CW Spook
New Member
I learned what little I know about sailing on a Sunfish back in the early 70s at my in-laws summer place in northern MN. Had a great time. Back then we had a whole fleet of 'fish that were there at the same time and we'd have races and lots of good times. One of my favorite memories of those days was a morning sail in the fog the day we had to head home to Iowa. I held onto it as my 'happy place' for years, but life has a way of intervening and it faded into the fog of memories. Fast forward 40 years...now retired, FIL passed away, and the cabin is in our care. This spring while we were opening up, I was sitting on the front steps looking across the brook where our fishing boats are careened for the winter, along with my BIL's Sunfish, when I noticed something leaning against a cedar tree. I climbed over the other hulls, and there, against the tree, covered with moss and lichens, was the old white Sunfish I'd learned to sail in, slowly dying. I made a vow that wouldn't happen. I dragged her into the water, and over close to the dock where I could haul her up on shore....a real mess, but thankfully, mostly cosmetic. On the next trip up, a drive into town to the local marine dealer brought mildew cleaner and polishing compound. Digging through the garage yielded the original rudder and daggerboard, a mast, spars and an ancient sail. The rigging was missing a couple of parts, but I baling wired it together, and after christening her 'Promises Kept', we went for our first sale in over a quarter century. We're headed back north tomorrow morning, this time with a new Intensity Sails white racing sail, new halyard & sheet, new hardware, and a refinished mahogany rudder & daggerboard to begin our new sailing adventures together. Wish us luck...