The windsurfer people have this all figured out. A lot of easy quick release systems that work well even under load.

Since I have an S2 7.9 and an A-cat, here are the issues I see: In the S2 you always steer from the exact same spot on the boat, just aft of the trave...

I agree with SamC on the Falcon vs Viper. For 1 up vs 2 up, the edge generally goes to lighter 2 up teams. The boat is quick and perfectly manageabl...

Having owned a Taipan 4.9 that was not self tacking and an F-16 that is, the self tackers are much less work and less deck clutter. However, you give...

And don't heat aluminum to bend it. Aluminum will not significantly soften with heat, and it melts into a puddle all of a sudden with too much heat.

I personally have had great experiences with Murrays. I happily shop them for cat stuff. McMaster-Carr is awesome for general and difficult to find ...

Absolutely agree with Sam. Great one design cat and deservedly popular in Australia where there are lots of 4.9s. In the US it's kind of a rare boat...

Yeah, I probably pinched the tube. Here's the next update: -Installed new valve stem, under 60 seconds -Lubed rim and tire with dish soap, hooked up ...

Here's an update on the repair attempts so far: -The leak was not from the valve, and I decided to install a tube and be done with it. -Breaking the ...

Drop it early, drop it often.

Googled 5 gallon bucket method and lighter fluid method. I thought I was redneck, but you guys are killing it. I can't wait to try both methods.

A $30 tube made a lot of sense when I didn't think the bead would be any big deal....

Ordered a tube from Murray's. I'm hoping it will be easy to pop the bead, put the tube in, and reinflate. We shall see.

MN3 wrote: they used to sell a u shaped bracket for hobies it would allow you snap/click your tiller extension into it and would hold it perfectly in ...

nohuhu wrote: Mookie, you didn’t mention if you have tubed tires now. And are the sidewalls cracking? Corrosion on the stems? Got any Picts? The t...

MN3 wrote: An idea I've had is to secure one end of short piece of bungee to the aft tramp or beam, putting a piece on each side of the boat. On the o...

Alright, sorry for the double post; it said the first one timed out so I tried again. Looks like they both went through though, and I can't figure out...

I know this thread is about a year old, but I'm puzzling out the same issues on a Falcon F-16. Firstly, the boat is tuned to have the helm as dead ne...

Maaaybee on the E scow. Super cool boat that you need a crew of four to sail. Wife wanted one after we got beat by one, so we looked. Found one for un...

Owner's manual nails it. You should be able to tack in winds up to at least 20. Start close hauled, carry momentum, wait until the jib backwinds to mo...

F-16 poles 1.5" od with a .065" wall thickness, aluminum.

MN3, thanks for the manual. That boat has the conical step, like my Taipan and Vipers. The newer Falcons have a small circular ball. That's the step I...

Thank you Andinista, that thought finally occurred to me also. It should minimize the chaos. However, we still need a way to reliably step the mast. ...

They built a spinnaker for us. First class all the way. Bill Deland, FL

I agree, wet it out with epoxy for good adhesion and penetration, and then fill with thickened epoxy. Fair until you find it acceptable. Then, the eas...

The Zihk pfd is the best, hands down imo, and we have kayaking vests and monohull vests. It's made to meet European, not USCG, regs, and as a consequ...

Perhaps the additional sail area down to the deck has more benefit than the end plate effect. A pure right angle end plate is fairly draggy, due to ju...