I am buying a 2005 Nacra F18 this weekend, what areas of the boat should I inspect carefully? Are there any areas of that boat that are known for failure that I should pay particular attention to? I know the trampoline will need to be replaced, there is a hole the size of a dime, I am not sure where, this was factored into the price though. Other then that I am told it is in perfect condition. I'm relatively new to sailing, I have some experience on a 420 and thats about it, I'm not too concerned though, I learn quickly and one of my friends who will be my crew has a decent amount of experience, just not on a cat.

Thanks for the help, can't wait to join the club!

I was hoping that someone else with more experience with the F18 would chime in on this one as I am also new to F18s. I do have experience with Tornados that may transfer well.

I believe the Nacra is foam sandwich construction so you want to check for delamination in all the high stress areas. Beam attachment points, shroud attachment & bridle. Also look for trapeze hook bites on the sides that may have allowed water to enter and cause delamination.

I would ask how old the standing and running rigging are on the mast. If they are old replace them as a new mast will be equal to the cost of a used boat.

Check the foils for damage, and check the rudder castings for wear.

Check the sails and find out the age/condition.

There are several examples of F18s for sale here so you can make sure you are not over paying http://www.thebeachcats.com/classifieds/g1-catamarans.html

Here is a thread that talks about what I believe to be the model of Nacra F18 you are looking at http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=234595#Post234595

This may not be all you should be looking for but is what I can offer.

Good luck

Happy sailing

What would you like to know? You have experience with boats and you will be looking for the same things that you would be looking for buying any boat: Condition of hulls, boards, sails and trampline (which will be new to you). A hole the size of a dime is easily repaired, providing that it was not from sun or age damage.

If you would like know issues with the F18 (pre-Infusion), I notice that it seems best conditions for that boat are really light wind and really heavy wind.

Later,
Dan

Picked up the boat yesterday! It appears to be in great shape, took it out for about a 30 minute test sail, it's about all the previous owner and I had time for that day. He said he would be willing to come out with me whenever so I'll have to take him up on that. He claims that he only used it 25-30 times, 5 times a year tops so everything looks pretty good. How do I determine if the cables should be replaced, or should I do it anyways. Do the wear mostly from use/stretching, or just from being weathered? He stored it outside covered with a tarp. Other then that I have to figure out how to get the trampoline patched and I should be good to go. It seemed pretty simple to operate yesterday until we put the kite out which he actually rigged wrong, the whole thing ended up tangled up, I'm sure there will be many good times to come on the boat. Is there some sort of online store where I can buy things like battens, the cables, life jackets etc? Thanks for all the help guys.

online store for traps and life jackets look at the top of the page.

standing rig I would replace everything. I replace my Tiger rig every 3 years at the max.

I had a side stay break in a sudden squall during a race, resulted in written off boat, heaps of stress and a lot of mucking around being rescued. You cant see inside the fitting where mine broke, better to replace them at least every 5 years.

I did some searching, I found rigging for many Nacra's but I cant seem to find it for the F18 model. Are there any specialty online stores that carry this or do I have to go through a Nacra dealer?

Any Marine shop can make new stays, bridal and trap wires, if you take your old ones in they just copy the length or you can phone your local Nacra dealer. If the only damage to the tramp is a small hole, you can take it off, take it with you to the local marine shop and they can patch the hole and restitch any seams that need restitching for not much cost.
Enjoy your sailing

Take them into a shop and have them copied. Replace if you are not sure is a good rule of thumb.

Welcome to the addiction!

Dan

Rigging will break from inside the end fittings before anywhere else. Moisture / water works its way in and rusts from the inside out making it hard to detect. Depending on where it is sailed (salt / freshwater) I replace all standing rigging every 2 - 4 years. As others have mentioned, their is nothing "unique" about the rigging, just get a local shop to duplicate for you.