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[quote=sierracat]Great advice thank you.  I must say I'm surprised to hear you say to cut the beams "around 8.5 wide".  Here I've been fussing and trying to get someone, anyone, to go measure some 5.5 beams [i]exactly[/i].  It's easy to find out the info that the 'beam' (boat width) is 8.5' but that doesn't mean the 'beams' (tubes) are 8.5'.  In fact, the old beams are 101 inches, which is 8ft 5in (not 8'6").  But then they have been cut down from something longer, so who knows if they got it right back then. Somebody on here said that the hulls bulge out a little each side to make up the extra inch, or maybe the beam tubes sitting a fraction inboard makes sense so they don't stick out and get banged up.

I'm pretty sure the DMV paperwork and hull number (showing 1979 @ 17ft, interpreted as an 18sq according to the hull ID tips earlier in this thread) doesn't reflect the hulls I have, but rather the previous hulls which were destroyed.  Sounds like someone turned an old 17ft 18sq into a 5.5 uni.  If the previous hulls were a 5.2 and all the rigging (ie. stays) are set up for that, I'm concerned they might be too short on the replacement 5.5 hulls.  Given my very sorry budget for this project, I don't need 4 new stays/swaging etc. added to the list. Everything is adding up fast.  I have a couple beam internal castings on the way from Pete B, and if I cant find another pair I'll buy 2 more from Murrays, or rivet through the straps like you said (good tip).

Any tips on proper alignment? Is the ds rod and v strap dead vertical?  But then the question is, vertical to what... the top deck?

[quote=Wolfman]Sierracat, been watching your trials with that boat for a little bit.  I wouldn't worry about getting the boat back to 'stock' simply because you don't know what that may have looked like.

Prior to 1981 or so the 5.5 used the 18 sq hulls (outside tang), after 1981 they both went to the inside tang and a bridle foil for the sloop rig they also went boomless in 1981.   They are the SAME boat except that the 18sq was up to 11' wide and the 5.5 was around 8.5' wide.  I wouldn't worry too much about it.  Just get the beams so that they are around 8.5 ft wide and in proper alignment.  If you can't find the internal castings for the beams you can simply rivet the straps to the beams (after you have aligned the boat), that is how my 5.2 is put together and I've never had a problem.

The rigging should be setup so you can get the mast vertical and slightly raked.   The running rigging is essentially the same for all the Nacra boats from there.  Pretty sure that once you get it up and running its going to be an awesome boat.

Don't get hung up on the 17' moniker.  All the Nacra boats are closer to the metric designation.  I think that the 5.5 was just under 18' but those aren't exact measurements.Edited by Wolfman on Nov 15, 2014 - 11:50 AM. [/quote][/quote]

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