I have a 2005 F16 Blade for sale. 2 sets of sails trailer and a lot of goodies. I am asking $9,800. Call 864-313-0412 for details.

Hu, see the classified link on the menu? Yeah, that one. Try it <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

why you selling so soon?

I thought 701 belonged to Robi?

Robi sold it last year. I think(noticed I said think) he got a Capricorn to replace the Blade or at least went F18.




Mike

so now he has to find crew....?

He has a family member he wants to teach to sail. Nephew maybe.

You still sailing your Blade, right Pete?

Those things are small enough to fit in a 'standard' two car garage (except the mast), which can be advantageous in these here parts...

Yep, still sailing my Blade. It is at GYC.

That picture is me, sailing blade 701 at Lake Eustis I beleive it was 2007? Pete do you remember what year it was?

This boat was sold in Dec 2007, to Neville who is now selling it.

I had intentions on purchasing another F16, but the F18 deal was so good I couldnt pass it up. Plus being boatless played another huge factor. So far, the crew issue for me has not been a problem. Specially now that I am teaching my nephew how to sail.

FYI: blade 701 was truly optimized and modified for uni-rig sailing.

Not sure, '06 maybe?

what's the "kevlar hull" option on the Blade F16 website? Is it kevlar reinforced on the bottom or the whole thing?

Are the hulls any more/less ding or pressure dent resistant than any other sandwich construction boat (Taipan, F-18, etc)? Are the daggarboard trunks reinforced so you snap a board rather than destroy a hull?

The builder has detailed and accurate information about the construction and durability of what he builds.

If you want reliable answers you may be better off putting your questions to the builder of the boat you are interested in. This really goes for any boat at all that you are thinking of buying.

Regards,
Phill

Are you sure that you don't want to offer up an opinion on Kevlar for boat building in regards to dent resistance, Phill?

I will say that Matt is very good at customer relations. He sent a response to my questions relatively quickly and his answer was thorough.

I agree with his opinion that due to the foam core sandwich construction of today's beachcats (all sizes), that "dent proof" is technically impossible (unless your boat is very very heavy)

If you want dent-proof or all details on the construction, there is only one solution. Build the boat in wood and do it yourself <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Seriously, foam boats can dent and wood boats have their own issues. Dents are usually caused by point loads (knees, elbows etc), and you need a lot of fibers to stop the core from crushing. Treat the boat with respect and care for it, and dents will not be an issue. If you do get a dent despite being carful, fix it and pay the 100gram weight penalty of added epoxy and filler.

I agree, and realize it's unavoidable.

I do take issue with those claims that a particular boat is "bullet-proof"... I believe claims were made regarding the Taipan's construction...

I believe the term bullet-proof is not often used in combination with the Taipan, although the laminate work of the AHPC Taipan is surprisingly robust, especially for a 102 kg boat. I do believe many comments are indeed made to that effect.

Wouter

Robi, Tback and I put the boats through some pretty rough handling when we first started. No structural damage that I recall. So they're tough enough for me. However, you can catapault the crew completely through the sail. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I can confirm that for a foam core boat, the kevlar taipans are amazingly robust.