Sunfish Shack Update Mid Atlantic Station

signal charlie

signal charlie

Well-Known Member
Staff member
When we first put up the Sunfish Shack last Summer we added side and back walls so folks couldn't see the boats from the street. We have been working on our new backyard and got a fence put in a few months back. Next came a pergola and deck next to the Sunfish Shack. Sitting on our deck the last few warm days we noticed we weren't getting the best breeze. We also weren't too happy with the fall leaves that collected inside and the wasp nest. And the last straw was we couldn't see our wooded area that we cleaned up. So off came the walls.

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The next phase will be to extend the Shack to the right, and make space to get the airborne Sunfish back on her dolly, and get a tin roof overhead the canoe and the Catfish.
 
Norcal,
I always wished we had a boathouse on a lake, with all the crusty nautical flotsam and jetsam hanging on the wall. And a boat, ready for action. A promise of fun and relaxation. You know, like On Golden Pond, but with less senility and estrangement :)
 
I'm going to be spending a few weeks at the boathouse in June and July. Very much looking forward to sailing the Oldfish. I got a really good deal on a better daggerboard and rudder that I'm taking. We're driving this year and are also going to bring our SUPs. I've got to get the Cyclone 13 on the water too. My fourteen year old nephew will be able to sail solo this year, so we plan on sailing together. Can't wait. (Had to post photos)
 

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Did we mention that we are expanding the Sunfish Shack? The other boats were cramped so we added a canoe cubby, aka SCOUT Shack in the middle and two more slips past that. Our Catfish SMEDLEY will claim the last slip.

The new neighbors peek around the fence periodically...getting ideas on how they want to set up their backyard in the woods. And the dirt has been given notice, grow some grass or I'll just keep decking over everything. In all fairness we had "dirt" brought in to grade that area, and we should have asked for "soil." Who knew there was a difference? We didn't :)

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Worked on the ramp yesterday and there are two more rows of metal roofing to install. Check out our Penobscot 14 ST. JACQUES' shiny new trailer, we took her out for a photo shoot and road trip Friday, to get requalified on securing boat parts for road trips. There plans for a short volie et aviron before the temp topped 100F but the wind decided to be 15 plus and gusting right up the ramp, so we chose discretion as the better part of valor and retired from the field.

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Good ole SMEDLEY will be holding down the other end of the Shack soon, and we definitely want to get him moved before he gets covered by wisteria and scuppernong.

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Last Summer we found it was too hot plus no shade to sit under the pergola, as the grapes and wisteria are still filling in. We found oursleves sitting behind the Carriage House in the shade, where it felt about 15 degrees cooler. So we built a 12x20 deck, level with the shed floor. But there is still a time in the late afternoon when we are chasing shade from a low angle sun, so we added a mast step to the edge of the deck to hoist a shade sail. By the time the Summer sun drops low enough to set over the blue house in the background, we get a lot of shade from the sail.


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The granddaughter and Skipper have a playset off the end of the deck, with two bosun's chairs.

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Greetings, Looks like a great set up you have there. I'm in search of a Catfish to buy and wondered if you'd consider selling yours or if you knew of any? Thanks
 
Hi DW,

Thanks, we have a working Alcort Museum of sorts, one of each type boat for the first 20 years. The Catfish was a fun purchase and we don't plan to sell SMEDLEY any time soon.

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We have seen 2 or 3 come up for sale over the last year, a couple of them in surprisingly good shape. You can post a "Wanted Ad" in this Forum and keep an eye on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. The key item to look for is to make sure the boat has the twin rudders with telescoping tillers, they are very unique and might be hard to find. The rudders were designed and patented by catamaran Wizard George Patterson for Alcort and became the standard for the 1971 Sunfish rudder re-design.

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What part of the country are you in?

Cheers
Kent and Audrey
 
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Thanks for responding! I'm in Virginia. I'm looking for one as a present for my daughter. Maybe you can tell me the size of the cockpit. Thanks Darrell
 
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