Minfish Impressions vs. Sunfish.

Amfab

Member
I just wanted to relay my experience with a Minifish I just bought because it is such a blast—and compare it to the Sunfish if anyone is interested.

Both boats are mid-70s.

The Minifish is incredibly easy to toss around, load on a car, throw on a trailer, and pull up on a beach—much easier than the Sunfish. I mostly sail my Sunfish by myself at a place my friend has down on the east coast of Baja—he likes to fish; I like to sail. The ease of getting it down to the beach and in and out of the water by myself was the main reason I decided to by the Minifish.

The Minifish is VERY zippy. The first time I took her out the wind was about 14-15kts and I yanked in the main sheet and it took off so fast it almost threw me. I was used to the mass of the Sunfish. My friends were floating in the water nearby and they both were like “WOAH!” because it took off so fast.

I must have flipped it three times in the first hour. It is extremely easy to right. The main reason I kept flipping it was that after I bought it I polished and waxed the hull really well, and it was so slippery that If I came about quickly I would slip and slide across the deck as I moved and that would throw off the balance of the boat. I would tumble a little into the well and I would lose control—it was all incredibly fun in the Sea of Cortez in 80 degree water.

The Gulf of California does not have the big swells of the Pacific but there was some decent sized chop and the hull porpoised a bit through the whitecaps, it handled it very well, but the point of the bow would go under now and then. This was interesting to me because the Sunfish would have planed over the swells in the same situation. 15kts. seems a little much for the boat for a relaxing sail but it is incredibly fun.

I took the Sunfish out right afterwards to compare the feel of the two boats back-to-back. The Sunfish felt much more at home in those winds. It would not take off quite as fast, but it felt a bit faster once up to speed.

The Sunfish was definitely not as influenced by shifting weight (I am about 210). This is a good and a bad thing. It makes the Sunfish more comfortable, especially in winds above 10 kts., but because of the small sizing and weight of the Minifish, sometimes it only required leaning forward or backward to balance the boat’s position, rather than folding out the tiller extension and moving my whole body forward or backwards. This makes it easier to surf the hull when running downwind with the swells. I think I probably could outrun a Sunfish in the Minifish in a following sea because of this.

I am in my late 50s and 6ft, and I will say that the seating position of the Sunfish is much more comfortable. My knees were aching a bit after the Minifish runs—crouching down then almost standing up on the vertical side of the cockpit as I tried to keep her flat, then having to squat and crouch as I came about, sort of like a moving yoga class, except I don’t do yoga so I am not that flexible. The Sunfish was a physical relief after an hour on the Minifish in those winds. Some of this was probably because the Sunfish was not freshly waxed so I was not sliding around as much, but the cockpit is deeper and larger. It is easier to find comfortable positions to brace yourself in the Sunfish. The shallow cockpit of the Minifish is definitely less comfortable, I feel like I am squatting more than sitting most of the time. It is like half sailing and half surfing-feeling sometimes.

The next day the wind settled down a bit. It was 10–12kts most of the day, so I put the Sunfish rig on the Minifish to see how she handled. I was surprised because I thought that would make her feel a bit more tweak-ey with the extra sq. ft. of sail. Instead I found the boat felt a little more solid. It may have been a combination of my adjustable gooseneck giving me trouble and having a little more sail out-front of the mast than I would have liked, and maybe the little extra weight of the rig up high added a little inertia to dampen the side-to-side weight changes of me sliding around. The saltwater from the day before had takin the edge off the high gloss of the fresh wax too, that may have helped.

Overall my impressions were that the Minifish is definitely more exciting minute by minute, but also more tiring. When I go to Baja for a few days at a time, I usually take the Sunfish out in front of the house and play around in a half mile radius two or three times a day, then at least once a day I will head up or down the coast a mile or two. Now with the Minifish, I think she will be the play-in-front-of-the-house boat, because I cannot see taking her on many long sails—but zipping around in the warm water and playing near the surf line is so much fun. Also, there is nowhere to put anything in the Minifish, I can toss some drinks and stuff in the Sunfish. The Minifish seems happy to toss the drinks and stuff out.

They are both great boats—definitely similar in ways, but each has a very distinct character.

I would be curious if others have similar impressions.

-Andrew
 

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Thanks very much for the comparison reviews!

I must have flipped it three times in the first hour. It is extremely easy to right. The main reason I kept flipping it was that after I bought it I polished and waxed the hull really well, and it was so slippery that If I came about quickly I would slip and slide across the deck as I moved and that would throw off the balance of the boat. I would tumble a little into the well and I would lose control—it was all incredibly fun in the Sea of Cortez in 80 degree water.

