he has the old style non captive base. With the ball only 1/2 in there is no way to drill & insert a pin that would hold anything. Mine is the 1 1/2" newer system. It is hard to tell size from the photo, I should have put a tape measure up against it.
Measure your ball, but be sure to measure from side to side. The ball will wear on the top where the mast works against it, the top may look a bit flattened & top to bottom measurement won't give you an accurate picture. Dave is right, the rig tension keeps the mast in place when capsized. The advantage to the newer captive system is it prevents the mast from jumping off the ball when raising or lowering. I don't know what oyur budget is, but if Dan B doesn't have a new style base for sale, Murrays sells the whole conversion kit, part 01-8002 for $160




edited by: Edchris177, Sep 14, 2010 - 01:15 PM

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

EC, you are correct, I didn't realize that they made a casting that shallow. I can see where the worry about it jumping off the ball would come from.

I think Dan has a couple of the new style bases but the part for the stepping pin is broken off (last time I talked to him). A consequence of forgetting to rotate the mast while unstepping. It isn't the end of the world, you can still step the mast as long as you are VERY CAREFUL about making sure it doesn't jump off the ball while you are raising the mast. It would be a cheap way to get the upgrade without spending a pile of cash, I believe the 1.5" ball will fit on the older dolphin striker rod too (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

EC, I've never kept my pin in while sailing. The only problem I can see with doing it it is that if you dismast for some reason you will immediately break the bottom casting and dolphinstriker rod. A shroud replacement then becomes a major pain. That and it looks like your ball is pretty chewed from the bolt (could also just be the picture).

Regards,
Dave

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

The ball is actually pretty good, the bolt doesn't quite touch it, but yeah I've been meaning to remove it.
If you look at my base, there are two sets of holes. A small corner of the casting near the rear hole, on the opposite side is broken off. I believe the previous owner demasted, or dropped it with the pin in, then drilled the other set of holes.
If Dan has a base with only a corner missing perhaps Indy can pick one up cheap, then drill new holes on the other end.
Indy, replace those old trap lines, if they break you get dunked, & lose the dogbone($15 min). Relace the tramp with 2 pieces of low stretch/creep line. Use 3/16" line, 1/4" is fine for the side lace, but hard to fit through the slugs on the rear beam. Grab it with pliers & pull it tight, then a little more. It is probably time to replace the forestay & shrouds too. If you break one it may be way more $$$ than the cost of a new stay, & you may lose a season if you break the mast, or your head. If your trap wire have any broken strand replace them, Dave sent me a box with more than I'll use. If you need one let me know.
Dave, get back to work & quit posting on company time, lest you get busted like Andrew.



edited by: Edchris177, Sep 14, 2010 - 03:37 PM

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Indy;
I loaded the photo from Image shack, that is a really nice looking boat.
You do indeed have the old style mast base. The mast won't jump off as long as the rigging is tight. Be very careful stepping/unstepping the mast. If funds are tight no need to change it,( it is safe) unless Dan can get you parts cheap. You have the old style straight spreaders, they are are not adjustable.
I can't quite make out the hardware where the bridal wires meet the forestay, looks like factory setup. It looks like there is a Davis wind Indicator there, if the vane gone, you can get replacements, or make one.
Re front beam, I see yo have the end caps, that's good, they don't make them anymore & the price was ridiculous. Nacraman57 figured out a way to build very nice ones cheap.
You have the preventer from beam ends to mast that keeps jib blocks from hanging up. You have the tiller extension.
DO-remove that line from the bottom of the dolphin striker rod to the trailer. Tie it to the end of the V-brace bar(if you really need it)or better yet around the end of the beam, you should be just able to get a line through the tramp at the corners. If you give that line a yank as is, you WILL bend the DS rod,($60).
I wouldn't even think of painting that boat, just clean it with Barkeepers friend & buff it. You cannot cut an inspection hole in front of that beam, so you will have to fix it from outside. If the patch is really crap use really coarse sandpaper & grind it away till center is paper thin,feather out to the edges. it's easier if you have a thin layer of original as backing. Squeejee most of the resin out of your matting so you can layup 4-5 layers without the patch bulging outwards from the hull. Give it a final soft sand to remove rough spots then paint a thin layer of resin over to seal any glass you might have exposed. Then buy a couple of disposable Preval sparayers & gelcoat the patch. If you have experience with that stuff you will probably get it to nearly non noticeable. For now don't worry about the cosmetics, take it out & sail the crap out of it! You may very well put some more dings in it as you figure everything out, then you can fix them all in the off season.



edited by: Edchris177, Sep 14, 2010 - 04:08 PM

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Thanks for the info again,

Here is a pic from the other side:

http://img444.imageshack.us/f/img0296r.jpg/

I wasn't able to make it out today, as I came down with a cold from freezing sailing yesterday. But EdChris from the picture, yes that is exactly what the bottom of my mast looks like. I will have to look into upgrading during the winter.


