Advice for a beginner looking to buy a Sunfish

Robrilo

New Member
Hello...I’m a beginner and am in the early stages of looking for a Sunfish and would appreciate any advice on what to look for in buying a used boat...any critical and common concerns with Sunfish that I should be on the lookout for? Also, what is a realistic price range for a boat with a trailer that is in “good to excellent” condition? Thank you in advance!
 
Lots of info out there on the web. Price - I paid $1,000 for a 1980 hull with a racing sail, spare sail, original rudder and daggerboard, and trailer. Boat was in good usable condition and ready to sail. I thought that was a good deal. Without trailer same boat would of been a good deal at $600 IMO. I probably would of paid $1,500 for a newer one with aluminum backing plates (post 1988 I think). I would pay a premium for extra sails, racing daggerboards, and boat dolly. Generally that premium would be 50% of the retail prices for the extras. That's just me tho. Shop retail prices for spars, sails, rudders, daggerboards, dollys, trailers, etc and you will start to get an idea of what a nice boat is worth.

Don't buy a project. Personally I'd walk away from anything with damage to hull or deck or trim or mast step or that takes on water. I wouldn't buy one with the old rudder either. IMO those repairs/upgrades easily exceed the value of the hull. I also wouldn't buy a pre 1973 model because there is no storage in the rear of cockpit.
 
I would peruse the For Sale section on this Forum to get an idea for many of these issues. Moreover, there are some recent threads right in this (Talk) section that should be of interest.
Like Texoma, I wouldn't buy a project either because I want to sail and not work on a boat. But others enjoy doing just that and there are some very knowledgeable people on this Forum who are willing to offer advice.
 
Robrilo, the price depends on your market. If you are in the NorthEast or South Florida or across Ny to the Great Lakes, then a nice used boat can be found for around $600. As you move away from those areas the price increases due to availability, up to $1800 for a ready to sail boat with nice spars, good blades and a new sail.

We grade boats by 4 areas, 1) Hull 2) Spars 3) Blades and 4) Sail and lines. Critical concerns on the hull are weight and damage. Hulls up to 1988 weigh around 139, pound then they drop to 129 then 120. 2 people should be able to lift without too much effort, or take an old bathroom school and put the boat on its side. Any damage should be repaired. The spars should be straight and not have excessive corrosion, and they need to be usable as replacement spars are basically impossible to find. The rudder and daggerboard should be Sunfish parts and not excessively worn. They are expensive to replace as well. The sail needs to be free of tears and stains and not faded or dry rotted. A suitable replacement can be bought for $150 aftermarket or $250 from the manufacturer. New lines can run $50-75.

Shiny, clean and newer boats command higher prices. Crunchy, dull and older boats should not fetch more than a few hundred dollars.

Check craigslist around your area for prices, and let us know what area you are in.

As for trailers, a new trailer can be bought for around $600-700 dollars. Older trailers may need springs, lights, tires, axles etc...Each tire is $50, lights are $50, so buying an old trailer adds up quick once it is made road ready.
 

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