Hi,
We just purchased an older 5.2 (center bar) to plant a sailing bug in my ten year old son. Before he was born, my wife and I spend many a weekend off the coast of Santa Barbara on our first 5.2. Unfortunatly, shortly after he was born we sold the boat and it seems it went along with it my recollection about exactly how a 5.2 should be rigged.

The boat we just bought was not rigged correctly - it spent too much time in the local university sailing yard and seems to have acquired many incorrect/creative parts. Thanks to airborne's unfortunate incident, I scooped up most of his rigging and they are making their way on board. The good news is the hulls on this boat appear to be stress free and the stringers don't look like they are delaminating (finger's crossed). There is some cracking around the main shroud stays, but it looks like it was due to someone bending the tabs.

The jib tack does not have the hanger, so that is noted and on order. You can see in the photo that the forstay has an adjustable turnbuckle?? Do I need this, or can I just fasten the forestay to the adjuster? I don't recall seeing this part before.

In another photo check out the hardware store all-thread mast support rod and rusty allen bolts. I think this will be easy to fix with the right parts.

The mast does not have a rotator, nor bolt holes for the rotator. This has me most confused as I didn't think you could sail a 5.2 without the rotator. I do plan to order a replacement, but how does it attach? Do I replace the tang with a longer one, drill through the existing tang between the rivits, or ???

Thanks advance for all the help/support. I promise not to ask trailer questions...
Dean

Jib tack photo (lack of hanger and strange turnbuckle)

All-thread mast rod - yikes (photo)

Mast rotator attachment point (photo). Where did it go?

The turnbuckle can go. So probably can the hooks on top of the forward decks. They just tear things up.
Your Rotation Limiter is a solid stainless steel rod that goes into the hole underneath the boom. A bolt threaded into this from the front of the mast. Then a bit of line ran from the boom around a block at the end of the rod and back to the boom to limit the rotation. I think there was a recent discussion about the over/under rotation limiters. You can see the scars on the boom where the rod hit the boom while the sail was down.

Your jib downhaul could be a 3:1. Tie the line to the halyard (looping around the block) and add a block to the saddle the line is currently tied off to.

The pin should be out of the mast foot once the mast is up. If the mast falls while sailing, you do not want it fixed to the ball. You wouldn't want to be caught in the 'nut' cracker. What is that ball made of?

I ran out to my boat real quick and snapped a few photos of my rotator arm on my 5.2.

The boat isn't set up so here is what it looks like one the trailor.

Also I have a 5:1 downhaul rigged on my boat, so just ignore it.

Another view

here's a pic of the forestay on my 5.2

what is the hull number of your 5.2? wonder if it is old enough to be pre-mast rotator?

have attached a left side, combined pic, of the my and airborne's rotators. the rotator is held to the mast by a bolt running through the diamond wire mast mount tangs. next post will have pic showing nutted, right side

here you can see the nutted side of the rotator bolt

if you haven't already go to the below link and download the pdf nacra manual from about 1983? there is a full illustrated parts breakdown which should help on page 20

http://www.thebeachcats.com/index.p...temId=35436&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

if airborne still has his mast he might be willing to unbolt his rotator and bolt for you, i guess people looking for a mast will usually have busted theirs and will have the rest of the parts

if he IS willing to break it down and you DO have an old 5.2 you may also want the adjustable rake diamond wire spreaders

just rereading your 1st post and yes, the mast rotator goes between the diamond wire tang rivets, IF, you've got the space

from your 1st pic it looks like you have a lot of mast rake, your main sheet blocks are very close

perhaps that threaded adjuster was added to allow for more mast rake and to make it easier to adjust

or it may have been added because the forestay that is fitted is too short

removing it will pull your mast back up to vertical, make sure it doesn't start leaning forward

i haven't experimented with mast rake on my 5.2 yet as according this this page

http://users.tpg.com.au/kkmiller/hobie/weather_helm.html

it increases weather helm and my boat seems to have just enough as the mast is now

also i'm only sailing solo and have to move forward to the dagger boards to try and balance the boat in light winds

for me more mast rake would increase weather helm, move the center of gravity and the center of effort back, something that i don't want at the moment, (comments from the pros welcome)

however as you are an experienced sailor going out with 2 or 3 people in probably heavier air, that amount of mast rake may be perfect

final comment, 1st pic seems to show an extra inspection port in the middle of the hulls

does it look like it was added after the factory?

