Question on Rebuilding Sunfish

H

high510

New Member
I may want to pull the deck off of a sunfish that is basically intact but has been upside down on a beach for 30 years. What are the issues?

Further info: I do need to squirt some epoxy into the splash rail screw holes. There is some softness there. I need to reseal the deck as there is leaking there. What would I be getting into here and are there any pics associated with this project anywhere? TIA
 
Unless you have a specific reason, don't pull the deck off. The deck never is removed completely for the most major of repairs. Doing it on general principle is just a waste of time. Take a chainsaw quarter the hull and toss it in the nearest dumpster. That's where it will doubtless end up if you do pull the entire deck.

Wind Line Sails has a whole bunch of instructions for fixing just about anything that can ail a Sunfish. http://www.windline.net/how_to.htm Sunfish Sailor also has guides and has one in particular for lifting parts of the deck to complete major repairs. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunfish_sailor

Best of Luck
 
Dan's on the money. It would be faster to take a new bow or stern and chop off and graft the new part in. Once the foam block glass bond is gone you'll be hard pressed to get the hull back in to shape. I have some photos of this being done with lasers, J-24 ect,
As to the leaking splash rail pull the screws and install an inspection port to thru bolt.
J
If you do blow the deck off I'd love some pics of it.
 
High510

Strip off all the parts. Put the hull out by the curb with a FREE sign.

Sell the parts on Ebay.

The guy that takes the boat will bid 10 times more for the same parts than he would have bought the complete boat for.

Buy a better boat and take a trip to Hawaii with your Ebay winnings.
 
Soggy Bottom Boys said:
High510

Strip off all the parts. Put the hull out by the curb with a FREE sign.

Sell the parts on Ebay.

The guy that takes the boat will bid 10 times more for the same parts than he would have bought the complete boat for.

Buy a better boat and take a trip to Hawaii with your Ebay winnings.
Click to expand...

Ummmm, I found my stripped hull on the side of the road for free, it was in my neighborhood and I did talk to the person that was getting rid of it. Mine is a 1970 model and the hull is very solid, very few spider cracks, only one small hole on the keel that I am working on. I plan on buying most small hardware new, but large stuff like sail,spars,mast,rudder,and centerboard I will buy used. I figure I can keep cost below $700 and have a decent boat, it doesn't have to be perfect right now, I just want to sail. I figure it to be a good winter project and hope to be in the water by next summer, I am in no big hurry.

As a suggestion I would say to install inspection ports to make your repairs, looks like the deck separation idea is a real headache, so why do it when there is the port option, which will also allow you to make other future repairs with ease.
 
Go with inspection ports. Leave the deck in place. Not only is it connected around the edges, but also the mast well, dagger board slot and cockpit (deck to top of cockpit, hull to bottom of cockpit) to as well as to the foam blocks inside (if the bedding foam has held). You would have to make a jig to hold the hull firm, unable to warp or twist out of alignment BEFORE seperating the deck. A whole lot of work for minimal if any gain, and the very big possibility of trashing the hull. And then you got to get the whole mess aligned and back together. Wind Line Sails, Yahoo Sunfish Sailorthe SF Class home page and other sources all have any repairs already covered. Check them out.
 
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