cutting cutting cutting

mixmkr

mixmkr

Well-Known Member
First things first. I realize old sunfishes aren't worth more but infact probably less to nothing. Also they are just boats to be used and enjoy. But it seems popular opinion is to cut inspection ports without 2nd thought. Personally i kinda cringe and feel inspection ports are just that. Functional and not especially attractive. Mainly because on an "expensive" boat. ..you dont "whack" away. You cut as needed and then in many cases repair the " incision" to never know it had been cut. Matching gelcoats as usually the route. So... just an opinion. I cut two in my '69, but they're in the cockpit wall and not on the deck. I didnt want to paint the boat but realize matching the gelcoat isn't going to happen. .. i kinda wizh i didnt cut into the cockpit either. ..but all cuts made on the bottomsides instead.

I guess I cringe a bit looking at all the "collector" guitars that were just mindlessly butchered in the 70's. But it's just wood and metal and plastic. Kinda like the fish. Not the important stuff

Any rate just felt like rambling.

Happy Sailing
 
mixmkr said:
First things first. I realize old sunfishes aren't worth more but infact probably less to nothing. Also they are just boats to be used and enjoy. But it seems popular opinion is to cut inspection ports without 2nd thought. Personally i kinda cringe and feel inspection ports are just that. Functional and not especially attractive. Mainly because on an "expensive" boat. ..you dont "whack" away. You cut as needed and then in many cases repair the " incision" to never know it had been cut. Matching gelcoats as usually the route. So... just an opinion. I cut two in my '69, but they're in the cockpit wall and not on the deck. I didnt want to paint the boat but realize matching the gelcoat isn't going to happen. .. i kinda wizh i didnt cut into the cockpit either. ..but all cuts made on the bottomsides instead.

I guess I cringe a bit looking at all the "collector" guitars that were just mindlessly butchered in the 70's. But it's just wood and metal and plastic. Kinda like the fish. Not the important stuff

Any rate just felt like rambling.

Happy Sailing
Click to expand...

So it was you that inspired me to install the "Ultimate Inspection Port" in the forward cockpit wall (bulkhead on bigger boats). Ultimate Inspection Port... | SailingForums.com

I've learned a lot about the Sunfish from that installation, and watched how flexible the bottom is while sailing :(. That flexing is readily apparent when you watch the paddle stored there jump around :confused:. (!) You'll notice that I cut into the side of my Sunfish to reinforce the bow handle (with bolts instead of screws). :) The mast step and daggerboard trunk would be easier to fix from underneath—especially if you knew for certain where the leak was.

You're definitely onto something here, but "co-incidentally" reinforcing the hull's bottom would be attacked under racing rules. :oops: ("Liquids" only).
 
As a guitar guy you do know that most guitars were not considered "collector" material in the 1970's. Speculation in the 1990's has
driven prices for 50's 60's 70's "Name" guitars, i.e. Fender/Gibson etc. extremely rediculious levels. Without some provenance behind it I don't
think any Telecaster is worth $40000.00.

You're correct, a classic used Sunfish hull by itself on craigslist is worth about $100.00. The is nothing wrong with using two holes in the cockpit
to dry things out and if everything's still solidly attached to the deck calling it good. Unfortunately, the deck hardware backer blocks are packing crate wood long since
useful, the "classic" rudder was never that good and it's bottom strap is falling off. The boat weighs 250 lbs and I have to try to tip it on its side to
drain out water through a drain hole in the deck that leaves a gallon or so of water sloshing around in the bottom. This was the boat I sailed at summer camp and
the first boat I owned. This was how most Sunfish were until we got a cool place to discuss things and trade advice called the Sunfish Forum. For my second sunfish
I used the advice here and on the internet to install two ports in the standard locations. What a huge difference! The boat only weighed 125 lbs after drying out and
sailed great. My first impression was, "hey, this thing turns on a dime and I could sail it in a small pond!." I have a place to put my keys and wallet inside the boat along with
a place for storing lines. Yes, you could accomplish the same thing by popping the front and rear deck open and sealing it up again but eventually you'll have the
same weight increase. I do have a hull leaning against my house that seems to be about 135 lbs and I could leave it as is but the utility of adding the ports is worth
it to me.
 
Yeah, I've been wondering about this myself. Maybe old bicycles are a better analogy, since like boats they fall somewhere in both the categories of sporting goods and toys. An old racing bike is not, in general, worth as much as a new one; but a high end racing bike in original condition is worth way more than one that's been altered much over the years. Serious racers don't race on old bikes, but there are a lot of guys like me who ride a lot on old bikes.

So now I'm working on a 1962? Sailfish. It seems to be all original, and in pretty good shape, though at least one of the foam blocks is loose. There's some gelcoat damage on the deck, and I'll be trying to fix that, but I just can't bring myself to install an inspection port on the deck. No matter what I do to the boat, I want to keep it original, not because I expect it to be more valuable that way, but for aesthetic reasons. I realize this is irrational... but I just can't bring myself to cut into the deck.
 
Webfoot1 is correct. Sunfish are never going to "collector material". Paul McCartney sails a sunfish, you don't see people trying to sell a Paul McCartney sailed boat.

They are well built and built to be sailed. Aesthetically, ports may not look good to some but I know people when they buy a new boat, they put a port in. The sunfish is great for floating in light air and heavy air sailing, where most boats are off the water. There are a lot of people on this forum buying low cost and sailing 50 year old sunfish because they are well made, lots of parts are available, lots of support , they can be restored to original, can be upgraded to be current, and still be under what a new one costs. Most 50 year old boats would have been scraped by this age but a sunfish can still go and with proper care will sail for another 50 years. If something breaks, they are easy to fix and get back out on the water.
 
To be honest, I think the ports look fine. I also like the fact that, with a fat bag inside the inspection port, I can have some storage space in my old 1968 sunfish.

For me, the inspection ports look fine, and don't detract from the beauty at all.

My 2 cents,
Whitecap
 
mixmkr said:
First things first. I realize old sunfishes aren't worth more but infact probably less to nothing.
Click to expand...

:mad: You're talking about my treasure, here! ;)

GEDC0037.JPG
 
Christmas 1971 I was given a brand new Sunfish, birthday Christmas combo. She was a great boat. Until reading the forum this week, I had no clue the inspection port was something you added after. My boat came with one. Guessing Mom had Dad put one in, so I had a place to stash my stuff. I used it for my stuff, and used it to check she was dry. So for me it is a good thing. More than likely will be adding one to our 'new" boat now. 1985 model.
 
Light and Variable Winds said:
Consider "The Ultimate Inspection Port"—Link:
Ultimate Inspection Port... | SailingForums.com
Click to expand...
wow love it, but for now think we will have to stick to the round ones,
Definition of a Boat: Hole in the water in which to put money.
Sail is going to have to come first. well sail and new sail rings.
Mainsheet and halyard are in the washing machine Strength test after washing.
When the sun comes up, sails will get a good cleaning.
Thanks for th addition to my wish list.
 
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