So the new old boat is slowly coming together. New lines, standing rigging, etc. all set.
The sails are very old and I was tempted to have them refurbished in a couple of months. However, given that they are probably 30 years old, new ones may make more sense. I was wondering what people's experience has been with refurbishing such old sails, or if there is a point where it doesn't make sense anymore.
I found a couple of like new nacra 570 jibs for a great price. Do you feel that they are compatible and could be a viable replacement for the existing jib? I think the 570 may be ever so slightly smaller, but I am not sure.
If I eventually go with a new mainsail, does the square top make sense, or are the older boat masts not designed to work properly with them? I windsurfed for twenty five years, so I really learned a lot about mast bend and sail tops opening up in gusts. It was a game changer.
If it makes sense to go with a square top, what would you recommend for a downhaul system?
So I can't sleep and working is almost impossible ever sense I picked up the boat. I forgot how much fun they were to tinker with. Hopefully I can get it on the water before it gets too cold around here :)
Thanks Pete
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Prindle 18 upgrades
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 04:30 AM
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 06:55 AM
if you can afford it - get new sails (both jib and main) - there is no better upgrade
Yes get a square top, why get a slower sail (unless you race with lots of stock boats)
I wouldn't spend much money on a downhaul upgrade since your mast is very stiff, the downhaul is limited
but i would upgrade from the stock 3:1 (if i recall correct) to a 4 or 5 to 1 (
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 07:48 AM
Check the beachcats classifieds "sails" for a nearly new set of stock sails. Pete -
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 10:21 AM
New or used, go with sails made for your boat.
Avoid the whole Frankenboat scenario, especially with the amount of work you are putting into it.
A square top sail will out perform a pinhead, and the masts are the same.
Choose a good sail maker and have them suggest the downhaul and diamond wire tension.
Or go with a good set of older sails and use the heck out of them until you decide you are ready for square tops.
The square tops sail differently, and are less forgiving than the original sails.
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Bob
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Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 12:29 PM
could not have said it better, +1 on that advice. Pete's sails would be a good buy.......
http://www.thebeachcats.c…8-sails-2c-near-new.html -
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 01:15 PM
Thanks for the feedback guys. Lots of good info. I just sold all of my windsurfing equipment this summer. The funny thing is that a new windsurfing sail can be almost as much as a modern cut beach cat sail. It's one of the reasons I got out of the sport. It is crazy how much money the gear is. Beach cats are a deal compared to windsurfing :)
I will post some pics of the boat once I have it back together. So far I have refinished the rudders, got a bunch of tidbits for the rudder up/down function, have new lines, new standing rigging, and I am in the process of pulling every bolt and fitting off so they can be cleaned or replaced and sealed. Then there is the trailer; all new lights and new wheels. I tore the bearings apart as well. I was too cheap to buy a new extension tiller so I purchased an aluminum painters extension for $14 and riveted a small section of the old tiller end to it. I will eventually post in the technical pics section. Cheap and should work just fine. I used to snap those things left and right, so it kills me to spend much money on them.
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 05:07 PM
Congrats on your new boat... This too was my first catamaran.... It is an awesome ride..
BTW... Pbegal can hook ya up with just about everything..
Edited by JohnES on Sep 06, 2013 - 05:08 PM.
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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 05:26 PM
The rudders.............
Old:
Updated:
The castings really need some cleaning but that will be a winter project. I also found small plastic knobs on ebay for four bucks that will be used for the downhaul line. They are on their way.
Edited by peterk123 on Sep 06, 2013 - 06:18 PM.
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Posted: Sep 06, 2013 - 05:40 PM
The hiking stick that came with the boat was not in the best shape so I came up with a solution. A $14 painters extender stick. I cut off the end of the original hiking stick and riveted it on the painters extension. Given the rate was snapping expensive hiking sticks twenty years ago, I figured this would be a good cost effective alternative. I saved the original hiking stick so I will have plenty of tubing to build additional sticks :)
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Posted: Sep 07, 2013 - 05:54 AM
If you want used sails, Pete's are probably the best bet
but don't think any used sail will give you the same feeling as a new sail ....
A NEW sail has 10 or 15 uses that will make you want to get a new set every year. it is an amazing feeling ....but after a few good days sailing in 15-20 ... that new sail feeling gets worked out....
Also i disagree that square tops are less forgiving... they typically produce more power than pin tops but when overpowered, the top section of the sail folds back and depowers the top of the sail.... making them actually more forgiving in a puff than a pin top.
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Posted: Sep 07, 2013 - 01:35 PM
Curious how you broke so many hiking sticks? Never broke one in four years of sailing and I have been
knocked over more than a couple of times.
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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Posted: Sep 07, 2013 - 02:32 PM
Pete, actually its quite easy :) Usually when I am trapping and I get knocked off by a rogue wave. I'm not smart enough to let go of the tiller and bam, I now have two tillers.
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Posted: Sep 07, 2013 - 04:35 PM
I pulled the plugs, and the rudder brackets, because the guy gooped a pound of silicone over the fittings. Ya, that was fun to take off. Anyway, imagine my surprise when I stuck my finger in there and felt a wall of dirt. Fifteen minutes with a hose cleaned the insides of the hulls quite nicely. So, here is what happens to pine needles after thirty years. Note to self, keep all portholes covers closed.....
I think I lightened the boat by ten pounds.
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Posted: Sep 07, 2013 - 05:26 PM
I keep my boat tilted back with the ports and plugs open. I sail in salt water so every time I come home I rinse the boat down and rinse the inside of the hulls. I put a pair of strings in the plug holes to wick out the last puddle of water by the drain. the hulls stay bone dry even after a rain storm. the key is not letting moisture stay in the hulls. the ports tend to leak on these old boats(I recommend re-sealing/replacing them) and rainwater ends up in them. if the boat is level/sealed up the moisture has nowhere to go but into the foamcore making the hulls "sour". with the ports off, no heat/pressure/moisture can build up. rig up a screen or something if leaves are a problem but leave them open if you can, it will fight soft spots
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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Posted: Sep 08, 2013 - 04:40 AM
I like the wicking idea. So, did you have the trailer stand custom made?
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Posted: Sep 08, 2013 - 06:10 AM
believe it or not, cats (and other animals) love to get into hulls without ports on them
I have an old set of ports that i drilled a 3" hole in added a 5" straight pvc pipe and topped that with a u shaped pvc tube so rain water couldn't get in. i covered the hole in the with bug screen.
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Posted: Sep 09, 2013 - 08:32 AM
Mr. Captain Coastrat, looks like you need to replace those rudder lines, I've got some spare line ifin you needs it. Over
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Hank, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, P16 - "Sideways"
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Posted: Sep 09, 2013 - 08:41 AM
that's an old pic...lines have been replaced. time to put on the new tramp though...maybe the new sails get here soon...winds are starting to pick up!
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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Posted: Sep 11, 2013 - 05:24 AM
Working on the Jib Cleat pigtails. The galvanized metal wire (not stainless) was epoxied. So I sanded it off and drilled new holes.
I am thinking about swabbing the holes with epoxy before installing the wires.
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Posted: Sep 11, 2013 - 05:27 AM
New lights, and wiring. New wheels. Pulled apart hubs, cleaned and repacked them. I soldered all the wire connections and used plastic flexible conduit to give the wires a little protection from the elements. I am so sick of trailer lights that don't work. Hopefully these steps help.
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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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