Hello everyone, thought I would share my first GoPro video on You Tube for everyone to enjoy. Some crazy high speed sailing on this little cat, coupled with some great music.

For those of you who have ever doubted or passed by on a chance to own a P-15, you might want to rethink your options. This little cat is very light, accelerates fast, and is sensitive on the helm... Like a sports car! A perfect challenge for all experience levels. This video showcases just how fun this design really is. Traps well too!

Paste this like into your browser or search Prindle 15 on You Tube!

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/QFN7g4L5Xcs



Edited by catmann on Dec 15, 2016 - 10:46 PM.

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Mike
Chicagoland area

Prindle 16
Hobie 16, 18
Laser
Flying Juniors
Seatrend board sailor
C Scow
Prindle 15, 18, (current)
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Nice! Thanks for the wet ride.

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Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
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Great video, looked like lots of fun and makes me wanna hitch up the trailer and hit the lake!!!! I especially liked how you ended it with the "time to chill" beer, "don't drink it unless the mountains are blue", Lol!!!! Great song also!!!!

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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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Yes... Cool video. Just bought a used 1981 prindle 15 in excellent condition. Can't wait until summer 2017 to sail it. Always have sailed an h14 and h16. Friends have told me this is a better boat.

I have a couple of questions for prindle owners. What righting system do you recommend?... And what are the proper jib dimensions for the p15?

Thanks Frank

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Frank
Prindle 15/Hobie 16/Hobie 14T
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" Always have sailed an h14 and h16. Friends have told me this is a better boat."

Hmmmmm, not exactly sure about that, I'm sure each has their pros and cons. I've heard that the Prindle boats can handle more weight because of the fat hulls, but that's about it. Experts can weigh in on that argument of which is the better boat, I would guess it all depends on what you want to use the boat for.

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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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spags

Always have sailed an h14 and h16. Friends have told me this is a better boat.

I also learned to sail catamarans on Hobie 16s.
I spent considerable time helping friends maintain the aluminum trampoline frame, and rudders.
When I bought a cat though, it was a Prindle.

The added bouyancy in the Prindle hulls made it much more stable in the ocean, and the crossbar design is simpler with minimal maintenance.
Hobie acknowledged the need for more hull and a cleaner tramp design with their H18, arguably among the best catamaran designs ever.

The H14 mast is quite far forward, and makes weight distribution critical, which was irritating to me when I sailed with friends.

A better boat? The Prindle 15 can't help but be in some ways. It was designed nearly 15 years after the H14, and a lot was learned in that time. The sail controls alone are much improved.

The Hobie 16 is a legend, and will still be around as long as people continue to buy them.
Ever sailed a NACRA, Tornado or a Dart? Newer deigns, and all of them boast quite a bit of positive flotation in the hulls, especially forward. Even Prindle re-designed their 18-2 and 19 after the Tornado.

Enjoy your P15 from the trapeze Spags, with its uncluttered trampoline and smooth main traveler.
Dang, now I wanna go sailing. :(

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Hobie 16 is world class, 'nuff said.

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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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Well said everyone!

All your comments are well recieved. As far as which boat is the perfect boat??? Well that is in the eye of the beholder. I like to think of each boat design being better suited for a set conditions. Kinda like the right tool for the right job. The P-15 does a really nice job handling flat to 1-2 ft wave chop without much loss of speed until things get white up front and well off wind. The 15 was never designed with a jib, so without, as the hull begins to fly boat speed falls off a bit due to no lee mainsail air acceleration. Retrofitting with a jib will require more aft mast rake to keep hull trim happy, but will make for a better trap boat. Front hulls are very knife like and do not offer much floatation, but does allow it to point upwind like a crazy horse. This is a fun and challenging design, very sensitive on the helm, a cat that you can do no harm with, and no jib to mess with in high winds. Simple!

As seen in the video, on occasion, the lee hull will find the perfect wave and puff scenario where the ride gets really wet. But the best part is, the boat recovers and continues its' way. The fun part for me is that when my P18 gets blown out, I rig the P15 and prepare for some scorching rides. I have found that with the traveler car out 50 to 75% out, full mast rotation, the lee bow rides very well above the water, not until the traveler is 100% out and boat angle is further off wind will the ride get wet. At this point, any cat is being challenged to be blown over forward. The challenge was to find maximum boat speed off wind without the pitch.

Simply put, any boat off the wind far enough will pitch due to excessive momentary wind and or lack of immediate hull acceleration to stay ahead of the puff. Most of all, the fun factor is way high in big wind scenarios. I've had this boat out regulary in 25-30mph, finding myself testing each wind line to find the upper limit! I feel the NEED for SPEED!

Need to get one of those fancy wrist knot meters for the fun of it! Next summer, the Go-Pro will mount on a bow sprit for best capture, should make for some great video, will be sure to share.

I'm already waiting for warm weather to ride again!

Catmann



Edited by catmann on Jan 04, 2017 - 09:55 AM.

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Mike
Chicagoland area

Prindle 16
Hobie 16, 18
Laser
Flying Juniors
Seatrend board sailor
C Scow
Prindle 15, 18, (current)
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Thanks for the feedback guys. Just got back from Cuba and went on a few hobie 16 rides in the ocean... Wow... The clear ocean waters seems to beat lake sailing here in canada , but that's just my opinion. I also couldn't believe how many tourists the skipper put on these boats... Up to 7 people (including kids) and the hulls extremely buoyant... No risks of pitch poling. Can't quite understand it.

Anyways... If u have any other tips or efficient ways to rig p15s, mast stepping, possible jib dimensions, righting systems... Please let me know. I appreciate the feedback. Thanks... Happy new year!

Spags

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Frank
Prindle 15/Hobie 16/Hobie 14T
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Oh.. One other thing. I was reading my prindle manual and had a few other questions that maybe somebody can help me with...
1) what is a baurberhaul (don't think I spelled it right)... It is anchored near each corner on the front crossbar and is part of the jib rigging system.
2) what is the purpose of the forestay "pigtail" wire hanging from the masthorn?
3) how tricky or easy is it to raise and hook the main sail on the ring at the top of the mast? It also involves rotating the mast toward the starboard hull when trying to hook the sail.... I'm used to a halyard lock on the hobie 14/16.

Thanks

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Frank
Prindle 15/Hobie 16/Hobie 14T
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Hobies were for the 70's, P-15 for the 80's. This is the new century & it's for foilers!! Pete

My sailing buddy has two tri foilers... Man, can they move!

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Frank
Prindle 15/Hobie 16/Hobie 14T
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My UFO comes in a few weeks,can't wait. Will be foiling before my 80'th birthday. Pete

[quote=Frank]
1) what is a baurberhaul (don't think I spelled it right)... It is anchored near each corner on the front crossbar and is part of the jib rigging system.
You use the barber hauler to move the jib sheet outboard for beam to broad reaching.

2) what is the purpose of the forestay "pigtail" wire hanging from the masthorn?
The pigtail is for the jib halyard. The forestay attaches to the longer part with the large ring. The jib halyard comes up through the large ring, turns around in the short pigtail and goes back down the forestay.

3) how tricky or easy is it to raise and hook the main sail on the ring at the top of the mast? It also involves rotating the mast toward the starboard hull when trying to hook the sail.... I'm used to a halyard lock on the hobie 14/16.
Easy. Pull the sail up and it will hook. To get it down, rotate the mast hook away from the ring and bounce the halyard.


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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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