Heavy Sunfish

jleonard99

Sunny Sailor
Hey everyone, I just bought a 1978 Sunfish and once I got home and pulled it off the trailer I noticed it was heavy. The hull looks to be in amazing condition, but it doesn't have any inspection ports, so I figure it is time for that. I am planning on installing just one behind the splash guard. When I first moved the boat, I heard a swish noise so I opened the drain plug and a small amount of water came out. I would appreciate any recommendations for fixing the boat.
Thanks Josh
 
That's about 4 gallons of water in the foam, mostly the expanding foam. There is some interesting
info on the net about using Desiccants to dry out boats. No sure which would be faster, a fan
or the Desiccants. Probably not both since the hull needs to be sealed for the Desiccants to work.
 
That's about 4 gallons of water in the foam, mostly the expanding foam. There is some interesting
info on the net about using Desiccants to dry out boats. No sure which would be faster, a fan
or the Desiccants. Probably not both since the hull needs to be sealed for the Desiccants to work.
Thanks for the recommendations, I went ahead and cut the inspection port hole and did the light bulb and fan method. Hopefully it works quick.
 
Congratulations on finding this hull and converting it to fun... :)

"Quick" is affected by drying hulls faster:

1) in northern states, where humidity is lower,

2) receiving "solar-gain" from direct sun: cut, open, and spread black plastic to hasten this effect,

3) directing the fan's breeze internally—"swirl" using the longest dryer duct that will fit, or...

4) cut two ports—fore and aft.

Drying is measured in weeks—not days. Weigh the hull weekly to measure progress.

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Congratulations on finding this hull and converting it to fun... :)

"Quick" is affected by drying hulls faster:

1) in northern states, where humidity is lower,

2) receiving "solar-gain" from direct sun: cut, open, and spread black plastic to hasten this effect,

3) directing the fan's breeze internally—"swirl" using the longest dryer duct that will fit, or...

4) cut two ports—fore and aft.

Drying is measured in weeks—not days. Weigh the hull weekly to measure progress.

.
Thanks for the advice, I have been doing this project inside so hopefully humidity won't be a factor in slowing the process. I will definitely do number 3 and I really like that recommendation. I will update on the weight of the hull next week for first progress. Thanks
 
I just finished drying mine out - at least as far as I'm going to go. It already had a 4" inspection port at the aft end, and I added a 6" port just aft of the splash rail. I used the light bulb and fan method. I could really 'feel' the moisture in the foam at the rear, but the front foam felt dry so I kept the light at the aft end. AFter 3 weeks in my garage during relatively low humidity, she went from 138 lbs to 130 lbs, and that's where it's going to stay for now. Good enough for me for a 33 year old boat.
 
I just finished drying mine out...I could really 'feel' the moisture in the foam at the rear, but the front foam felt dry so I kept the light at the aft end. After 3 weeks in my garage during relatively low humidity, she went from 138 lbs to 130 lbs, and that's where it's going to stay for now. Good enough for me for a 33 year old boat.
This may be the forum's first documentation of Sunfish weight loss! :)

That works out to 3 lbs per week. (Which is sure to taper off). :cool:

Or, to put it another way, your Sunfish lost more than 10 deciliters of moisture per week. ;)

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This may be the forum's first documentation of Sunfish weight loss! :)

That works out to 3 lbs per week. (Which is sure to taper off). :cool:

Or, to put it another way, your Sunfish lost more than 10 deciliters of moisture per week. ;)

.
Or, my scale has a lot of variability! LOL

But honestly, both my wife and I agreed that the boat felt lighter when lifting it on to the scale. And from the foam blocks that I could feel, they were dried out compared to when I started.
 
Or, my scale has a lot of variability! LOL

But honestly, both my wife and I agreed that the boat felt lighter when lifting it on to the scale. And from the foam blocks that I could feel, they were dried out compared to when I started.
Thanks for the post on this. I will look forward to seeing my boats weight drop over time.
 
