Wow, you're not kidding. Quite a pile of parts for $500. "Good Deal" indeed. Taipan 5.7 hulls, foils, beams, tramp, trailer and beach wheels. Kevlar hulls. Extremely light. Mast broke. Have a couple sails and a bunch of harnesses and parts. Trailer also.
If that were in a thousand-mile radius, I'd be clearing space for yet another winter project. Finding the RIGHT mast would be hard, but finding a 31' stick that'll work shouldn't be too bad, especially if you can get the bits from the mast that broke.
Probably best that it is too far... I have too many motorcycle projects in process right now: 95%, 05%, and 75% with a couple not yet started but standing in line behind. Then there's the growling bearing on my Subaru cat-wagon, and I don't want to think about the house projects. :p
That is a great deal if it is actually complete less mast and the hulls are in good shape. I even have a spare F18 rig that would probably work beautifully for it. Dang it's tempting...
The trouble with that particular boat, and most Taipan products, is parts are hard to come by. I suspect that is why the original owner is basically giving it away-getting a new 5.7 mast sourced from Australia will cost significantly more than the platform is worth. The other issue is there is no class to race in and not even a SCHRS rating assigned! The performance is up there, given the sail area is closer to a N20 but the platform is 150 lbs lighter! Fitted with long boards or potentially foils it would be a riot.
Jeff S on the catsailor forum wrote this "G'day Lars what size Taipan, I have a new mast base for a Taipan 5.7 I'm about to put on a boat and can take a series of photos if that's what your after, I also have the same already on my 5.7 so can take photos of that as well. "
He may have an old one for sale? ... or know where to source a base? ...
and having the right base (i would think) is the hardest part of replacing that mast .. as a good spar fabricator could "make it work" with some cleaver welds
Game over guys, I'm buying the boat. Have a Nacra 32' carbon mast to put on (will cut foot off top). Have a Nacra strike rod & will either use Nacra crossbar tubes or carbon tubes. Perfect candidate for after market foils. Pete
Pete thank you for saving us. If I didn't have an A cat project to finish and an F18 Worlds to train for I would go for it.
Don't cut the Nacra mast (especially if it's an I20 tube, those are worth more than gold as soon as one breaks). The boat can take the power. Get some carbon beams and supercharge that ride: http://www.catsailor.net/index.php?/topic/244-supersupa-taipan/
More details in this thread: https://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=49040
Hopefully you kept a pair of Marstrom T rudders Pete.
Interesting I20 setup..the stock mast is 32'...someone likes frankenboats!
What are you thinking for foils? There is an F18HT converted to foiling with A-Cat Z10's, not sure how practical that is outside of flat water. I suspect anyone else will sell you a pair but you might have sticker shock...
My crazy catamaran neighbor is going to France/Holland in June; has apt to sail a Phantom & maybe N-17. Will let him do some research for me. We only have flat water here on our 1 x 5 mile lake, so a Franken boat makes sense here when can pick them up for $5. Pete