Hello all
Took the boat out for the first time this year and for some reason, I couldn't come about for crap. What gives? Plenty of speed, dies as soon as I'm dead into the wind, then falls off. Repeatedly. While the 5.7 ain't the fastest boat to bring around, this has never been an issue before. Rodders maybe? I did rake the mast back somewhat - not sure that would be an issue. FYI, I was solo, small lake with some chop, maybe 15k at best. Usually just backwind the jib when solo to get around as I usually have my hands full when solo. Other than poor technique, anything I should look at?
Thanks
Chris
Nacra 5.7 handling issues
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Posted: Jun 28, 2011 - 10:36 AM
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Posted: Jun 28, 2011 - 11:45 AM
The 5.7 shouldn't need the mast raked back much more than 1 ft. It could also be that you mixed the 2 rudders assemblies up when assembling. The way you tell is that the 2 rudder arms should be bent slightly towards the trampoline. If you mount them backwards your rudders will be toed in seriously and that will affect steering and put the brakes on in a tack.
Technique is most likley the main problem though, not knowing your past cat experience it's hard to know exactly what could be wrong. One thing that is important but often overlooked is the timing of when to cross the boat. Try staying on the old windward side a little longer before crossing.
Edited by Wolfman on Jun 28, 2011 - 11:46 AM.
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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 28, 2011 - 12:44 PM
I find difficulties arise on my 5.7 when it really starts to honk, as in when you're to scared to gybe. Start your tack from speed, move the rudders no more than 45*, then be sure to keep them there. It is easy to let go of the tiller, or let them go back to neutral, or all the way over when you are changing sides.
I don't cross over until the jib has backwinded enough to start moving the bow through the wind. As you are coming into the wind, or a bit before, ease the mainsheet, so the sail isn't acting like a windvane. I do lose speed, but the momentum carries it through, aided by the backwinded jib. Don't be in a rush to hard sheet the main, until you are pulling some power, & speed is increasing.
My 5.7 certainly doesn't come about like the little Invitation, but in 10-15 you shouldn't blow tacks. I think yesterday, after changing a few things with the boat tipped over on the lawn, my mast had almost 2 feet of rake, going by where the halyard was hanging.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
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Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
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Posted: Jun 28, 2011 - 01:54 PM
Thanks
I will check the rudders at they were indeed off this winter. I suspect just poor form - first time out this summer. Second full season on the nacra, been messing around in boats enough to know better I would hope. For sure, I was a bit giddy crossing over so I'll keep that in mind as well.
Chris -
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Posted: Jun 29, 2011 - 03:02 AM
1st up are you releasing the mainsheet in the tack? if not the big sail will try and weather vane you head to wind...
2nd - when it's blowing well big volume hulls, like on the nacras, can weather vane you into irons, esp. if you are solo and sitting well aft trying to do a roll-tack
in that case release the mainsheet AND the traveller when tacking so the hulls can use all the momentum to get across the wind while the rig sits head to wind
once the hulls are around on the new tack SLOWLY bring in the mainsheet and traveller a little to build up forward speed and then pull them in the rest of the way -
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Posted: Jul 05, 2011 - 09:06 PM
Erice.. Great discription !! New to nacras. Got a 5.2 this year . Not in love yet!! Having the same probs.. Used to a H16. So .. With Miss N. Gentle with the girl. Let her get her feet after the tack.. Then say haul a** . Nice .. will try next week.. Cheers Hal
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Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness
I Need a A Cat Please
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Posted: Jul 05, 2011 - 09:22 PM
Yeah, actually got out for the first weekend of sailing for this season (yes it is a REALLY late year up here, we are still in spring flooding). I forgot how important blowing 12" of traveler or a couple feet of mainsheet ws in a tack! For the 5.2 it is essential. I stuffed every tack that I didn't do it and didn't miss one when I did.
