I'm sailing with Hans today. I will ask him about stock stay lengths for a 5.0. If you still have troubles, contact Stu Smith at Ellie's Sailing Shop in Clearwater. He can make custom rigging for less than $20 each if you use thimble ends. He can make or fix anything. He probably has the lenghts but we have some 5.0's here to copy if he doesn't. Write me offline.

I do believe that is a G-Cat 5.0 MkI. Please don't toss this boat in the dump, it's a very rare find and they're good boats. I you weren't so far away (I'm in FL) I'd come help you fix your boat up. If you feel like hauling it to FL sometime...

David Parker- please ask Hans what the best way is to replace the deck boards on the 5.0 MK Is. I believe marine plywood can be used.

I'll head to the beach this weekend and take some pictures and measurements of the 5.0s that are there and post them next week.

Didn't David Mosely send you a rigging diagram?

Well, Good i wont dump it. Ill ask my dad for a stay of execution! (with a copy of your post im sure he will be linient)

David did send me a rigging diagram, the origional actually and it has been very helpful with someof the other parts i needed.

But it does lack lengths for any of the stays.

Im going to put all this info up on a website once i get it all together, everyone ive talked to with a G-Cat is gaga for it, but there doesnt seem to be a lot of info floating around. I figure scans of the manuals david sent could really help someone along eventually.

Thanks again y'all

Eddie

Well, my friend packed all but one of his 5.0s away for Hurricane Charlie and hasn't bothered to bring them back out. The one he has on the beach is a rental model with a shorter mast, so the shroud lengths won't work for you.

Sorry Maybe Hans will be better help.

that doesnt look like my '81 G-Cat 5.0 It had a lip, but no "insert" in the top of the hull like this one appears to have.
Jeep, I can get those measurements, but it will be later this month when I see that boat again.
I think I will make a website devoted strictly to the G-Cat line, including the rigging manual I sent you, and the line lengths, shroud lengths and other important info. I also thin you need to see the way we run our jib sheets and barber haulers. Makes handling the sails much easier. Look for it soon at www.seacats.org

David Mosley
F18 on the way(supposedly in truch headed east

Dave,

He has a MK I G-Cat, the original model was made with one-piece hulls (actually, I believe there is a seem along the keel that is glassed over) and deck-sections for the top. It was the first catamaran to be built this way.

I'm coming to NC Sept. 3rd-6th and could possibly meet up with you. I've found all my G-Cat literature which illustrates how the jibsheets and barber-hauler are routed, how the rigging is attached, etc. However, it's larger than 8.5x11 legal-sized paper, so scanning is a bit of an issue. I can give you copies of everything but the "construction manual", but if you have a way to copy or scan it, I could bring it as well.

I will be in Nashville that weekend, back Sunday afternoon in Columbia. Come go sailing with us!

David

LoL, I might even bring a Nacra 17 Isn't there another hurricane coming your way?

What a bummer about the lengths... David, did you get a chance to check on that for me it would be a huge help.

I am resolved to get my boat on th water this weekend. Even if i have to hold the mast up by hand

My boat is kept about 3 hours from the nearest west marine, so if i dont have the lengths, or get go go to my boat to triangulate the estimated shroud length, is there any way i could make them on my own at my camp? We have a pretty good assortment of tools down there.

How viable of an option is using the new high performance line?

Thanks so much,
Eddie

The high performance line would be more expensive and require extensive maintenance when compared to steel cable. You COULD make the cables on site but you will need a good crimp tool - don't go cheap on the crimp tool.

If you have a good swaging tool, you can certainly make them on site. I like doing it at west marine because they have a bench swager. The big hand swager works good too though. Mke sure you use 2 thimbles on your swage. And double swage each thimble.
psycho, yeah there is another Hurricane heading this way, will be here when you are here, have fun. I Hope my plane can fly out early enough friday to miss it, or I may be around. I guess the good part is we will have plenty of wind!

David

You'll be clear. At the earliest we will begin to be affected early Sunday morning. This one's going to be a monster.