The Gulf of California does not have the big swells of the Pacific but there was some decent sized chop and the hull porpoised a bit through the whitecaps, it handled it very well, but the point of the bow would go under now and then. This was interesting to me because the Sunfish would have planed over the swells in the same situation. 15kts. seems a little much for the boat for a relaxing sail but it is incredibly fun.

I took the Sunfish out right afterwards to compare the feel of the two boats back-to-back. The Sunfish felt much more at home in those winds. It would not take off quite as fast, but it felt a bit faster once up to speed.

The Sunfish was definitely not as influenced by shifting weight (I am about 210). This is a good and a bad thing. It makes the Sunfish more comfortable, especially in winds above 10 kts., but because of the small sizing and weight of the Minifish, sometimes it only required leaning forward or backward to balance the boat’s position, rather than folding out the tiller extension and moving my whole body forward or backwards. This makes it easier to surf the hull when running downwind with the swells. I think I probably could outrun a Sunfish in the Minifish in a following sea because of this.

I am in my late 50s and 6ft, and I will say that the seating position of the Sunfish is much more comfortable. My knees were aching a bit after the Minifish runs—crouching down then almost standing up on the vertical side of the cockpit as I tried to keep her flat, then having to squat and crouch as I came about, sort of like a moving yoga class, except I don’t do yoga so I am not that flexible. The Sunfish was a physical relief after an hour on the Minifish in those winds. Some of this was probably because the Sunfish was not freshly waxed so I was not sliding around as much, but the cockpit is deeper and larger. It is easier to find comfortable positions to brace yourself in the Sunfish. The shallow cockpit of the Minifish is definitely less comfortable, I feel like I am squatting more than sitting most of the time. It is like half sailing and half surfing-feeling sometimes.

The next day the wind settled down a bit. It was 10–12kts most of the day, so I put the Sunfish rig on the Minifish to see how she handled. I was surprised because I thought that would make her feel a bit more tweak-ey with the extra sq. ft. of sail. Instead I found the boat felt a little more solid. It may have been a combination of my adjustable gooseneck giving me trouble and having a little more sail out-front of the mast than I would have liked, and maybe the little extra weight of the rig up high added a little inertia to dampen the side-to-side weight changes of me sliding around. The saltwater from the day before had takin the edge off the high gloss of the fresh wax too, that may have helped.

Overall my impressions were that the Minifish is definitely more exciting minute by minute, but also more tiring. When I go to Baja for a few days at a time, I usually take the Sunfish out in front of the house and play around in a half mile radius two or three times a day, then at least once a day I will head up or down the coast a mile or two. Now with the Minifish, I think she will be the play-in-front-of-the-house boat, because I cannot see taking her on many long sails—but zipping around in the warm water and playing near the surf line is so much fun. Also, there is nowhere to put anything in the Minifish, I can toss some drinks and stuff in the Sunfish. The Minifish seems happy to toss the drinks and stuff out.

They are both great boats—definitely similar in ways, but each has a very distinct character.

I would be curious if others have similar impressions.

-Andrew
'Looks like the Minifish would've been the best choice at my High School weight!

"Slipperiness" accounts for a number of my Sunfish capsizes.

Natural fibers in sailing apparel makes a big difference--but I had to learn the hard way. :confused:

There's also a school of thought on not waxing hulls.
 
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Thanks for the detailed review. I have owned a Snark, a Sunfish, and now a Minifish. The light weight of the Snark was very convenient, and it worked fine on the inland lake where I normally sail. But once a year I spend a week sailing on the Atlantic in South Carolina, and the Snark would get swamped in the waves. I tried a Sunfish, which was fine in the waves, but it was too heavy to put on a roof rack, and it was very difficult to carry from parking lot to beach without a dolly. The lighter weight of the Minifish is great for transporting on a roof rack, and for carrying to and from the beach by hand. The Minifish handles Atlantic waves just fine, although I don't go out on days with big waves.
 
