Fellow Sailors,

Beginning my third year of proud ownership of a 1997 NACRA 6.0NA, and aiming to keep it healthy and fit, I am planning to replace my bridle foil due to some SS/Al corrosion.

The reason for my note is I am trying to confirm the correct length of the bridle foil (explanation to follow) and need my fellow 6.0NA fleet to share the measurements of theirs - note: please indicate if measurement is:
A) overall foil length (incl. endcaps) or
B) extrusion length (excl. endcaps)


The reason for asking is I had someone (qualifications unknown) remark that my bridle foil appeared 'inches short' and suggested it was from a 5.8NA.

Due to my unfamiliarity with specific design details like this, I was inclined to accept this as a possibility at the time, but in planning the replacement (rebuilding from blank extrusion) I am faced with some conflicting information.

Dimensions of my current bridle foil are:
69 7/8"±1/8" - overall incl. endcaps or
67 7/8"±1/8" - extrusion only

I have found a foil extrusion indicated to be 76" - aligned with previous story of a short foil - but Murrays shows for sale 'Bridle Foil Rod with Screw Adjuster Nacra 5.8NA, 6.0NA'.

This last detail would seem to indicate that the bridle foil for the 5.8NA & 6.0NA are identical to within some small margin, e.g. 1/4", as anyone who is familiar with this part knows that there is not that much slack in the design to accommodate a difference of several inches.

Thanks in advance and Fair winds.

Regards,
Mark



Edited by seabiscuit on Oct 13, 2014 - 04:07 PM.

Hey Mark,
Go to the source. Call Jack at Performance. Great boat.

--
Philip
--

Performance Catamarans has been gone for two years. Pete

seabiscuit

Fellow Sailors,

The reason for my note is I am trying to confirm the correct length of the bridle foil (explanation to follow) and need my fellow 6.0NA fleet to share the measurements of theirs - note: please indicate if measurement is:
A) overall foil length (incl. endcaps) or
B) extrusion length (excl. endcaps)

Edited by seabiscuit on Oct 13, 2014 - 04:07 PM.

Mark,
I wish I read your post earlier, just got back from the beach. We have two N5.8NA on our beach, I can measure those foils for you next weekend. They are not N6.0 but at least you can compare them to yours and see if there is any variation.

On the other note, where did you get that extrussion from? I have seen some parts at Murrays but not actual extrussion.

--
Adam Bartos
Nacra 5.0
SolCat 18 (sold)
Lake Zurich, IL
--

seabiscuit

Fellow Sailors,

Beginning my third year of proud ownership of a 1997 NACRA 6.0NA, and aiming to keep it healthy and fit, I am planning to replace my bridle foil due to some SS/Al corrosion.

The reason for my note is I am trying to confirm the correct length of the bridle foil (explanation to follow) and need my fellow 6.0NA fleet to share the measurements of theirs - note: please indicate if measurement is:
A) overall foil length (incl. endcaps) or
B) extrusion length (excl. endcaps)


The reason for asking is I had someone (qualifications unknown) remark that my bridle foil appeared 'inches short' and suggested it was from a 5.8NA.

Due to my unfamiliarity with specific design details like this, I was inclined to accept this as a possibility at the time, but in planning the replacement (rebuilding from blank extrusion) I am faced with some conflicting information.

Dimensions of my current bridle foil are:
69 7/8"±1/8" - overall incl. endcaps or
67 7/8"±1/8" - extrusion only

I have found a foil extrusion indicated to be 76" - aligned with previous story of a short foil - but Murrays shows for sale 'Bridle Foil Rod with Screw Adjuster Nacra 5.8NA, 6.0NA'.

This last detail would seem to indicate that the bridle foil for the 5.8NA & 6.0NA are identical to within some small margin, e.g. 1/4", as anyone who is familiar with this part knows that there is not that much slack in the design to accommodate a difference of several inches.

Thanks in advance and Fair winds.

Regards,
MarkEdited by seabiscuit on Oct 13, 2014 - 04:07 PM.

seabiscuit

Fellow Sailors,

Beginning my third year of proud ownership of a 1997 NACRA 6.0NA, and aiming to keep it healthy and fit, I am planning to replace my bridle foil due to some SS/Al corrosion.

The reason for my note is I am trying to confirm the correct length of the bridle foil (explanation to follow) and need my fellow 6.0NA fleet to share the measurements of theirs - note: please indicate if measurement is:
A) overall foil length (incl. endcaps) or
B) extrusion length (excl. endcaps)


The reason for asking is I had someone (qualifications unknown) remark that my bridle foil appeared 'inches short' and suggested it was from a 5.8NA.

Due to my unfamiliarity with specific design details like this, I was inclined to accept this as a possibility at the time, but in planning the replacement (rebuilding from blank extrusion) I am faced with some conflicting information.

Dimensions of my current bridle foil are:
69 7/8"±1/8" - overall incl. endcaps or
67 7/8"±1/8" - extrusion only

I have found a foil extrusion indicated to be 76" - aligned with previous story of a short foil - but Murrays shows for sale 'Bridle Foil Rod with Screw Adjuster Nacra 5.8NA, 6.0NA'.

This last detail would seem to indicate that the bridle foil for the 5.8NA & 6.0NA are identical to within some small margin, e.g. 1/4", as anyone who is familiar with this part knows that there is not that much slack in the design to accommodate a difference of several inches.

Thanks in advance and Fair winds.

Regards,
MarkEdited by seabiscuit on Oct 13, 2014 - 04:07 PM.

The 6.0 takes the same foil as the 5.8. That's from jack a while back when I had a 6.0 with a longer foil. I have been told that my boat was one of Roy's Toys , and that it is very likely that someone had fabricated a longer foil for that boat. When I asked Jack why they didn't use a longer foil for the wider 6.0, he said that if the foil was longer it would be more prone to fail. I don't know if that was derived from experience or from engineering on paper. The boat was an 88, the foil is still intact. Even after the foil striker rod bent during a squal and a mast snapped in half during a haboob.

Use a 5.8 foil, its OE

Agree. Use the 5.8 foil. FWIW, Nacra lists different part numbers for the 5.8 and 6.0 foil. (#9658, #9668). During the days when 6.0's dominated, modifications evolved to deal with the tremendous loads on the rig of the NA's. First, the mast was changed to double diamonds to address mast failures to high loads. Then the NA's evolved, and with the giant overlapping NA jibs the boats experienced front beam failures, so this was remedied with beam sleeve reinforcements. Then the weak point was believed to be the foil, and as mentioned above the shorter foil took favor to being used.

I personally believe that the foil failures at the time were more often the result of improper set up without enough prebend, than being too long. From an engineering point of view, the design is adequate.

I have seen my fair share of foil failures. Most of them are galvanic corrosion under the rod/post plate at the rivets, and more often the SS V-rod failing near the tang at the end or where the rod was bent above the post. Keep an eye on the obvious SS parts as they experience the greatest loads.



Edited by P.M. on Dec 06, 2014 - 11:21 AM.

--
Philip
--

How corroded is you foil? Can you get by with replacing some of the parts?

You may be able to get some of the parts from a Catalina yacht dealer or US Spars as the foil was made from a mast spar used on those boats...

http://www.usspars.com/products/masts/




Good luck

--
John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
--

Just measured my '99 6.0 NA foil - 68" extrusion, 70" including end caps. Sounds like u have the right kit.