I removed the turnbuckle. The mast is now vertical! Much better, and I have the range of adjustment that I recall.

The rotator assembly that I am familiar with looks like the photos that Gree#### and erice posted. I reread your description several times and it sounds like I could have a rotation limiter without the wishbone. I went out to the boat to see the hole, so what you are describing could explain why the front half of my boom seems to be upside down. There is a strap and cleat attached to it underneath. So what I am missing is a stainless rod/bolt with an eye on the end. Is this unique to the older 5.2s? I'll search for over/under rotation.

That black small mast ball looks like a shift knob to me. it has brass threads. The whole thing is getting replaced/updated. Thanks for the warning about the pin. I will be sure to remove it before flight. Right now the pin does nothing. Those photos were taken in the backyard, so no chance of sailing off from here.

The jib downhaul needs replacement, so it was not tied off correctly in the picture.

I was told by the previous owner that the hooks in the front deck were to secure the daggerboards. He has a shock cord attached to the top of the daggerboard that loops around these hooks as is shown in the 1983 Assembly Manual that erice posted. My 83 Nacra had the side loader system.

Thanks again for the help - Dean

eric e,

Thanks for the photos and scanning the assy manual. My forestay assembly now matches your photo (minus the jib tack hanger, which I will order).

The hull number is TRR...50576, which dates it back to '76 -one of the early ones!

thanks again for your help,
Dean

Yeah, the old 5.2's had just a straight bar under the boom. I can't find a picture of that right now but you have the right idea. I would think that any stainless bar would work if it fit the hole.

That is an old 5.2, if it is in good shape it should be a good time.

The hooks and the associated bungie running forward just sucked to much. The sideload system appeared later.

Ps, I mispoke about the rotation limiter line. It is just a single line leading back through the hoop to a clamcleat. As you figured out, this hardware is on the underside of the boom.

eric
It would be a good idea to tape over all those split ring-a-ding things. They have an annoying tendency to catch on things. This leads to sudden dismastings.

I stopped using the jib tack fitting. I used a piece of spectra line tied to each bridle wire that passed through the jib's cringle. This allowed the jib to rotate better for off the wind sailing.

bobcat you are a great source of info for a newbie like me!

but as i newbie i'm lacking the sailing vocab, to quite work out what you're saying at times...

so forgive me if i recap and check

-you recommend taping the split rings on all the clevis pins that support the mast. ie side-stays, (shrouds) and forestay
because otherwise as the split rings age and open they can catch on things, be pulled off, cause the clevis pin to fall out, stay to come loose and mast to fall off the boat, right???

- on the jib, please check the attached pic, you mean take off the triangular stainless box fitting, (red x) that holds the front of the jib to the bridle wires/forestay and replace it with 2 loops of line tied to the bridle wires, (green and blue)

having to tie those 2 lines each time would slow down your jib raising for only a fractional advantage in jib shape wouldn't it???

I think you got the gist of it. It is not only aging to worry about with the rings. A new one can still get hooked on your lifejacket, harness or wetsuit.

I wasn't recommending removing the box. Just ignoring it. I had put that in for the other lad missing it, although I realize that he has ordered one. I also intended only one line for the jib. It is permanently tied on one side. Hoist the jib, pass the line through the hole and tie on the other side with a little slack. I had a barberhauler system for sailing off the wind. This pulls the jib leads outboard to open the slot between the main and jib. I wanted the whole leading edge of the jib to rotate around the forestay. For your purposes, this isn't entirely necessary.
One other thought for you eric. Don't be afraid to sail that boat without the jib when sailing singlehanded. It will still tack well and you don't need to worry about handling the jib sheets. Your helm won't feel much different either.

Dean
I was just looking more at your first picture. I think you will find that the jib blocks are mounted too far aft. This will affect the shape of your jib and it also will make darn hard for the skipper to move across during the tacks.
Try them closer to midway fore/aft on the tramp.

I can also see the line for the rotation limiter hanging from the boom and it is setup for 2:1.