Philip, I just read the description on that link you posted. That boat at the Sailboat Shop in Austin was last registered in Hawaii?!
This is WEIRD!! I used to buy all the hardware for my Prindle 16 from Claude at the Sailboat Shop. We sailed that thing all over the Highland Lakes in Texas. Then I moved to Hawaii and had to leave my Prindle behind. Ten years later I pick up a P-Cat from a guy on the other side of the island. While trying to get the boat registered, I learn the whole history of the boat from the guy picking it up as it came out of the mold at Mobjack all the way until it reached my doorstep.
Turns out a guy from Honolulu picked up a whole bunch of P-Cats, stuck them on a ship, and moved them to Oahu. Mine was one from that set. He and a bunch of other guys raced them all around Diamondhead. Eventually a guy here on the Big Island bought it, and the owner previous to me bought it from him. Four owners total.
I'd love to find out the sail number on that boat at the Sailboat Shop. I have no idea if the guy who picked up that shipment from Mobjack back in the day got consecutive hull numbers, but there's a good chance that thing is only a few off from mine.
Gotta love it when things come full-circle!
Tom
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Pacific Catamaran (P-Cat) 19
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Posted: May 11, 2012 - 05:36 PM
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Posted: May 11, 2012 - 05:44 PM
On the hull construction of the P-Cat:
I installed a pair of 5" inspection ports in mine just forward of the deck. All manner of humidity wafted out of the holes after I cut them. (24 hours later they were bone dry.)
I stuck a camera down into the hull and took pictures:
The inside is filled halfway with closed cell foam blocks. The blocks hadn't absorbed any water, and were still quite light. The fiberglass was moist to the touch until it dried out.
This is a second set of photos stitched into a composite, looking aft:
In the upper quarter you can see the cavity of the forward beam arcing up and to the right. In the lower quarter you can see the foam blocks extending aft underneath the foot wells where the daggerboard trunks go.
As far as I can tell the boat is solid fiberglass. No foam, no balsa. That might be different under the hard deck, but I haven't managed to get a camera in there yet. There are reinforcing ribs in strategic places (visible in both photos) that appear to be made of hollow fiberglass that had been draped over some sort of mold.
There are also some reinforcing crossbeams down inside the hulls. The upper photo shows one of these in the foreground, with foam nestled beneath it. That's not burlap. Just moldy fiberglass. It's hard as a rock.
All the lighting for these was sunlight shining through the fiberglass. No artificial lighting was used. So the colors are characteristic of the fiberglass the light is passing through. The lower parts of the hull are a different color from the upper deck, which has more of a green tinge. The deck has an intermediate gel coat layer that looks like a funky green. I'm pretty sure this is what's causing the color of the light passing through the glass on the deck.
You can see this green gel coat layer in this photo where I was filling in a bunch of old screw holes:
Not sure why the deck was coated different from the rest of the boat. In any case the hull is all one color now, upper and lower halves alike, except for the stripe at the waterline that all P-Cats appear to have. In my case it's red.
Tom
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Posted: May 19, 2012 - 01:45 AM
Hey cool! Thanks to a Craigslist posting for a P-Cat, I found out the Pacific Catamaran makes a cameo appearance in the movie "The Endless Summer". Right around 59:00 there's a nice segment on sailing (and surfing!) the P-Cat in the waters around Waikiki. Hulu has the movie in case anyone is interested.
Tom
EDIT: Hey, even better! The Endless Summer is on Youtube. Go to about 6:49 here and you'll see the bit on the P-Cats:
http://www.youtube.com/wa…8LbAG0wtI&feature=relmfu
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Posted: May 19, 2012 - 12:16 PM
Good to see the old P-cat alive and well. I worked with the original builder for over 10 years. raced the boats heavily. You will also see the P-cats in many seens of the Disney Film "Boat niks" some of the sailors where also the builders. Newport Boats the original builder and Westport boats are now gone but you can find parts around. Construction of the boats varied alot over the years with competition of new boats but the boat is still very competive with the addition of the P218 rigg. Enjoy! -
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Posted: May 19, 2012 - 03:33 PM
Hey, thanks for chiming in on this thread! I'm still trying to piece things together from hints and photos. I hope you don't mind if I occasionally barrage you with questions.
I was looking in Royce's Sailing Illustrated, where he had a diagram of the original P-Cat rig, the P2-18 rig, and a Tornado all side-by-side. It struck me how similar the P2-18 and the Tornado rigs are. I don't know if I'd have much luck finding a P2-18 rig lying around, but a Tornado rig might be possible. Am I barking up the wrong tree here?
In any case right now my main goal is to get my kids out and sailing. They've all been pitching in on refurbishing this boat, and can't wait to get it out on the water. This will be their first experience on a sailboat under sail, so I'm betting the speed will be plenty exciting for them. If they get into competitive racing, I'll probably revisit the rig. Though if they go so far as to start racing, they may set their sights on another boat entirely. (Which is cool, 'cause then I'll get to give them a run for their money!)