And it was BLOWING, 2 of us hiking out on the wings and we still have problems keeping er down. Another week to get used to all the new controls and I should have my sea legs back! Didn't help that my crew was just dead weight and I had to work all the lines and the helm.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Jul 06, 2011 - 12:46 AM
and don't forget probably the biggest sin when tacking beach cats
don't try to tack 180 degrees from a beam reach!
there just isn't enough momentum to force those 2 big hulls sideways through the water more than 90degrees against the wind
so if sailing along the beach and wanting to tack around and sail back along the beach the other way you'll need to finish your beam reach by sailing up into wind for a few boat lengths
pull in all the sails and traveller, and THEN from that hard to wind course, tack the 45degrees across the eye of the wind
when the wind is on the other side of the sails and you are moving forward, fall off to your new course
was out on my 5.2 today, well forward on the trapeze and humming along nicely on a beam reach at 14knots with the leeward bow about 3/4 down, when a little extra wind pushed the bow below the surface
eeekkk! so i scurried back along the hull until 1 foot was behind the rear beam and the bow gently rose and we trucked on with a gps high of 15knots
http://www.mapmytracks.com/explore/activity/activity-2011-07-06-023222
a hobie16 would have spat me off for that
which is why we nacra boys love out boats so
but those 2 long balsa wood logs can be a little harder to turn than the 2 little bananas on a h16
Edited by erice on Jul 06, 2011 - 01:13 AM. -
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Posted: May 16, 2016 - 10:58 PM
Did your 5.7 come with wings or did you add them? -
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Posted: May 23, 2016 - 04:37 AM
No 5.7 ever came with factory wings, someone McGyvered it.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
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Posted: May 23, 2016 - 10:14 PM
The wings were made for 2 years in the early 90s. Very rare. Not the best system in the world but they work. I bought mine from a fellow on here who was parting out his prindle 19. Unfortunately he had cut the beam plugs to fit the prindle oval beams as opposed to the round beams on my 5.7. I have built them up using 3m 5200 and they work fine but I find they aren't as solid as I would like. Wings are great when you are soloing or want a more comfortable ride, but honestly I would prefer to trapeze off the hulls just for the fun of it.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: May 24, 2016 - 01:13 AM
Wings were available on 570 but front cross bar /beam different configuration so not interchangeable with 5.7. If you are not sailing .solo on 5.7 or 570 , have mate sheet in jib to the max ,use jib block, simultaneously helmsman back winds main and hard on the rudders, the cat will respond , if your mate smartly disengages the jib block and releases the jib ,- so mate crosses over tramp to a hull that is half submerged ,sheets in jib ,while crossing back over tramp quickly to keep cat upright, captain back winding main & also is on the tiller,cat comes about, both sailors move cross tramp keeping craft upright. This technique works in high wind situations and is quite rapid. All cat sailors know u must get both hulls about, not just one like monohull sailors-so sails must be coordinated with hull movement. experienced solo cat sailors can perform this maneuver deftly when conditions require&I used it solo on my 5.2,&5.7& now on my dart eighteens-learned it in large ocean swells/high winds on Hobie16 & Prindle sixteens. so I have extra long jib lines (my friends complain I have excess spaghetti)that I can sheet in and quick release when solo, and not have to move all the way forward on the tramp so I can concentrate on helm -
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Posted: Nov 06, 2019 - 11:02 AM
One thing to consider is that you don't have boards. This will take a bit of a different method to tack. To reitterate some previous comments; When you go to tack, keep mainsheet in. Turn boat. leave jib cleated on current low side. As the boat turns, the jib will back wind. Now, ease the mainsheet about an arm length. Once you feel the bows through the wind and the boat starting to move forward, release the jib and quickly sheet in on the opposite side. Once the jib is fully in and crew is set, sheet the mainsheet back in. I think one thing that would really help is keep your weight aft while tacking. This will lift the bows and allow them to move to leeward. This will take some practice, but as you get used to the boat, you will get quicker and it will be less frustrating.
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Scott
Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC
Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
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