Loving My Sunfish!

[Sunshinegal]

I just had to write and brag about my weekend. This is only my second weekend out in my Sunfish but it was a really fun one.
I sail off the coast of Fairhaven MA in Buzzards Bay. Yesterday it was pretty calm and I was a bit disappointed but I was also recovering from flipping over on my first time out in my Sunfish a few weeks before! Now mind you there have been shark sightings all over this area but I wasn't going to let that scare me!

I managed to slowly sail around the area for about 3 hours yesterday before the sun just got too hot and I had to head in reluctantly. I ended up sitting in the cockpit with my feet up for a bit just waiting on that wind.

Today was just the opposite. Blustry wind and lots of chop. My Sunfish handled like a dream and I really had fun. I was on a broad reach half of my time out. Boy was I moving. It was both exhilarating and a bit frightening lol. Only sailors I think can understand that description!! Anyway I hated to put her onto the mooring and head back to the office tomorrow but there's always next weekend right?

I love my Sunfish!!!

 

[Porpoise2]

"...Yesterday it was pretty calm and I was a bit disappointed..."

I sail my Sunfish on a lake that is frequently a "flat calm", but go sailing anyway. There is nearly always some wind out there, and I use a cost-free device to aid me that sits right in front of me.

It is a strand of "poly" pulled from a polyethylene tarp, and onto its end, I tie a large, fluffy mallard breast feather. Secured at the "tack" of boom and spar, it tells me where the wind is coming from, and I get twice as many days out-sailing that way.

I watch large sailboats turn back home because there "isn't enough wind" for sailing, but I take on that challenge nearly every day. Larger sailboats may actually be at a disadvantage because your Sunfish can benefit from every puff and zephyr. You can turn effortlessly to the point of sail you are directed to, and you have only one sail to trim.

Below is the identical setup as my Sunfish, but this one is on my Porpoise II sailboat. The first few inches pictured are "ball-chain", to which the strand is attached. (Actually, a paper clip is enough weight to keep the first few inches of strand from static-clinging to the boom).

I now see that the photo doesn't show the feather, but I've included a sample "shredded" tarp to show where to pull the strand. Depending on the wind (and where I step) they'll last a week or maybe longer.