Life is what happens while we're making plans... excellent comparison, though I never felt cramped aboard the Minifish, perhaps because I'm only 5'11" and I employed Signal Charlie's "Geezer Rig" for a little more ducking room. Not a full-blown "Geezer Rig"---just high enough to make things easier. :rolleyes:
 
At 5' 10" and 180 pounds, the Minifish fits me well, but I usually limit myself to 2-4 hours at a time. I am going age myself by saying this, but the Sunfish/Minifish duo is comparable to an MGB/ MG Midget cars of the 60'-70's. The MGB is small, until you get into a Midget. In fact, you don't really "get into" a Midget, it's more like you are strapping it on! The Midget is slower than the MGB (or almost any modern car) but it FEELS faster, mainly because even a Honda Fit seems like a semi as it goes by. And if you had a really attractive daughter, the Midget was the perfect car to get her: the interior is so small that nothing was EVER going to happen in there!
The MG Midget was never as popular as the MGB was. But it was the most fun to drive of any car I have ever tried.
The Minifish is kind of like that it. In any measurable way, the Sunfish is better (except weight. The Minifish is MUCH easier to transport) but for some of us the light weight, quick turning, and lively action just make it more fun. But for both the Midget and the Mini, if you are much over 6 feet tall, or have long legs, it's best to look elsewhere!
 
At 5' 10" and 180 pounds, the Minifish fits me well, but I usually limit myself to 2-4 hours at a time. I am going age myself by saying this, but the Sunfish/Minifish duo is comparable to an MGB/ MG Midget cars of the 60'-70's. The MGB is small, until you get into a Midget. In fact, you don't really "get into" a Midget, it's more like you are strapping it on! The Midget is slower than the MGB (or almost any modern car) but it FEELS faster, mainly because even a Honda Fit seems like a semi as it goes by. And if you had a really attractive daughter, the Midget was the perfect car to get her: the interior is so small that nothing was EVER going to happen in there!
The MG Midget was never as popular as the MGB was. But it was the most fun to drive of any car I have ever tried.
The Minifish is kind of like that it. In any measurable way, the Sunfish is better (except weight. The Minifish is MUCH easier to transport) but for some of us the light weight, quick turning, and lively action just make it more fun. But for both the Midget and the Mini, if you are much over 6 feet tall, or have long legs, it's best to look elsewhere!
The MG analogy is great, better than mine—I was thinking more of a 914-6 vs 911S.
In any event, the best solution is to have both.
 
My analogy breaks down pretty quickly when reality hits. A Minifish works almost all of the time. An MG, in the other hand, is more of a sculpture that sometimes moves on its own. Legend has it that MG heat treated parts by setting them by the radiator for a couple of hours. Having spent too many hours working on a friend's MG (between months of waiting for parts), I have to admit that I'd rather drive one than own one!
In comparison, a Porsche actually starts to look like practical.
 
These fabulous descriptions of the minifish are causing me to think twice about the boat. IBe always dismissed it, assuming it would be a lot slower because of the smaller sail area. But I can relate to the MG comparison.

so now, you’ve all got me reading up on the minifish. I can’t find much information on it. Is there a way to determine the year it was manufactured based on the serial number?
 
These fabulous descriptions of the minifish are causing me to think twice about the boat. IBe always dismissed it, assuming it would be a lot slower because of the smaller sail area. But I can relate to the MG comparison.

so now, you’ve all got me reading up on the minifish. I can’t find much information on it. Is there a way to determine the year it was manufactured based on the serial number?
I think the end of the serial number is the year Mine is ...77D which I think is 1977
 
These fabulous descriptions of the minifish are causing me to think twice about the boat.

Nothing wrong with a Minifish for having fun on the water... the boat will even give ya a workout in a stiff breeze. Don't be fooled by the sail area, the hull is lighter so the boat still flies... my best friend in Coronado lived down by the bay, and he once told me that he saw me flying across the channel, and he was surprised at how fast the boat sailed. :eek:

It took awhile for me to learn to like the hull design, since it is quite different from the Laser, especially the stern, but once I got used to her, I began to appreciate her light and nimble ways. Sometimes a little TOO nimble... I'll never forget that time when the wind was howling down those canyons on Pt. Loma, and I made a sharp tack away from rough water, only to slide overboard as if I had been shot from a cannon, LOL. :rolleyes:
 
I recently purchased a rare "minifish II". When I have time, i'll write up a full profile of the boat. It can accept a minifish rig as well.

I highly recommend Neil Pryde sails for your minifish. I got great customer service from Tim Yourieff, their prices are great, and some really cool color schemes. I might go back and get a sunfish sail so the sunfish and minifish will match.
 
So, it sounds like the Minifish serial number has the manufacturing year/month encoded in the last 3 digits, just like the Sunfishes from 72 on. That is good to know. Thanks, Amfab.

Another question: I'm looking at a Minifish that is missing its spars. In a separate photo of Minifish spars, it appears they might be tapered, but they just may appear tapered in the photo due to the wide angle lens. Can any of you Minifish owners comment on the spars? Are they the same as the Sunfish spars, just shorter?

