A CAT FROM ALCORT

While looking for a Sunfish mast and spars, I came across an ad on Craigslist.com for a Sunfish with everything but the sail, so I called. The owner had just donated it to a charity, but he said he had a catamaran with a Sunfish sail that he would sell me for $50. Needless to say, I went and got it. It is a Hilu, made by Alcort or AMF, the makers of the Sailfish and Sunfish. Incidentally, Hilu is Hawaiian for "fish"!  Alcort built these "proa" type boats only for a year or two and only six are still known to exist.This one is in excellent condition. The main hull is just under 14 feet and the total width of the Hilu when put together is 8 feet wide. I brought mine home on a utility trailer after separating the hulls from the tramp.

The following two photos were taken one day after the purchase.

I refinished the mahogany wood parts and bought trampoline mesh to replace the original webbing. Apparently some Hilus had webbing while others had mesh tramps. I didn't attach the tramp boards because I wanted to keep them indoors.

The photo below shows the only known Hilu in Europe. It is not certain whether the window was installed at the factory or after market. Mine has no window nor do the ones that appear in Alcort advertising.

The Hilu below sold on eBay in August, 2007

This Hilu sports a Mistral windsurfer sail.

I sold my Hilu to a lady in North Carolina for $800 on June 15, 2008