Few Saturdays ago I was checking Craigslist to see what was what was up for sale… I had no intention of buying a boat or anything, but this one ad popped up that had “buy me” written all over it…..
“1991 Prindle 18-2 $200 title and registration out of date needs TLC…”
After the knee jerk and talking to the owner I was getting the impression that the boat was way out of shape, but what the hey for $200…. the centerboards, beach wheel, and an running rigging Harken gear were worth the price of admission so that next morning off on the 101 freeway I went… When I got to the owners house I was rather surprised that the boat was covered with that "el cheapo" cover from Murray’s Marine.. albeit beat up and tattered but still covered… Upon the initial inspection boat was not in that bad a shape that is there were no soft spots, the mainsail looked relatively new, that trailer was galvanized with new wheels and lights. The hulls were chalky, and the bottom… well there were no holes so we’re still ahead of the game… the centerboards and rudder were about 99% free of nicks and scrapes…. Considering the bottom of the boat I was expecting worse but not the case… Everything was there with the exception of the jib sail… which the owner thought may be in his storage locker at the local U- Stor It…. Turned out later it wasn’t…. I have some Classic 18 jibs to hold me over until a new one can be ordered..
Needless to say... two little green pieces of paper with a picture of a cagey old Quaker inventor on them changed hands real quick… Hooked up to the Toyota it was back to Ventura we go with what is now my third Prindle 18-2. Got her home and started the dismantling and quick scrub down and she was really not looking that bad… little tired, little scarred but not looking that bad…
Phase I
Figuring I have the boat torn apart and I am looking at a complete refit of the standing/running rigging and tramp I thought is best to curve my OCD but more so the Mickey Mouse repairs done to the bottom of the boat and get it done right before she gets back in the water...
Starboard Hull Bottom
Port Hull Bottom
For those of you in Southern CA there is a gent that worked for Performance Catamarans... aka NACRA and Prindle building and repairing these boats for many years… Jesus Morales… some of you folks at MBYC may know Jesus, but if you need some work done, and you don’t have or want to take the time he is the guy for the job… Jesus did some work on the Inter 20 I bought a few years back and you had to look real hard to see where the work was done… Let me know and I'll send you his information.
You saw the before…. Here are the after pics…
<img src=" https://www.thebeachcats.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=130397&g2_serialNumber=4<img src="
But, what is a rebuild with out all new standing rigging... the stuff that was on there was still a little shinny looking and the owner told me it was sort of new when he parked the boat 10 years earlier; however, it had been sitting for the past ten years… I could have taken a chance, but why risk it… with Murray’s a 15 minute drive up the road and a long 3 martini Friday lunch… new rigging was in order… YEIKS….. This is more that 4X what I paid for the boat… but the worth the peace of mind… and it does look pretty... And I at least I now have a starting point.
The new tramp arrived today and I pick the hulls up this weekend and start on Phase II putting it all back together… more to come…
Edited by JohnES on Sep 06, 2018 - 12:31 AM.
What a great rescue project. That's one boat that's really worth saving.
I would rehab that mast too. By the looks of the mast hound and diamond tangs, there is underlying corrosion of the rivets. Consider replacing them now.
Something you could easily do, between martinis... :konfus:
nohuhu wrote: What a great rescue project. That's one boat that's really worth saving.
I would rehab that mast too. By the looks of the mast hound and diamond tangs, there is underlying corrosion of the rivets. Consider replacing them now.
Something you could easily do, between martinis... :konfus:
Thanks.... I'll re-look them over tonight...
Timing on this post so perfect. Just got a text this am from Illinoi about a couple areas we forget about. The eyestrap on the bow for the bridle has two screws. One goes thru hull to a stainless plate, but other stainless screw goes into an ALUMINUM bar stock tucked under gunwale lip. I've seen some of these aluminum bars splitting & turning to powder. Murray carries them part 56-1811. Pete
prindle pete
pbegle wrote: Timing on this post so perfect. Just got a text this am from Illinoi about a couple areas we forget about. The eyestrap on the bow for the bridle has two screws. One goes thru hull to a stainless plate, but other stainless screw goes into an ALUMINUM bar stock tucked under gunwale lip. I've seen some of these aluminum bars splitting & turning to powder. Murray carries them part 56-1811. Pete
Yes, that is the same method for securing the shroud ancjor for the Prindle 18 Classic... For the 18-2 and 19 they are using a tang that embedded to the hull similar to the NACRA and modern boats.... But something the needs to be monitored... on the Classic style Prindle...
John,
Can you send me Jesus's contact info?
thanks
Chuck
mtbaldycat wrote: John,
Can you send me Jesus's contact info?
thanks
Chuck
Chuck,
Check your PM
John
Got delayed a day for picking up the hull due to AYSO (All Your Saturdays Occupied) Soccer.. All good though...
Today we did more work on the mast with getting the spreader rake, pre-bend, and diamond wire tension dialed in.... for you Prindle owners, watch it when torquing down the nuts to the turnbuckle... make sure the adjuster barrel does not move
Getting closer
Edited by JohnES on Sep 08, 2018 - 04:31 PM.
Got the boat home yesterday mid day and starting getting it back together... The bias cut tramp gave me a little bit of a wrestling match to get on.... talking to a few others this seems to be the norm.... didn't get as far as I wanted, but hope this boat back on the water in two weeks...
Put is some time this past weekend getting it ready and with the help of a few friends we got the mast up, mast rake set... to what I believe is a good starting point, the helm measured and balanced, and the rudder rake set... that is I didn't change anything when from when I bought it... it has the extended grudgons and I have never played with these before... thought I would leave it where it is and go from there with the mast rake...
