Hello! New owner of an old Cat :: Catamaran Sailboats at TheBeachcats.com

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Hello! New owner of an old Cat

jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 23, 2020 - 05:28 PM

Wanted to say hello everyone.
Great forum, and group Ya have here!
Had been sailing a C-scow (20ft mono hull) with friends, and family as crew recreationally on local (Kansas city) area lakes, but ultimately wanting to have a catamaran.

Brought home a my 1st cat boat this fall :)
Nacra 5.7. She has obvious signs of her age, and use, but oughta be a fun boat with some Time and $$.
Needs a mainsail (torn bolt rope) , some glass work (gel coat cracks, and worn skegs)
Those+ a trampoline, standing rigging, and maybe a few other maintenance/repair items this winter.
Planning on “fixing what needs fixing, and sailing the ___ out of it”
As ChrisED on here put it :)
Worry about the boat show later.
I’m sure I’ll be back with questions later...

Edited by jd91t on Nov 24, 2020 - 04:07 PM.
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 23, 2020 - 05:43 PM
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 23, 2020 - 05:46 PM

http:// https://drive.goo…rtWD33/view?usp=drivesdk
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 23, 2020 - 05:49 PM

Working on posting photos...
admin, pls delete those ☝
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 23, 2020 - 09:33 PM

Have successfully uploaded a cpl photos to a personal album here.
Any tips on getting em over to this thread?
Thx ☺️
waiex191

Rank: Mate

Registered: Oct 07, 2020

Last visit: Feb 29, 2024

Posts: 359
Posted: Nov 24, 2020 - 10:28 AM

jd91tHave successfully uploaded a cpl photos to a personal album here.
Any tips on getting em over to this thread?
Thx ☺️

Get to your picture, right click on it and copy image location (for linux), or windows is probably copy link location or something like that. When I do that on your picture, I come up with this url:
https://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=134083&g2_serialNumber=3

And if I click the image button below, and post that location between the tags, I get:

Then in the post you can click on it and see the bigger picture.

Welcome to the forum, I am new here too.

Edited by waiex191 on Nov 24, 2020 - 10:30 AM.

--
Bryan in Poplar Grove, IL
Supercat 17, unknown year. Future project
Hobie 16, 1977 - died a spectacular death https://youtu.be/Y7O22bp2MVA
Hobie 16, 1978 - current boat
--
pknapp66

Rank: Mate

Registered: May 09, 2009

Last visit: Aug 14, 2024

Posts: 686
Posted: Nov 24, 2020 - 11:30 AM

If this is a current picture of the boat, the main sail looks decent. Any sail loft can replace the bolt rope at
a reasonable price. Most cracks you see are just in the gel coat and won't bother anything except aesthetics.
Replacing standing rigging on an unknown boat is a great idea but I usually just give it a quick once over and go
sail it. Unless you are going to the boat show follow Edchris advice. Congrats on the 5.7 you will have a blast
on it.

Pete

--
Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
--
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 24, 2020 - 02:39 PM

Thx waiex191.
I’ll give that a go next photo/time
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 24, 2020 - 03:57 PM

Hey Pete,
If only the boat was actually as good as is looks in that pic...
Price was good though :) So I can afford to fix a few things.
Local sail loft said it "could be fixed", but considering age/condition of the sail I'd be better off spending that $ on finding another sail.
Didn't try to sell me a replacement either. Just advice.
Have a possible replacement lined up for spring, but may still do a WTB thread.
https://www.thebeachcats.…f1474b4cadf33139878db7ed

Edited by jd91t on Nov 24, 2020 - 04:02 PM.
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 24, 2020 - 03:59 PM

Woohoo! pics work!

