hello all, newbie to mulithulls here...
Last week I snapped a crossmember bolt on my Prindle 16. Most likely they are original 1982, so I am changing them out.
I noticed that the rudders and hulls "fan out" a bit, wider at the bottom than at the waterline. All of the other (newer) cats I am looking at have very parallel hulls and rudders. Any reason I should not make them parallel on this Prindle? There is a lot of forum chatter about parallel rudders, but that is only in the forward to aft dimension, adjustable on the rudder connecting arm. I am referring to the rudders and keel just getting farther apart as they go down, and it appears the Prindle is designed to do that. Hope that is clear and look forward to any comments. Thanks,
How did you " snap a hull bolt" Pete
Need more info about what you are talking about.
And I'm also curious on how you snapped the bolt! Usually that happens when you overtorque them installing the beams or they are seized and you try to unbolt them with excessive force. Hopefully not while you were sailing, that points to a setup problem (all your other bolts were loose) or maybe something more concerning.
As for the bolt, after a nice day with 7-10 knot winds, I found the outer rear starboard bolt broken, with the shroud bar at the bottom of the sea. I have had the boat for only a year, and wonder if someone had overtorqued it. It is a 5/16 x 4.25 bolt, and I will be replacing all of them for good measure.
For my question I will try to be more clear. The 2 hulls are not perfectly vertical, but cant out an inch or so. The boat is otherwise quite square, and it seems consistent with all the other P16s I have seen (I don't think this has anything to do with the bolt, but will investigate that more when I take it apart). I imagine that, by canting the hulls so the width at the bottom matches the maximum allowed, it is the more efficient because it is as wide as allowed.
The rudders follow the angle of the hulls, so they are an inch or so wider at the bottom, as well. In other words, the pintles are not parallel, and this to me is a problem. If the rudders are straight back and I adjust the crossbar so they are aligned, they will not stay aligned when I turn them, and will slow the boat while tacking.
I have 2 choices, other than doing nothing. 1) I can try to adjust the gudgeons to line up the pintles. The rudders will not be in exact alignment with the hulls, but I am not sure that matters, or 2) I can try to set the hulls so they are more vertical.
Sorry about the longwindedness. Not easy to explain. Thanks
Choice 3 is best "do nothing" except replace the bolt. The xbeams & gudgeons were aligned & drilled with jigs at the factory. Simply measure the rudders for parallel on the trailer. It appears the bolt was overly tightened by a previous owner. Pete