Anyway, she looks pretty nice and my new (used) jib should be showing up any day now.... hopefully get here in the water this coming Sunday..
Look like I am going to have to change my avatar from the NACRA F18 to the P boat...
Edited by JohnES on Sep 20, 2018 - 02:35 PM.
wow - that is looking showroom new.
if is sails 1/2 as well as it looks .... you have a killer there
MN3
Get it wet yet; John?
What tramp did you get. Cost?
We just tore ours Sunday :-O and are lucky no one fell through. Ready for a new one.
What a fantastic looking boat. I thought my N 5.7 was nice when completed, but this looks like showroom condition. Mind saying where the budget is at on this?
nohuhu wrote: Get it wet yet; John?
What tramp did you get. Cost?
We just tore ours Sunday :-O and are lucky no one fell through. Ready for a new one.
Sunrise Trampoline... I have been doing business with Richard there since the beginning of time.. the cost was just a little over $400.00. As for getting wet, hopefully this weekend... Been busy with work, soccer, etc.... plus I was sort of forced to get a new car, which took a weekend or two....
tominpa wrote: What a fantastic looking boat. I thought my N 5.7 was nice when completed, but this looks like showroom condition. Mind saying where the budget is at on this?
Not at all... right now with all the new rigging (standing and running), tramp, new jib sail, trailer stuff I am at $2K...
Thanks. I see you got a discount. The Prindle tramps are quite a bit more than the Hobies.
Here's a link for others who are looking: https://multihullnets.com/Prices/Nets/StockBeachCat/bcSelect.aspx
And the SLO site: http://www.slosailandcanvas.com/prindle-18-2-19/
Bet you can't wait to see her fully rigged and wet. Snap some picts.
my 19 needs bottom job, mind if I ask what it cost for the hull work, would'nt mind it if they got the whole treatment, I'll be discussing hull work with local Hobie dealer here in Mi.
carl
A bottom job should cost you no more than $100 and an hours work if done by yourself. Qt of epoxy & pumps from Jamestown Dist. and 3" fiberglas tape. Brushes from Home Depot. Take off rudders, flip boat & go to work making sure to do a "dry" job rather than sloppy job that leaves too much resin dripping down hull side. Pete
prindle pete
Thx, here's what I'm looking at
Edited by carl2 on Nov 05, 2018 - 10:46 AM.
carl
Add some microballoons (thickening agent) to your Jamestown order to fill in any gouges and 2" fiberglas tape rather than 3". Should give you a $100 order for free shipping. Pete
prindle pete
pbegle wrote: Add some microballoons (thickening agent) to your Jamestown order to fill in any gouges and 2" fiberglas tape rather than 3". Should give you a $100 order for free shipping. Pete
I have had good luck using West Systems #406 Colloidal Silica for getting the epoxy to a peanut butter consistently.
What ever you use make sure you have on a dust mask when working with it. Also, you may already know this, but mix up the epoxy and hardener first, that add in the filler...
I will say though, I have worked with Duraglass and it comes ready to go to with the consistency needed for a bottom job...that is, just add the hardener and apply. Saw a guy fairing out an Olson 30 using this stuff... he swore by it..
https://www.merrittsupply.com/product/usc-duraglass-filler/
Edited by JohnES on Nov 05, 2018 - 03:23 PM.
pbegle wrote: A bottom job should cost you no more than $100 and an hours work if done by yourself. Qt of epoxy & pumps from Jamestown Dist. and 3" fiberglass tape. Brushes from Home Depot. Take off rudders, flip boat & go to work making sure to do a "dry" job rather than sloppy job that leaves too much resin dripping down hull side. Pete
If you use the West System rollers, people will think you vacuum-bagged it. They do an excellent job of only applying what you need.
From personal experience, I would replace the bolts attaching the dolphin striker. I have proven that they can shear.
texastuma wrote: From personal experience, I would replace the bolts attaching the dolphin striker. I have proven that they can shear.
Thanks... I have already looked after them and all the others....
Had a friend that on the USS JFK back when the F14 was the pride of the fleet... He use to work on them and told me they had protocol for the F-14 called "Exercising the Nuts" that is they was loosen, inspect, replace and "regupe" (anit-sieze) if needed all critical fasteners.
Yo John! We're itchin for an update on this restoration. Can you create an album of the highlights and some sailing picts. Did you document the bottom job?
Got to be a classic.
The aluminum bar stock on inside hull lip that anchors the eyestrap screw (holding bridle) can turn to powder after 20 years in salt water. Better to replace on salt water boats. Pete
prindle pete
So..... after some grueling hours on some re-organization management stuff at work and accomplishing some personal goals I have been wanting to get done for a while now, some time came up this weekend and I was finally able to get the boat on the water for the first time since the overhaul.
The square top mainsail is a great improvement over the traditional pin-top sails (just a puff and she accelerates with ease.), and a new jib.... we all now the improvement that makes... Also, having the Prindle Gen II rudders on this boat makes turning so easy, or should I say the helm is a lot more responsive then the older squared rudders that were stock. Having just about 1/2" of rudder rake and about 14" of mast rake seems to be the sweet spot as had just the slightest drift to weather...
Even though the day didn't offer the usual 10 Kt winds we're accustom to here, it was a good day non the less for a "shakedown" sail...
Here she is sitting at the dock ready to go...
Edited by JohnES on Jun 10, 2019 - 03:47 PM.
Finally! 😀 Awesome Glasier main. I really like that window.
No battens in the jib?
nohuhu wrote: Finally! 😀 Awesome Glasier main. I really like that window.
No battens in the jib?
Yes there are... I forgot to put them in... did so after I took to photo...
looks real nice John - enjoy
MN3
Really beautiful! May I ask, what is the roller furling that you have?