Recent content by billmcinnis

Why is it that it's almost May and the Sunfish Class still hasn't published the regatta schedule?

I’m 71 and I sail in 15-17 regattas a year plus frostbiting and club sailing. In my opinion you’d be hard pressed to find a more stable dinghy type boat. You have to work a bit upwind in heavier breezes, but as others have said, the jens makes it a lot easier. As far as capsizing goes, with...

To secure the front cap I drilled and tapped radial holes in the cap and tube and put in some 1/2" long machine screws. Attached are some pics showing that and also one idea for a rear cap.

Last fall I paid $83.78 for a 14’ tube, gasketed end cap (the glue cap is $5 cheaper), and plug. The 14’ tube was $38. I got the parts from Plumbers Supply Co. (www.plumberssupplyco.com) which is a distributor in southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It’s hard to get prices on the internet...

The green sewer pipe is also made in 14' lengths, I have one.

I’ve seen questions in a number of threads regarding spar transport tubes. I thought I’d pass on some info that might be useful. Most people use the white SCH 40 PVC pipe. The 8” size has a wall thickness of .322 in and weighs about 5.5 #/ft. It’s good stuff, but, it’s heavy and...

At $440 the Sunfish sail is less expensive than just about any one-design sail from any major sailmaker. It’s also sturdy and lasts a long time. Plenty of races are won with five- year old sails. If you do club sailing and regattas and sail 100 races a year, after five years that’s only $0.88...

All the spars I’ve seen have cork plugs behind the eyebolts, but, they tend to dry up and shrink which allows a tiny bit of water to get in if you tip over. I think it’s a good idea to fill the end cap with a resin/filler mixture and then through drill holes for the eyebolts. This allows you to...

I’ve sailed to Martha’s Vineyard many times in cruising sailboats and also in power boats. I’ve also been in Waquoit Bay. A Sunfish doesn’t belong in either Nantucket or Vineyard Sound and my advice is to stay in Waquoit.

Actually anodizing isn't a coating, but an electrolytic process that changes the structure of the metal surface making it harder and more resistant to corrosion. I may be wrong but I don't think the masts are anodized on the inside. Visually they don't seem to be, they usually corrode from the...

Drilling a hole in the cap to let the water out is OK on fresh water, but, if you sail on salt water leaking is bad. It causes the mast to corrode on the inside eventually causing breakage. Fixing the leaks isn’t all that easy. I had two leakers. First, I just re-bedded the bottom caps, but...

Probably XL. Take a look at the pictures. They are funny looking pointy things, but, they work.

Any of the hiking boots are OK. I like the Rooster boots available from Intensity Sails. They grip well, don’t pick up much sand or stone, and they are inexpensive. They have a 3 mil neoprene inner sock for extra padding so you have to buy them a size larger than normal.

A tool is better, but, if you don't have one you can just grab one of the ring tabs with a pair of pliers and twist. It should come right off.

Attached are some shots of how I rigged the Jens. The pink line Jens loop should be on the front of the mast. I didn’t have a long enough halyard line so I tied two pieces together for the experiment. Incidentally, I really like the stuff I use which is 3.8 mm New England Ropes Spyderline...