What is the general consensus on the Nacra 5.5, specifically the uni version? I'm coming from a Hobie 16 and want to upgrade to a boat with a spin and more modern design. I searched the internet and didn't find a whole lot. Any of your thoughts would be appreciated.
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-Zach
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Nacra 5.5 Uni?
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Posted: Mar 24, 2013 - 05:52 PM
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Posted: Mar 24, 2013 - 11:36 PM
Spinnaker isn't standard, or typical, on a 5.5 Uni (or a 5.5 SL).
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Rob
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Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 02:13 AM
My bad. The one I'm looking at has a spin.
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-Zach
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Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 07:07 AM
Zach-
My 2cents: get an F16 or F18. I have a feeling your going to want to race, and sailing Portsmouth on an odd duck boat like a 5.5 with a spin is nothing like sailing head-to-head in the same class (nothing against the 5.5 - I've heard its a sweet ride). These two classes are in a growth mode. There are plenty of used boats on the market, and later resale will be easier as well.
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Jeff R
'88 H18 "Jolly Mon"
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NE IN / SE MI
cramsailing.com
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Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 07:56 AM
I have a 5.5 Uni and have an added spin, I have both a spin and a hooter, the rigs are interchangeable without dropping the stick. Rehmbo is right if you plan to race, H-16, F-16 or F-18 are the way to go.
That being said the 5.5 Uni with a spin is a very versatile boat. I can and do, single hand it a LOT, the boat was originally a double handed sloop so it will hold two people much better than a Hobie 17. I also have a Hobie 18 and I like it a lot but my regular crew has pretty much quit sailing so I bought the uni to sail more often. I sail and race it solo most of the time. But if the wife wants to go I do not have to rig the other boat.
The Spin makes the down wind sailing a lot better, same as the F box boats. The plus is a used 5.5 is not crazy expensive, which I think matters to you. That is the biggest downside of the F box boats, they are expensive.
The 5.5 UNI is not a new design, the hulls are older design but fine. There are a lot of changes to how you sail compared to the H-16. The boat has no boom, which is different and not modern but it works. There is a lot to do going around the windward mark, boards, kite, main, rudder and then there is the letting go of the main sheet, which is very disconcerting most of the time.
The con of the 5.5 is there are not a ton of them, they are to quote above 'an odd duck boat' so the numbers get goofy and where I sail it is all PHRF multi and mono, it does not matter to me, I am just having fun. It is NOT a Hobie 16 where parts are easy and plentiful. The other part that is a con is the crappy string up and down rudder set up. I changed mine over to the inter system, which is much better but not cheap. HTH, Ricardo.
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Lake Perry KS
H-18
N-5.5 UNI +spin
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Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 12:24 PM
Actually I believe it was originally designed as a Uni, with the sloop coming later (with a slightly shorter mast.)
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Rob
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Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 03:08 PM
The sloop shows 1979 as the production date, the UNI is mylar standard which was not until later. The 18 SQ may be what you are thinking of. Or I could be as I often am wrong, chicken egg, who cares really. HTH, Richard.
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Lake Perry KS
H-18
N-5.5 UNI +spin
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Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 05:05 PM
Thanks for the help guys! I still really like the 5.5 Uni that is for sale in the classifieds. I'll keep my options open.
Jeff, where are all of the F16's for sale?
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-Zach
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Posted: Mar 26, 2013 - 05:09 AM
Yeah - you're right on the F16s. A bit early in the cycle for them. You can check for a Blade - one of the earlier F16s. I only found one listed at the moment.
I know there are more out there. If you're truly interested , I know of a few people you can check with. I got a very nice deal on my C2 and it was never advertised.
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Jeff R
'88 H18 "Jolly Mon"
'10 C2 USA1193
NE IN / SE MI
cramsailing.com
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Posted: Mar 26, 2013 - 06:42 AM
I'm probably not in the price range for a formula boat at this point. Even if I sold my boat it would be a stretch for me to come up with $5k.
I think I'll sail the heck out of my H16 this summer in Florida and look to upgrade once I graduate and have a big boy job
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-Zach
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Posted: Mar 26, 2013 - 09:28 AM
nothing wrong with sailing it till ya break it (or kill it) but $5k can get you a nice toy
i purchased my:
h16 for $1400
h18 for $400
mystere 5.5 for $3200
I am sure you could find a nice g-cat 5.7, or h18, or some nice Nacra 5.0 - 5.5 that would be a huge update in your platform for under 3k -
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Posted: Mar 26, 2013 - 10:08 AM
While i agree with MN3, sometimes it may be beneficial to buy that 4-5k boat if it comes with cat trax, multiple sails, spin setup, etc vs a $2500 boat that comes with nothing extra and a sail in fair to poor condition.
Edited by matt922 on Mar 26, 2013 - 10:08 AM. -
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Posted: Mar 27, 2013 - 09:43 AM
How is the setup time on a Uni-rigged 5.5? I would guess it would take about the same amount of time as my hobie 16 but could be very wrong.
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-Zach
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Posted: Mar 27, 2013 - 11:22 AM
I don't think anything's as quick as an H16, but a uni 5.5 would come close...no boom, no jib, and no spin, certainly saves time.
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Rob
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Posted: Mar 27, 2013 - 11:42 AM
What takes all the time? I would assume that a uni rigged boat would be faster than a sloop (h16)? What am I missing?
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-Zach
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Posted: Mar 28, 2013 - 05:47 AM
The 5.5 with a kite will take twice as long as the 16. Your 16 has nothing to rig. the 5.5 has boards, rotator, kite sheets, halyard and snuffer. There are just more parts in general and more that should come off/on before sailing. Just putting up the main is different with the internal halyard and 8 to 1 downhaul. It is not hard just a little more involved than the 16. JMHO, YMMV. Ricardo.
Edited by RicardOben on Mar 28, 2013 - 05:48 AM.
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Lake Perry KS
H-18
N-5.5 UNI +spin
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Posted: Mar 28, 2013 - 07:38 AM
many of us with older spinnakers (or the extremely lazy) leave the sail in the snuffer bag and basically all rigged up all the time.
this saves about 45 min of rigging time on the beach ... however this is defiantly not the prefered way to store your spin if it's new, or you hope to use it for a decade (i am on my 3rd spin in 5 years). -
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Posted: Mar 28, 2013 - 02:03 PM
A little off topic, but having mast up storage like MN3, I take mine spin pole off by sliding it out of the ring that holds it below the forestay (I don't have self tacking jib blocks to worry about, so undoing one halyard block via soft shackle & untying bridles is all it takes), and then I slide the pole, hoop, snuffer, sail, all as one piece into a large corrugated tube mounted directly below it on the tramp. Saves a ton of time and keeps the sun off of the sail & bag while not in use. I've lapsed in sealing the tube afterwards in the past and found nests in the hoop. Since then, I drilled some holes in the lid to the tube that lets my kite sheet/halyard pass through while still sealed up from critters.
I think it takes me about as long to set up the spin now as it does to set up the jib on a 5.5.
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Rob
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Posted: Mar 28, 2013 - 04:56 PM
great way to do it ...
when motivated (not often) i wrap my snuffer/spin in a small 4x8' tarp
PS i only have 2 nights a week mast up storage -
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Posted: Mar 29, 2013 - 12:53 AM
D'oh..'tramp' should read 'trailer'.
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Rob
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