I just had the tramp on my nacra 5.0 resewn and am in the process of putting it back on. While putting the main beam back on, it took a few measurements to make sure I was getting everything square an straight. I measured 7-feet 1/2-inch centerline to centerline both bow and stern. I measured 215-inches starboard bow to port stern and 216-inches port bow to starboard stern. That is as close as I can get it. How critical will that one inch difference be?

The cat is still on the trailer, maybe things will change once its floating.

What do you all think?
Thanks

was the mast stepped and the rig tight when you measured?

No, to both. I was just trying to reassemble it according to the Nacra assembly manual. I take it that I will have to remeasure and adjust after stepping the mast and stuff. Won't adjustments to the beams/hulls be difficult once the mast is stepped and rig tight?

The tramp tends to help reinforce the platform and keep it square, too...measure again after it's laced up good and tight. Good luck.

Doug,

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. The "X" measurment may also indicate that one hull is slightly further forward than the other but that kind of variation is pretty typical coming out of the mold through the manufacturing process at that time. It might even be that one hull is shorter than the other.

You actually want your bows to be spread out a little further than the sterns. When you tighten the rigging and under sail, the bridle wires tend to flex the bows in a good bit. I can't recall the measurement but you should rig the boat and put a good bit of mainsheet tension on and remeasure the distance between the bows and the distance between the sterns to see how it changes. Then modify the non-rigged adjustment so that when it's rigged everything is even.

Some previous owner of the 6.0NA I owned put a cable running diagonally under the tramp from the starboard end of the rear to port end of the front beams. It had a turnbuckle on it. The only thing I could figure that this was for was to adjust out any racking present in the hulls and beams. I really don't think it's important enough to go to all that trouble but if it concerns you - you might consider it.