Mystere Cat

It is a Mystere 5.0 (not a 16')

It used to belong to a friend of mine, I have seen it recently (a few years ago)... it was not in good shape at all....
I know of another 5.0 locally that needs work but is a much better deal at 1500 (even though it needs about 10000 of work)

Yep. I went and looked at the 5.0 above several years ago. It was coated in latex house paint and the rigging was non-stainless, probably from Lowes.

Well... I'm the new owner of this boat! Just picked it up and drove it down to Sarasota tonight... I plan on doing a bit of work to get it cleaned up. Headhunter and MN3, any information on the history of this boat would be greatly appreciated. Optikid - I will have the mystere out at the SSS if you are interested in checking it out...

The boat currently has a mylar square top sail (will work for this summer, but needs to be replaced) - the rigging is actually stainless (and in servicable condition)... the paint job... well it needs sanding an painting. The tramp needs replacement as well.

Thanks!

Knight
Mystere 5.0
Terrapin 24

I checked out this cat too a few months ago. I was going to offer him $500 just to get the beach wheels and parts, but didn't want any grief from the wife about another boat in the yard.
Another cat saved from the landfill. Hope you get her up and sailing soon !!

The only history i know about it is:
It was owned by our friend Stevie for a while, he then sold it to our other friend Craig. Craig took it sailing stuffed with camping gear in 20knots... and it didnt end well.... Craig later sold it to someone in the middle of the state... but it found it's way back to Pinellas County

alohasrq wrote: Well... I'm the new owner of this boat! Just picked it up and drove it down to Sarasota tonight... I plan on doing a bit of work to get it cleaned up. Headhunter and MN3, any information on the history of this boat would be greatly appreciated. Optikid - I will have the mystere out at the SSS if you are interested in checking it out...

The boat currently has a mylar square top sail (will work for this summer, but needs to be replaced) - the rigging is actually stainless (and in servicable condition)... the paint job... well it needs sanding an painting. The tramp needs replacement as well.

Thanks!

Knight
Mystere 5.0
Terrapin 24

I will see you sailing!

I have a 91 Mystere 5.0. It is my first catamaran and this is my 3rd season to sail it. I'm not an expert but if you have questions about the boat maybe I can help a little since I'm familiar with the boat. I did submit a reply to your shroud question so you can look for that. MN3 helped me get started with mine so you are already hooked up with a great resource. Just be careful not to ask if you can "tap him" for information! 🙂 Good luck on the project.

More history: That was the first Mystere in the US, origional sail number 26. I helped put it together in 1992, or thereabouts. It was used as an R&D platform for later 5.0 models so it has some unique features. It was then sold to Glen of Sail Honeymoon in 1993-4 and used as a rental boat for years before the aformentioned Stevie bought it.

Great boat in it's day. We used to sail the piss out of it. I'm happy to hear it's going to someone with aspirations of rebuilding it. Better hit Fiberglass Coatings in St. Pete...there's a lot of work in your future.

Mystere cats were built and sold out of Pointe Calumet, Quebec here in Canada until sometime in the 1990s I believe. They stopped production but I think they'll still build one if requested, and they still repair all makes and models. For parts or info contact Yannick Sansoucy of Ecole de Voile Sansoucy,
info@ecoledevoilesansoucy.com
www.ecoledevoilesansoucy.com
(450) 472-8042

Best of luck with your new project!

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the great information! I knew I was in for some work when I picked up this boat. I am curious about the "Special Features" of this 5.0. I have been emailing back and forth with Yves Sansoucy from Mystere. He informed me this boat is a 1990 model.

I'm sure the 20 knot camping adventure explains the poor fiberglass work done on the starboard hull. The hulls are going to be sanded down and prepped for painting. I'm sure I will find some suprises as I get the old paint off.

I brought the boat home to Sarasota and it will be kept and sailed out of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron.

If anybody is interested, I will be happy to document my project. I'll kick it off with a new topic, post pictures, etc... Hopefully I will learn a bit and potentially help others by documenting what I find.

Here is a photo from the drive home last night...

https://picasaweb.google.com/117665990924672730509/20120604?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNOTxc2Z56XeJQ&feat=directlink

alohasrq wrote:
If anybody is interested, I will be happy to document my project. I'll kick it off with a new topic, post pictures, etc... Hopefully I will learn a bit and potentially help others by documenting what I find.

That would be great, and welcome to TheBeachcats.com.

Feel free to create your own album for the project inside the Beachcats Technical album.
http://thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=10570

You can upload photos and descriptions as you go along. Then when it is done you can create your own members album inside Beachcats People to record your sailing fun.
http://thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=14581

that's a pretty looking boat

If you do more trailering with it, i would recommend you remove the rudders completely. they should come off very easily by removing the pin (unless the pin is corroded into place)

Like many cats, the rudder castings and mech are the weakest part of this boat. the castings are made of pot alum and will eventually crack. there are very slight "ramps" (or notches) that are used to hold the rudders in the UP position (on the water/beach) and lots of care should be given to this part of the casting (gently lift when locking in the up position).

