Is this really a Sunfish?

Quail

New Member
My brother recently purchased a boat that looks to be a Sunfish. The serial number has been removed. (can we not talk about this in this particular thread). Because its in Virginia it's never been registered. This boat has a built up area around the mast and it came this way from the factory. The raised area around the cockpit does not seem to be as high as other Sun fishes I've seen. has anyone ever seen a boat like this?
 
I am not talking about the poorly repaired damaged dagger board area. The raised mast area is under the orig gel coat. It also had a brass part fastened to the deck next to the mast post on this raised area ( not the cleat). The raised area was oblong because of the brass part was fastened to the same raised area.
 

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I've enlarged your low-resolution photo, and there does appear to be a circular repair to the mast step area—including the fairlead. (Between the X's). The daggerboard area also shows signs of a repair (at the arrow). Otherwise, from this one photograph, it still looks like a Sunfish. (A good thing). :)

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I've enlarged your low-resolution photo, and there does appear to be a circular repair to the mast step area—including the fairlead. (Between the X's). The daggerboard area also shows signs of a repair (at the arrow). Otherwise, from this one photograph, it still looks like a Sunfish. (A good thing). :)

View attachment 16940


The is the area in question. It is not a repair. I thought it was until I sanded te paint off and found it covered with the orig gel coat.
The raised mast area is under the orig gel coat. It also had a brass part fastened to the deck next to the mast post on this raised area ( not the cleat). The raised area was oblong because of the brass part was fastened to the same raised area.
 

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Any idea what that brass piece next to the halyard eye is?

It looks like the base (only) of Sunfish earlier models' halyard block, as pictured below, which may assist in figuring this out. "Sunfish forensics". ;)

(Photo credit, https://my2fish.files.wordpress.com)

The is the area in question. It is not a repair. I thought it was until I sanded the paint off and found it covered with the orig gel coat. The raised mast area is under the orig gel coat. It also had a brass part fastened to the deck next to the mast post on this raised area ( not the cleat). The raised area was oblong because of the brass part was fastened to the same raised area.

If there was a repair done, circular cuts could have been made (top and bottom) to remove the entire mast step. The affected surfaces could have been built up with resin and cloth, and the original mast step epoxied back on—then painted. The result would be a much stronger mast step (and halyard fairlead) area. Sanding the paint off would show the original gel coat. (!)

While it sounds like a lot of work, it saves having to cut and install an inspection port, while still needing to proceed with the mast step repair.
 

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It looks like the base (only) of Sunfish earlier models' halyard block, as pictured below, which may assist in figuring this out. "Sunfish forensics". ;)

(Photo credit, https://my2fish.files.wordpress.com)



If there was a repair done, circular cuts could have been made (top and bottom) to remove the entire mast step. The affected surfaces could have been built up with resin and cloth, and the original mast step epoxied back on—then painted. The result would be a much stronger mast step (and halyard fairlead) area. Sanding the paint off would show the original gel coat. (!)

While it sounds like a lot of work, it saves having to cut and install an inspection port, while still needing to proceed with the mast step repair.


Yes that is what the brass part was, it looks just like that ( just missing the brass loop). I can not explain this any better: The raised area around the mast is not a repair. I have removed all the paint and some of the gel coat around the edges of the raised area looking for any sign of repair. I have layed up, and built fiberglass boats from scratch in the 80s, I would know if it was repaired. It is this OEM raised area that makes me think it is not a sunfish.
 
Looks like a Sunfish so far. I'll bet a beverage that the area around the mast is a repair, with an excellent gelcoat finish. If I were to repair one that is how I would do it, cut out the broken top and then build up a top and bottom circle to sandwich the deck and step. A friend of ours worked at Alcort for 18 years then did warranty repairs on the boats for foam replacements, mast step blow outs, rudder conversions and that is how he described some repairs to that area when the top part of the tube was ripped out and took a section of deck with it. If the bottom part of the tube came loose, he'd mix a slurry of epoxy and cut up fiberglass, work it inside the tube and also go inside the boat from the seam to hit the outside of the tube.
 
Earlier Sunfish have a generally less-satisfactory
image.jpg

design in bronze. (above)

The yellow Sunfish (below) has the later stainless steel gudgeon plate, as does the
The Porpoise II clonefish.
.

HPIM5435.JPG
 
I agree - this is a Sunfish with a well done mast step repair. The person who did the repair may have also used gelcoat (rather than paint) on the repaired area.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY

p.s. Here is what we sail here in the "spring" on Cazenovia Lake near Syracuse, NY. Who can name the make of this little iceboat? The ice is still over a foot thick. These photos were taken last Sunday.
 

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I agree - this is a Sunfish with a well done mast step repair. The person who did the repair may have also used gelcoat (rather than paint) on the repaired area.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY

p.s. Here is what we sail here in the "spring" on Cazenovia Lake near Syracuse, NY. Who can name the make of this little iceboat? The ice is still over a foot thick. These photos were taken last Sunday.



it looks like a Skimmer.
 
Were the two handholds on the stern standard? And where might one obtain someting like that? They look handy.

Mike
I've never seen anything like it, but I suppose it would help while moving a Sunfish about on a dolly. If permanent, it looks like another place for the halyard to snag. "Less is more" on a Sunfish—IMHO.
 
Were the two handholds on the stern standard? And where might one obtain someting like that? They look handy.

Mike

Mike
We bought the boat that way, I assume they were aftermarket but well done. The only complaint I have about the Sunfish is its lack of suitable lifting points.
 

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