How old am I?

T

THETAZMAN

New Member
This question got lost in my last thread and I figured I would start another thread to ask it again. How can I tell what year the boat is? Here is the numbers off the stern AMF 82871MBCE I am going to try attach a picture. Maybe that can help tell what year it is by the colors Someone told me that there is a site that you can run the numbers and it should tell you the year, but I have had no luck finding it.


Thanks
Michael
 

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Okay I gave it another try to find a web site that would allow me to age my boat. Here is what I found. Hopefully other can use this chart. I am also in cluding the link to the site where there is TONS of good info. It's like I hit the mother load here.....LOL

Michael

http://www.sunfishclass.org/frequent/


Start of copy and paste:

How can I determine the age of a Sunfish?
If the serial number is on a metal deck plate near the splashrail; there is no storage compartment at the aft end of cockpit; and the boat has (or had) the "old style" rudder hardware (where the rudder attaches via 2 bronze fittings): the boat is pre-1971.

The cockpit was redesigned for the 1971 models, which started shipping after the end of August shutdown 1970. However the older cockpits (short) had a flanged top (where they intersected the deck, and the new ones added in September 1970 did not have this. This caused any boat with any nontrivial amount of traditional (deck up) trailering to be an immediate
leaker, because the bottom of the cockpit would crack out the hull.

There was a known problem, but no one could figure it out. It was not really determined until the summer of 1972, when the cockpit was re-redesigned with a flanged top like the older shorter cockpit. Alcort replaced many boats, as the 1971/72 model year boats could not be repaired.

The difference in the cockpit is not apparent unless you put your head in the cockpit and see the joint where the upper end of the cockpit hit the deck. The 1971/72 model year boats have a very rough edge at the joint, whereas other years (before the cockpit became integrated into the deck) had a smooth transition.

If the boat has a storage compartment, "new style" rudder hardware (where the rudder attaches via an aluminum bracket on the transom) and has a metal rail around the gunwale, it was built between 1972-1987.

If it has a storage compartment, the "new style" rudder hardware, and rolled fiberglass gunwales, it is 1987 or later.

- - -

If there is a serial number molded into the hull, it will be in the upper right corner of the transom. It can be deciphered to give you the manufacturer and model year. Examples:
- AMFxxxxxM73x : this boat was manufactured by AMF in 1973.
- SLIxxxxxG793 : this boat was manufactured by Sunfish-Laser Inc. in 1993.

AMF = AMF Alcort. These boats varied tremendously in quality and have to be looked at individually. They have a smaller cockpit than the later models.
P = Pearson Sailing Yachts. AVOID THESE BOATS LIKE THE PLAGUE UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
SLI = Sunfish Laser Inc. For the most part these boats were pretty well built.
OQT = Vanguard Sailboats, the current builder. These boats have continued to be very consistent in quality.

- - -

500-800.............1955
800-1200............1956
1200-1600...........1957
1600-2000...........1958
2000-2500...........1959
2500-2900...........1960
2900-3400...........1961
3419-5692...........1962
8432-13000..........1963
13000-20900.........1964
20900-29000.........1965
29300-38300.........1966
38300-48000.........1967
48000-59000.........1968
59000-70000.........1969
70000-79000.........1970
80000-91000.........1971
92000-103000........1972
Introduction of storage compartment in aft end of cockpit.
00100-01865.........1972
01865-14099.........1973
14100-28000.........1974
28000-37900.........1975
37900-51100.........1976
51100-61400.........1977
61400-71999.........1978
72000-82900.........1979

End of copy and paste
 
As far as I know, the last two digits in the serial number are the year. So your boat is a '71. Also, the websites list of serial numbers and years (the last part of the copy/paste) says the 80000's are 71's... Yours fits in that.

AMF 82871MBCE

Rick
 
According to the USCG the Hull ID breaks down this way:
AMF - manufacturer code
82871 - manufacturer serial number
M - USCG ID type
BC - year built
E - month built (there's a table in the Coast Guard circular)

BC makes no sense so it's more likely an 80 or 86

Check out United States Coast Guard Boating Safety Circular # 70, "BACK TO THE BASICS - HIN 101"

There's another ID look-up at Sunfish Sailor with the whole ID thing explained right up to 2006: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunfish_sailor
 
My boat has the storage compartment in aft end of cockpit. So I am thinking 1979. I will re-check and make sure I wrote the numbers down correctly. Since you say BC doesn't make sense. I was bent over upside down to read them and I may have mis-read them. I will check again in the morning. So I'll repost in the am if I was wrong

Thanks
Michael
 
I tried to edit my post to add this and my 15 minutes to edit have passed.

I wanted to mention my sail has a window that covers most of the bottom of the sail.
 
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