Those instructions showed up on the Sunfish Sailor Group right after I finished building my boat. The good news is that I seemed to have gotten most of the assembly correct using LOTS of old Alcort pictures and advice from someone who restored his Sailfish! :)
It's a wooden Super Sailfish, not Sunfish. The Super Sailfish was the longer (14') and wider (3') version of the 12' wooden Sailfish. It was given to me after sitting unassembled for 48 years. The only thing missing was the directions! It took almost a year to finish.
I've been sailing Sunfish for years, but have never sailed a Super Sailfish. I know the physical differences between them, but what about on the water? What's a comforatable sitting position? Does the narrow hull make a big difference? Any tips would be appreciated.
I'm planning to use ring shank silicon bronze nails. Pretty fancy name, huh? They seem to be the popular choice for plywood boat kits. The ring shank design allows them to hold well and install quickly. The silicon bronze part keeps them from rusting away. Since I estimate having to use about...
I've found someone who's restored a wooden Sailfish, who sent me MANY tips and instructions (with pictures) so I think that will get me started in the right direction.
I also found a very old Clark Craft Kit Boat catalog from the '60s that shows several pictures of someone building their...
Thanks again! I never even thought about the library (Guess I've gotten too used to only looking on the net!)
The pictures on the Sailfish site are great, too. My favorite is the family taking the Sailfish out of the box!
Thanks Repete, you've found the pictures of my boat kit! Pretty amazing condition, isn't it? You can see the hardest part is built, I just need to know how to finish up.
What looks like instructions in the picture are the rigging instructions and the decal. That's right, the Sailfish decal...
Okay, it doesn't look promising for finding printed directions... :(
Has anyone out there built a kit Sunfish or Sailfish? I realize it would have been many years ago, but someone must remeber how they did it (I hope).
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
The Field Guide to Sailboats lists the International Moth as a Sunfish style boat, but shorter at 11 ft. It's name seems to derive from added "wings" that allow easier hiking out, and add up to three more feet in overall width.
Hope this helps!
I've just picked up a partially built Super Sailfish kit from 1959. It looks to be complete, with one major part missing; the instructions! Does anyone have or know of where I could get a copy of the instructions so I can finish building my new 48 year old Saifish?
Thanks!
There's quite a history. The best write up is in either Will White's Sunfish Book or the Sunfish Bible, which has Will's book reprinted as part of it.
You could also sail over to the Sunfish Class Page (the link is on the main page of this forum) and get all sorts of other information from the FAQ.
My reply wasn't to debate the differences between destructive chemical or electrical processes. As I've boated on salt water my entire life, I understand them very well, thank you.
My point was that I would not write off any boat just because it has been used in salt water. The owner's care...
As a lifetime salt water sailor, may I politely disagree? ;) Thank you.
I think you mean corrosion, not electrolosis, as it's the salt that can do nasty things to aluminum. With some proper care, like hosing down the boat, spars and blades after use, it shouldn't be a problem. My Sunfish is...
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