I do think the rigging isn't very tight on the shrouds. I can move the mast side to side, so it's probably not tight enough. Thanks for the tip on tighting the shrouds. I will have to center the mast, and then hand on the shrouds to tighten the mast down. This will be a good piece of mind, knowing that if I flip it the mast won't come out. This was one of main main concern last Sunday in 20 mph wind gusting to 25 mph. The stays themselves looks like they are in good shape, but for piece of mind, I will replace them.

What should I do with the forestay that is attached to the bridle wires on the front? Leave is is, or tighten it as well? Yes, the front wiring looks stock. With the exception of the jib, which is attached to the bottom of the forestay through a large carbiner which seems to work.

And I have already relased the tramp with non stretch rope, but how is important that it is super tight? I laced it and then redid it with plier, but it's not SUPER tight. Is that okay? I also need to learn some knots to tie this stuff all together.

Thanks again for the help.

Here is a picture from yesterday (wind died by the time we made it out) but i'm on the only working trapeze with my gf, and friend.

http://img545.imageshack.us/f/dsc02887w.jpg/

3 out of 4 trapeze did not work, because the lines were old, but it seems that the lines on the port side are longer than the starboard side. There seems to be no adjustment since they just attach to where the jib is, or are there?

Thank you for all the help again, much appreciated.

Here is how your traps can be rigged. All the wires from the mast hound "where the stays connect should be the same length. You can adjust the height by moving the rope stopper. You can also hook into the different holes in the rings on your boat to move about 4 inches up or down.





The mast has to be loose enough to rotate a total of over 180deg. 90 deg to each side. As the mast rotated it wraps the stay around the mast taking up slack.


PLEASE WEAR A PFD.



edited by: skarr1, Sep 14, 2010 - 07:37 PM

Indy,
That is a nice looking boat!! The position of the forestay is the first thing you adjust. This governs the rake of the mast (the angle that the mast sits with respect to the hulls). You generally want very little mast rake for a Nacra 5.0, it should almost be straight up and down but with a little rake backwards. In the photos the positioning looks pretty good.

The shrouds govern the rig tightness. Looking at the photos your rig is REALLY loose. The shrouds should be the same length and should be in the same hole on both sides of the boat (that will keep the mast centered). You want the rig fairly tight without restricting the mast rotation.

For tramp lacing I switched to 1/8" vectran (you can use dyneema line) this year and it has REALLY improved the tightness and stiffness of the tramp and rig overall. If you follow the lacing instructions in the manuals (in the technical help gallery) you can get a super tight tramp. I ordered mine from Annapolis Performance Sailing here:
http://www.apsltd.com/p-2…3-vectrus-12-18-3mm.aspx

Just tie a bow line at one side and finish it off with 3-4 half hitches. If you follow the instructions in the manual you can get it really tight without the need for pliers or other tools.

Here are some links to the knots you need to know:

Bow Line
http://www.animatedknots.…te=www.animatedknots.com

Round Turn And 2 Half Hitches
http://www.animatedknots.…te=www.animatedknots.com

Figure 8
http://www.animatedknots.…te=www.animatedknots.com

These will cover 99% of your needs. One other useful knot to know is the Truckers Hitch:
http://www.animatedknots.…te=www.animatedknots.com

And of course coiling your rope at the end of the season`:
http://www.animatedknots.…te=www.animatedknots.com

One thing to note is that you can't melt the ends of the high tech rope with flame like you do with poly rope. I would suggest either dipping the ends in liquid electrical tape or using 3:1 shrink tubing to keep the ends from fraying. You could also probably use electrical tape in a pinch.

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

You probably have the tramp fine for now,drive it hard to the end of the season, lacing it very tightly stiffens the boat.
I can't quite make out enough detail to see if the traps have the little rubber adjusters, you slide the adjuster up or down to get the height you want. The rear trap on the starboard side is assbackwards. They should be rigged from the trap wires that attach up near the mast hound,the bungee that goes through the front beam & the one under the tramp serve to keep tension on the line portion, to keep upward pressure on the hook so it doesn't come off inadvertently, & to keep them from flopping around when not in use. Also the front one keeps the end caps from being lost if the little set screw is missing. Rig them something like this.

The rubber line snubber is only a couple of bucks.

Quote

I can move the mast side to side, so it's probably not tight enough.

