Hello all. Just picked up a 1995 Nacra 5.5sl with a harken furler and have some questions regarding the setup. The PO only used it a few times and could not show me how to fix the jib onto the forestay and I have seen pictures of others setups here and it seems like mine may be missing something. I will try to poast a picture later but I have the cleat that is pinned to the furler and am trying to figure out how do I tie the extra rope off? Do I run it downthrough the pulley on the cleat and back up into the clew of the jib and then cleat it off? It sound slike the most logical thing to do as it would pull the cleat closer into the drum allowing it to be furled without the cleat catching the forestay but there is a ton of line left over and the line is actually smaller than 3/16 and am wondering if the jib halyard should be 3/16 instead of this really thin line. Sorry, hard to explain and will try to post a picture of it to see if I am missing something. Patrick Reagen has some good pictures of what it looks like mine should look like but I think I am missing something as there seems to be a lot of line left over after cleating it off and not sure what to do with it... Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am fairly new to sailing. Thanks.

jason

Stay with the small line. 3mm It should be in 2 pices. About 25 feet total. Dont't have the lenghts for each piece.
You should have a tack point of some sort attached to the furler above the drum if I remember right.

Use 3/16 for the stock setup comming down the mast and no furler.

Put up a pic of your cleat.
Pic of your furler.

The bigest problem with the furler on a 5.5 is that all the wires come togather at the hounds in the same place. When furling, the jib will pick up a trap wire and wrap it in too. Most boats with furlers have some sort of pig tail placing the swivel down the forestay some but the 5.5 has such a big jib that you can't do that.

The other problem is that you have to set and forget the jib downhaul when using the furler. By going back to stock and runing the halyard down the mast, you have a 3:1 downhaul in a clamcleat that can be used as the wind picks up. Honk on the downhaul and keep driving. Furl the jib and it flaps like crazy, may even shread.

Third problem is the jib sheets have to be so damn long, they always get tangled. They can be much shorter with no furler.

I don't like the furler, while on the beach just hand wrap the jib around the forestay.

By the way the 5.5 sl is a great boat.

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Ron
Nacra F18
Reservoir Sailing Assn.
Brandon, Mississippi
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Ron,
Thanks for the insight. Yeah, I am thinking about just pulling the furler off and going back to the original setup. Seems like it would be a serious PITA with the furler and I can see the thing giving me issues on the water. Will try and post the image I took with my iPhone trying to set it up.

If you figure it out with the furler it is worth having it. I am note sure I can be much help as mine is completely jury rigged and is a Hobie furler. Unless he gave you the forestay rigging to run it without the furler you may not have enough length to rig without it.

Pics will help.
I can only tell you how I have it on my Prindle 18
On my P18 the upper swivel is shackled to the mast hound then shackled tot he upper forestay with standard Prindle pigtail for the Jib halyard then shackled to the lower forestay. Lower Prindle forestay has a turnbuckle that I have shackled to the adjust the slides into the center of the Hobie furler. ( the Harken would attach to chain plate adjuster of some sort ) I raise my Jib as you normally would and hook it in the ring. Then on the furler I have a small shackle with 3/16 line that goes up through the grommet and back to the shackle to apply down haul. Then back through the grommet and into the cleat on the jib. After that I usually go down the back of the cleat and back through the grommet to find a place to tie the excess out of the way. I then disconnect halyard sister clip and tied off excess halyard out of the way. these have to be tied off above the furling unit. I need to shorten my jib halyard a little bit to avoid this and once you know what you need eliminate as much of the excess Jib down haul as you can.

I realize this might not help much on your boat but you never know. I need to document this conversion with pics and get it in the gallery.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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Jason,

we purchased patricks 5.5 about four years ago - we have a sister clip system on the jib halyard and all the extra line comes off. we have a block on the forstay attachment that lets us get a 2:1 downhaul on the jib.
we have no problems furling the jib on the water and in big wind. let me know if I can send any pics.



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Gordon
Nacra 5.5SL
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another view

--
Gordon
Nacra 5.5SL
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http://www.murrays.com/mm…e=21-0536&Category_Code=

sister clips at murrays catamaran

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Gordon
Nacra 5.5SL
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Gordon,
My setup is just like the picture above except I don't have the quick release pin, only a bow shackle to attach the jib clew to the tensioner. The cleat is pinned with the drum on the bottom but loose on the top so no idea what to do with it as my forestay is on the 3rd hole of the tensioner so I cannot use those holes. The cleat is actually the same one that was on yours prior to removal. Maybe I should put it on the 1 hole instead. Still can't post a picture.



