Does anyone have information about the Dart 20? There is one available in my area but I do not know much about them. I have lots of sailing experience and beach cat experience. Thanks"......
Dan
Dart 20
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seems a very rare cat to google...
if it looks like a dart18 then presumably it's simply a stretched version to better carry 3?
there's a lot about the dart 18 on the web and someone on 1 of the dart forums or facebook page should know why so few were made
http://medway.boatshed.co…tampede-boat-46430.html
Edited by erice on Aug 05, 2012 - 05:47 PM. -
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I have sailed on the Dart20 that is for sail on the Dunedin causeway.
VERY good high wind boat (they are made to sail in the north atlantic) - I have been on it in over 40mph wind
No boards, smaller jib, pretty easy to sail (compared to boats with tons of adjusters) -
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I never seen a 20, however a fellow down on the next bay has an 18. I can beat it on all points of sail with an N5.7. They are comparable designs, (skeg hulls, simple setup).
As Andrews said, they are good in big wind. The 18 has 2' less mast, & an anemic jib compared to my 5.7, however, if you sail in an area of consistently strong winds those are advantageous.
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MN3, the one I am looking at is the one on the Dunedin causeway. What can you tell me about the boat?
Thanks,
Dan -
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It has been sailed from our beach for many years. it was owned by my friend Steve for many years. He sold it when he wanted a newer design and more competitive cat (got a P19mx). It was owned by a (local) guy named Smitty before Steve owned it. They both kept it in good shape.
As i said above, it is a great heavy air boat. It suffers a bit in light air... but all boats do (perhaps this design is a smidge worse in light air than others)
I know first hand it sails extremely straight and fast with no one on board (i recommend an anchor vs just pulling it up on the beach (esp in raising tides)
It was a great boat for him and his wife, easy to rig, no spreaders, sailed well, Could step the mast single handed.
its lack of dagger boards made it a great cat for St Josephs sound and old clearwater bay (with all it's shallows). and its boomless design was also a nice feature
he had a Tornado sail cut down to fit, not sure of the current sail plan
any other specific questions?
Edited by MN3 on Aug 06, 2012 - 09:48 AM. -
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If you can find the January/February 1986 edition of Multihulls magazine (Mr. Chiodi, editor) you will find a 1 page review (p. 63) on the Stampede 20. It was introduced in the U.S in May of '85 for the Worrell 1000. It was the only stock boat racing against heavily-modified factory boats, like the Randy Smyth's Prindle 19. "No other cat sails quite like a Stampede. Superb handling characteristics, ultra-sensitivity, and instantaneous response. It's quite a shock to have such unexpected lively performance and accelerations in a 20 foot cat. We have heard comments such as 'I have never sailed such an excellent handling boat,' and 'how can it sail perfectly balanced on main alone...' a real bonus when we get those 25-30-knowt winds and 10-foot seas; just reef in the jib and let her fly."
"Rodney March is the designer of the Olympic Tornado as well as the Stampede (and Dart 18, too!). Its overall superiority in design should prove to be competition even against the fastest cats in the world; perhaps even when sailed stock."
Specifications: L.O.A. 19'05" B.O.A. 8'00" Mast 29'05" Mainsail 350 sq. ft. Jib 50 sq. ft.
Weight 350 lbs.
No daggerboards, no boom, no diamond wires, no complications, so as the article concludes: "...nothing but sophisticated simplicity! Since the real test is not only maching, but sailor; with less to adjust and less to go wrong, more concentration could be placed on helmanship...the key ingredient."
I hope this helps. Dartman (4 Darts and 1 Prindle 18-2) -
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Last paragraph: machine
Also 1more quote from the article: "We thought about special materials to lighten and strengthen, but Stampede is already feather-light and seemingly indestructible." You won't have to worry about build quality. My 35+ year old Darts have held up great and most of my racing or day sailing are out in the Channel Island channel where we get some fierce winds and big seas and no problems; I feel completely safe! Dartman -
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nope. haven't seen it on the water since it was sold (a year plus ago) so i have no idea what has been done with it since. Back when i did know it.. it had some issues but was repaired (hulls were separating/cracked) -
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Thanks for the info MN3 and Dartman. I just looked at the boat. The seller thinks it is a '89. The gellcoat is faded (blue/red) and it has normal wear and tear. The tramp is two years old, has beach wheels, Ulman sails, extra set of rudders, and a Trailex trailer. Overall it seems solid and ready to sail but in need of cosmetic attentiIon on th hulls. Theseller is asking 1800. Any thing(s) I shoul look for before I pick it up tonight?
Thanks
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probably a good idea to read through the dart18 buyers guide on the dart 18 site
http://www.dart18.com/TechTalkBuyingUsed.htm
Edited by erice on Aug 06, 2012 - 04:20 PM. -
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I (personally) would make him (anyone i bought a boat from) rig it before purchase to make sure it's all there, and so you know all the ins and outs. If you do it at the beach... why not take it out to make sure it floats too...
The extra rudders are a HUGE bonus. If i recall correct, they cost about $1200 EACH to replace. So Steve grabbed them when they became available (they came off a dart18 that was chainsawed in 1/2 due to registration/title issues). -
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I owned the boat for about 12 years. I have had many adventures on the Dart 20, one documented on the Weather Channel.
The boat when I sold it had a square weave dacron Tornado main sail that had about 10 inches taken off of the top to fit the Dart 20. It has a Tornado Jib that had about 10 inches taken off of the top. I had added a bow foil to enable lowering the the jib. The boat will sail on the main alone. Just before I sold the boat to Mike, it had a bottom job.
The Dart 20 sets up easily, can be sailed single handed easily. I had a great time with the boat and only sold it because of buing the Prindle 19MX.
If you have any questions about the boat don't hesitate to ask. If you buy the boat, I have some extra parts and some old sails that you can have as a spare. If you want.
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Steve Fisherkeller
P19MX
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Steve, thanks for the info. I ended up getting the boat. I spent this morning going over the boat. I will be sailing it today or tomorrow depending on the weather. It still has the Tornado sails. If you have some spares you want to get rid of I would be happy to get them from you and also get some history on the boat. Do you know what year it is and if it has a HIN and was ever titlled?
Thanks,
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Dan, congratulations on getting the Dart 20. It was never titled. It was not required. I think the hull number may be inside the hull if you look in the port. I believe the boat is a 1989. If you have any questions about rigging let me know. I think I have pictures for rigging if you need them, let me know what your email is. My phone number is 727-458-5405, give me a call and we can set a time for you to get the spares.
Enjoy the boat
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Steve Fisherkeller
P19MX
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many old cats in florida have not ever been titled nor registered
"Back in the day", it was common for these boats to be sold without the full papers (probably since registration wasn't required, why pay taxes and fees to have it titled?) and is about impossible to get papers on these legacy boats, esp the ones made out of the US (without a judge's signature) -
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Excuse me for waking a dead thread but this sounds like a wonderful modification. Are there any photos of this ? How high above the hulls does the foil ride? Did you use shroud adjusters or strops? Did you follow the same angle as the bridle leading off the hulls? Did you add a main boom or modify the foot of the mainsail also?
I've had my dart 20 for one season. I trailer sail and have a gin pole for stepping. Thanks in advance for your help in this O brilliant minds of the double boat community.
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Dart 20
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