Just bought a 1983 SuperCat 19....
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- Rank: Lubber
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Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 11:26 PM
I've sailed Hobies and Nacra 5.2s...came across a great deal on a SuperCat sailboat. Bought her...a few questions....the mast has no spreaders, nor does it appear there were ever any. Was this boat designed without any diamond spreader system? Also, there's no dolphin striker...am guessing the main cross beam was designed heavy enough to support the compression forces (??). Sails are in mint condition...can't wait to put her together and go flying..... - Wes -
- Rank: Mate
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 09:32 AM
Supercats are great boats--You'll like the beefy hulls and smooth ride. The 19 standard rig did not have spreaders. I think the XT rig, which is taller and the same as the SC20 standard rig may have had spreaders, but you would have to ask the factory The 19 doesn't have a dolphin striker, but the front beam has a box in it that replaces it.
Join the Supercat/ARC forum at: http://www.aquarius-sail.com/ for more info -
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 12:17 PM
I have sailed on a sc19 several times... great boat.. very fast.. a little wet.. but who cares!
As mentioned above.. no striker, and the 20 has spreaders (i have even seen double spreaders on them). My friend even flies a spin on his 19 (without spreaders).
the mast is very heavy (and strong) but be VERY gentle on your transums... they are the weak point of that boat and have seen 2 with them ripped out!
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 12:23 PM
Thanks guys for the help. The boat looks to be in great shape, though will need a new tramp. Main and jib and daggerboards/rudders are in immaculate shape ....I don't think this boat saw much sailing action at all. She's been sitting on her trailer for several years so will need a good scrubbing. All running rigging was sun-rotted and tossed prior to my purchasing the boat, so may need some help figuring out halyards and such. Has brand new standing rigging from West Marine. Can't wait to take her for a spin.... -
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 12:27 PM
for tramps - SUNRISE YACHT PRODUCTS rock!
http://www.multihullnets.com/
edited by: andrewscott, Jul 27, 2009 - 12:27 PM -
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 12:33 PM
Andrew....thanks for the pics of the transom issue. Will take a close look at mine to see if there are any cracks. I wonder if the builder installed a second watertight bulkhead ahead of the transom?? Looks like a quick way to sink your boat if you ripped the transom out with no backup bulkhead in place...... -
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 01:09 PM
both times this has happened it was due to hitting shoals and the rudder not kicking up (or wave action slamming the rudder into the shore line).
Looking in the sc20 (above) Hans G (Gcat designer) said to me there wasn't enough glass/cloth in there ... which was surprising to me, as SC's are built like tanks (as far as i knew). And if you look closely at the pic.. there doesn't seem to be alot of re-enforcement in there..
my advice: DON'T slam into any shoals.. and avoid slamming into submarines...
I think the best thing you can do is to make sure your rudders will kick up and are working well... -
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 01:24 PM
Yeah, slamming into stuff--BAD.
I agree with Andrew on Sunrise--they are the best and coolest tramps made, However, they are $$$$. Worth it, but still a lot. The one I got for my 15 was pretty custom and was going to be over $500 from Sunrise, so I found someone who wanted to get into making tramps and I was very pleased with the result.
One more things about the Supercats breaking--the bow tangs ripped off on the early 20s due to the construction. It happened to one I sold (but never got to sail). You have to go in the side and reinforce the whole area because (I think) they were laid up with cardboard reinforcements that degraded over time. Again, I'm not exactly sure why, but it is something to look for.
Also, the 19 has dagger board wells, so check out the insides and around the bottoms. The inside of the wells, or trunks, are not durable because they don't need to be. They are only to keep the boat watertight. A lot of times, water settles around the bottom and freezes, then vracks the area around the opening. That and it is the first place to hit the beach, so it wears thin in that area. -
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 01:47 PM
They changed the transom design at some point on the SC20. It went from an inset plug type transom to the smooth back cap transom seen in the pictures above. When I say plug type, it looked like they made an end plug and slipped it into the hull so that the fiberglass for both the hull and the plug were exposed in the back. This is the way ours was and it would leak between the different layers until we filled it with epoxy and eventually reinforced from the inside.
When they changed the design and got rid of that seam it seemed like a better design, but maybe it was a weak point after that.
Make sure the rudder assemblies work properly, they can be tricky to get to kick up, there is also a plastic dowel in them that is suppose to break if you hit something hard.
--
Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 04:32 PM
Hi Wes!
Mike here...Hudson, WI.
I purchased a 1987 SC19 two years ago and totally restored her to near new condition. Send me you email address and I'll send you some pics of her. I sailed and raced a Nacra 5.2 and 6.0 for years. With a young family and busy job I reluctantly sold my Nacra 6.0 about 10 years ago. Couldn't stand being without a cat!! Saw this one on The Aquarius website and purchased it. Love the boat! Smoother than the Nacra and LOTS more tramp room for family/riders!!
The boat does have a spreader/diamond wires and no dolphin striker like the Nacras. Very very smooth boat and the hull walls are built much stiffer/stronger than Nacras.
Send me a note: mkaa05@gmail.com
The best!
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