Hey everyone I have an update for the three weeks of the fan and a light running. The boat was stored in the house while I did this and I used rubertex to go around the fan so it would have a nice seal going in. I ended up going from 160 pounds down to 142. Three days ago I used an air duct to position the air inside the boat.
 
Hello-- glad to hear your Sunfish is drying out! I have an older boat which I'm hoping to dry out as well. I'd like to install two ports, one 5 inch port behind the splash guard (or on the front-most wall of the the cockpit), and another 4 inch one in the aft end of the boat. Any suggestions out there on which placement is better for the front port-- behind the splash guard or on the front-most cockpit wall? And as for the rear port, where specifically have people placed those? I don't want to cut holes anywhere that will affect the structural integrity of the hull.

What kinds of fans do people recommend to get airflow? I would think anything would be better than nothing.

Lastly, any recommendations on gloves to use to keep out the fiberglass dust (already have a respirator, safety glasses, coverall suit, etc.

Thank you in advance,

--Peter
 
If I had it to do over again, I'd only install one port, and that would be in the front-most cockpit wall. (What the US Navy would call the bulkhead). :cool:

I'll be re-installing mine, as the silicone sealer never "set-up", being out-of-date. :oops: But this Spring, I'm going to use 3M's 4200 or 5200 adhesives to attach it. (Carefully position the port, put down masking tape, spread adhesive, clamp it using sheet metal screws at 3-o'clock and 9-o'clock, remove tape, allow overnight set-up, then drill and bolt it in—using the same ¼-20" aluminum nuts and bolts as installed presently). This leaves the slight curvature that exists in the bulkhead unaffected. The port I installed is termed a "Portlight" in catalogs. The net-weight added=only 2 pounds. :)

Try portlights of less bulk from eBay, where $45 portlights with two securing dogs—not three as in my installation—are available.

The foredeck remains intact, the transparent portlight can be opened slightly for ventilation, bailing is easier, a full-length kayak paddle can be stored forward, repair-access to daggerboard trunk, spray-rail rivets, and Styrofoam blocks is easier—and one small "4-inch-muffin-fan" can be directed rearward—via a natural tunnel through the Sunfish—circulating a drying breeze throughout the hull:
Ultimate Inspection Port... | SailingForums.com

For little money, outdoor-drying muffin fans are available as solar-powered! :)

A rear inspection port can be installed, but be sure to note the position of the factory's supporting-blocks, as pictured here:
Gudgeon bolts rusted out: how to extract? | Page 2 | SailingForums.com

For other questions, check the handy resources at the red arrow and the black arrow:

Fullscreen capture 432017 33744 AM.bmp-002.jpg


.
 
Hello-- glad to hear your Sunfish is drying out! I have an older boat which I'm hoping to dry out as well. I'd like to install two ports, one 5 inch port behind the splash guard (or on the front-most wall of the the cockpit), and another 4 inch one in the aft end of the boat. Any suggestions out there on which placement is better for the front port-- behind the splash guard or on the front-most cockpit wall? And as for the rear port, where specifically have people placed those? I don't want to cut holes anywhere that will affect the structural integrity of the hull.

What kinds of fans do people recommend to get airflow? I would think anything would be better than nothing.

Lastly, any recommendations on gloves to use to keep out the fiberglass dust (already have a respirator, safety glasses, coverall suit, etc.
Thank you in advance,

--Peter
I installed one six inch inspection port between the cockpit and splash guard, and it fits and looks nice there. The larger size allows for me to push more air thorough it. I used just over a eight inch in diameter fan and ran it on full power. While the fan was blowing I opened the drainplug to have an exit for the fan. Then I tied the wire to a light on the cleat and let a light hang while the fan was blowing to spread hot air throughout the boat. Don't let the light touch anything just let it hang. Later in the process after about 2.5 weeks I installed a small air duct to position the air to different sides in the back. When I did this I removed the light. Hope this helps and if you have any questions I'd be glad to help.
 
