I'm considering buying a 1983 Nacra 5.0, and after examining the boat have some questions. I'm not sure if the issues I found are serious enough to walk away from this boat, or are fairly standard for a 33 year old boat. The current owner is asking $1500, without a trailer. The boat has seen very little use in the last 6 years.

Some quick background: While I have played around a few times on Hobie 16s and Waves (and windsurfers and kiteboards), I have not owned a cat before. I started out looking at used 16s, but when this Nacra 5.0 came up for sale on craigslist, I did some online research and liked what I saw. I'll be doing recreational sailing in south Puget Sound (western WA State), about 75% solo, in winds typically 10-15 mph that occasionally increase to 16+. Being 60 years old, and 175 lbs, I want something I can rig and right myself, with performance I can grow into as I get more experience.

Overall the boat seems in decent shape. It has a new tramp. The lines and wires look good, but probably haven't been replaced in years, so I will likely want to do that. The sails still have some stiffness and look OK, though the main has a large ugly red stain where it looks like a red telltale bled, probably when rolled while wet. The specific areas which concern me are as follows; I'll elaborate with pictures below.
1) Cracks and repair of shroud chainplates
2) Mast dent
3) Soft areas on top of hulls
4) Crazing in gel coat
5) Gouging and wear on keel
6) Loose diamond wire spreader

Issue 1: There are cracks where the shroud chainplates enter the hulls. On the starboard side, there was clearly a fiberglass repair done, outside and probably inside. There is only one inspection port installed, on the starboard hull just inside of the shroud chainplate, likely to facilitate repair. About a 2-foot square section on the side of hull was refinished, though the added gelcoat (or maybe hardened marine paint) is flaking in places. On the inside it looks like a lot of epoxy was added; can’t really tell how much glass fabric was used. On the port hull a series of rivets were added on the outside of the hull to reinforce the port shroud chainplate, presumably to avoid a repeat of whatever happened on the other hull; there is no inspection ports on the port hull.







Issue 2: There is a dent in mast just above the mast foot, slightly larger than a thumb print. It looks like it is dented just above the internal flange of the mast foot casting. Otherwise, the mast looks straight and in good shape aside from some scratches and nicks.



Issue 3: When I press down on the top of the hull just forward and aft of the forward beam, the surface flexes noticeably. This happens on both hulls. The rim of the inspection port on the starboard side is cracked in multiple places around the rivets, likely from flexing. I know this model is fiberglass, rather than foam core sandwich, so I expected flexing in the sides of the hull, but thought the tops of the hulls should be stiffer. Pretty much in all the wider non-skid areas on top of the hulls, there is flex; the more narrow areas near the bows are rigid.

Issue 4: There is crazing in a foot-sized area of the gel coat on the outside surface of the starboard hull, slightly forward of the forward beam, near the top of the hull’s side.



Issue 5: There is wear along the entire length of both keels, and some small cracks and chips on the vertical edge of both bows. This isn’t too surprising and doesn’t look serious. But in some aft areas of the keel there are gouges/voids in what appears to be the seam where the two halves of the hull are joined. Sorry, but the only picture I got of this isn’t in focus. It seems like I could fill these voids with Marine Tex, and perhaps use Marine Tex along the entire keel to minimize further wear. There are also some gaps showing in the seam between both hulls on top, between the non-skid surfaces. It looks like whatever Nacra used to cover the seams (gel coat?) has gotten brittle. I see a few short (3-6”) cracks in places on the non-skid, but no lengthy longitudinal cracks which would indicate separation of the hull halves.





Issue 6: The diamond wire spreader, which is the straight version which goes through the mast, is fairly loose. It looks like it was sealed at some point, but it is not anymore.

If you’ve read this far, thanks in advance. I’ve found a little information on each of the above issues in my searches, but not quite enough for me to evaluate whether all the above are normal wear and tear on this boat. The shroud chainplate issue concerns me most. I also haven’t seen any other Nacra 5.0 boats advertised for sale recently, in the USA at least. Don’t know if that’s because owners love them and never let go, or if they’ve reached their end of useful life. Parts also seem difficult to come by, though it seems like some parts are interchangeable with the other Nacra models

Any advice on this boat appreciated.

Dave

The damage and general wear look a lot like my 5.7 before I did renovations this year.

