I just purchased a 1995 Nacra 5.8 with Mylar Sails. I have three questions that I have been doing a little bit of digging on and could use some help.
1. I am having a hell of a time getting the mail sail down after sailing. There is a hook and ring setup at the top of the mast that holds the sail and does not come unhooked. Has anyone found a better way to rig this to avoid the hastle of this design? If not, any tricks to get this thing down (I have had to capsize 2X to get undone).
2. The mylar on the sail has a little bit of discolorization. Is there anyway to "clean" this?
3. Any suggestions on were to get an affordable new mylar main?
I really appreciate any help that you can offer.
Thanks,
Ed
Nacra 5.8- Main Sail
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Posted: Jun 01, 2010 - 05:09 PM
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Posted: Jun 01, 2010 - 05:19 PM
1. It shouldn't be that hard. You pull on the halyard a bit , bringing the ring up out of the hook. Turn the mast 45 degrees to move the hook out of the way (assuming you are facing inot the wind) and let it down.
2. You can get sail cleaner from Murray's but it is more used for Dacron. Windex might work, if it is under the mylar or a fading of the color it probably won't come out.
3. Chip Buck from Whirlwind Sails!!!! Advertised on this site.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Jun 01, 2010 - 06:11 PM
When you pull on the main halyard to raise the ring above the hook, YOU MUST KEEP TENSION ON THE HALYARD AS YOU ARE ROTATING THE MAST, YOU MUST ALSO HOLD THE MAST IN ITS NEW POSITION AND THEN RELEASE THE TENSION ON THE HALYARD AND PULL DOWN ON THE MAINSAIL. If you release the tension or let the mast go back to early, the ring will go back on the hook.
If or when you consider a new mainsail I would reccomend going to your local sail maker and take a look at a 5 oz dacron sail, they will last 20 plus years. You will be lucky to get 5 years with mylar. -
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Posted: Jun 01, 2010 - 06:52 PM
My halyard is tied to the ring making a loop. As I pull the sail up the halyard goes with it. To lower the sail I pull the ring up off the hook. Crew stands at the left rear of the boat also holding the halyard. When I let go they give a little tug, pulling the ring away from the hook. You just make sure that the line is tied to the left side of the ring. -
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Posted: Jun 02, 2010 - 07:05 AM
I also failed to mention in my post that you must have the boat pointed directly into the wind with the main sail directly down the centerline of the tramp before you start to take the sail down.
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Posted: Jun 02, 2010 - 10:44 AM
Good points all!
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Jun 02, 2010 - 12:12 PM
Two things I found that made a pretty big difference with a hook/ring main setup:
Make sure that the sheave at the top of the mast is truly round. Mine had a groove worn in it that would keep it from rotating with a load on it.
Make sure the halyard doesn't have a ton of stretch in it.
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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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Posted: Jun 02, 2010 - 12:42 PM
I feel your pain and have the same problem in the past and who may again in the future but practice has a lot to do with it. Also having the knot tied in such a way as to not have the knot pushing the ring the wrong way when trying to hook/unhook. Putting the sail up used to be a big ordeal but last time I had it up hooked the downhaul set and and was rigging the jib before the wife could even get to me to help so it will get better.
Other tips clean the mast trac and use some McLube on the boltrope at the begining of every season.
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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
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Posted: Nov 15, 2010 - 12:06 PM
I'm a little late on this thread, but am having difficulty understanding the halyard system for my boat. I have been hoisting my main and cleating it off as best I could, but the sail would always seem to ease down as the day went by, necessitating the need to adjust the downhaul and/or yanking the halyard again. To my knowledge, there is no "hook" at the top of my mast (1980 Nacra 5.2) to which a ring can be attached. The pictures in the manual are of a later model than mine; I don't have the swept spreaders); therefore, I'm not sure if my masthead is the same as the later models. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, and I am still pretty illiterate with regards to Nacras, so could somebody take a picture of what a Nacra masthead should look like? I would prefer an earlier model like mine. Hope y'all can help me. Thanks.
