Windflight

Beekeeper

Active Member
Looks like I just bought a Windflight. The pics look good, a company called JDog, veteran owned, that does clean outs among other things picked it up. They say it's been in storage for years and as far as I know right now is it's missing the rudder and tiller assembly; I didn't see the daggerboard in the pics so not sure about that yet. They listed it about 5 months ago for 750 then 675 then 600, I offered $200 seeing it missing at least the rudder assembly and they said come and get it. I might go look at another Sunfish this week with a 1932 hull number on the plate, he said it was a 1958 or 59. The fleet is growing, this spring I'm going to have to refurb some boats and start selling them to keep the wife happy.
 
It's advertised as Windflite, sorry, my mistake. I'm picking it up tomorrow afternoon and will try to put some pics up this week. Now to keep my eyes open for a rudder/tiller.
 
Beekeeper,

I am pretty sure I have a rudder/tiller assembly that will fit your boat at a decent, off-season price. If interested, e-mail me a photo of the rudder attachent hardware the stern of your boat so I can make sure: [email protected]

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
B.K.,

All good. Some of these popular Sunfish clones used standard Sunfish rudders and daggerboards. The photos of the hull rudder hardware will narrow it down.

Alan Glos
 
I was wondering, our club uses the recreational rigged handicap rating of 102.8 for the Sunfish, if the hull, rudder/tiller, daggerboard and spars and sail are the same why is the Windflite rating a 108.3. On the 2017 Portsmouth yardstick precalculated tables it's spelled Windflight so not really sure of the spelling, but the two should be of comparable weight, right?
 
Got the boat today, looks to be in good shape and feels nice and light.
 

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I heard some clunking when we turned the hull over, must be a backer block or something that has come lose, or when we picked the boat up the tub and mast step were full of ice and snow, could be some water in there that was frozen and came lose on the ride home. I'll cover it with a tarp and sit her in the sun to see if it melts.
 
Looks like I just bought a Windflight. The pics look good, a company called JDog, veteran owned, that does clean outs among other things picked it up. They say it's been in storage for years and as far as I know right now is it's missing the rudder and tiller assembly; I didn't see the daggerboard in the pics so not sure about that yet. They listed it about 5 months ago for 750 then 675 then 600, I offered $200 seeing it missing at least the rudder assembly and they said come and get it. I might go look at another Sunfish this week with a 1932 hull number on the plate, he said it was a 1958 or 59. The fleet is growing, this spring I'm going to have to refurb some boats and start selling them to keep the wife happy.

Where are you located? If it is the same JDog I am about 2 miles from them in New Baltimore, MI.
 
I'm in Western Mass, JDog, I believe is a franchise that is veteran owned. The guy I picked up the boat from was a Navy veteran, and a real nice guy. I only wished he kept the pieces together, one of his employees tossed the rudder away, but I am currently awaiting deliver of a nice replacement from forum member Alan Glos. I'm excited to get this new addition to the fleet on the water this summer, it's in fantastic shape.
 
It's a Windflite. If memory serves me correct it is AMF built and may have a HIN on the upper right transom... but I see the silver sticker on the deck now, usually of no help. They were made about the same time that AMF was introducing the Minifish, both have that rolled gunwale, no eyestraps or halyard fairlead. One piece deck/cockpit mold with hiking rails. And yours still has the wooden trim on the coaming, nice.

We had a Windflite and I felt it was a few pounds heavier than the Sunfish, maybe they were tweaking the rolled gunwale design? AMF also used up the last of the old style rudder releasing assembly hardware, ours dated 1972ish.

Kent and Freebird Windflite.jpg



Alcort and early AMF boats were built "H E double hockey sticks for stout" and she should be 139 pounds +/- a few. They are U.S. Marine militray grade boats, have fun!

Freebird Kent dock.jpg
 
Tribal lore has it that Windflite was sold by Sears. And to make things curiouser, it appears there was also a Windflite 12...or a typo...

Screen Shot 2023-02-03 at 4.04.15 AM.png



Windflite Flite 12.jpeg


Sears had some other boat built using ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) construction. Is the Windflite ABS? Or the Minifish?

Searching the webernet I came across this, the Sears Jetwind 14, constructed of ABS. Ignoring the scow bow, does the hull remind you of any recent new 14 foot boat to hit the market?

jetwind_photo.jpeg
 
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I believe mine is a 1976, but I'm currently on the beach in Curacao, but will weigh her in the spring. I'm excited to get her out on the race course this summer.
 
I am the proud owner of the Sears Surfwind, very similar to the above Jetwind. Like a scow Sunfish on steroids. Mast a little taller, has great big cockpit and separate space for a cooler! Fast, too.
Beekeeper, your Windflite looks to be a beauty! We are neighbors, I might have grabbed that had I seen it!
 

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Back in MA after almost a month in Curacao, wavedancer, I've taken some boat tours out Spanish waters and hike to Jan Thiel beach every day from my Sea Aquarium resort.
 

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