Inspection Ports

[Windwalker]

I am new at sailing the Sunfish, I have an 05 Pro model. It does not have an inspection port. The ones I have seen are a 6" screw in type installed after the Daggerboard. I received a copy of The Sunfish Bible and on page 249 it shows two 6" ports installed, one on each side of the Daggerboard mounted on the cockpit forward wall. It also makes a claim that it stiffens up the boat. Does anyone know which would be a better installation. I appreciate any input. Thank you.

 

[supercub]

WW,

The most common location (from what I have seen) is a 6" port centered between the splashguard and dagger board well. Second, is a 5" in front of the rudder. I do not see a port "adding" stiffness to the hull. The cockpit location, while looking cleaner, does limit any repairs to the dagger board area, is awkward to use, you bend over and stick your head down in the cockpit. The foreward location is more user friendly (just open and look in) and if your arms are long enough, allows you access to the mast well, dagger board and forward cockpit wall areas for repairs. With you having an '05 SF, do you really need a port? Unless you know you have a leak, I would not add one until then and do a leak test first to find where the leak is. Many older boats have ports added for repairs to the mast/daggerboard wells or for rudder upgrades.