1) Cracks and repair of shroud chainplates
This is normal, especially cracking of gel coat near the top of the fixture. They do fill and repair, and probably don't mean a structural failure, but rather normal flex in an area that gets a lot of stress.
2) Mast dent
This is not in an important structural part of the mast. It looks like this dent near the step is the result of a drop or impact, and should not compromise mast integrity.
3) Soft areas on top of hulls
The NACRA 5.0, like mine, has a no-skid cover put over openings below. The area can be reinforced, or even replaced. I tend to tread lightly on the spots that seem to give. I assume this does not affect the hold-down straps, which you should remove, add anti-seize and tighten to a light torque.
4) Crazing in gel coat
Normal wear and tear. I see it on every boat not reconditioned.
5) Gouging and wear on keel
The boat has been beached many times causing wear. This will require re-glassing, fairing and finishing. A pain in the but for sure, but repairable.
6) Loose diamond wire spreader
Normally the diamond wire can contact the mast up to 1-foot above the mast attachment. Some looseness is needed to let the mast bend. Too much can allow the mast to fail. New diamond stays might be in order, but the turnbuckles may take up the slack.

That boat has original decals, so I don't think it has been worked on much. Repairs can be improved, and the boat repaired or refinished to address every item you listed. The price is negotiable, but seems fair based on the condition you are showing. The boat is not neglected, but needs some work.

--
Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
--

My thoughts
1. If it was repaired it looks good. The rivets are supposed to be there. A little cracking where the chainplate exits is normal make sure you seal that up its a good place for leaks to happen.
2. Not even worth looking at.
3. This is a bit of a concern to me. Could be a problem if its too soft but it is a fiberglass only construction so some oilcanning is expected. If there is a port to access you can reinforce from below. Taking the decks off is tricky, especially the rear one, but that is a possiblity to reinforce.
4. Normal nothing to worry about.
5. That boat needs a bottom job bad. The 5,0 and 5.7 attract wear on the skeg hulls and often need some reinforcement. Thats been left too long for just marine tex. I would flip the hulls, grind and clean the keels, wet out with a layer of west system epoxy, then 2 layers of glass tape 2" and 3" in width (just buy it like that). A layer of thickened epoxy then marine tex. That will run you a couple of hundred bucks in materials and about 2-3 days in time, mostly waiting for epoxy to set up.
6. if you are talking about the through pipe, that is always a bit loose until you tighten up the diamonds themselves. Its held in place by a cotter pin on each side and a washer. Replace the pins and seal.

Based on your pictures its saveable with a bit of work. $1500 isn't a bad price provided sails are in good condition and everything is there, even better if there is a trailer. If it was down in Florida you could probably do better, but up in WA its a pretty rare boat. I would recommend getting new wire rigging all round, as I always do when you get a used boat especially salt water. 5.0 is a very very good first boat to own.

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

Thanks for the feedback.

tominpa: Which hold down straps are you referring to? If they are the straps holding the beams to the hull, there are none on this boat.

Wolfman: Would you fill the voids in the keel with straight epoxy or add reinforcing fiber to it, underneath the glass tape?

Does the hole in the mast, through which the spreader bar goes, have an internal sleeve/bushing which prevents water from entering the mast? If not, it seems like an easy entry point for water. Would need a very flexible sealant to allow the bar to move without breaking the seal.

Are there any performance reasons the Nacras are less common here in the Pacific NW?

Are the skegs solid glass and epoxy? Just wondering how much "grinding" they can withstand. Would you recommend removing the hulls from the tramp frame in order to more easily refinish the bottom?

Anyone know what material the sails are made out of? Dacron? Trying to determine if the red stain is removeable. Sunlight might eventually do the trick.

