Any glaring errors in line dimension on my order list? Feedback appreciated. It's for a very early Nacra 5.5 Uni. Any suggestions for most economical (rec sailing)yet suitable material welcome for each given use. There's a lot of different sailing line to choose from at the marine supply - polyseter or polyethylene (dyneema, spectra), and there seems to be different weaves. What's the deal?
Traveller - 5/16, 10ft?
Rudder pull down - 3/16, 4ft a side
Rudder pull up shock cord - 5/16, 5ft a side
Daggerboard side loaders - 5/16 shock cord (doubled over), I'm guessing 5ft a side
Trapeze cord - 1/4in, the manual says 3ft per wire
Downhaul - ?
Tramp lacing - 3/16 (I actually already bought 30ft of this for my old dual lacing tramp)
Righting rope - I actually plan to recycle 12-15ft of an old 8 or 9mm climbing rope. Can't see an issue with this.
Basically doing it all, except the halyard and main sheet, they seem alright.
Thanks!
Edited by sierracat on Nov 24, 2014 - 07:48 AM.
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Tom
Nacra 5.5 Uni
(actually a chopped down 18sq)
(soon to be 5.5 sloop)
Northern California
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Specs on misc line replacement
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Posted: Nov 23, 2014 - 11:52 PM
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Posted: Nov 24, 2014 - 07:37 AM
Use low stretch line, this line is all that keeps the rudders tight in the "down" position. Make sure it is also line that holds well in a jam cleat,(if you have plastic jaws on your pivmatics, the teeth may be worn & all line will slip). The original pivmatics are no longer available, Murray"s sells a replacement part, or find the proper clam cleat & replace. You will want to remove the fairlead from the old pivmatic & rivet it to the clamcleat, keeps your pulldown line where you need it
It is WAY easier to do this with the ruddders installed, & the boat on a trailer, or high enough so you can swing the rudders full down, you can also align them after.
Don't buy cheap Walmart bungee, get decent marine grade, with good abrasion cover. Don't cut your 10' into two 5' pieces. Rig it & stretch first, then cut.
Most importantly, use a dremel & "polish" the edge of the rudder casting, just where the bungees rub as the blade moves up or down. Both my Nacra's used to eat the bungee every year, the edge is sharp. After radiussing the edge, 3 years now & they are still good.
Run your bungee, grab ONE end with vice grips & stretch to the tension you want. By holding one end, you can "work the stretch", & not end up cutting off a foot of good bungee...you'll see what I mean when you do it. I keep mine so the rudders just go to horizontal when released, as I have to round up right at the shore/dock. If they rose above the water I'd be in trouble, you may want them in the "erect" position. After stretching, grab the other end with a second set of V grips. Now you can let go & they will stay in place while you hog ring, or whip lash the ends together, & install the pivamatic pin that keeps them from running back down the tube. It's easier to feed them through the tube with the pin removed.
Bungees are the biggest pain in old style Nacra rudders, this method removes 90% of that pain.
Here are mine before I rebuilt them.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…pictures?g2_itemId=80972
Any decent fairly low stretch. I rig both Nacras like this, except at the top of the fiddle block (line with red/blue trace), I have an "S" hook. There is nothing to tie, just put the "S" into the sail grommet, pull to desired downhaul tension & yank line into V jam. 4:1 is all you need on those older sails, though you could make it 8:1 by dead ending that short line on one side of the mast, then running the line through the sail cringle, then attaching the bitter end to the top of fiddle block.
Edited by Edchris177 on Nov 24, 2014 - 07:51 AM.
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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
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Posted: Nov 24, 2014 - 10:32 AM
Awesome detail, as always. Thanks! Just to clarify, I'm doing this properly (I'm not new to sailing, just this boat, and it's been many years since I've had to think about rigging detail) and won't be shopping at Walmart! Of the lines offered from sailing shops, it seems like in any given size (eg. 5/16th) there will be several options. All will be low stretch and strong, with low water absorption and good UV resistance. Does it just come don to personal preference in handling (the feel in your hands) and the way it performs in a cleat? (and how rich you are/how sexy you want it to look).
Are any lines you can buy from a sailing shop NOT low stretch? This seems redundant in the selection criteria between brands etc. My Pivmatic cleat is pictured below. It looks like plastic but I can't check right now. I don't really understand the Pivmatic - though once I play with it I'm sure I will. Does that pale colored fibre-reinforced 2/3 of a tube thingy pivot on its pin and snap away from the tiller tube if the rudder blade gets enough force pushing aft? (ie. hitting bottom). It looks very perished and brittle. I guess I'll just see if it lasts, and if it blows I'll replace it with the pull up cord system many seem to like.
Great detail, thanks. Will come in handy.
My mast seems to be more modernized than the rest of the boat parts. I have a bunch of nice swivel cam cleats, and the S-hook you mentioned, and somebody saw a picture of my downhaul and suggested I had something crazy like a 12:1 system, which is really too much for this boat/sail. I'm open to suggestions to simplify it. Pics below. I can't say I understand the routing yet. And why is there two pivot cam cleats, one each side?
Edited by sierracat on Nov 24, 2014 - 10:52 AM.
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Tom
Nacra 5.5 Uni
(actually a chopped down 18sq)
(soon to be 5.5 sloop)
Northern California
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Posted: Nov 24, 2014 - 08:59 PM
Yes. Just go to West Marine, click on the running rigging & read about various lines. The brand doesn't matter, but some will be low stretch, hold knots etc. Lots of specs for each line there.
I'm not sure from the photo. The aluminum ones were by Clamcleat & were silver. The plastic ones were black.
Yes. When it pivots up & rearward, the line has to pop out of the cleat teeth, releasing rudder. They work, quite well.
When the tube gets old, the little ears it pivot on get brittle & break off.
They have lead your downhaul to each side, so they can be adjusted from the wire, on either tack. Modern square tops try not to drop traveler, head up, or sheet out in a gust. It's faster to downhaul,(flatten sail) & maintain heading.
Here is how my 20' Cat was rigged.(Click on photos for full size)
Even if you have a new square top, your old mast is not designed to be a noodle. IMHO you are not gaining anything & might actually pull your sail apart.
Do what I told you, 4:1,(or maybe 8;1 with the line loop), it's deadnuts simple. Sail it for a while, then decide it you benefit from some more complex setup.
Edited by Edchris177 on Nov 24, 2014 - 09:01 PM.
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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
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Posted: Nov 25, 2014 - 08:38 PM
Again I side with Chris on this one. The 12:1 downhaul is nice and you can rig it if you like but 5 or 6:1 will give you everything you need for that boat. I have a 10:1 downhaul on my 5.2 and a 5:1 on my 5.7 and honestly don't think its worth the hassle for the older boats. I end up just setting it and forgetting it. You can get the aluminum masts to bend pretty good without damaging them but not like the bendy masts on the more modern boats. YOu can set up your 12:1 downhaul but just be aware that you aren't trying to make your mast into a banana, just tighten your sail and remove the wrinkles.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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