So I just bought my first sail boat, an 84 Prindle 16. I will graduate from Western Michigan University in a few weeks and bought this boat to get more time out on the water. The boat is in pretty good shape except the lines are shot... they need to be replaced. So I have a few questions:

1. The line requirements I found online seem inflated greatly (ie: 50' of 7/16" line for the main sheet...) Does anyone have these dimensions?

2. Where is the cheapest place to buy bulk line in West Michigan? I went to the Boater's World in Grand Rapids today and to replace the tramp lines, jib and main lines, trap lines, and rudder lines. I added it all up and it will cost about $105.00 before tax... is this a good price? If not, where can I get these for less? I spent almost all my savings on the boat so I can't afford to be wasteful with my money.

3. The rudder system on the prindles tend to let the rudders pivot up under high speeds, does anyone have any recommendations on how to fix this? I was thinking about just putting a cleat on the rudder bars on either side to keep the rudders down and just know that they need to be pulled out of the cleats before I come up onto the beach? Suggestions?

4. The bottoms of both hulls are scraped up and the tan fiberglass/resin is exposed about 1.5 inches wide and about 5 feet on each hull bottom. Does this need to be fixed? Chances are, if I repaired it, I would end up just scraping it back off, but I don't want to ruin the hulls? Advice?

5. The sails are in OK shape... There are some small spots of mold and dirt. There is also a small oil stain about 2" wide on the jib... Is there a way to clean this off?

6. The hulls are dirty....with black spots... are there any tricks in the strip-wax-polish procedure? What products are best for this?

As my senior thesis and final exams are done, I'm sure I will have more questions. I would appreciate any input.

Cheers-

Dan

Hi Dan

Welcome to catsailing and to thebeachcats.com. All the info you will need for all your questions are here on this website. Top left you will find On the Wire archives, a hobie sailors magazine, check out tech tips for info on how to redo hull bottoms, can't remember which year or month but enjoy the reading anyway.
In the photo album section on this website you will find beachcats technical, check it out, many good tips.
As for the hulls, forget waxing, that's old and does not seal 100%, check out a product called Poliglow at www.poliglow-int.com, it's a clearcoat and only has to be re-applied every 2 years maybe.
Check out www.murrays.com for all your parts, they can get whatever you need and they're reasonably priced.
Other than that, just keep posting all your questions here and I'm sure they will be answered.



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TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
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Welcome indeed! Prindles are nice boats. I had one when I was a student at UF and loved it. The rudders were my only complaint as well. I think there are a few rudder stay kits available at Murray's that are designed to keep tension on the rudder and hold it in place. I know there is one for Hobie.

As for the hull bottoms, it is extremely important that you get that taken care of soon. If your fiberglass is showing it is subject to rot and decay. I just did some repair work to the bottoms of my Hobie 16. There is a great article in one of the past Hobie Hotlines magazines that explains exactly how to tackle the job. You can do it yourself. It and arduous job but necessary.

Check out the link.
http://www.hobiecat.com/hobieclass/eHCA_News09-10_2008.pdf

My hull bottom had about a three by one inch are of exposed glass. it was firm with no frayed fibers so I just taped off the area and built it back up by applying waxed gelcoat sanding and applying more gelcoat. This process built it back up to the original shape and thickness.

It's fun hitting the beach at high speed but it is horrible for the cat. Avoid doing that and try your best to turn into the wind just before you hit the beach. Pull your boat onshore don't ride it on.

Good luck and enjoy.

Martin

This may help with the rudder system problems.

http://www.murrays.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=01-2240&Category_Code=C-RC&Store_Code=MS

i would suggest NewJSI.com or LayLine.com for line. they have good lines... good prices.

Boater's World is about 200% more expensive i have found

The P16 is a good boat...nice choice. I prefer my P16 over my H16
For the rudder issue you'll need to adjust or replace the lock bolt.

http://www.performancecat.com/prindle/pdffiles/PrindleParts2005.pdf
see on page 5.

I've only had to adjust mine once in a while and the problem is gone.

If your rudder is "sloppy" you may need to replace the washers.

If set properly, the prindle rudders should not pivot at speed.

Dan

Check out this website, www.cat44.com, scroll down to "Hobie 16 repair tips" and look for "How to fix Hobie 16 hull bottoms". Hopes this helps some.



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TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
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