Thanks again,
Tom
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 01:02 PM
We took our P-Cat out for a second time last weekend. This time we remembered we'd packed a camera, and actually used it!
We put in at Kawaihae Harbor on the west coast of the island of Hawaii, and sailed down to Puako, about five miles away. Here's a shot across deck as we passed the Mauna Kea Resort:
We did a number of MOB drills, which gave us some opportunities to photograph the boat from a distance. So here are two ID shots (Damon, I'm planning to take more in the very near future. Once I get some that give better light and angle, I'll post them in the ID gallery):
That's me sailing away after my wife and son jumped in for a MOB drill.
And that's us sailing back, just starting to dump sail to turn into the wind for the pickup.
The wind had dropped by the time we turned around to go home, so we had a very leisurely sail back to the harbor. This stretch of coast varies from about 50' to 0' deep, with coral reefs the whole way. I kept us deep enough not to stress about rudders or daggerboards, and my daughters decided not to stress at all.
Next time I'm bringing my mask and fins, and it's MY turn to go overboard for the MOB drill!
Tom
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 02:58 PM
Great job! Glad to see it back in the water.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
How To Create Your Signature
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Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 06:12 PM
Hey Tom, I noticed in your 1st pic that you have no downhaul on the main, is that one of the "next on the list" items, do P-Cats have downhaul? Awesome job on resurrecting an old cat......
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Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 09:47 PM
CONGRATULATIONS Tom! Can't wait to see more images!
I've watched the Endless Summer clip about 20+ times now with the Pacific Cats sailing. When do you think you could have some vids of your boat?
AJ
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AJ
Barefoot 12 Proa Outrigger
Coastal NC, USA
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Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 11:33 PM
No downhaul on the main since the main halyard never truly locks. The battens were still bolted in when I took that picture, so I was a little leery of really hauling on the halyard. But I re-did the battens last night and today, so next time we go out I should be able to get a better shape in the main and pull on the halyard enough to get rid of all those @#$% wrinkles!
But I'm glad you brought up downhaul. My wife and I are kind of looking things over, trying to decide where to go from here. The list of stuff to do is still long, and there are some real fundamentals we need to take care of. But the wish list has already begun. Neither of us is 100% happy with the main halyard winch system, so we may eventually switch to a more conventional main halyard, and go with a downhaul setup.
AJ, I've got a GoPro sitting on my desk at work. A friend of mine is an avid mountain biker with an insane collection of camera mount hardware. Kinda hoping the video happens this coming weekend. I have a trip coming up the week after that, so it's my last chance to sail for about a month. I gotta put something up on Youtube or Vimeo before then so I can watch it while I'm traveling and feed my wishful thinking!
Tom
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Posted: Jul 13, 2012 - 08:36 AM
Yep, my P-cat 19 also has no down haul.
As a matter of fact, it was originally rigged just opposite compared to a modern beach cat.
That is the P-cat had the main sail bolted to the front of the boom and the boom rode on a gooseneck afficed to the mast, making that end of the sail rigidly affixed.
Rather than a down haul it used a ratcheting hand-crank driven main sail halyard, that doubled as an "up-haul" cable to tighten the main at its head. -
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Posted: Jul 13, 2012 - 12:44 PM
I have hull 777. Hows that for a number. Should be ready for the water in a couple of weeks -
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Posted: Jul 13, 2012 - 12:51 PM
Hey, cool!
I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures of your boat. (Awesome hull number, by the way!)
Hey, does anyone know how to take apart the main halyard winch? The plastic bushings on mine are cracked and falling apart. Making new ones is no problem, but I have to be able to get the thing apart. Because of the deteriorating bushings, it's quite stiff, and I can't quite get the wrinkles out of the main without putting enough tension on the halyard to make me worry about breakage.
Thanks!
Tom
P.S. It's cool to see more P-Cats getting out on the water. YAAAAY!
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Posted: Jul 20, 2012 - 09:06 PM
I think I came across a P-19 today...sitting on a trailer in the woods. I have been told I can get it out of there, but its definitely a project. Just wondering how difficult it is to track down parts, including mast, rigging, etc. it does have the dagger boards and rudders. I will try to post pics. Hull #166. Is it worth the effort?
Edited by manion72 on Jul 20, 2012 - 10:07 PM.
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Paul Manion
Hobie 16
Goodrich, MI
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Posted: Jul 21, 2012 - 12:15 AM
Hmmmmm........ a 19 ft cat loose in the woods. You might want to only go in the daylight.