I spoke with Hans on Friday. Coincidentally, he was sailiing a beautiful older 5.0. I'm sorry I didn''t get detailed photos. He told me that you should contact him and he will provide all the GCat specs you might need. Go to G-Cat Multihulls to find contact info. E-mail or call him on the phone! He is a very approachable fellow with true stories and wisdom that will keep you entranced for hours! And if you race him he'll quietly and efficiently kick your butt, and probalby on a 20 year old boat. I'd like to see a Geisler-Roberts (GCat-SuperCat) shoot out. Yeah, that's one Pay Per View I'd shell out the bucks for!!

http://www.g-catmultihulls.com/

I just got off the phone with hans. He was able to quickly give me the lengths i needed, and we had a nice chat. Hes a nice guy (even thought i think he might screen his calls, but once i mentioned i takled to David Parker he answered off his answering machine . This would explain why he never took my calls before haha.)

But again, thanks so much, you guys are a great resource to a new cat sailor like me.

Eddie

Ok so now we have taken the 180 turn from disposal to restoration.. I realize i should share the info i got from Hans.

Pin to Pin legths
Shroud - 19'7"
Forestay - 18'5/8"
bridles - 40"

he reccomended using 8" wire diameter and said something about 1x19 standard (but im not really sure what that means)

Cheers!
Eddie

1X19 means that it is 1 cable made from 19 individual strands. See more at:

www.bosunsupplies.com

Eddie, get that boat together and plan a vacation for October 2-3rd. Outback Cup, 2 G-Cat 5.0s and a G-Force 21 are expected.
SEACATS Webpage for more details

David

Eddie, there's a GCat 5.0 for sale on EBay and it's kinda close to you (Connecticut). Maybe you could look at it for hints or buy it for a spare.

Link to EBay GCat

Thanks for the tip. Im checking it out, and depending on how high it goes ill def be in the running on that boat.

Well, after all this,I had my boat on the water Sunday and Monday this week. Super low wind, maybe 5. i had about 3 gusts of probably 8 which was really nice. I had a ton of fun, and my whole family (Dad, step mom, brother and sister) and my girlfriend had never been sailing before so i got to take them all out in the calm, and float around for a bit. they all loved it!

Per usual this has given me many many more questions, but im going to focus on the fun for a while and not harrass you guys anymore (for a while at least ) and get some pics of it up. Its a pretty old boat, in not the best of shape... but we had a great time, and i cant wait to really get it dialed in and figured out.

Im going to put up some pics on my site so you guys can see.
Thanks so much,
Eddie

Labor day weekend I decided come hell or high water I was going to sail my boat. Even if i meant holding the mast up by hand, and using a pillow as a sail.

I got all the docs together that everyone has sent me and printed off all the posts so far and figured out what i thought i needed, and started the long drive up to maine (where our lake and the boat is) with my girlfriend.

I found a west marine about 2 hours into the trip in Portland Maine and went in, met some nice guys, and got to work. I got blocks, line, and other fun stuff, and even made the shrouds with my girlfriend even though i didnt really know what i was doing and they werent allowed to help. But I think they came out ok. 3 hours later we were ready to check out.

Back on the road, after about another hour it dawned on me, that maybe, when i had brought the boat up to maine with all the equip I had accidentally left the rudders in NH (why you might ask? I have no idea.). I called my parent at the lake and they looked around and didnt call me back so i figured i was in for it.

That night i got to the camp and there were no rudders to be found. I talked my dad into helping me rig the boat the next morning so at least other than rudders i could find what i needed for the future.

The next morning, while wallowing in my own idiocy, my dad said "hey why dont i try to make you some rudders? Ill run to the store and get some wood, and then at least you can sail!" Well my dad has never been on a sailboat before and bareley even seen one, but hey, he wanted to help me out, so i said yes!

He was going to go to the hardware store (about 45 mins away) but we looked inside and found a perfect peice of wood in the shed!

He got to work:



he ever routed the edges to make it more aerodynamic!



so i stepped the mast and we were both shocked at how high it was! My brother and I started trying to figure out the rigging:



Then we attached his rudders, and launched the boat!



There wasnt very much wind at all, but enough for me to putt putt around our cove.

(btw im going wing on wing there, do you do that on a cat?)

So there were some issues with my boat. My sails are a little patchy and have some issues, so i wanted to get new ones, but found a deal on ebay, and got a whole 'nother gcat! Now I have 2! I just have to go pick this one up!
[img]http://www.edwardaten.com/boat/newcat.jpg[/img]

Thanks so much for your help!

Eddie