Sunfish Identification

Children of Aeolus, the Keeper of the Winds, and Eos, the Titan goddess of the dawn. The four gods were Boreas (North Wind), Notus (South Wind),Zephyrus (West Wind) and Eurus (East Wind).

Can't go wrong naming a boat after the Commanding General, well, actually you can, but that is a story to not be repeated :/
 
Then, my boat being from China could be Commie Cruiser

I like it!

BTW Sunfish are easier to control, it’s easier on your hand, and you get better sail shape by using a ratchet block. Center cleats of any type can easily lead to an unexpected capsize it you can’t uncleat in time. They are particularly unsuited to newer sailors.

A hook will suffice but life is better with a ratchet block.
 
Thinking about getting a red and white striped sail for my boat out here

You could see if any of these are left to help with the Commie Cruiser theme.
 

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I use para-cord and never have a problem. You can knot a loop in the center or
leave as-is and experiment with a traveler for the cost of zilch. Simple is better.
 
I use para-cord and never have a problem. You can knot a loop in the center or
leave as-is and experiment with a traveler for the cost of zilch. Simple is better.

By definition you are recreationally sailing if you are using a rope bridle, so performance really isn't an issue. But paracord stretches, and a good bridle would have has little stretch as possible. So paracord is fine, but from a "what is the right line for the job" perspective, a no-stretch line would be best.
 
You guys are brutal :)
Nylon is preferred for dock lines, anchor rodes and maybe the "painter" line to tow the fish to "preferred" waters.
That said, my Sunfish has never seen a dock line, other than to lash it to the trailer, an anchor....and towing is a "sin". -)
 
A few minutes ago I had never even heard of "paracord". Now that I am better informed, I can safely say that it is unsuitable for almost anything on a sailboat.
In a pinch, paracord could tripled-up (to take the stretch out of it) securing the mainsheet to the two-loop bridle using a bowline.
 
You guys are brutal :)
Nylon is preferred for dock lines, anchor rodes and maybe the "painter" line to tow the fish to "preferred" waters.
That said, my Sunfish has never seen a dock line, other than to lash it to the trailer, an anchor....and towing is a "sin". -)
Ever towed a Sunfish fast (on the water) with the daggerboard removed? :eek:
 
I tied one of my sails on with para-cord. Is there better lower friction material,
yes the is. It works just fine for me and is a step above the plastic shower curtain
rings. If it stretch's a little as a traveler I haven't noticed it but a bit of stretch
would be good as it world reduce shock loading when changing tack or a
unintentional jibe. Your comment about stretch lead me to a interesting
thought. Would surgical tubing tied between sheet and boom allow the
sail to self adjust to wind gusts as in depower itself?
 
Hey, a "Like" from Norcalsail, WOOHOO!!! First Christmas present I've received this season... better late than never, 10-4? I reckon we should call the race the Drunken Texting 500, but that title figure may be optimistic, the cars may not last 500 miles, LOL. We might be lucky if they last 100 miles, yeah? ;)

Better toss in a corporate sponsor, I can hear the commentators now: "NASCAR presents the Verizon Drunken Texting 500!!!" :eek:

Only race known to man where every driver crashes in the first lap, LOL... :rolleyes:
 
Here is the issue with stretching. Larger race boats with standing rigging will tune it bar tight or even use solid, rod rigging. Halyard and sheets are in another price catagory, both for lighter weight and resistance to stretching.
The idea is the force and changes in the wind are then not absorbed by the rigging...both standing and running...so the energy is totally used to propel the boat with minimum energy losses due to bending, stretching etc. Obviously this puts more stress and strain on things, but for the benefit of sailing more efficiently. The Sunfish spar bending is typically viewed as a positive however, to de-power the sail plan....basically to continue to sail upright (not flipping eh?), where as a keel boat normally doesn't have that issue. However, stretchy running rigging on a fish provides no benefit other than altering sail trim, usually to the undesired for experienced sailors/racers.
 
The floating wing is nothing new as far as aircraft are concerned. It's letting the the wing
make the constant adjustments it wants to make without having to drag the rest of the
craft with it. I'm sure too much stretch would result in something like riding a bicycle with
rubber handle bars. I'd be looking for a balance between a determent to manual adjustment
and improvement in small trim changes. If I ever get back in the water I'll try a one inch
look of tubing just for kicks. I have a feeling if it worked at all it would be with a rigid
airfoil and not a sail.
 
Yes if you only plan to sail recreationally this sail is fine. Laser Performance makes the authentic Sunfish sails at a good price if you decide to replace this one.

I’d install a ratchet block with the option of side deck cleats if you think you need them.

Check the vertical bolt on the transom. It should be ina vertical tube. Seems unimportant but actually helps keep rudder from shifting side to side and popping up while underway. If you need a tube there are some posts on this board about getting the right dimensions

Nice boat - nice find!!
 
This boat is about ready for sea trials. I was bubble testing for leaks and noticed
The vertical tube on the transom is plastic and is crumbling to pieces. Where can I get those dimensions?
 
If the rest of the hardware is in good shape, you don't need the tube. Common wear areas are the bottom tip of the vertical latch and the indentation on the keel latch plate.

I'll get measurements later and I think we also have some spare New Old Stock tubes.
 
I think you definitely need the tube to keep the carriage bolt centered. That keeps things lined up and keeps the rudder from popping up in a breeze. There was s a thread on here somewhere about buying a suitable tube at a hardware store.
 
Hi Bill
Send me a private message through this site and I'll get you my paypal info or address for a check.
 
I agree with BB, that green color looks really cool...luckily, the previous owners took care of the boat, which isn't always the case. Nice find, I would've paid good money for that boat... :rolleyes:
 
If you can get the cap off and nut loose, you can put in a new ball. Assuming the capture pins are still there...
 
The pins the hold the ball in? Or is the DePersia set up different with not as big of a drain? Slowly coming back to me now, a trip out to the Carriage House is in order...
fullsizeoutput_fc7.jpeg
 

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