I sailed all the way across Lake Washington (Seattle) yesterday

kebwi

Member
I suppose it isn't that far, but it felt a little intimidating to sail clear across the lake and back in such a small boat, especially with a ten-year-old squirming around as unstable ballast the whole time. HA! She likes to lie belly-down on the bow in front of the mast, which really plows the bow into the water. I have to sit so far back on the transom to compensate that I can barely manage the tiller (I'm seriously consider cutting the tiller in half and hinging it for such needs).

Anyway, good times.
 

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I've often thought about making a 2nd tiller, likewise shortened enough that I can sit comfortably at the back of the cockpit when sailing with one of my boys.
 
I've often thought about making a 2nd tiller, likewise shortened enough that I can sit comfortably at the back of the cockpit when sailing with one of my boys.
Tag, I believe you have a Minifish and a Sunfish. If your Minifish tiller/rudder assembly is like mine, you could put the Minifish tiller/rudder on your Sunfish, as the Minifish tiller is several inches shorter (at least on mine).
 
Weston, that might work… but my other son is usually sailing the Minifish at the same time.

The family that sails together.... well, you know the rest. ;)

Since you have quite a bit of experience with both boats I'm curious as to what you have observed in speed differences. How does your Minifish with a single occupant compare to two of you on your Sunfish? I ask because I just got my wife a '75 Minifish and we went out Sunday afternoon, with me attempting to follow her in my old 140 lb '71. I wanted to stay behind her so as to film her maiden voyage with a camera mounted to my Sunfish bow handle as she solo'd on her mini. However, I found that my heavy Sunfish continually wanted to pass he light Minifish. I was thinking that 95 lb Mini with a 120 lb occupant and a 65 sq ft sail would be fairly comparable to a 140 lb Sunfish with a 170 lb occupant and a 75 sq ft sail. But it didn't turn out that way. (Winds were 8-14 that day, so I'm wondering if things change as the wind increases).
 
The family that sails together.... well, you know the rest. ;)

Since you have quite a bit of experience with both boats I'm curious as to what you have observed in speed differences. How does your Minifish with a single occupant compare to two of you on your Sunfish? I ask because I just got my wife a '75 Minifish and we went out Sunday afternoon, with me attempting to follow her in my old 140 lb '71. I wanted to stay behind her so as to film her maiden voyage with a camera mounted to my Sunfish bow handle as she solo'd on her mini. However, I found that my heavy Sunfish continually wanted to pass he light Minifish. I was thinking that 95 lb Mini with a 120 lb occupant and a 65 sq ft sail would be fairly comparable to a 140 lb Sunfish with a 170 lb occupant and a 75 sq ft sail. But it didn't turn out that way. (Winds were 8-14 that day, so I'm wondering if things change as the wind increases).
Before the site masters slap my hands for cross posting, I'll move this to a new thread dedicated to minifish vs sunfish experience. :)
 
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