I just purchased a nacra 5.7 and tried to pull up info on the forum without any luck. I have a few rigging questions if any one out there can help.
1. How is the downhaul rigged?
2. there is a b;lock on (i think ) the jib haulyard. how does that work- what's it for?
3. The rudders seem to bind up when turned side to side, I mean really bind up. I dont know if the previous owner had things set up properly when I picked it up. what should I look for?
4. How are the bungees run for the rudder kick up. What size, etc.

Also, anything I should be aware of during rigging, or on the water?
Pics or comments appreciated.
Azcat
77 solcat 18 (for sale)
87 nacra 5.7
Feel the rush!!!

think that is included in the my old nacra manual that i put into pdf form

it is being hosted at the TheBeachcats.com site

eric e

here it is, in their technical area

http://www.thebeachcats.com/index.php?module=pictures&g2_itemId=35212

rudders binding on my 1982 nacra 5.2 had me puzzled for a bit too until i looked closely at how the cross bar is linked to the pintles but 2 universal joints. traditional universal joints a position where they won't work smoothly and that what was happening to me. solution is to just twist the tiller extension a little to move them out of that area

having a block on the jib halyard allows you to change the tension on the jib halyard easier. tight gives a flatter sail for better upwind sailing and loose gives a fuller sail for better downwind sailing

do you have the pivimatic rudder kick up system mentioned in the pdf manual?

You can also solve the rudder binding problem by getting the upgrade kit for $37. It keeps the connectors between the tiller arms and the crossbar from rotating in the wrong axis.

http://www.murrays.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?...;Category_Code=

OK so what your telling me is that nacra put a rudder system on all of their cats that is not functional? Somehow I dont think that they would do that. the U-joints that you are speaking of are not actually u-joints, but are welded together solid. Is it possible that I have something flipped the wrong way? The adjuster on the crossbar is on the port side, is that corect? The way it is set up now it seems to center the rudders when I let go of the tiller. I dont think I could turn the rudders all the way to the side. At least not without breaking something.

As far as the small block on the haulyard, I get what your saying about it helping to tighten whatever, but where does it attach, etc. I guess maby i'll have to set up the boat in my driveway this weekend and figure it out myself.

How do the bungees attach through the tiller tube? what size? I have some thick bungee but it wont fit through the tiller tube. How are the attachments made at the front of the tubes?

Looked at the pdf, it looks like the bungee is 5/16 but it dosnt spec.
It also specs an eye peice for the attachement to the pin at the front of the tiller tube. is that something that murrays sells?
The tiller connections on my boat are in mint condition, nop need to replace them.

By the way, I dont see many posts regarding the 5.7 nacra. arent there many of them out there?

It is functional, but not the best design. The upgrade kit makes it better.

The problem is that stock system doesn't have a lot of resistance to the crossbar rotating around the axis parallel to the width of the boat. It can rotate that way if you pull or push hard on the tiller. If the crossbar rotates, the pins connecting the crossbar to the tiller arms are no longer straight up and down, which binds the whole system.

With the stock system you can try to avoid this problem by torquing the connectors to the tiller arms harder (make sure the bolt has the little sleeve around it so you don't crush the tiller arm). Or get the upgraded connectors that don't rely on friction to resist rotation in the wrong axis.

Does anyone have a picture of the new upgraded system on a boat?

I've got it on my boat. I can take a picture tonight if you're really interested, but it's not terribly dramatic.

I just want to see it, I can't seem to picture how it is rigged with the upgrades you can purchase.

It's really quite simple. Just remove the old connectors from the tiller arms, drill new holes in the tiller arms 90 degrees off from the existing ones (i.e. straight up and down instead of horizontal) and pin the new connectors on.

Okay, that is what I pictured, but wasn't sure. I will be buying those very soon.

You can actually half-a** it using the orginal hole and bolt. The new connectors have a hole through the "face", just like th old connectors. The "ears" where you should pin it to the tiller arm will keep it from rotating even without a pin.

It sounds confusing, but when you see it you'll understand.

I think I will go all out if I do it, I already rigged a spinnaker on the boat, I think I can afford 37 bucks to upgrade the tiller system.

I looked at the upgrade kit for the tiller and it looks like what's already on there.
I went out and measured the free travel of the crossbar at about 6". This is about 5 degrees of travel in each direction before it binds up.
I really dont think i could even tack with it like it is now.

it's not a very complex system

how about disconnecting the crossbar at each end where it joins the pintles, (alloy pipe that is riveted to the black alloy castings that hold the rudder blades)

then test each rudder for full movement and the crossbar assembly, 1 of them has to be binding somehow

if you've a digital camera, posting pics here would help people pinpoint the problem too

I think that the 5.7 probably works slightly diffrent than the 5.2.
Is there anyone out there with a 5.7?
Murrays sells a conector kit for the H-20 that I adapted to work on my solcat 18 with considerable effort. Its the only thing that I have seen that looks like it would work. However, I dont know if the tube dimentions are the same on the H-20 as the N-5.7.Does anyone out there have an ansewer for that one?

I have a 5.0 and have seen the 5.7 and remember them being the same if they aren't then oh well. It is a pretty simple set-up but if your crossbar is binding in the bracket the rudders won't turn. Try loosening the brackets on each tiller arm (they have little lock nuts holding them so that they can rotate and see if this fixes it, then tighten them in the newly acquired position.

I dont think you guys areetting the picture. Is there anyone out there with a 5.7?

There is no way to loosen the tiller arm, It is riveted in place to the casting with about 7 rivets on each side. It's solid. It will not rotate. When the rudder is rotated so that the tiller arm is outboard, the line perpendicular to the pin which holds the crossbar attachment points down approx. 15 degrees when extended tward the center of the boat. when the rudders are centered, this line is level. When the tiller arm is pushed inboard all the way, this line points upward approx 15 degrees. This is what binds the brackets which hold the crossbar to the tiller arm.
Like I said previously, this seems to need to rotate on one more axis than it is allowed to with the upgraded tiller crossbar attachment. Has anyone out there found a solution for this problem on the 5.7 Nacra. will the H-20 upgrade fit the nacra tubes?

I see that the Catsailor store also sells the H20 /universal hobie crossbar connector. if someone knows the dementions of the tube inserts and can relay that info it might help.Thanks