Dave

Dave, the 5.0 is a little under powered in light winds. If you see 15, & more, you'll like it. Handles the rough better than my Hobie 18, but not as good in any category as its big brother, the 5.7. We regularity sail it in 20mph, with 2 adults,(350 lbs).
Prices vary regionally, but I think $1500 is too much, for an '83 with old style spreaders, in that condition.
The repair job they did on that chain plate is the sh*^ts, makes me want to puke. There appears to be no cloth, only resin, that means no strength.
I would grind it out,(if you remove the hatch casing you can put a 4"angle grinder in), & replace with 4-6 layers of wetted 6 oz cloth. You should use just enough resin to wet the cloth, & it should be clearly visible through the resin.
I'm not sure why there are no rivets in one chain plate, perhaps they snapped it & replaced it with a homade fitting?
Tom & Daves advice is spot on, but I disagree with #3.
The decks on these boats sit on a frame, see my album here,
http://www.thebeachcats.c…pictures?g2_itemId=82844
If the soft spot is in the deck material itself, you could remove the deck & fix. There are a couple albums here showing that. If I stand on my decks, I can see a bit of flex in areas between the frame. If by "soft" you can flex it by hand, you have a serious problem.
If the soft is in the white fibreglass just ahead/aft of the beam, run away...there should be zero flex there, you are in danger of pulling the strap fittings out of the hull. IF you could show him the damage, & get the boat for 1/2 price, & IF you want a major repair job, you could remove the deck, grind away the damage and repair properly. There is an album here showing a single strap fitting repaired, (on a 5.2), but same construction here.
The bottoms are badly neglected, but a technically easy fix. Flip upside down, grind out loose crap, fill & fair with thickened epoxy, then add 2 layers of fibreglass tape/epoxy.
New wires will run you appx $400, plus another few hundred to fix the damage, plus time. It's doable, but it's not a $1500 boat.
Take Daves advice on item #6.



Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 14, 2016 - 02:03 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
--

Just read your last post.
Your model was built just before they went to the "staps". Remove an end cap, the beam is either held by a half moon shaped chock, or two studs. Either way, softness in the white, just ahead/aft is serious.
The skeg are solid, especially at the skeg itself, with less as you go forward, or along the upward sweep at the stern. Use the edge of a thin wheel to grind any loose stuff out, fill with epoxy thickened with microfibres, then glass over.
Sails are Dacron
That type of spreader is tough to seal, the newer models use adjustable arms attached to a plate that wraps around the mast. As long as you don't turtle the boat, you won't get much water in, when flipped the spreader sits above the water.
On the Wet Coast it might be advisable to drill a 1/8" hole near the bottom of the mast so rain can drain. Put a screw, or small plug in while sailing, in case you turtle.
If you decide to proceed,(personally I wouldn't, unless I got if for $700), I would take it apart to fix. If it were only the bottom job, you could flip it. To do that chain plate, & soft decks/beam fittings, it is way easier if you could an place the hulls upside down, or on sides as needed. Gravity is your friend.
We keep them mast up all season. I would not want to solo step the mast each day unless you use some sort of assist.
I am also 170 lbs, I need a righting bag, unless wind is 20 mph. My buddy (185lb), can right it with a garbage bag & a few gallons of water.
The performance is great, those hulls cut the waves like a knife. The ride is drier than my Hobie 18. They go upwind fine, but you have to be up at the front beam, get the lee hull down in the water, you really have to work to pitch pole the boat.



Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 14, 2016 - 02:19 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
--

Dave,
As noted above this is a very repairable boat and if the size and capabilities work for you it is a good starting point. It sounds like you are in or near Olympia. This site is a great resource for info on rebuilding these boats. Spend some time looking through the photo albums, particularly the Technical one. I have also been rebuilding my 40 year old 5.2 this summer and soon it will be in better condition than it was when new. You can also go to YouTube and search on This End Up and see the steps I have gone through.

I'm down by Portland, but Olympia is my home town, so will be looking for someone to go play with soon. Next thing you are going to want is either a wet or dry suit so you can play all year long.

Dave G

--
dg
NACRA 5.2 #400
This End Up
Original owner since 1975
--

Go to the Dollar store, buy a balloon pump & copy my gizmo, shown here. Makes it easy to check the hulls for leaks.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…_itemId=119446&g2_page=2

Go to "Photo Albums", at the top of page, then Technical, and look for all the 5.0 stuff.
Lots of good Intel on the 5.0
Does it come with extendable tiller? You can fly a hull in just over 10mph, at 15, you need to be trapped out. Unless you have a bunch of bamboo in your backyard, you need an 8' stick. The Arriba Hotstik is far superior to the cheap aluminum paint poles. They run $150 new, good used ones around $80.
Sign in, go to the SEARCH button up top, type in Nacra 5, spend several hours reading



Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 14, 2016 - 03:00 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
--

