the weighted rudder and rudder bracket, the raised portion running down the centerline of the boat, and the shallow cockpit with the hiking straps on the sidewall all look very similar to my Super Porpoise. I don't know what the symbol on the sail is though.
This is a Super Porpoise sailbiat, a Sunfish clone that was made in Dowgiac (Sp?) Michigan during the 1970's. The give-away is the raised center ridge on the deck, the lead weighted rudder and the rudder attachment hardware. The sail is off a different boat. Here is a link to some photos of a Super Porpoise sail with a Super Porpoise logo on the sail:www.hookahforum.com/topic/31707-sailing-on-my-porpoise-now-with-pics/
I used to own a Super Porpoise on Crystal Lake, Michigan, near Frankfort. It too had an aftermarket sail, but it was stable and great fun in a blow. The raised floor, self bailing cockpit was a great design as you never had to hand bail the boat even when moored or on the beach. I think a well sailed Sunfish is a little faster, but the Super Porpoise is more stable and roomier than a Sunfish.
I would say that it is a Porpoise as well, but the lack of a splash guard and the way that the raised portion from the mast out is more tapered at the edges make me say differently. And that is only because it is different than the porpoise hull that I picked up recently. Could it be a Super Porpoise knock off?
Seems like a good deal though. I would love to get the extra rudder and dagger board off of him though, if he wasn't so far away.
Humm...I don't recall that my Super Sunfish has a splashrail. Maybe the one shown in TAG's photos has a splashrail that is now missing. Are there holes in the deck where the [missing] splashrail was originally. I am about 99% sure that this is either a Super Porpoise or the smaller Porpoise made by the same builder.
The photos were just from the Craigslist ad - not my boat.
I went out and looked at the Super Porpoise hanging on the wall in my garage - the bow handle is a little different, and the ridge at the center on my boat seems like it is more squared off at the vertical part (basically what wop31 mentioned about the taper). My Super Porpoise does have a white splash guard. The raised portion stops at the splash guard. There is also a metal plate ring around the mast tube - the pictures (above) look might there might be one on that boat, but its hard to tell. I'm not sure exactly how a Super Porpoise and Porpoise differ - but the styling sure makes me think of my Super Porpoise.
I went over to the "Files" section under "Clonefish" at the Sunfish Yahoo Group - it has some old flyers for a Porpoise and a Porpoise II - they both show a length of 12'-4", the Super Porpoise is listed as 14'-8" -- while the Craigslist ad shows 15'.
I also checked out Shorty Pen's Board Boat Guide - he has quite a few pics of the Super Porpoise, and not all of them have the splash guard. Both the following pics are from his site.
The 2nd picture looks just like my Super Porpoise.
Any other thoughts out there? Wayne, maybe?
Buehler? Buehler? Anyone?