Edited by jd91t on Nov 24, 2020 - 04:02 PM.
Edchris177

Rank: Chief

Registered: Nov 26, 2009

Last visit: Aug 10, 2024

Posts: 2531
Posted: Nov 24, 2020 - 05:27 PM

From the sail pattern, it looks to be an ‘84.
Congratulations, you have one of the best legacy recreational boats available. I have done just over 22mph solo, 2up, 2 on the wire/me sitting. You really have to be ham fisted to pitchpole it, & when the waves get big it parts the seas.
No boom, no boards, (kid & shallow water friendly), big uncluttered tramp- don’t skimp with a cheap one, good quality here is as important as your sail.
Don’t worry about the gel coat cracks, mine has plenty of them, they don’t leak.
The skegs are an easy repair if ground down.
Take a bunch of at least 4mb photos, before/after, & add them to your album. There is a tutorial under FAQ about adding photos. Note: I find if using an iPad it does not play nice with copying URLs. It often inserts an extra space, or adds HTTPS an extra time, & readers clicking on the link can’t make them work.
Download both legacy Nacra manuals from this site, they are in PHOTO ALBUMS, TECHNICAL, menu at the top of the page. Manuals are near the end,Page 7.
MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE you rotate, & keep the mast rotated while raising or dropping the mast.
What main blocks came with it? Hopefully 7:1 Harken, low profile- on a boomless boat mainsheet tension is your friend.
You can raise/drop the sail without being right into the wind, even with the sail on the shrouds. In comparison my baby Dart is a PITA unless dead on, the H18 better, but still likes mostly into wind.
I made an album with various 5.7 stuff. Rudder rigging is there.
There is quite a bit of useful info under TECHNICAL ALBUMS.
I have quite a few spare parts, including a good sail, IIRC a jib too, & the last brand new pivmatics Murrays had, for the rudders.
https://www.thebeachcats.…e26bb4a5e92800af80429e4d

Here's an easy way to check the hulls for leaks.
https://www.thebeachcats.…8c2843271b076422ba1b49a1

Edited by Edchris177 on Nov 24, 2020 - 05:38 PM.

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--
tominpa

Rank: Mate

Registered: Jul 29, 2015

Last visit: Dec 12, 2024

Posts: 594
Posted: Nov 24, 2020 - 07:08 PM

I have a 1984 Nacra 5.7 Sail 181 and its almost a sure bet yours is a 1984. It's a solid boat with simple laminate construction without a core. Your sail can be repaired and run like new with a new bolt rope. I had mine done at Sail Care in Ford City PA, and it looked even more hopeless than yours. I refinished my N 5.7 about 3 years ago. Any boat this age can stand new standing rig, and running rigging. Trampoline has probably been replaced before, but it makes a big difference to freshen it up. No one can spend all of that at one time. Go sail it after getting critical equipment onboard and decide what you want. For me, the best money I ever spent was on beach wheels (Cat Trax). Unless you trailer every outing you can thank me later. Those skeg hulls dig into any beach and eventually will wear. I don't see any evidence of that problem on the picture you posted. It's a great fun boat that goes almost anywhere. Congrats and welcome.

Edited by tominpa on Nov 24, 2020 - 08:12 PM.

--
Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
--
jd91t

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 26, 2020

Last visit: Mar 21, 2022

Posts: 34
Posted: Nov 25, 2020 - 02:29 PM

Chris, thought I'd get your attention having same boat/sails ;)
I think it was advertised as an 84' but the HID# ended in 85 so i thought maybe it was an 85..
Was actually YOUR description of the 5.7 in an older thread here that made me think it was the perfect 1st beach cat!
Yea, initial photo attachment attempts were on an iphone. Much easier with PC and a right click button ;)
I appreciate ALL the hints/tips, and links!
I do have the low profile harken 7:1.
Hopefully the faded/old plastic inside the blocks holds up for awhile..Some high load areas in there that look like a BIG rivet pulling against plastic.
Good to hear about the gelcoat. I was worried water would be getting in all the cracks, and rotting the fiberglass. Definitely still gonna beef up the skegs. They are obviously worn thin. I'll post some pics of them later.

Hey Tom, your boat looks GREAT!
Think maybe yours is the one Stewart (nofearoflying) was telling me about..
I would like to do some restoration/refinishing @some point as well.
Thanks for the advice!!
texastuma

Rank: Mate

Registered: Nov 22, 2012

Last visit: Dec 05, 2024

Posts: 415
Posted: Dec 31, 2020 - 12:47 PM

jd91tHey Pete,
If only the boat was actually as good as is looks in that pic...
Price was good though :) So I can afford to fix a few things.
Local sail loft said it "could be fixed", but considering age/condition of the sail I'd be better off spending that $ on finding another sail.
Didn't try to sell me a replacement either. Just advice.
Have a possible replacement lined up for spring, but may still do a WTB thread.
https://www.thebeachcats.…f1474b4cadf33139878db7ed

Edited by jd91t on Nov 24, 2020 - 04:02 PM.

that is a pretty easy fix. Probably be a couple of hundred dollars. They will need to cut out the grommet, rebuild the patch and repress the grommet in. Look at the sail slot exit for some sharp edges. It may need to be rounded some more. I recall my 5.8 always bundled up below the tack grommet.

--
Scott

Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC

Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
Nacra 5.0
Nacra 5.8
Tornadoes (Reg White)
--