Edchris177: Ed (I presume), thanks for all the details. The flex I'm seeing on the top of the hulls are in the wider portions of the non-skid deck regions, presumably between the frame members. I don't recall seeing any flex in the white fiberglass fore/aft of the beam, though that is worth double checking. But when I pressed the heal of my hand in the center of the blue non-skid decking material, there was definitely flex. I was pressing firmly, but not putting my whole body into it. As I moved forward toward the bow, the deck was stiffer where it was more narrow. On the deck between the two beams, I noticed moderate flex where-ever I pressed in the center of the non-skid.. It didn't seem excessive - there were no creaking/cracking noises. I'm not sure how thick the decking material is, but some flex seems inevitable given the construction, especially after 30 years. There doesn't appear to be any reinforcement under the deck except along the edges and wherever the frame bridges the top of the hull. How serious is this? As long as the hull frame is solid, it seems like the main consequence is cracking/leaking or putting your foot or knee through the deck.

Your hull "inflator" is a nice simple technique. I don't this boat comes with an extendable tiller, but that is easy to add.

One concern I have is your comment that the 5.0 is a little under-powered in light winds. Would you say a Hobie 16 performs better than the 5.0 in winds below 15? This winds here in the warmer months typically run 10-15. it will occasionally be greater, but not consistently. If this 5.0 model will be appreciably more sluggish than the Hobie 16, maybe I need to reconsider. Too bad, because the more research I do, the more I prefer the Nacra. Would the 500 model do better in light wind?

DaveG: Good to find a local on the forum. I live about 50 minutes from West Olympia on Harstine Island. I've got plenty of wetsuits; so far have got by without a dry suit, but have considered it. Your videos will certainly be helpful if I go with a Nacra; great way to see all the parts and understand how it all goes together. I've already found all the photos and discussions on these forums very helpful. I'll send you a PM.

Dave

I will say I just bought a 5.0 a little over a month ago in amazing condition with a trailer, righting bag, two harnesses, two sets of sails (one main almost new) furling jib, etc..... for $1,800.00 as a reference. I'm on the east coast so it is a different market but I waited a long time to find one because they don't come up for sale often.

I think a lot of your questions/concerns have already been addressed. It really comes down to what you can buy the boat for and how much work you want to put into it. Just look at Dave G's "this end up" project and see what is possible if you are willing to do the work.

As a previous H16 owner I will say the 5.0 is better to me in almost every way.

--
Todd

Virginia Beach, VA

Nacra 5.0
--

Dave, based on Chris's observations and thoughts I'm starting to think that you should probably take a pass on this one. There are too many things wrong about it. The softness, old style non-strapped beams and poorly repaired shroud anchor are pretty big warning signs. You will be another $1000 in (and a pile of sweat) before you ever hit the water. Suggest being patient.

Not as many Nacras made it out there just because of a lack of dealers. Better coverage near the gulf and the great lakes.

Regards,
Dave

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

With 10-15 winds you'll be fine. The only time I would take an H16 over the Nacra is if you wanted to class race, there just are not many skeg Nacras to go head to head with. When the water gets rough, or you sail extra bodies, you'll be super glad you have the 5.0 vs those skinny banana hulls. It is hard to beat a H16 downwind, with the huge jib they carry, so sail your own race!
4 people close by my lake house have H16s, mostly because they were available, & cheap. Two want to buy the Nacra if I were to sell it.
It is easier to find parts for the Hobie, but so far I have not been stuck because lack of with 5.0, or 5.7. They have many parts in common. They are tough, but not as tough as the H16. I wouldn't drive the Nacra onto the beach under power, as the 16 guys do.
My 5.7 is an '84, the 5.0 an '88. I cannot flex the upper decks ANYWHERE with my hand. I can see slight flex if I step on parts of the deck between the frames. To me, being able to flex the decks almost everywhere, using only my hand, is a big red flag. That shroud plate was a major repair, and it looks like whoever did it knew nothing about repairing fibreglass. If I got the boat really cheap, OK, I'm not out much money,sail the crap out of it,keep looking for a good one, and look at this one as a parts boat.
A 500 is only marginally faster, the difference would be negated by the guy at the tiller. If you can find a reasonably priced one, buy it over this one, it will retain its value.
One final item I noticed is the mast base. It is the old style non-captive base. If you have mast up storage, not such a big deal, you don't regularly raise the mast.
You can see the mast foot does not lock onto the mast ball in any way. It is easy for it to pop off while raising the mast, which can be a big deal. Those bases used a different mast ball, 1 1/4" vs 1 1/2", they are not interchangeable, and the old ones are damned hard to find. They also used a thinner DSRod, that easier to bend. You can find used bases in the newer style, an easy change out, but you also have to change the DS rod/ball. Count on several hundred $.
I think there is an album in Tech section on this.



Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 14, 2016 - 01:34 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
--

You all have been an invaluable resource. I learned a lot about Nacras in a very short time. At this point I'm leaning toward taking a pass on this one. Just an accumulation of too many issues. The uncertainty about the shroud anchor repair is a major negative for me, and the soft decking will likely need to be addressed. The keel reinforcement is something I could easily handle, but I'm not as comfortable tackling the shroud problem. And I do wonder about those strapless beams; seems like they added those later for good reason. I was aware of the old style non-captive base, and figured I'd change that out or rig up something to hold the mast in place when raising it. And I didn't even mention the problems with the title. Given what I know now, I agree the asking price is too high. But overall, it's a time issue as much a $ one.

So, let it be known I'm in the market for a Nacra 5.0 or 500. I'm willing to travel for the right boat, though anything east of the Rockies isn't likely worth it. Meanwhile I'll keep scanning craigslist and other classifieds, including the one on BeachCats. Any particular online marketplace I'm most likely to find Nacras, besides here? It's hard to ignore all the cheap Hobies for sale, but I'll be patient a while longer. Among other things, I just find the design and lines of the Nacras so much more aesthetically pleasing.

On a slightly different topic: I'm currently installing a davit on my seawall which should have sufficient reach (4'2") to lift a catamaran from the beach onto the bank behind the seawall. Anyone know where along its length the center of mass on a 5.0 is? Wondering if it can be lifted without lowering the mast. If not, I should be able to use the davit as an aid in raising and lowering the mast.

I've searched a bit for the history of the 5.0, and see the first ones were built in 1982, but it is not clear when the last ones were built. It looks like they started manufacturing them in Australia at some point; not sure when they stopped making them in the USA. Did they switch from fiberglass to foam core construction around 1985? Am I correct that the foam core Nacras are much less prone to delamination than the Hobies?

Regards,
Dave

The COM is near the side-stay shrouds, or just in front of that point. You would want to tie a triangle to the bridle and rear beam to avoid fore-aft tipping. The mast will only come into play if things start to get off-balance, and then bad things could happen fast. I'm not familiar with this lift system, but sounds pretty cool for protecting the boat if you can't actually drive it into a sheltered area.

--
Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
--

Speaking strictly for myself and without regard to the other opinions here. I bought a crappy beat up '83 5.0 a
few years ago for more money than this boat. The skegs looked like yours. I repaired them and learned how to do a bottom job. I demasted first time out and learned you need all new wires when you buy a boat. The demasting caused the 1/2" mast rod to bend so I upgraded to the 50% stronger 9/16" rod. No problems since.
My hulls are full of spider cracks in the gelcoat at the crossbeams which are the type without the straps. I drive the snot out of them and they still look the same. Everything there is flexes under enough load so that is hard to quantify in regard to the hull tops. Mine flex somewhat when I sit on them - so what? The sidestay is an issue I did not have, but this seems repairable.
I'm SO glad I bought my POS boat when I'm zipping along at 20+ and not worrying about burying a hull.
What a great boat.

--
Mark Hirte
Nacra 5.0 1983 - (1st cat)
Deerfield, Il
--

"Like" ^^

--
Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
--

Agree but there is a fine line between an awesome old boat and a money pit. We do need a like button though.

I paid way too much for my 5.2 and love it but also regret it a bit. But it allowed me to recognize a good deal and buy my 5.7 for $2000 which sounds expensive but the boat is amazing. And it allowed me to help my friend buy a hobie 14 for $500 and make it nearly new for less than $500 more. Waiting for a reasonably cheap 500 to buy and fix up locally!

