We have been sailing the Houlton Tornado this year having an absolute blast. Fun boat. On the North side of Long Island Sound, we often have 3 to 4 foot swells, and sometime peak to thoughs are 5 to 6 feet. At that point, we head it. The boat slices well but it pitches around, loading and unloading the standing rigging. Our boat is late 70s vintage and was likely raced hard, then little used and dry stored. Hulls seem n very good shape, but stainless hardware shows some signs of high loading.. We get some flat water sailing, but more times than not we don't. My question is, how durable are these boats? Twin layers of cedar planks, glassed in and out. Much gussetting internally. We may have a chance to get some Marstrom fiberglass hulls from 92. They are in good shape according to owner, haven't seen them yet. But assume good shape. I may feel more secure in a glass boat given the conditions. We had a H16 here for a decade and the waves didn't hurt the boat one bit. It might come down to Marstrom's reputation for construction, which I hear is good. Thoughts?

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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When it comes to cat sailing, any part can break at any given time under any conditions. Plan accordingly.

sm

did you purchase the extended warranty? Just kidding of course
your boat was probably built under much stricter controls and attention to detail than your hobie was, but was built to be as light as possible to win races

with age come wear, tear and need for maintenance and regular replacement of all fittings and attachments.

If your worried about your ... everything, inspect and be proactive - and if you sail in "real" conditions (more than protected bays and inlets) take extra precaution and have all the safety gear you can fit

If a structure is engineered properly, it will withstand all conditions until it exceeds the design load, plus a safety factor, usually 100% of intended load.
Wood, unlike metals does not fatigue or work harden.
The Tornado uses many, many gussets & stingers, screwed, glued, & glassed in place.
As long as they are ALL still securely affixed, AND the part itself has not suffered rot damage due to moisture getting by the barrier coating, the boat is as strong as new. But remember, Reg White said, "we built it as light as possible, if something broke, we made it a bit stronger."
I looked at several Woodies before I gave up & bought the 6 metre Mystere. All of them exhibited some structural compromise, deck rot, soft sides etc. Those flaws you can see. One particular boat I reached inside a hatch, felt around, & a gusset came loose in my hand. That made me run away from that boat.
If you have removed the decks & can confirm every in hull support is sound, I would drive it hard, the Olympians certainly did.
As mentioned, it's a light Cat, as in NOT Caterpillar, bring some safety equipment when out in the Chuck.

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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
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Dogboy

When it comes to cat sailing, any part can break at any given time under any conditions. Plan accordingly.

sm

So true. Thanks all. Proactive is a philosophy I now heartily embrace.

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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