Looking to start and maybe restore

F

FalcoNg

New Member
Hello,

I enlisted into the Coast Guard Reserve and while attending a-school I was inspired to start sailing while watching folks sail in the afternoon. Not too long after I got back a friend of ours lent us a small rotomodeld boat by the name of "escape solsa". I really had a blast learning to sail on our lake though the boat had a couple flaws. We gave the boat back a couple weeks ago and have since been looking for a boat.

After doing a little research and seeing what's available used, we have decided on either a Hobie wave or a sunfish.

I'm leaning more towards getting a sunfish since it's smaller, more available, less expensive, and because they are very popular.

How does the sunfish sail compared to a wave or maybe the solsa we used to have?

The sunfish that I have looked at have been used a bit and have some damage but mostly cosmetic. How hard and expensive would it be to restore one of these granted I don't have too many tools. I saw a great deal for one around here but the owner claims it leaks a bit but you can sail all day without any trouble. How hard would it be to fix something like that?

Hope to be sailing again soon.

- Gabriel
 
Ok...I love to sail. I love to sail fast. That said the wave is a blast and fast. But sailing to me is also about sailing upwind. The wave has very poor windward performance. So it depends on what you want and where you sail. Cats like big spaces where tacking isn't much concern. Now a cat with centerboards...hmmm. Sunfish is...what it is. An all round good performer with very good windward performance. Both are good boats, but asking this question on a forum dedicated to sunfish...priceless.
 
Yea, I wasn't really expecting someone to sell me on a wave here, but I'm pretty sold on getting a sun fish anyway. We liked the idea of having the wave cause of it being able to carry four people, but at that price I can get two or three sunfish.

I have a question that has just occurred to me that I have been trying to find the answer to. What exactly is a traveller used for? I know both sunfish and waves can have them equipped. I'm guessing it's to limit the travel of the sail but I'm not sure why this would be helpful.

Also, while watching some racing videos, I noticed that the sailors would partially or fully raise the dagger boards in certain situations. What's the purpose of that? Speed?
 
Also, while watching some racing videos, I noticed that the sailors would partially or fully raise the dagger boards in certain situations. What's the purpose of that? Speed?

I think intutitively, you already know the answer. Yes speed. Next time you see someone do this, look at the direction of the wind. They are sailind down wind. The centerboard is not needed and is additional wetted surface. By reducing the amount of wetted surface you create less drag, which equates to more speed. Racing is a game of time, tenth or even hundredths of a second can be the difference in winning.
 
So I went to visit a local seller which had two boats for sale. Just wondering if I could get your opinions on these boats. The first one is a super sunfish, but it seems to be rigged like regular. The second one is a regular sunfish but this one has no storage compartment and whats with the dolphin on the side?

The owner says that they both leak a little bit, but that you can sail all day without a problem because of the bailers. I lifted both boats and they did not "feel" too heavy so I am assuming they are not water logged. I pushed on the bottom of each boat and it felt pretty stiff throughout.

They both had their fair share of dings and cracks on the gel coat but nothing too bad I think. The super sunfish had some cracks in the gel coat right behind where the daggerboard sits in and I was wondering if that is normal. The red sunfish had a small junk missing from the very tip of the starboard bow but it was sealed with resin


Here is a small gallery with the photos I took. Let me know what you guys think. I suggest hitting "slideshow" at the top right.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29851932@N05/
 
Boy there's a Rube Goldberg combination of parts...LOL

The Yellow/Orange hulled boat is not a Sunfish but a clone. Sunfish never had a molded in splash rail. I can't remember right off hand what manufacturer used the dolphin logo.
The other boat is a Sunfish with most all the Super Sunfish or Formula S hardware but has a Sailfish sail.
 
That's funny that you mentioned it's a clone cause the seller claims it's sunfish and has an AMF serial for it.

So do you guys think these boats are worth purchasing?
 
If I'm not mistaken, the one boat is an AMF WindFlite - as far as I've been able to determine, it was AMF's discount version of the Sunfish. Similar rigging and hull construction, but cheapened up in all aspects.
 
If I'm not mistaken, the one boat is an AMF WindFlite - as far as I've been able to determine, it was AMF's discount version of the Sunfish. Similar rigging and hull construction, but cheapened up in all aspects.

That does appear to be a Windflite, but I believe you are mistaken about your evaluation. The couple of Windflite I've helped to fix up used all Sunfish parts except the sail sported a Windflite emblem. The bottom hull was indistinguishable from the Sunfish unless the fiberglass construction is of a different layering. Only the deck was simplified by the integration of the cockpit, splash guard and a line for the bridle - which I believe Sunfish also allowed in the day. What cheapened up areas did you find in your experience?
 