You should not be able to wobble the mast side to side or fore aft. I use the method I believe came from SKARR. Set both shrouds before you step the mast(one in its final position, the other looser)When the mast comes up, pin the forestay where you want it, crew puts on a harness & hangs out on the trap wire on the loose side, this will create slack in that shroud. Now you can easily pin that shroud to match the opposite(tighter, final position shroud) side. This will pull the mast to the rear, tensioning the forestay. Never have the mast leaning forward of center. You should have multiple holes in the forestay adjuster, experiment raking the mast aft of center a bit.
How did you make out with raisin the main, do you have the little fork near top of mast & ball on halyard? You should not be tying off the halyard at the mast base. Your should be the system on the left.
There are 2 early Nacra manual under the tech help section, they are slightly different, download them both. They are not great, you have to read carefully, but they do explain most stuff.

Enjoy the boat, don't get worked up on cosmetics, DRIVE IT HARD!



edited by: Edchris177, Sep 14, 2010 - 08:15 PM

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

I think the trap on the starboard side is "temporary". He had three lines break.

I added a shock cord to the rear beam to keep the end caps from falling off. It goes through the beam and hooks to the tramp lacing. It comes in handy when I want to hold the rudders to the wind to heave to.



edited by: skarr1, Sep 14, 2010 - 08:09 PM

If you had that many lines break it would be worth it to just replace all the rigging! You don't want to risk the mast coming down while you are sailing. Murrays and Salty Dog Marine both sell properly sized rigging and trap lines at reasonable prices. You should replace the rigging every 5 or so years anyway depending on how and where you sail.

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

After looking at the photo of the boat on the trailer, what is the bottle looking thing on the dolphin striker bar? There is also a line tied to the bar that looks like it goes to the trailer, you will bend the dolphin striker rod if you use that line to load the boat. I loop my trailer winch line over the ball. This will place all the load right next to the cross beam.

I have a 1983 5.0 as well. It came without a captive ball mast base as well. I understand they changed to the captive ball system late in 1983 or 84. After raising the mast a couple of times, one of the first things I ordered was a replacement base from Murrays. This makes raising the mast much easier and safer in my opinion. The kit was around $160.





Here is setup at the top of my mast. The main halyard should include a small ball that hooks to the small plate 6-8 inches from the top of the mast.

Thanks for all the help guys. You guys are fantastic. I'm down at home, suffering from a cold from sailing.

Edchris:

Yeah my mast does have the same type of main sail holding as in figure 18. If you guys hadn't told me about it before I tried to raise the main for the first time I would of been scratching my head for a while. But I must say, it works pretty well. That little ball is fairly easy to get under the fork, on/off. I even have to do it in the water (since I am off a boat launch) and it works fine. Much easier than the ring in figure 19, that I had on my hobbie 18. That thing would not come off half the time.

I'm not sure what the little bottle is on the dolphin striker. I would guess it's some place dry to keep the registration papers someone added. The lake we sail on (Cass Lake, in SE Detroit), let's just say the DNR used to be very "aggressive" and almost harassing, so having the registration onboard is a must.

The trapeze wires are backward on the starboard side, because even though I was on the rear of the boat, I was using the front trapeze, because the other 3 ropes on the wires are in bad shape, and that one had been recently replaced.

Good tip, on using a the trapeze harness to adjust the mast shroud tension. I will do this before the next time out. And the wires themselves look like they were recently replaced. I inspected them, no signs of wear or fraying.

Thanks again for all the help. Everyone he definitely was very helpful in helping me clear up all the questions I had.

And yes, I usually wear a PFD as well. In calm wind I don't, because, to me I guess it's worth the risk. I did take it off there, because the harness did not fit with the jacket on. But, as you can see, my gf, she's a lot more important than me, so I make her wear hers always. :)

By having your friend hike out you can get good tension on the rig. If I am leaving my boat for more than a day, I hike out & back off one shroud a hole or two to take the stress out when I'm not using it. Leave the plastic shroud cover up on top of the adjuster, that way it is very obvious next time out that the shroud needs to be tightened.
WEAR YOUR PFD ALL THE TIME. I never take mine off, even in 90+ weather until I'm nearly at my dock & the water is only waist deep. Some kids are fatherless today because some poor chap took his of a few days ago.
Don't mean to lecture, but your way to young, with way to much to live for to lose it for that simple(dumb) a reason. When that cat goes over, & it will, it can be pretty chaotic, with people banging off shrouds, mast etc. It can be way to easy to run your skull into something hard, think mast or shroud anchor & end up dazed in the drink, as your boat drifts away faster than anyone can swim.
Our Gov't in Canada makes it very simple, IF you want to use a sailboard,Cat etc & NOT wear your PFD, the you have to have every single bit of safety equipment that an 18' power boat requires. If you WEAR the PFD, you only need a whistle with you. Of course one can always just pony up the fines, but I prefer to divert those funds to more toys & better beer!