Edited by bigkidneys on Aug 09, 2011 - 06:36 PM.

Jason,

we will be sailing this weekend and will take detailed pictures of our set-up for you.

Cheers

--
Gordon
Nacra 5.5SL
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Thanks Gordon. Wind has been great here the past 2 days and am kicking myself for not trying to go out. Would rather go out knowing my boat than not knowing and dealing with issues out there... Thanks again.

Jason

Quote

The cleat is pinned with the drum on the bottom but loose on the top so no idea what to do with it

If I undersrtand this correctly, your clam cleat is only attached by the bottom hole, & can sort of swing, or pivot around?
It is fine to use that way.
I don't have a beach at my place & the water depth means I can "just" reach up to where the drum is. It was a pain to tie & untie the jib tensioner, so I added a small clam cleat. I use a Portuguese Turnbuckle to tension my rig, as it is easier to do solo. When I tied(bowline) the first loop of line to the 1" ring that attaches to the top of the drum, I ran the line through the bottom hole of the cleat. In essence the bottom hole is held in place by the bowline knot. The line then passes along the underside of the cleat, then up through the top hole, then to the forestay, & around for 5 loops. Only the first pass goes through the cleat. I can try to take a photo if this is not clear. Notice the top hole really adds no strength, all it does is keep the cleat from flopping downwards. To tension I simply pull the jib halyard, & place it in the cleat. You could do the same. Leave cleat atached at bottom, then add a short bit of thin line, to the top hole, just run it around the adjuster, or up to whereever it is convenient to tie. All it does is hold the cleat vertical. I've run mine like that all summer, works just as good as having both ends bolted.



Edited by Edchris177 on Aug 11, 2011 - 07:29 AM.

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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
--

If I undersrtand this correctly, your clam cleat is only attached by the bottom hole, & can sort of swing, or pivot around?
It is fine to use that way.
I don't have a beach at my place & the water depth means I can "just" reach up to where the drum is. It was a pain to tie & untie the jib tensioner, so I added a small clam cleat. I use a Portuguese Turnbuckle to tension my rig, as it is easier to do solo. When I tied(bowline) the first loop of line to the 1" ring that attaches to the top of the drum, I ran the line through the bottom hole of the cleat. In essence the bottom hole is held in place by the bowline knot. The line then passes along the underside of the cleat, then up through the top hole, then to the forestay, & around for 5 loops. Only the first pass goes through the cleat. I can try to take a photo if this is not clear. Notice the top hole really adds no strength, all it does is keep the cleat from flopping downwards. To tension I simply pull the jib halyard, & place it in the cleat. You could do the same. Leave cleat atached at bottom, then add a short bit of thin line, to the top hole, just run it around the adjuster, or up to whereever it is convenient to tie. All it does is hold the cleat vertical. I've run mine like that all summer, works just as good as having both ends bolted.Edited by Edchris177 on Aug 11, 2011 - 07:29 AM. [/quote]


I think this is what the PO did as well. When playing around with it, I did exactly what you said and seemed to be ok but wasn't sure if it would hold up in high wind. The wind has been over 10mph all week and won't be able to try it out until this weekend when I am sure the wind will be non-existent... That is my luck!

Go for it! The cleat only holds jib tension, so if it were to let go, no biggy. I use Vectran V-12 for the PTB & 3.8mm Spyderline for the jib, you don't need line that strong, but the thicker line is easier to handle, & fits the little clam cleats perfectly, it has not come loose yet.
Get that baby out into the wind. I have been out a couple times in 50 clicks this season,(30 mph) & it held fine. I have not found the need for adjusting jib tension while under way, but if you wanted to, it seems it would be easy to rig. Just shackle a small block to the "O" ring at the top of the drum. Lead the jib halyard through the block, then across to the front beam, & mount the clam cleat there. Changing tension would be as simple as pulling a line.
Also, when you quote another post it will show up better if you highlight (select) the text you want, then click on the "quote" button at the bottom of that post. It will fill it in the "reply" box, then you just type below it.

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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
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