I appreciate the advice on the rudders. The boat will stay rigged on the trailer at our sailing squadron. The rudder castings appear to be solid, but I will inspect closely. I plan on doing the fiberglass, sanding, and painting work myself. I do need to replace the tramp and sails. I would like to go Mylar. Any suggestions for finding reasonable priced Mylar sails for the 5.0?

I have a friend who's started building cross-cut sails made of Diaxx 2. He's in Clearwater and if you give him your original, he'll make a good copy. I'm very happy with the main he made for my 6.0. Message me privately if interested and I'll share his contact info.

As for the tramp, you can't beat Sunrise for quality. Though there's someone on ebay I believe out of Ohio who's selling mystere tramps for cheap.

Those rudders/castings aren't original to your boat. One of the unique features I mentioned is that boat had slip on rudders (like a dart) which had a simple plate gudgeon coming off the top of the transom and the bottom of the casting sat on a pintle. They weren't deep enough and the boat kept cavitating...hence the revised setup on later models. Also, your mast was originally black (as were the beams) from the factory. The decks are flat, later models have a slight curvature.

I would like to go Mylar. Any suggestions for finding reasonable priced Mylar sails for the 5.

I would avoid mylar, they don't hold up in FL UV
i would do Kevlar, pentex, even dacron before mylar (personally)

The Diaxx2 look great, but are unproven to me for durability

+2 for sunrise for quality & durability

http://www.marine-covers.com/dbimgs/6_Diax.pdf

I'll let you know in another year.

Headhunter wrote: http://www.marine-covers.com/dbimgs/6_Diax.pdf

I'll let you know in another year.

Headhunter, do you have pics of the new sails? Did you get the Aramid Clear? Has the Clearwater dude got a website? If he doesn't I know where he can get one. 😎

When i think of mylar sail i think of the old hobie and mystere sails that come apart in fishscale type layers and look like a cling-wrap experiment gone bad

i was corrected that PET (mylar) film is still in use but has become much more UV stable than sails of old.

my last 4 or 5 sails have been Tornado or Capricorn Pentex sails that most likely had a smokey mylar leyor or 2 in them..

Headhunter wrote: Also, your mast was originally black (as were the beams) from the factory. The decks are flat, later models have a slight curvature.

Just took off some of the white paint... Black underneath the latex!!!

This is going to be a fun project. I am looking forward to piecing together the history of this boat. The 20 knot camping trip will need to be told! Looking at some of the repairs, I have a picture forming of the event(s)...

Thank you all for the help. I feel much better about my decision to take on this project!

Definitely keep us informed. I almost bought that boat last year but it was too much of a project boat for me.

Headhunter, do you have pics of the new sails?

Since he didn't repond.. .here is a pic of his new sail

Edited by MN3 on Jun 06, 2012 - 08:49 AM.

oops, missed that. Many more diax2 pics available.

Here ya go man! I can't believe I found this last night. This is your boat about a week after it arrived in Florida. That's me and some blondie off the beach. Pic taken from Honeymoon Island.

i wish my boat had that much history!!
is this boat special?

optikid wrote: i wish my boat had that much history!!
is this boat special?

It's special now that I have it!

Hey Optikid - are you going to be at the SSS this weekend? I'm bringing the boat over and plan on rigging the boat on Saturday, but I promised my wife I wouldn't take it out on the water until Sunday (she is working on Saturday...) 😀

If you are around, I could use a hand getting her rigged up!

alohasrq wrote: [quote=optikid]I wish my boat had that much history!!
is this boat special?

It's special now that I have it!

Hey Optikid - are you going to be at the SSS this weekend? I'm bringing the boat over and plan on rigging the boat on Saturday, but I promised my wife I wouldn't take it out on the water until Sunday (she is working on Saturday...) 😀

If you are around, I could use a hand getting her rigged up!

I'm there all week for the summer camp I volunteer.... On sunday there's suppose to be only about 5-8 knots.
Do you know about the Friday and Wednesday night races?

optikid

To be honest i have had great luck with Whirlwind Sails out of CA. Chip Buck is a great sailmaker and is making my new self tacking jib right now.... Check out his website.. whirlwindsails.com

So i saw the boat today and i have a couple questions.
1. were was it kept as it had barnacles on it.
2. why would it have 2 port holes with in a couple IN.
3. i want to hear the camping story it must have been bad.
looks like a fun boat cant wait to go out on our boats together.

2. to make repairs

3. the story i heard was: they went sailing in pretty heavy air... didn't make it to the island they were trying to get to, capsized and some gear was lost. The boat was later sold to someone in the middle of the state,

but it fourd its way back home...

Edited by MN3 on Jun 12, 2012 - 10:20 PM.