Not having done a real close inspection I couldn't say what is "cheaper" on a Windflite (and thanks for jogging my memory on the name) but in it's day it sold for apx 70% of the price of a Sunfish. That was pricing from a no discount/MSRP only pricing dealer.
 
I would agree that the orange boat looks like a Windflite. Originally, there were mahogany rails inside the cockpit that resembled the rails on a Sailfish. you can see the screwholes in the photo. The molded splashboard was topped by mahogany boards that extended forward over the molded piece to keep water from coming over it. I have a pre-1972 version, called an Amflite. I replaced the rotted rails and splashboards with Trex. The splashboards are not essential, but the handrails make re-entry after a capsize much easier. There is nothing else to grab in the molded cockpit. Aside from the bridle, the only other change in the rigging is that there is no bullseye for the halyard. It goes directly to the cleat. All other parts are interchangable with the Sunfish.
 
Dan said:
If I'm not mistaken, the one boat is an AMF WindFlite - as far as I've been able to determine, it was AMF's discount version of the Sunfish. Similar rigging and hull construction, but cheapened up in all aspects.

That does appear to be a Windflite, but I believe you are mistaken about your evaluation. The couple of Windflite I've helped to fix up used all Sunfish parts except the sail sported a Windflite emblem. The bottom hull was indistinguishable from the Sunfish unless the fiberglass construction is of a different layering. Only the deck was simplified by the integration of the cockpit, splash guard and a line for the bridle - which I believe Sunfish also allowed in the day. What cheapened up areas did you find in your experience?
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mike4947 said:
Not having done a real close inspection I couldn't say what is "cheaper" on a Windflite (and thanks for jogging my memory on the name) but in it's day it sold for apx 70% of the price of a Sunfish. That was pricing from a no discount/MSRP only pricing dealer.
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to say it's an inferior product as I don't know that to be the case, but instead that it cost less to produce in may regards. The molded in coaming, integrated cockpit, rounded over deck-to-hull joint... essentially they were able to make the hull from two pieces instead of having the separate aluminum edging, the coaming, and whatnot being more labor-intensive and costly. Replacing those parts also has a cost associated, as opposed to the quasi-monocoque Windflite.
 
-- that’s not to mention the illusion of extra value a Brand Name made popular assumes along with the impression of benevolence consumers sometimes bestow on marketers of products in vogue. Lacking the aura of marketplace mystique, Windflite may more closely represent the actual construction cost and standard sales margin of the day. So, the lower price tag wouldn’t necessarily indicate lesser quality. Neither would abandoning anachronistic design automatically cheapen the product as the now commonplace rolled seam of the current Sunfish attests to. Interestingly, I have now seen two pre-AMF, Alcort Sailfish that sported an early version of the rolled seam design so that idea must have been kicking around for some time.

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FalcoNg said:
"...The second one is a regular sunfish but this one has no storage compartment and whats with the dolphin on the side...?
Click to expand...
Just to confuse things, a dolphin is another name for "Porpoise"—a "Clonefish". (But the other descriptions—and especially the AMF in the serial number—sound like a Windflite). Is the AMF marked on the transom...or on the registration form? Your photo shows an emblem similar to the Windflite, but is at an angle, so can't be sure. It even could be mistaken for a sailfish logo!

2795424047_a082bd208e_m.jpg


FalcoNg said:
Yea, I wasn't really expecting someone to sell me on a wave here, but I'm pretty sold on getting a sun fish anyway. We liked the idea of having the wave cause of it being able to carry four people, but at that price I can get two or three sunfish.
Click to expand...
I can vouch that two Sunfish is a great idea.

My Hobie 18 and Tornado 20 catamarans are now both sold. 'Never could find a competitor to race the Tornado 20 'cuz the hull was always breaking. :(

This past week, a good buddy from former Snipe-sailing races 35 years ago hopped into my Porpoise II and me into my "new" Sunfish. He owns two sailing yachts that he races in Long Island Sound. I managed to beat him 8-for-8 races in light air, even after switching off between the two boats. That experience, after so many years, was priceless.

The Porpoise II had a good downwind advantage in light air, being narrower with the same sail area. We both agreed that the shorter Porpoise II is more of a toy, and the Sunfish much more of a boat.

Go for two Sunfish—fer sure! :)
 
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Cetacea Delphinidae is different from Cetacea Phocoenidae ;)
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Well guys I ended up not getting any of those boats I posted. I was originally going to purchase all three that the seller had listed and even after I told him that, when I arrived to inspect them he had already sold one. I told him i was still interested in the two left but he sold yet another. That really ticked me off so I started looking elsewhere. A day later the guy selling the Hobie wave dropped his price so low that we couldn't resist purchasing.

It has so far proven to be a fun boat but something tells me I'm going to own a sunfish sometime in the future. What really appeals to me about the sunfish is that it is small and light weight enough to transport easily.
 
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