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

Tom is correct on the C of G, with the Cat Trax at the shrouds, both boats balance.
How deep is the water at the breakwall?
I store mine fully rigged, (except for mainsail), on modified seadoo lifts. It might be easier to have some sort of cradle to set the boat on. That way you would have the lifting points permanently in the correct place.
As Mark said, the gel coat cracks are no big deal, I have quite a few in my '84 5.7.
Not sure how much trouble the Title entails, we don't require any sort of registration for Cats here in Canada.
Mark got lucky with his dismasting, he only broke the DS. A couple of "boat bucks" fixed it. You could well have done great damage to the sails, or the sailors, & I saw a 5.7 in Malibu that destroyed the front beam when the stick came down.
Mark says his decks are soft, I was thinking maybe the older models used a thinner deck, & they are all like that?
Perhaps another owner of an '83 can chime in.
They went to foam core in '85, or '86, when they moved the factory. My '84 is solid hulls, the 5.0 is an '88 with foam cores.
For me, a grand or so is not a big issue in the long run, we'll blow that on beer, but I just would not be happy about having a shroud pull out in the first blow, & being left for the season with no boat.



Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 15, 2016 - 01:21 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
--

If you consider to buy the trailer separately, see what you can find, it might change the deal considerably.
Samething with beachwheels

Boston Whaler Supercat 17 with trailer
http://spokane.craigslist.org/boa/5756330848.html
Buy this

--
Dart 20
--

Supercat. Buy it

--
Tim
Collierville (Memphis), TN
Supercat 15--sold :(
Hobie monocat--given
Vanguard 15--traded for...
Nacra 4.5--sold
Nacra 5.7
Hobie 14–sold to make room for...
Supercat 17–sold
--

I logged in just to say the same thing... Buy It!

--
Hobie Getaway
Prindle 18 - Sold
South Padre Island, TX
--

Agreed, looks like a steal.

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

Thanks for pointing out the ad. I'll look into it. Is this a good choice for a first cat? How's it perform in light 10-15 wind. Similar in build quality and performance to the Nacra 5.0? Haven't had time to read much on them yet. Anything in particular to look out for? They don't seem to have skegs, so apparently something in the hull design eliminates the need for skegs. The only perhaps less desirable traits seem to be a wetter ride, especially if sitting aft, and more difficult to keep down and avoid capsizing in strong winds. Also the keels are maybe thinner and more fragile than Nacras and Hobies.

Dave

A lot of similar attributes to the 5.0, the hull depth makes up for the lack of daggerboards and skegs. aquarius sails still makes it. It's probably not that much wetter than any other cat, its a bit of a relative term.

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

I just wrote a long post and it disappeared.... Buy the thing. Or buy it for me and I'll pay you to deliver to memphis

--
Tim
Collierville (Memphis), TN
Supercat 15--sold :(
Hobie monocat--given
Vanguard 15--traded for...
Nacra 4.5--sold
Nacra 5.7
Hobie 14–sold to make room for...
Supercat 17–sold
--

It's way easier to step the mast than a Nacra. Hopefully it has the harken traveller instead of the wire type, but that's an easy up grade for the price.

--
Tim
Collierville (Memphis), TN
Supercat 15--sold :(
Hobie monocat--given
Vanguard 15--traded for...
Nacra 4.5--sold
Nacra 5.7
Hobie 14–sold to make room for...
Supercat 17–sold
--

Buy it...buy it now...start driving before someone else gets there first



Edited by bradinjax on Sep 16, 2016 - 01:28 AM.

+1, etc... Go buy this boat. Great boats for a host of reasons. I've never understood the wet boat comment about Supercat. I get wet on every cat I've sailed.
Aquarius will give you great support

--
Supercat 15
Windrider 17
Several Sunfish and Sunfish clones
Ratboat built from Zuma and Sunfish parts
Shallow water sailor in the Delaware Bay
--

Because of the hull shape you can drive the lee hull a foot under water with no worry about pitching it

--
Tim
Collierville (Memphis), TN
Supercat 15--sold :(
Hobie monocat--given
Vanguard 15--traded for...
Nacra 4.5--sold
Nacra 5.7
Hobie 14–sold to make room for...
Supercat 17–sold
--

Just a quick update on the Supercat 17: Been trying to contact the seller for the last couple of days, but got no response to my email, they are not picking up their phone, and their voice mailbox is full. The ad was first posted over a month ago, so the boat is likely long gone.