If I had it to do over again, I'd only install one port, and that would be in the front-most cockpit wall. (What the US Navy would call the bulkhead). :cool:

I'll be re-installing mine, as the silicone sealer never "set-up", being out-of-date. :oops: But this Spring, I'm going to use 3M's 4200 or 5200 adhesives to attach it. (Carefully position the port, put down masking tape, spread adhesive, clamp it using sheet metal screws at 3-o'clock and 9-o'clock, remove tape, allow overnight set-up, then drill and bolt it in—using the same ¼-20" aluminum nuts and bolts as installed presently). This leaves the slight curvature that exists in the bulkhead unaffected. The port I installed is termed a "Portlight" in catalogs. The net-weight added=only 2 pounds. :)

Try portlights of less bulk from eBay, where $45 portlights with two securing dogs—not three as in my installation—are available.

The foredeck remains intact, the transparent portlight can be opened slightly for ventilation, bailing is easier, a full-length kayak paddle can be stored forward, repair-access to daggerboard trunk, spray-rail rivets, and Styrofoam blocks is easier—and one small "4-inch-muffin-fan" can be directed rearward—via a natural tunnel through the Sunfish—circulating a drying breeze throughout the hull:
Ultimate Inspection Port... | SailingForums.com

For little money, outdoor-drying muffin fans are available as solar-powered! :)

A rear inspection port can be installed, but be sure to note the position of the factory's supporting-blocks, as pictured here:
Gudgeon bolts rusted out: how to extract? | Page 2 | SailingForums.com

For other questions, check the handy resources at the red arrow and the black arrow:

View attachment 22680

.
Excellent and very detailed response, thank you for the the ideas.
 
If I had it to do over again, I'd only install one port, and that would be in the front-most cockpit wall. (What the US Navy would call the bulkhead). :cool:

I'll be re-installing mine, as the silicone sealer never "set-up", being out-of-date. :oops: But this Spring, I'm going to use 3M's 4200 or 5200 adhesives to attach it. (Carefully position the port, put down masking tape, spread adhesive, clamp it using sheet metal screws at 3-o'clock and 9-o'clock, remove tape, allow overnight set-up, then drill and bolt it in—using the same ¼-20" aluminum nuts and bolts as installed presently). This leaves the slight curvature that exists in the bulkhead unaffected. The port I installed is termed a "Portlight" in catalogs. The net-weight added=only 2 pounds. :)

Try portlights of less bulk from eBay, where $45 portlights with two securing dogs—not three as in my installation—are available.

The foredeck remains intact, the transparent portlight can be opened slightly for ventilation, bailing is easier, a full-length kayak paddle can be stored forward, repair-access to daggerboard trunk, spray-rail rivets, and Styrofoam blocks is easier—and one small "4-inch-muffin-fan" can be directed rearward—via a natural tunnel through the Sunfish—circulating a drying breeze throughout the hull:
Ultimate Inspection Port... | SailingForums.com

For little money, outdoor-drying muffin fans are available as solar-powered! :)

A rear inspection port can be installed, but be sure to note the position of the factory's supporting-blocks, as pictured here:
Gudgeon bolts rusted out: how to extract? | Page 2 | SailingForums.com

For other questions, check the handy resources at the red arrow and the black arrow:

View attachment 22680

.

Thanks! For now I'll stick with one six-inch port in the front cockpit wall (bulkhead). You mentioned positioning the fan so that it's blowing rearward. Wouldn't I want to blow outside air forward into the boat to dry it out? Or would it be better to blow the heated air (by way of a light bulb) out of the boat. I could see either potentially working. Also, it seems like gravity will make it difficult to hang a light bulb through an inspection hole in the bulkhead as opposed to down through a port hole behind the splash guard. Am I right on that? (It seems like gravity will want to move the bulb against the fan). Thanks again for the detailed advice
 
