fixerupper
Member
New guy here. I scored a great deal on a sunfish last week. Well, actually it's probably only a great deal if I sell the sail, hardware, and scrap the hull. But I think I'm going to try to dry out the hull and maybe do a basic restoration on it.
The boat cost $20. The previous owner said the sail and lines are about two years old, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. There is some major fiberglass damage to the bow and the hull is severely waterlogged. First I'm going to dry out the hull and then check for leaks to decide if it's worth moving forward with the hull repair or just scrap the thing.
This weekend I cut a couple of holes in the hull and wired up an old computer fan to circulate air. I pulled out a small piece of Styrofoam and squeezed it...water poured out like a wet sponge. There was also a couple inches of standing water still in the bottom of the hull.
So the plan is:
1. Dry it out over the next several weeks.
2. After it's dry I'll drill the rivets on the front, remove the aluminum trim, and start the fiberglass repair. I'm not an expert on fiberglass work, but I've built three small stitch and glue boats that I fiberglassed so I've got some basic knowledge.
3. The old DePersia baler flange nut is broken and will need to get replaced. The bailer bolt came out easily. I'll try to get the rest of the bailer body unstuck this evening so I can find a replacement flange nut at the hardware store, when the time comes.
4. The daggerboard and rudder are cracked. I think the easiest way to deal with those might be to just throw a layer of fiberglass/epoxy over it.
5. Install inspection ports over the holes I've already cut into the hull.
My goal is to have a working sunfish that costs near nothing. I already have the epoxy and think I can get enough fiberglass to complete the work at the local hardware store for $6. I already have all of the stuff to do fiberglass work. The inspection ports are about $6 each on ebay. The baler flange nut should only be a couple of dollars at the hardware store (assuming they carry it). I'll need to find a new bow handle. The sail, mast, lines, and rest of the hardware are in good condition.
The boat cost $20. The previous owner said the sail and lines are about two years old, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. There is some major fiberglass damage to the bow and the hull is severely waterlogged. First I'm going to dry out the hull and then check for leaks to decide if it's worth moving forward with the hull repair or just scrap the thing.
This weekend I cut a couple of holes in the hull and wired up an old computer fan to circulate air. I pulled out a small piece of Styrofoam and squeezed it...water poured out like a wet sponge. There was also a couple inches of standing water still in the bottom of the hull.
So the plan is:
1. Dry it out over the next several weeks.
2. After it's dry I'll drill the rivets on the front, remove the aluminum trim, and start the fiberglass repair. I'm not an expert on fiberglass work, but I've built three small stitch and glue boats that I fiberglassed so I've got some basic knowledge.
3. The old DePersia baler flange nut is broken and will need to get replaced. The bailer bolt came out easily. I'll try to get the rest of the bailer body unstuck this evening so I can find a replacement flange nut at the hardware store, when the time comes.
4. The daggerboard and rudder are cracked. I think the easiest way to deal with those might be to just throw a layer of fiberglass/epoxy over it.
5. Install inspection ports over the holes I've already cut into the hull.
My goal is to have a working sunfish that costs near nothing. I already have the epoxy and think I can get enough fiberglass to complete the work at the local hardware store for $6. I already have all of the stuff to do fiberglass work. The inspection ports are about $6 each on ebay. The baler flange nut should only be a couple of dollars at the hardware store (assuming they carry it). I'll need to find a new bow handle. The sail, mast, lines, and rest of the hardware are in good condition.