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Eric C
Force 5 project boat
Unnamed
Previous boat
1980 Nacra 5.2
"Double Vision"
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Posted: Nov 15, 2010 - 02:42 PM
I think I figured it out. On my boat, there is a small hook on the front of the mast as opposed to the mast head. I think the slug on the metal halyard should be lodged in there when the sail is up. Please let me know if I am wrong. I haven't tried it yet.
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Eric C
Force 5 project boat
Unnamed
Previous boat
1980 Nacra 5.2
"Double Vision"
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Posted: Nov 15, 2010 - 04:49 PM
If you have the hook and the ring system you need to make sure the knot is facing aft.
It sounds like you have a system similar to a Hobie 14/16, where a bead on the wire halyard fits into a V hook at the top of the mast.
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Steve Fisherkeller
P19MX
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Posted: Nov 15, 2010 - 05:40 PM
yes, that's correct - straight spreader 5.2's have a slug on the wire halyard that hooks in the fork at the front of the mast head. hook it in there and then connect and pull down the downhaul to keep it in place, this is the same for many multi's from the old hobie16 to the new weta tri
after 1984? nacra changed factories and many things on their boats, ie solid glass to foam sandwich hulls, different rig with swept spreaders and sail. that system uses a much bigger hook at the top of the mast and a ring on the halyard. it's a finicky system that requires special knots, rings, rotating the mast etc. to unhook and drop the main. quite a bit on it if you search the forum and web -
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Posted: Nov 16, 2010 - 06:30 AM
Pull the sail up ALL THE WAY, (with the halyard away from the mast a bit)you will hear a "click" as it hits the end of travel. Now move the halyard up against the center of mast, & slowly release tension. You will feel that little slug on the wire catch under the small hook on mast. After you do it once or twice, you will never miss. The older ones use this vs the ring & hook.
Edited by Edchris177 on Nov 16, 2010 - 04:30 AM.
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Posted: Nov 16, 2010 - 06:40 AM
Go to the Technical Help section, you will find 2 Nacra Manuals for th eolder boats. They show both systems. The first one has the better picture, scroll to figure 18.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=35212
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
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Posted: Dec 03, 2010 - 08:19 PM
i have a nacra 5.8 and a nacra (inter) 18 and both have the same hook arrangement at the top of the mast. i have found that not pointing the mast exactly straight into the wind but heading the boat slightly to the right (toward starboard side and technically on 'port tack') when you are looking forward into the wind tends to push the main to the starboard side of the boat just a little. then, when i rotate the front of the mast to starboard, the sail helps by getting out of the way due to a small amount of wind pressure, instead of flogging back and forth.
1) wind coming from port bow direction 2) pull halyard hard and hold tension 3) rotate front of mast toward starboard hull as far as it will go 4) release halyard 5) smile
something else i try to do as i raise the mainsail is to make sure the halyard is hanging free of any twist before i attach it to the head of the main.
hope that helps!
Edited by arch on Dec 03, 2010 - 06:21 PM.
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Posted: Jul 20, 2022 - 03:17 AM
Anyone have some 5.8 sails lying around they don't need? -
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Posted: Jul 20, 2022 - 03:18 AM
Anyone have some 5.8 sails lying around they don't need? -
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Posted: Jul 20, 2022 - 03:22 AM
Anyone have some 5.8 sails lying around you don't need? -
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Posted: Jul 20, 2022 - 10:58 AM
Yes, I have a few that are lying around, that I don't need as much as you do.
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Philip
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Posted: Jul 22, 2022 - 09:33 AM
Good points above. I would add a couple of things. Look at what side your hook is on. I believe the 5.8s are on the port side. Make sure the bottom of the bolt rope has the stitching cut loose. If the bolt rope has shrunk inside the luff tape, it makes raising the main difficult. This becomes very difficult when trying get the main down, as you have to pull the main up another inch. I would recommend cleaning the sail track and spraying a silicone type spray (I use McLube) in the mast track before hoisting the main. McLube works well on the jib zippers as well. If your hook is on port side, rotate the mast for the front to go to starboard. If you think of it, the sail is straight back, you raise the main up off the hook, then rotate the mast so the hook twists out of the halyard ring. Lower the main while rotated until the ring is underneath the hook. This is where over-rotators work very well.
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Scott
Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC
Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
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Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
Nacra 5.0
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Tornadoes (Reg White)
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