Got my first sunfish!

D

Domromer

Member
Picked up a sunfish and a cart today. Sadly the cart is too wide for the bridge that goes to my beach. I guess I'll be selling the cart and making a narrow cart to cross the walkway. Can you tell me anything about the sunfish from the pics? There was no HIN number so I don't know the age.

NCM_0155 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-5 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-7 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-21 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-8 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-9 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-10 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-11 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-12 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-14 by dsrphotography, on Flickr

sailingdiscgolf-15 by dsrphotography, on Flickr
 
Nice Sunfish. It is post 1972 (new style rudder rig, storage compartment aft of the cockpit tub) and it looks to be in good shape.
The aluminum trim can be easily repaired with a pop rivet gun and rivet (drill out the old rivet wit a 1/8" dia. bit.)

As for the dolly, it is a Seitech and is one of the best brands. If it is too wide, maybe you could get some skinny wheels and gain a few inches.

You might also want to tune up the sail rig a little. Set the bronze gooseneck about 19" back from the forward end of the boom and then attach the halyard to the gaff a little higher up - it will sail much better in this configuration.

I am guessing you are in south Florida (palm trees in photos) Here is what my back yard looks like after this week's
nor'easter. No sailing for me until May.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 

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p.s. There should be a hull ID Number on the transom, upper right hand side, just under the aluminum hull/deck trim, but some of the early 1970 boats had stickers (rather than an engraved number) and they usually came off. If you find a nmber.
reply with it and we can pinpoint the date is was made.

Alan Glos
 
Alan S. Glos said:
Nice Sunfish. It is post 1972 (new style rudder rig, storage compartment aft of the cockpit tub) and it looks to be in good shape.
The aluminum trim can be easily repaired with a pop rivet gun and rivet (drill out the old rivet wit a 1/8" dia. bit.)

As for the dolly, it is a Seitech and is one of the best brands. If it is too wide, maybe you could get some skinny wheels and gain a few inches.

You might also want to tune up the sail rig a little. Set the bronze gooseneck about 19" back from the forward end of the boom and then attach the halyard to the gaff a little higher up - it will sail much better in this configuration.

I am guessing you are in south Florida (palm trees in photos) Here is what my back yard looks like after this week's
nor'easter. No sailing for me until May.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
Click to expand...


Good idea about the skinny wheels. I'll see if I can find any. I only need like two more inches, then I can make it across the beach boardwalk.

I do live in Florida. Indian Rocks Beach, which is West of Tampa. Today was what we'd consider a miserable, cold winter day. I think it got up to 65f.
 
Nice boat. I'd say 1972 based on the triple stripes on foredeck, no aft stripes, no HIN, new style rudder and small Sunfish sticker on the side.

For your dolly, call Dynamic Dollies, they sell parts for Seitech and their skinny wheels might work. http://dynamicdollies.com/contact/
They could probably also make you a dolly, put the wheels a bit further back vs at the widest part of the boat.

If you decide to sell that dolly, it should bring 250 easy as they are 486 new.

Cheers
Kent
 
I'm going to start to go through the boat in the next few days. How much should it weigh if I put it on the bathroom scale?

Can anyone direct me to some threads on adding inspection hatche?

Some of the lines are pretty old and ratty. What's a good cheap replacement? I'm not looking to make a slow boat. Just something reliable.
 
Domromer said:
I'm going to start to go through the boat in the next few days. How much should it weigh if I put it on the bathroom scale?139 +/- 5 pounds

Can anyone direct me to some threads on adding inspection hatch? http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/2013/05/sunfish-rudder-conversion.html

Some of the lines are pretty old and ratty. What's a good cheap replacement? I'm not looking to make a slow boat. Just something reliable. 25 feet 0f 3/16 for halyard and or 5/16 or 3/8 for sheet. I don't think you'll find good AND cheap, so pay a little more for good, it lasts forever while cheap lasts 1-2 seasons: http://www.sunfishsailboats.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1856
Click to expand...
 
Hopefully the skinny wheels will let the dolly cross the bridge, but if not, you will likely be able to sell the dolly for more than $300.
 
135 - 145 lbs is not bad for a boat of this vintage. A new boat today weighs about 130 lbs + or - but an early 1970s boat probably weighted about 135 lbs new. They used a little more glass in the decks back then (hence fewer deck cracks like you often find in the newer boats.) If you install 2 6" deck ports and get a little air moving through the inside of the hull, you can probably get it close to the new boat weight. Install one port on the deck centered between the forward end of the dagger board trunk and aft of the inner "V" of the splashrail. This will give you access to the dagger board trunk assembly and the mast tube. Install the other port on the aft deck centered about 3" forward of the transom. This will give you access to the transom and even the deck eyes that the mainsheet bridle attaches to. If you want to go whole hog, get a 6" duct fan from your local Home Depot or Lowes (about $17) fire it up and move a lot of your hot Florida air through the hull. You can probably take off 10 lbs. or more in a few weeks of fan action.

Alan Glos
 
Alan S. Glos said:
135 - 145 lbs is not bad for a boat of this vintage. A new boat today weighs about 130 lbs + or - but an early 1970s boat probably weighted about 135 lbs new. They used a little more glass in the decks back then (hence fewer deck cracks like you often find in the newer boats.) If you install 2 6" deck ports and get a little air moving through the inside of the hull, you can probably get it close to the new boat weight. Install one port on the deck centered between the forward end of the dagger board trunk and aft of the inner "V" of the splashrail. This will give you access to the dagger board trunk assembly and the mast tube. Install the other port on the aft deck centered about 3" forward of the transom. This will give you access to the transom and even the deck eyes that the mainsheet bridle attaches to. If you want to go whole hog, get a 6" duct fan from your local Home Depot or Lowes (about $17) fire it up and move a lot of your hot Florida air through the hull. You can probably take off 10 lbs. or more in a few weeks of fan action.

Alan Glos
Click to expand...


When you say a few weeks of fan action ... It that plugged in and running 24\7 for a few weeks? Is it OK to use the boat during this time?

Where does one buy these six inch hatches? Is that a West marine thing?
 
Ideally you turn the boat upside down on saw horses, and run the fan 24/7 for as long as it takes to get the water out of the hull and the interior foam. If you are going to sail all winter, just use the fan when the boat is in storage. Another suggestion: buy some 1/4" grid screen from your friendly local hardware store the duct tape it over the open deck port that does not have the fan in it - this will keep the critters (mice, birds, etc.) out of your exposed hull.

Alan Glos
 
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