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Hot topic right now especially since that poor fellow died!

Here ya go http://www.apsltd.com/gal…popup.aspx?GalleryID=331

light stylish, fits with a harness AND you can pretend you are batman without the nipples.

Seriously, if you don't normally wear a PFD those bouyancy aids are awesomely comfortable. The one with the muscles aside.




edited by: Wolfman, Sep 16, 2010 - 05:45 PM

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

just curious... is it Indianapolis cross country?

--
Nacra 6.0 NA
Ogden Dunes, IN
--

Hey guys, been out sailing pretty much everyday.

Adjusted the shroud wires to the max tensions I could get on them, and that made me feel a lot better about the mast coming off. Haven't capsized yet, but hopefully this will keep it on the ball. Over the winter I will change it over to the captive system.

I've been out about 5-8 times now, and I love this boat. It's obvious now some of the changes I need to make over the winter. Like put in an anti mast rotation system as this is killing my speed, replace all the steel cabling, etc.

I even solo'd it the other day ago in a 15 mph wind, and it was great. Made me learn a lot, and I feel completely comfortable soloing it. I like how even if the hull burries a lot, it doesn't flip immediatly like a hobie 18 or any bananna hull boat will.

One question I do have, is on my jib there are small clips that attach to the forestay. Basically plastic white, about 8 of them that you turn sideways and clip onto the forestay. Some of them are broken, and I can't seem to find replacement for them. Anyone know where they are?

And Indyxc- It's a long story, but when I was a kid (about 10 years ago), I got a brand new front fork for one of my mountain bikes called the RockShox "IndyXC", and it just so happened I used that name back then, and it's stuck since.

Thanks for the help.

Found the part. For reference they are called jib hanks!

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=56720&BASE

Indyxc
I?m not sure what you mean by an anti mast rotation system on a Nacra 5.0. Boomless boats use a positive rotator not a limiter like boom boats.

When sheeting a boom boat, like your Hobie 18, the boom forces the mast to rotate and you use the limiter, attached to the mast facing aft and connected to the boom to prevent rotation.

On a boomless boat, like most of the Nacras, the positive rotator faces forward and is used to induce rotation. If you want less rotation, move your outhaul or clew plate adjustment, forward and sheet tighter. The rotator is used mainly downwind to make the mast entry into the wind less sharp. It can also be used in choppy conditions in light air to stop the mast from going back and forth, ie. boat wakes. In high wind conditions, it can also be used to depower by inducing rotation and flattening the sail along with downhaul and sheet tension. Be careful with using the rotator, if it is on and you jibe, the mast will not rotate, battens can poke through the sail, and the boat will not power up until the rotation is released. Also, it?s adjusted from the windward side not the leeward side of the boat.

I wouldn?t worry about adding it unless I was racing. Hope this helps.


--
Ron
Nacra F18
Reservoir Sailing Assn.
Brandon, Mississippi
--

Ron, you are spot on, and I figured out a lot of what you are saying, yesterday on the lake!

Unforutantely, I went out yesterday in 30 mph winds gusting to 45 mph, and I that was just too much. Only stayed out for a bit, but long enough to do damage.

Went out without the jib, as the wind was massive and gusty. Even with the main out, and traveler out, and no jib it was still hard to slow down the boat. Once I got out there, and made it across the lake, it took forever to get home, because I was afraid to go down wind, because I though the boat would pitchpole over.

So I tried to make it back tacking back and forth downwind, which without the jib was very difficult! At one point I thought it would be a good attempt to jib! Wrong! Of course like you said, this caused the sail to fly forward and rap around the diamond wires, and almost flip forward. A quick move by my crew member to pull it down saved us from flipping. But the damage was done. One of the battens tore through the front of the sale. It seems the rip is along the sown part on the batten material.

I'll call the sail shop monday, but what does a typical sail repair cost. One sow maybe 10 inces along the batten?

Hello,

I'm French and do not control your langage as it should. With the help of google it should go ...
I am the owner of a Nacra 5.0 and I had to make several repairs since I bought it used.
I find lot of informations is this web site. It seemed important that I am also involved in showing the evolution of my work.
Thus, I created a blog, with texts and photos, : http://nacra.akwakwak.over-blog.com/


I offer tips and tricks I've used

Phil

Help please. I just got my Nacra 5.0 out of the shed for the first time in 6 years. I'm surprised it's all in pretty good order. But I can't remember how to attach the clew of the jib and can't remember how to thread the mainsail down haul. Could anyone post pictures of their setup either here or direct to my email. Thanks. Richard Watt in Hervey Bay, Australia.