Minifish

It was $100 & seemed like a good idea at the time ! Sailing is all new to me.
It needs a few small holes glassing in the hull, I can easily lift it onto the bed of my pickup so i' don't think it's waterlogged.
The metal drain plug is seized shut,so i'll eventually have to replace it.
All the deck fixtures are missing, so i'll have to figure out what i need & what goes where.
The metal bailer is seized in the open position, does that really matter ? Water does drain out.
The boom and sprit are a bit bent and need straightening out.
The fixture that attaches the boom to the mast is missing.
The mast seems loose when in place, needs cleats ?
The sail eyelets are ripped out ,can i tape & put new ones in easily ?
The sail attaching rings are all missing ?
The rudder has a split where the pin goes through, epoxy it i guess ?
The rudder up/down spring is missing.
The wooden tiller handle needs replacing.
The centre board top wooden pieces are missing.
Apart from all the above , it's great !!! I can attempt all the jobs myself , i'm just not sure it's financially viable. I only want to sail it for fun , so the cheaper i can get parts , the better as long as they're good. Any comments , tips etc will be greatly appreciated , funny or serious.
Cheers , Len
 
I guess everything you've asked about can be accomplished, but I would have started with a Sunfish. (But that's just me).

As a "Duct-Tape-Professional", I understand your enthusiasm. :)

1) The workaround for the missing mast-to-boom "gooseneck" can be made of a leather binding.

2) Unless severely bent, I wouldn't try to straighten the boom or sprit: sometimes you can introduce a problem you didn't have before. If it is severely bent, I'd cut it at the bad part, and insert a small piece of alumininum and pop-rivet it back together.

3) The mast usually tightens when the sail is raised (by the halyard [line]). You'll need a small alloy- or plastic- cleat just aft of the mast step. (And a fairly robust fairlead to the right of the mast step.)

4) Sail eyelets could be bypassed by sail repair tape and installing eyelets/grommets, but a good used sail will keep you a happy sailor much longer. The Minifish sail is smaller and more easily found -- and cheaper.

Most of the answers to your other questions can be found on the other two pages here.

Before entering the 'Round Isle of Wight race, though, I'd work at getting your Minifish super-shipshape. :)
 
My minifish hull was recently stolen. I now hav an old sunfish hull, but my tiller and extension are too short (a minifish tiller). I have an extra gooseneck ( the bronze peice that attaches the boom to the mast). I encountered many of the problems that you described in the six years of owning my minifish. My mast was always loose, so I rapped the base with a couple layers of duct tape each year. As for the metal bailer, mine too was seized. I tried for a real long time, using a hundred different methods, but could never open it. I ended up just sealing all around it with a silicone kind of sealant. For the size of the minifish cockpit, I never found a bailer neccesary, and never went through the trouble of replacing it. A bailer can be nice though. You can e-mail me at [email protected]
 
I don't know a whole lot about fixing up boats, but I do know one thing about metal autobailers - Just say no. They work great if you can pop 'em up and down easily. Otherwise, they're hell. Unless you can consistantly get the boat moving fast, the autobailer is just going to bring water INTO the boat.

As you noted, yours is locked down. I'd get rid of it totally (not put a new one in). But whatever you do, you'll need to fix it someday. Until then, you might be able to duct tape it a lot so water didn't come in. Might.

Good luck!
 
I can't help with any parts for you mini, but would suggest that you either leave the current bailer alone or replace it with the current model (plastic, p/n 79260, about $37). As rickr said, Duct Tape MAY work for a little while, but I doubt it. Between the cockpit floor and the hull, there is a small gap, usually pretty well sealed around the bailer hole, that can leak. So, if you can live with a little water in the cockpit on slow days, leave things alone, if not, replace it. Wind Line Sails, http://www.windline.net/index.html in the "How-To" section shows one way to remove the old metal bailer. If you have a Dremel Tool with cut-off wheel, you are all set, Cut the retaining nut (not the fiberglass) in 3 places, pop (chisel) the pieces free and you should be able to remove the bailer with some "gentile" persuasion (a hammer). If the plug head is to fat to fit throuh the hole, cut it off and proceed with replacement.
 
Hi everyone ,
Thank you for your replies , your knowledge & the offer of the parts. It turns out that my best mate in England some , but not all , of the bits that i need. When they arrive , i'll figure out what else i need & i'll contact relevant members who've offered me other parts.
Cheers ,
Len
 
...... I definitely need a bow handle , and a new bailer & drain plug ( i guess it's best to change the old metal ones with new plastic replacements ) ..... and if anyone's got a used sail for sale , i need one.

Thanks ,
Len
 
Thanks for all your help , i've now got all the parts i need.

PS ..... Porpoise2 , I am actually going to take part in the "Round the Isle of Wight race" , on June 23rd 2007 ...... in a Dart 18 though , not my Minifish !
 
isleofwightlen said:
Thanks for all your help , i've now got all the parts i need.

PS ..... Porpoise2 , I am actually going to take part in the "Round the Isle of Wight race" , on June 23rd 2007 ...... in a Dart 18 though , not my Minifish !
Click to expand...
paul-single.JPG


Looks like my Tornado: singlehanded, it's a handful. (I think that made sense).

That race makes our stateside magazines....

Good luck!
 
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