DB

Too bad about the SC. But there is no shortage of good boats for the same amount as what you were going to spend on that wrecked 5.0. That was a $200 boat at best. Check these out:

Catamaran - 1983 NACRA 5.2 17ft everything you need but wind
http://missoula.craigslist.org/boa/5765515750.html

Probably too far away but I'd offer 1000 or 1200 would be good.
Also this:

Hobie 17 Catamaran
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/boa/5781513731.html

Or this:
Hobie Cat 18
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/boa/5778964624.html

There's no shortage of good deals in the pnw because most people are afraid of the cold water. There seems to be a lot of beachcats out here but nobody sails them (wimps) don't be afraid to low ball offer.

--
Dart 20
--

Sorry for the multiple posts, I'm a newbie at this

--
Dart 20
--

Quote

Sorry for the multiple posts, I'm a newbie at this

The site has some issues the owner is working on. for now, when you get the "timed out" message, just click OK. That will post your message. If you do the what looks obvious, & try again, you get multiple posts!

--
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
--

Like turtlenv said Nacra 5.0s or 500s do not come up for sale to often. I searched for almost a year. Needed a boat without boards due to the many sandbars where I sail and wanted a spinnaker. Wanted something different than my Hobie 16. Almost got a supercat 17 but was too far to travel and the price was too high with no spinnaker.

Looked at an extremely used 5.0 from the early 90s. It was a donation to a sailing school. The guy really wanted get rid of it. The sails were trashed, decks slightly soft and one of the bridle tangs had a prior repair. I passed on that even when the guy was down to 500 and still asked me to make an offer.

I finally recently found a 1994 5.0 which looked liked it was hardly used for 1200. The keels look untouched. There were a few small chips in the gel coat on one hull. The main issue was the missing the running rigging and that it came with a set of sails from a hobie. I have since spent 3 times that much getting the parts to make it a 500 sport minus the square crossbars and higher aspect rudders. But I could have sourced decent used gear and no spinnaker for a lot less (under 2500) and had a very solid boat.

I have a 1983 NACRA 5.0 IN my storage barn that has none of the six issues listed above. It is in great shape with heavy non-stained sails and all the gear and rigging. It is ready to sail. I sailed it off the beach myself in Lake Huron up here in Michigan until about two years ago when it just seemed too hard for me to do by myself. It has a galvanized trailer in great shape except I think the brake lights probably need to be replaced. Since I do not use it anymore I would be willing to sell it. What would be a fair asking price?

Jeffrey, I think you should sell I for $300.....to me

--
Tim
Collierville (Memphis), TN
Supercat 15--sold :(
Hobie monocat--given
Vanguard 15--traded for...
Nacra 4.5--sold
Nacra 5.7
Hobie 14–sold to make room for...
Supercat 17–sold
--

jeffreyataylor

I have a 1983 NACRA 5.0 IN my storage barn that has none of the six issues listed above. It is in great shape with heavy non-stained sails and all the gear and rigging. It is ready to sail. I sailed it off the beach myself in Lake Huron up here in Michigan until about two years ago when it just seemed too hard for me to do by myself. It has a galvanized trailer in great shape except I think the brake lights probably need to be replaced. Since I do not use it anymore I would be willing to sell it. What would be a fair asking price?

I'm not sure if you're serious or not but I am not sure I'll go through the trouble of pulling it out of my barn for $300. Thank you for your fast response and advice though. Have a good evening. Jeff

Jeffrey, just kidding. My best guess would be 1500-2500 depending on condition. Maybe in the lower half due to it being somewhat older than others. That's just my guess and hopefully you'll get some more GOOD advice.

--
Tim
Collierville (Memphis), TN
Supercat 15--sold :(
Hobie monocat--given
Vanguard 15--traded for...
Nacra 4.5--sold
Nacra 5.7
Hobie 14–sold to make room for...
Supercat 17–sold
--

jeffreyataylor

I have a 1983 NACRA 5.0 IN my storage barn that has none of the six issues listed above. It is in great shape with heavy non-stained sails and all the gear and rigging. It is ready to sail. I sailed it off the beach myself in Lake Huron up here in Michigan until about two years ago when it just seemed too hard for me to do by myself. It has a galvanized trailer in great shape except I think the brake lights probably need to be replaced. Since I do not use it anymore I would be willing to sell it. What would be a fair asking price?

Thanks again for your response. I would certainly sell it in that range because I am not using it anyway.

you can also poke around the classified ads here and see what similar boats are going for (if any)



Edited by MN3 on Aug 09, 2017 - 05:03 PM.