could this be an early sunfish? pic.

rob herschel

New Member
fellow claims this IS an early sunfish. any chance that it is?
 

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I am pretty sure this is not an early Sunfish but is some sort of Sunfish clone. It may even be a small scow design (the bow shape would be the giveaway.) Can you post better photos and/or a better description? I assume it is fiberglass but can't tell from the photo.
Measurements and better photos of the bow, stern, coaming/splashrail, rudder assembly and daggerboard would help. Is there a builder's plate or a hull ID number? The Yahoo Sunfish Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunfish_sailor/?v=1&t=directory&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=dir&slk=28) also has photos of Sunfish clones. The resident expert on Sunfish clones on this forum is "Wayne" who will probably chime in at some point.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
I looked at the "Clonefish" photos on the Yahoo website and the closest I could get was a Sears-Roebuck design called a Fleetwind. This design has a flat (pram) bow and a sail insignia with an "F" inside a circle with breaks in the circle. Is this what you have?

Alan Glos
 
that's what i was thinking, this fellow swears it's a sunfish but i have an early woodie same shape as the glass hulls. why would the designers modify it like this in the middle of a sucessful building run. no other pictures it's about 30 minutes away. i'm not even going to bother driving there. thanks
 
All Sunfish, wood or fiberglass, had about the same shaped hull including a pointed bow. If this boat has a flat/pram shaped bow, it is not a Sunfish. Might be a nice boat, but if you are looking for a genuine Sunfish, I don't think this is one. Have the seller send you more photos including the bow and the insignia on the sail, but I wouldn't drive 30 miles for it as is.

Alan Glos
 
that's what i was thinking, this fellow swears it's a sunfish but i have an early woodie same shape as the glass hulls. why would the designers modify it like this in the middle of a sucessful building run. no other pictures it's about 30 minutes away. i'm not even going to bother driving there. thanks
Ask for the Hull ID off the upper right of the transom. If one exists, that will settle the question. Post it here if you're unfamiliar with the coding.

If one exists (all boats '73 and later), but the owner is reluctant to disclose the number, see if you can at least get the first 3 characters. That will nail down the manufacturer.

Many folks know all small beach boats generically as "sunfish", especially those with lateen sails.
 
"...why would the designers modify it like this in the middle of a sucessful building run..."
Some states, like New Hampshire, won't tax a sailboat under a certain length. At $22+ per year—and only a three-month season—I'd like to modify my boat that way. :cool:
 

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