Mooring

rbplease

New Member
In leaving my Sunfish moored on a lake, overnight, or longer, is there any way (or device available that will allow me) to secure the lowered sail amidships, and so that it forms a tent to shelter the cockpit from rain? Alternatively, is there any equipment available to perform these functions separately?
 
If the boat will be moored for extended periods, you should be more concerned abot UV rays ruining the sail than the cockpit getting wet. A deck cover that allows you to keep the mast up is probably. The best approach. Otherwise, if you do not get a cOver just tie the sail in place so it does not go overboard and use a cutoff Plastic milk bottle and a sponge to bail the boat if it rains. BB
 
I agree that a mast-up cover is the best rig for a moored Sunfish. Another caveat, don't depend on just attaching the mooring line to the bow handle as the bow handle is not designed as a mooring cleat. Instead. run the mooring line thru the bow handle and then
loop the line around the mast and back to the line with a secure hitch. This will keep the boat head to wind but will attach the mooring line to a stronger part of the hull. Truth be known, the Sunfish was never designed to be moored and is better off on the beach.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
I used to leave mine moored with the mast up until one day I looked out at it pitching in the waves. I don't know if this is just my paranoia, but it seamed that I was causing undo ware on the mast step by leaving it up. Now I lay the mast and spars across the hull.
 
Re: Mooring Cover

In leaving my Sunfish moored on a lake, overnight, or longer, is there any way (or device available that will allow me) to secure the lowered sail amidships, and so that it forms a tent to shelter the cockpit from rain? Alternatively, is there any equipment available to perform these functions separately?
Overnight, you could simply bail any rain that gets in. Select a bailer size that fits "more fully" in the storage area that will more readily accommodate the daggerboard inside the open end.

Keeping in mind the damage that sunlight (and wind) can do to sails, I've covered the sail with a length of vinyl rain gutter and secured it with a pair of short bungees. (For convenience, the bungees are attached to the rain gutter).

You could attach a 30x30" piece of scrap Congoleum® over the rain gutter to shelter the cockpit from rain. (Or whatever it is, they're calling Congoleum® these days.) ;)
 
Mooring is not a bad idea. A friend of mine did that for many years. He never left the mast or spars and sail on the boat. Those he brought home and stored inside along with his blades. It was snap to bring a sail bag down to the car, bungee cord it to a Thule rack, drive over and rig the boat. The big hassle is moving the boat around.

If it were me, I'd moor the boat without the rig, and forget about covers. Leave a scoop clorox bottle bailer and a sponge in the boat.
 
Unfortunately, removing the rigging is a pain in the butt as the boat is moored at a depth over my head, so I cannot walk to and from it; working from another boat is difficult at best, as is a cable-ferry-like system I've rigged by which the boat can be hauled in to dockside (where rigging WOULD have been at least workable, but this year's drought lowered the lake level so severely that has not yet been practicable).
 
Porpios, do you have any pictures of this?
I don't have a photo showing it "in action", but the vinyl gutter I'm using looks like the one in the upper right corner. (Both sides are symmetrical). In my case, I cut out a small section to clear a "short" halyard, but that may not always be necessary.

wooden-galvanized-steel-vinyl-aluminum.gif


I haven't seen this style in Home Depot lately, but the stuff never wears out, so don't overlook any that might "need recycling". ;)
 

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