Hi everyone, I recently bought a 1986 NACRA 5.7, and I am completely new to NACRA catamarans...I have only very limited experience on Hobie 16 and Prindle 15 cats (and no experience in their assembly). I am in the process of restoring my 5.7 to sail worthy condition, and have had to replace some different lines, mainly the halyards.

To be honest, I am completely self-taught...I've never taken any formal courses, and have never learned sailing from anyone of significant experience. I do intend to take some courses, but no one offers small catamaran courses near me, so that may be down the road...I am definitely a fair weather sailor for now. My first sailing experience was literally a friend that had been out on a Prindle a hand full of times, "teaching" me about how to sail my newly inherited Prindle 15 at the time...and the majority of my learning has been trial and error (lots of error lol), so needless to say, I need all the help I can get...

I am really struggling with the setup of downhaul lines, and would absolutely love for some fellow 5.7 owners to post photos of their boats rigged up, so that I may have some guidance...I am definitely a visual learner, so the assembly manuals have not helped much, as they have poor image quality, and I am struggling to see what is going on exactly...

Thanks!



Edited by sea_flyer on May 12, 2017 - 07:03 PM.

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Eric
1986 NACRA 5.7 #331
I fly seaplanes...and a cat on weekends
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I am about to go up and get the cat rigged this weekend and might be able to get some pictures that could help. The halyard hold-downs and main downhaul are pretty simple on this boat, so I'm wondering where any confusion lies. The main sheet and 7:1 Harken system can be a bit confusing. Since I don't have a lot of rigging photos handy, can you clarify what you want to see or know? I just totally renovated my 5.7 last year and am finishing up with new rigging, hydroturf and decals this spring, so I need to update the profile picture with the "new" boat.

Where are you located and sailing?



Edited by tominpa on May 12, 2017 - 07:50 PM.

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Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
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Hi Tom,

I am located in central Florida, and do most of my sailing on large, fresh water, lakes, but I do eventually have the intention of getting out on the bay around St. Petersburg, FL, once I have more experience.

I just bought this boat about 3-4 weeks ago, and it sat out of water for about 7 years with the previous owner, so it was pretty dirty, and the halyard lines were in pretty bad shape. I ordered 5mm Endura braid, to replace the jib/main halyard lines, and planned to use it for downhaul as well. My mainsheet and jib sheet are in good condition, and I have not had to touch them. Basically, I have never seen the boat completely rigged, as it was on a trailer when I bought it, and never had a chance to practice setting it all up. I'm essentially working with a boat, that has no lines of any kind on it whatsoever...

Ideally, I would love to see some photos of what the mainsheet & jib sheet, halyards, and downhaul all look like after the mast is upright and the boat is ready to launch...I am more or less just trying to prep the boat as much while it is on the trailer, that way I have less hassle when I go to launch it for the first time...

So far, I have cut:
-30' of 3/16" (5mm) for the main halyard
-21' of 3/16" (5mm) for the jib halyard
-20' of 3/16" (5mm) for downhaul
But have not run any of it...

Anything you can share with me is more than appreciated!



Edited by sea_flyer on May 12, 2017 - 09:24 PM.

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Eric
1986 NACRA 5.7 #331
I fly seaplanes...and a cat on weekends
--

this is the best assembly manual and photos I know of https://www.thebeachcats.…b274f297c557fc9720e0671
The mainsail is hoisted on a stainless steel halyard with a shackle that holds the head of the sail, a nico-press sleeve that is retained by a fork on the front of the mast, and an eye that the rope halyard can attach to to hoist the sale. Best price is here https://www.saltydogmarine.com/product_info.php?products_id=2541&osCsid=e11d62ed33770c857f561efd1fc66032 When the sail is hoisted, the rope halyard can be detached (mine has a brass snap on the end), and I use a plastic carbine hook to hold the halyard wire. The hook is on a bungie that catches a bungie that traverses the front beam, draws it up in an inverted V, which serves to keep the jib sheets clear of the mast. The bottom of the luff has a ring which is captured by a S-hook and fiddle block downhaul attached at the bottom port side of the mast. I will try to grab some pics, but this is a picture of the two types of halyard captures in use https://www.thebeachcats.…46bc319960c8a3c16cfd49d2 The sail is not held with just rope.

The jib halyard is also wire with a 1-inch pulley on the end that is used as a downhaul to tension the job. The head of the jib is captured in a shackle then hoisted along the forestay, the pully is then captured by a 1/4 or 3/16 line x 3' and snugged into a clamcleat on the port side of the mast. https://www.saltydogmarine.com/product_info.php?products_id=2510&osCsid=e11d62ed33770c857f561efd1fc66032 A similar product is available on Murrays.

Hopefully you are using something closer to 5/16 or 3/8 for the jib sheets and main sheet and 7:1 Harken blocks and traveler. 3/16 sounds pretty thin.

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Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
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Main sheet:



The bungie inverted V that keeps the jib sheets from fouling.



Diamond wires and sail trim



Will try to get some close-ups. Everything on this cat has been touched...new tramp, rigging, paint, Hydroturf decks etc.





Edited by tominpa on May 12, 2017 - 09:46 PM.

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Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
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Hi Tom,

Thank you for that reply...definitely helpful, especially the diagram associated with the assembly manual...that schematic explained a lot. The 3/16" line is just for my halyards, and downhaul...I already have 3/8 run for my mainsheet and jib sheet (they came with the blocks, and were in good condition, so I left them alone).

You definitely have done a very nice job restoring your 5.7...I really like the hydroturf! I'm eventually planning to restore the hulls on mine when I get the time and money. I would definitely still love to see some more detailed photos of your boat/rigging if you get the chance to post them later!

Thanks a ton!

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Eric
1986 NACRA 5.7 #331
I fly seaplanes...and a cat on weekends
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