Thanks! For now I'll stick with one six-inch port in the front cockpit wall (bulkhead). You mentioned positioning the fan so that it's blowing rearward. Wouldn't I want to blow outside air forward into the boat to dry it out? Or would it be better to blow the heated air (by way of a light bulb) out of the boat. I could see either potentially working. Also, it seems like gravity will make it difficult to hang a light bulb through an inspection hole in the bulkhead as opposed to down through a port hole behind the splash guard. Am I right on that? (It seems like gravity will want to move the bulb against the fan). Thanks again for the detailed advice
Sorry I didn't detail some parts right. I placed the boat face up as if would regularly sit, then hung the light bulb from the top of the port hole so the chord hangs short enough so it doesn't touch the bottom of the hull. The fan would be placed on top of the inspection port and lay there over there over the hole to blow outside air into the boat, the air would then hit the light bulb which heats the part around it, but also warms the air as it blows through the boat. First I would not worry about positioning the air, I only did that for three days and am not sure of the affects as the air seemed to circulate well beforehand as I was using a powerful fan. Leave the drain plug open so it has a small are for air to exit. I hope this helps, If i understand right your port is positioned within the cockpit so my method may not be exact. If that's the case I would try to make a sort of stand for the light bulb and put it in the hull so it sits there. Place the fan on a stand outside the port and just have it blow into the hole and let time do its job. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. I enjoy working with these boats and helping my fellow Sunfish sailers.
 
Sorry I didn't detail some parts right. I placed the boat face up as if would regularly sit, then hung the light bulb from the top of the port hole so the chord hangs short enough so it doesn't touch the bottom of the hull. The fan would be placed on top of the inspection port and lay there over there over the hole to blow outside air into the boat, the air would then hit the light bulb which heats the part around it, but also warms the air as it blows through the boat. First I would not worry about positioning the air, I only did that for three days and am not sure of the affects as the air seemed to circulate well beforehand as I was using a powerful fan. Leave the drain plug open so it has a small are for air to exit. I hope this helps, If i understand right your port is positioned within the cockpit so my method may not be exact. If that's the case I would try to make a sort of stand for the light bulb and put it in the hull so it sits there. Place the fan on a stand outside the port and just have it blow into the hole and let time do its job. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. I enjoy working with these boats and helping my fellow Sunfish sailers.

Thanks-- as I'm visualizing all of this, your suggestion on a stand for the light bulb sounds perfect.
 
Thanks! For now I'll stick with one six-inch port in the front cockpit wall (bulkhead). You mentioned positioning the fan so that it's blowing rearward. Wouldn't I want to blow outside air forward into the boat to dry it out? Or would it be better to blow the heated air (by way of a light bulb) out of the boat. I could see either potentially working. Also, it seems like gravity will make it difficult to hang a light bulb through an inspection hole in the bulkhead as opposed to down through a port hole behind the splash guard. Am I right on that? (It seems like gravity will want to move the bulb against the fan). Thanks again for the detailed advice
Since you're using a conventional 6-inch inspection port in the bulkhead—instead of a rectangular 12-inch portlightI'd expect the 6" opening would be too small. The larger "portlight" gains a circulation advantage from the boat's built-in tunnel towards the Sunfish's nether region.

Fullscreen capture 592017 45006 AM.bmp.jpg


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Let's see: Indoors, a light bulb would power this 3" fan, sending warmer air through an inspection port.

Outdoors is trickier, as provision has to be made to weatherproof this fan. :confused: I do have a plastic milk crate with the bottom falling out—and a sheet of clear plastic. :)
Fullscreen capture 5102017 54845 AM.bmp.jpg
 
While looking for an Ethernet cable, eBay reminded me of still another fan.

This one is interesting, as it is Lithium-battery powered—with a cord included. I have a $5 cylindrical Lithium-battery that is charged by the USB port on a computer (or cigarette lighter). Dunno how long the charge will drive this fan, but it's an alternative when drying a Sunfish when in deep shade, or that's distant from other power sources:

Fullscreen capture 7242017 64959 PM.bmp.jpg


Portable Fan Rechargeable Battery Mini Oscillating Clip On black Desk/ Stroller | eBay
 
If you want to go sailing right away, inflate this inside the cockpit, so further leaking could still find you out sailing again...:p...:

41wrg15%2B0HL._SL500_AC_SS350_.jpg

Blame eBay, which sends out emails with "other products from this seller". ;)

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