Recent content by fhhuber

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    Minifish II - Looking for rigging advice

    There was no vang. Doesn't need it. Don't bother. No block at the top of the vertical mast, just pass the halyard through the hole in the plastic cap. Halyard is tied to the upper boom appx 1/3 from front to rear of the tube. (I can go out and measure mine later, but you should have some...
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    Capri 14.2 crew weight questions

    A bit of extra weight low as possible helps stabilize a boat. Best near the boat's fore-aft center of gravity when the boat is empty. The lower the weight, the more it will help prevent capsizing despite it not moving from side to side. (Whatever weight you use... make sure it won't shift)...
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    Laser cleaning

    depends on the cleaner... The boat is fiberglass with gel-coat. Abrasive cleaners will slowly wear through the gel-coat (or any paint) There are good marine and automotive fiberglass cleaners.
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    Repair badly damaged bow; PLEASE HELP

    SOME polyester resin mixes have the surfacing wax. This allows the full hard surface cure without it feeling tacky forever. Poly resin without surfacing wax can have further layers added a week later without sanding if its been protected from dust or other contamination. the Wal Mart Bondo...
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    Repair badly damaged bow; PLEASE HELP

    There is no fiberglass damaged so badly it can't be repaired... its just easier to cut off the crushed stuff than to piece it back together most of the time. I had a 12 inch long fiberglass cowl crushed down to 1 inch long. I pulled it out and repaired it with no new cloth. Sanded and...
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    Repair badly damaged bow; PLEASE HELP

    As i said.. the mold that is easiest/cheapest and actually adds flotation and strength is to insert a foam block., then shape it to lay the new fiberglassing over. I have made MANY model aircraft cowls and other parts (high strength and minimal weight are really big here) by carving foam...
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    Repair badly damaged bow; PLEASE HELP

    Going to be a bit of a pain... You need to find another sunfish to measure and make patterns from cardboard to get the correct shape. Heat bend PVC to fit under the lip of the hull and ensure it fit well to an undamaged hull. You'll be clamping that on your hull later. I would just saw off...
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    Bottom paint?

    You'll want to get local recommendations. The best formula changes with the water the boat will be in. Correct bottom paint for a clear freshwater lake is different vs somewhat murky vs sea water.... They alter the formula for the specific things you are trying to discourage from attaching to...
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    Do Laser sails perish...?

    All sails will be affected by age and use. They stretch and thus change shape through use. Sun exposure will eventually rot the cloth from UV. Never used, still in original packaging it should be just fine. If it is a class legal racing sail it should still perform well for racing. (not sure...
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    Optimist mast floats

    For a boat the size of the Capri and smaller...I expect you could just run a couple of the large dia pool noodles up, tied like pennants to the halyard and grommet at the top of the sail. Should keep the mast out of the mud if the water is more than a couple of feet deep. Cheap... and you can...
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    Optimist mast floats

    "works as well" is a matter of displacement and location of the float. Mini Bob is 1/2 cubic ft displacement. This is in excess of DOUBLE what is needed to prevent turtling on my Vagabond 14 which is easily comparable to the Catalina 14.2. I laid the Vagabond over and the mast didn't touch...
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    Optimist mast floats

    Th point was... If we are looking at the same Optiparts item... its going to easily do the job. Possibly a pair of pool noodles could be rigged to do the job.
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    Optimist mast floats

    Looking at these: https://www.amazon.com/Optiparts-Optimist-48Ltr-High-Float/dp/B01632R5NI/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1486442985&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=Optiparts+mast+floats The Hobie "baby bob" teardrop mast float is appx 1/3 of the displacement and would do the job.
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    Deck painting

    Yep... that paint has to all come off before repaint or it will just keep peeling. Looks like they didn't prepare the surface correctly before painting.
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    Deck painting

    Deck OEM was Gel coat. The essentially make the hull from the outside in. Simplified: They have molds shaped for the outside of the hull and deck, these are sprayed with a release agent then gel coat then they lay in the fiberglass. (now there are 3 or 4 possible methods of doing the...

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