Hi this is my first post on the forum, after several days of lurking about, mainly looking for cats for sale. I have a decent amount of experience sailing dinghies and small keel boats, and spent alot of time on a local Flying Scot fleet.

I bought my first cat today on impulse (because of the price: $250), and I'm seeking input on the condition of the hulls before deciding what to do with it. I haven't attempted fiberglass work before, but have done some gelcoat repairs on motor boats I've owned (and damaged...) in the past. I need to determine if this cat's repairs are generally cosmetic, or if there are any structural problems that need professional work. I was prepared to spend up to $2000 for a ready-to-sail cat, so I have some budget for professional repairs, if they're needed. Problem is, in this area of Northwest Florida it's tough to find a professional that even has the time to return your call.

The main area of concern is the top of the starboard hull, which is in much better shape than the port hull which looks almost new (perhaps replaced?). The area around the treads have many cracks and look like they were attempted to be sealed, rather than repaired. The biggest problem seems to be at the top of the transom near the interior access. There are a few other areas that look like gelcoat-only problems or decently-repaired holes. I haven't put the boat on the water yet because the trailer is shot and looking for a new one.

Here are a handful of pics of the boat http://intechgratedsolutions.net/ Luckily, the boat included sails and rigging in terrific condition and a truckload of miscellaneous spare parts. Heck, the harnesses he included were brand new and worth $250 alone. I really enjoy challenging projects like this, and will be involving my sons in the hopes that we can get involved in some club racing down the road.

I appreciate any advice or info the group here can provide; I've been looking over similar posts and see a lot of success stories attributable to the help offered here!

Thanks - JR

looks a great buy!

i'm no pro but if it were my boat i would

use an angle grinder and wire wheel or #60? grit sanding discs to carefully remove the gelcoat off the 3 areas with cracking, don't go down through the glass weave

check how far the cracks run through the glass

assuming they do go a few inches out around from where now visible now and not that deep i would get some 400?gm glass cloth, and cut out large squareish bi-axial patches to cover each area, right across the top of the hull

then use the wire wheel again to take all the gelcoat off the area to be patched and then using polyester resin attach each patch

let cure, clean up the edges and then paint over with white gelcoat and go sailing

kind of a speed repair and the patches will be visible, if you want them more hidden then fill the weave with polyester filler before gelcoating

the most important repair is the 1 forward of the main beam around the beam bolts, that is a highly loaded area and structural strength is needed

depending on how that looks after getting off the gelcoat it might even need up to 3 over lapping patches

this repair should end up costing under a $100? in materials and only take a couple of weekends and have you getting some sailing value out of your boat this season

better, invisible, professional repairs will take longer and cost more

they could be done next season if you decided you loved the boat and were prepared to spend thousands



Edited by erice on Jun 17, 2012 - 10:12 PM.

Great buy, the bow foil alone cost $300 (the boat is considered a nacra 5.8 NA) which means bow foil and larger jib), and the sails look in very good condition plus extra sails. If you have the money I would have it done by a professional and you would have a fantastic looking boat. There looks to be more than just a few little repairs. Is there a auto body man in your area that has worked on Corvettes. You could part the boat out for close to $2000
Mast $250
Tramp$125
Mainsheet blocks$$150
Rudders $150
Rudder castings $150
Bow foil $200
Mainsails $700 (350 each)
Jib $150
Jib blocks $100

You made a great deal

I forgot to ask, what are the last 2 numbers of the hull ID. I can't quite make them out in the pictures. It will indicate the year of the hulls?

Thanks Erice and Hullflyer, I appreciate the reinforcement that I didn't make a (bad) hasty decision. The last two digits on the Hull ID are 89; I didn't realize it was an "na", but then again it looks like several different modifications were made, so not really sure what I have. With the hulls cleaned and dried out a bit, I can see a few more discolored spots that maybe were repairs too. To erice's point, I too am worried about the starboard hull just forward of the main beam. I applied more and more pressure around that area and got my sons to help me attempt to flex it there, but there doesn't seem to be any give.

Funny enough, I got two replies from different hull repair shops today, one describing the repairs needed as "cosmetic" and the other as "extensive" :^\ I need to find an old salt and say, "would you hike out on this with me?"

if the last 2 digits are 89 i think that means it is has foam-cored hulls

look inside the hull walls at the inspection ports, if large stringers on the the sides - solid glass hulls
if smooth inner hull walls - foam cored

form cored generally better, stiffer/lighter

BUT if the cracks are all the way through the outer layer of glass and into the core that is not good!

a small dremel type tool with a sandpaper flapper-wheel should allow the worst crack in each area to be ground down enough to see what's going on



Edited by erice on Jun 18, 2012 - 05:45 PM.

I took a good look inside and I don't see any stringers, and looks smooth throughout, so I'm assuming foam cored. Seems awfully thin though... when I read about the foam core models, I was thinking more like Boston Whaler foam core. I'm definitely going to have a professional examine it, but hopefully I can get involved in the repair too because I learn quick and hate, hate, hate paying someone to do something I can do myself with some good instruction.

Boy what is it about the Nacra hulls that makes them so damn sexy? Not to disparage anyone else's boat here, but compared to a curved hull these boats should win competitions on looks alone. My son can't wait to get this thing in the water; wants to print the Flash Gordon logo on the hulls :^)

dentarthurdent

I'm definitely going to have a professional examine it, but hopefully I can get involved in the repair too because I learn quick and hate, hate, hate paying someone to do something I can do myself with some good instruction.

dentarthurdent,

Looks like you've made the buy of a century, $250 for that boat, trailer, and accessories? Wow.

Anyway it's worth getting a real pro to do it, but you have to make sure it's a pro who has worked on beachcats before. I made a mistake once of taking my Hobie 18 to a local "fiberglass professional" who mainly worked on ski and bass boats, he had no clue about the construction of beachcats and the worked sucked.

I had it redone later in Pensacola by Charlie Trinque who works with Key Sailing and you can probably get in touch with him though them. If this was my amazing boat purchase I'd take it to Charlie with the instructions "make it like new" and let him work the magic, then sail the heck out of it. There are other good pros in your area that know beachcats also, but Charlie is a Nacra 20 sailor and is reliable, has to be, he just married his crew.

--
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.
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Damon thanks for the lead; I contacted them by email and will be calling them first thing tomorrow. I'm hot to trot on this thing, plus I caught a neighborhood cat sleeping on my tramp like it owns the thing :^\

Another question I'd like to pose to the group, although I haven't looked for previous posts on this topic yet: I plan on beaching a lot. The bay that I live on opens up behind a barrier island with very approachable sandy beaches. I see some fiberglass shops offer to put on beaching strips to minimize the gelcoat wear, is it worth the expense? I'm performance minded too, but I had to "sell" my family on the idea that we'd be racing this thing right on over to the beach...

Get some sh** itt rug strips from a local carpet shops. put them in the van. Lay them on the sand.. or get beach wheels.. Forget messing up the boat .. H

--
Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
--

P.S. Hobie 16--20 Nationals here in San Fran today . Carpet on the beach to smoooothe the boats up to get the wheels under.!!! H

--
Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
--

Hmmm, $250 was an incredible deal, until the termites started pouring out of the bunks... Guess who didn't renew their termite bond this year?