Also: is the gooseneck the same between the Sunfish and Minifish?

The rudder and daggerboard appear to be interchangeable between the Sunfish and Minifish (post 72 that is).

Sorry for all the questions, but you've got me interested in the possibilities of this little boat. :). Thank in advance for sharing your expertise.
 
I am pretty sure that the goose necks are the same, and that the spars are just shorter. The mast on mine is not tapered. It's just a regular Sunfish mast, I think. I haven't compared the height, tho, to be sure. It is the same diameter.
 
I THINK the spars are the same just shorter—and I think the goosenecks are the same—I hope so, I just ordered a quick adjust thingy for both of them. Like Seaotter said the mast is the same diameter. I will have to check and measure next time I am down in Mexico, which will be in a couple of weeks. The rudder and daggerboard are interchangeable. I broke the tip off my Sunfish tiller a couple of months ago when trailering it up the beach behind a UTV—the extension snagged something and it broke off at the bolt. So I just used the rudder/tiller from the Minifish on the Sunfish because it had an extension and cut off about four inches from the broken sunfish tiller, rounded it off with a sander and used that rudder assembly on the Minifish. I actually liked it better because the boat is smaller and I do not really need the extension and the slightly shorter tiller doesnt make me shift forward to get around it. With the lightness of the boat and the heaviness of me it makes everything more stable if I do not have to move forward significantly when coming around. One thing that is a little different is the overhanging lip of the hull/deck seam sticks out further than the little aluminum moulding around the edge of the same era Sunfish and this puts the rudder bracket pintle hole really close to the edge of the stern. The bracket hole barely clears it. This makes putting the rudder on in the water a little more challenging if the water it a little choppy..
 
I recently purchased a rare "minifish II". When I have time, i'll write up a full profile of the boat. It can accept a minifish rig as well.

I highly recommend Neil Pryde sails for your minifish. I got great customer service from Tim Yourieff, their prices are great, and some really cool color schemes. I might go back and get a sunfish sail so the sunfish and minifish will match.
Thanks for the tip. Those are great prices, too! I saw some on eBay but they don't have a sail window, and Neil offers a window option for $25 extra. Nice.
 
Yes, confirming all of the above. I had 4 Minis, just sold two of them (on the same day) last week. The hull ID shows this one is a 1980. The other, a Mini II, was a ‘76. They are a blast. Best for a single sailor, as they are smaller, but the boat really packs a punch! I’ll be zipping around in mine later today. Uses the same (new style) rudder as the Sunfish, the tiller is shorter by about 9”. The mast is the same as SF but a foot shorter at 9ft. Spars are shorter, too. I cut down an extra Sunfish rig for one of my minis, as they are much easier to find and the boat was purchased as hull only. They use the Shadow daggerboard, though I think the Barrington or any would fit. The Mini weighs only about 90 lbs- and while my Sunfish isn’t unmanageable the Mini is a breeze! They were only made from 1971-1983, so they are fairly uncommon, though I wouldn’t say rare. Sails from that vintage are usually pretty beat up, but as mentioned Neil Pryde sells them, and I bought a beautiful new one on this forum when Craig Obara got a bunch of us together. Amfab’s review is excellent!
 

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Had to post this link for Seaotter5, since he mentioned the Midget in this thread, LOL... saw this while looking for a good secondhand truck or SUV to tow a small travel trailer, a possible option for me if I flip this home and go mobile in search of work. :eek:

Or simply have a way to go camping and live dirt cheap while looking at other properties and figuring out what I wanna do... there are still many places on BLM land where an off-grid kinda guy can live for awhile without paying a dime, except for food, beverages, firewood delivered by the cord, fuel costs to resupply, etc. :rolleyes:

Anyway, here's the Midget in Forest Green, always a good choice of color for an MG... wait, did they have a different name for that color? Like 'British Racing Green' or some such bull$h!t? Meh, no worries, this Midget doesn't look too bad with only 73K miles on the odometer, kinda hard to tow with it though... :confused:

1976 MG Midget - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle automotive sale

Ya know, this ad reminds me of a few British vehicles in Coronado back in the '70s, when I was a paperboy delivering the San Diego Union-Tribune (actually separate papers then, the Union & the Tribune). Had multiple MGs in town, Triumphs, and of course the odd Bentley & Rolls-Royce rigs (rich folk). ;)

ANYWAY, Y'ALL ENJOY THAT CLASSIC MIDGET, I'M DONE WITH THE COMPUTER AFTER A LONG DAY OF EXPLORING OPTIONS... :cool:
 

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