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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
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Posted: Jul 21, 2012 - 10:33 AM
Below are links to photos of the (what I think is) Pacific Cat I mentioned above. I can't seem to figure out how to correctly create an album. This cat is in danger of being cut up and disposed of. Is this thing worth digging out and attempting to restore?
[http://dl.dropbox.com/u/92113316/2012-07-20%2012.15.28.jpg]
[http://dl.dropbox.com/u/92113316/2012-07-20%2012.17.32.jpg]
[http://dl.dropbox.com/u/92113316/2012-07-20%2012.15.11.jpg]
Edited by manion72 on Jul 21, 2012 - 11:38 AM.
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Paul Manion
Hobie 16
Goodrich, MI
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Posted: Jul 21, 2012 - 01:18 PM
Only you know the answer to that question, and I say this because only you know how much time, effort and money you are prepared to devote to this project. It will not be easy, parts for the P-Cat are hard to come by, you might have to adapt certain equipment, the mast for example, if you cannot find a P-Cat mast you will have to adapt a used one to fit and that will take some effort. But you do have a support group here at the beachcats, and endless advice/experience.
First off, check the hulls for any damage, the condition of the hulls will determine whether to continue or not. If the hulls are solid, no damage, dings, holes, scrapes, delamination (soft areas felt by pressing hulls gently but firmly), then the odds are in your favour. Finding the current/previous owner might help track down other missing parts like the mast, even better odds. Sourcing the parts will take time, but the internet is an amazing tool, use it.
Just cleaning those hulls will be a rush, a little elbow grease and you will be amazed at the change, and that alone will get you excited enough to continue. All I see is a dirty cat, some black mold, some green algae, a quick wash will remove most of that, orbital sander with 800 grit water-paper will remove the old gelcoat, leaving you with a "new" look.
I will tell you this though, the feeling of accomplishment is unlike any other when you finally put that boat in the water once again. I have "rescued" 2 cats, the 1st was a P18, but that did not take much except some cleaning and a few parts. The 2nd cat is my G-Cat 5.0, I don't think it had seen water for several years but is now sailing again, what a trip. Other people will think you crazy, but if the force is with you........
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Posted: Jul 21, 2012 - 06:46 PM
Here's what I found when restoring my P-Cat:
If you're trying to restore it to factory original, chances are you won't be able to source all the bits. If you're trying to restore it to something that'll sail, chances are good. Follow turbohobo's advice on evaluating the hulls before proceeding. If they're trashed, let it go. If not, you have a decision to make.
The P-Cat has solid fiberglass hulls, so delamination may not be a huge risk. But do check it for soft spots. A good hard impact that's been "repaired" with paint may be hiding further damage that might make it un-seaworthy. Check first!
The most difficult bits to source would be the rudders and daggerboards, but it sounds like you've already got that. In addition to the blades and housings, the P-Cat has a pretty oddball tiller bar arrangement that includes two teak tillers. Does the boat come with the tiller assembly? This is something that can be made, but it saves a ton of time if it's with the boat already.
The mast and boom are another difficult bit to source IF you're trying to go factory original. If you're trying to get it fit to sail, you have some choices: The more recent version of the P-Cat, the P2-18, has a rig that's almost identical to a Tornado. I honestly think you could drop a Tornado or a Prindle 18 rig on top of a P-Cat and have a higher performance boat than the original P-Cat. The one potential gotcha with this plan is the mast base, hinge, and socket. But I think a new base could be made for a Tornado or Prindle mast that would let it work on a P-Cat. I'd be happy to measure mine and give you the drawings if you decide to go this route.
Everything else is off the shelf hardware. Mine had a mix of Harken, Ronstan, and a bunch of stuff from an Australian maker I couldn't ID. I have no idea if any of it was original. I had to replace most of the hardware on mine using stuff from Murray's, West Marine, and Sailcare. (Sailcare was the only seller who had the oddball camcleat blocks on the forward bulkhead.)
I'll second turbohobo's statement about the feeling of accomplishment you get when you start with an unearthed fossil and end with a beautiful boat, sailing under its own wind power. But it's not the cheapest route to go. If your plan is to get on the water for the least amount of money, I'd say give it a miss and pick up a used Prindle or Hobie for under a thousand. If your plan is to rescue this poor beast from the woods and return it to its natural element, the water, be ready for a lot of work and a fair bit of money.
Tom
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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Posted: Jul 21, 2012 - 08:04 PM
Your other option would be to rescue it from the woods, clean the cat up a little, get the trailer road-worthy by replacing the tires/wheels and bearings, (WalMart has the wheels and also bearing kits), and then sell it, list it here or on Craig's List, Catsailor, SailingTexas. There are other sailors out there who can and will take on this project, there are also other P-Cat owners looking for parts/hulls, either way it's a win/win situation.
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Posted: Jul 21, 2012 - 08:18 PM
PS, comparing the pics above, I concur with your observation that this is indeed, a P-Cat
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