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  1. M

    Hiking Stick Upgrade

    Thank you for the tip on the vice grips. No more needlenose pliers for this operation! Anyone know of a slicker way to do this than using brute force? Those springs have some power - I always feel like something horrible will happen when doing this. BTW - I have used Pettit Captain's varnish...
  2. M

    New to Board..74? Sunfish full restore

    I love this story! You are going to have a blast with your baby. There is a great deal of useful info regarding restoration on this site.
  3. M

    Dolly or harbor freight trailer

    A home-made dolly is good low budget approach. It is all about the tires. The design all depends upon what surface it is rolled over. Bike tires would work for pavement, but if you are rolling over sand you have to use really wide tires like the ones in the recent post from Signal Charlie...
  4. M

    Sunfish Rental/Sailing in Charleston, SC?

    km - Ignore those who say you are too big. I'm 6-3" 205. I've been sailing a couple seasons now (started at age 56) and am having a blast. In fact, I got one for Michigan vacations and then bought one for Lake Michigan North of Chicago. You might not be competitive in a race due to size, but who...
  5. M

    Padded sailing shorts -- info on how to make my own?!!

    Petrel, here's an outfit that offers lots of foam products. Maybe they'd send you some samples. http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-closed-cell-foam-sheets/=j859gl On slow wind days in the summer I will use a piece of closed-cell foam that is 1/2" thick and it is a great cushion. Not sure what...
  6. M

    Water in the hull

    Mike, go for it. All the necessary info is in this site somewhere. The fact that it was your dad's makes all the effort worthwhile. Yes, the foam blocks hold lots of water. You will probably want to add an inspection port or two and these are very handy for diagnosing and fixing internal...
  7. M

    Sunfish Refurbish Project gone wrong

    Fiorefish - if cosmetics are not a priority you could try drilling a new set of holes adjacent to the ones that are worn out and be able to grab some wood. The blocks are glued in. Probably not possible to reposition rudder.
  8. M

    Sailfish found- no identification

    Wow! What a cool story. What were yo digging for? This boat must be repaired and sailed!
  9. M

    Boat Launch / storage

    Bill, This is hard to picture. Is the floating dock attached to a steep or rocky incline such that you can't lug it onto a beach? I'd be afraid of the boat being blown away (or swiped). Congrats on your refurbed boat; it looks real good.
  10. M

    1st day out on '79 Sunfish

    Odd, Congrats to you and your brother on the shiny new old boat. Like the color combo. I see it's a Michigan boat. What lake were you on? I was on Crystal Lake near Frankfort Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it just got better every day.
  11. M

    Deck Separated from Hull Repair advice

    My old boat had a bad seam which was recently repaired. Some of the joint was still intact but it was possible to pry it apart with a sharpened putty knife. (A real problem spot is where the traveller attaches as these support blocks are very solidly attached.) The old glue was removed and a...
  12. M

    Replacing self bailer

    Mike, I'm no expert, but recently went through this on an old boat. The venturi housing on the bailer was cracked away so rather that pay 40 bucks for something I don't use I decided to fill in the hole. What I did was: clean up the hole; tape over the opening on the exterior with mylar to...
  13. M

    What model is it ? To restore or not to restore ??

    Dktag - I will reinforce what previous replies have said. Do not restore that boat. Unless there is some sentimental value like it once belonged to your favorite uncle and he would stow you in the cockpit as a toddler and use it to deep sea fish for grouper it is not worth it. You will spend...
  14. M

    Rub Rail Replacement

    Update: Thanks for the tips about the grinder approach. Since the seam was in such poor shape, it was possible to get the seam apart with a sharpened putty knife. Some of the sealant/adhesive could be stripped away manually. A dremel tool with a wire brush attachment was very effective at...
  15. M

    Daggerboard Vibration

    I like to think of it as a speedometer. It makes me smile.
  16. M

    Rub Rail Replacement

    "Mlerman" Seems like we are in the same boat. I have a '78 that I thought was patched up sufficiently to proceed to painting. The cockpit area was covered with tarp and all openings were taped, yet water still appeared in the hull after a rain. I finally got the shop vac out and did a leak...
  17. M

    Eliminate The Bailer?

    I'm restoring a 77 fish and am wondering about the need for the self bailer. Of course, it is broken and will cost $42.00 to replace. I have only been sailing a couple years, but it seems like it is more trouble than (and cost) than it's worth. I carry a cutoff milk jug and a sponge which seem...

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