drying out, sunfish that is

Beetledog

New Member
Hi, Just checking in to see if adding 1 or 2 deck lids or even a small hatch on this 67 non racing fish might ventilate & shed somes pounds. Not into pulling the deck off. Any help would be great. Thanks
 
Thanks, living in springtime Florida, best ambient conditions now, will try the black tarp , and mulitple port approach. This boat is "HEAVY" man. Thanks again
 
Also try blowing through the ports with a leaf blower or blow side of a vacuum cleaner. Be careful to let the air leak out OK so you don't seperate the hull from the floatation blocks inside!
 
I cut three ports in mine Tuesday evening. Bow and stern holes accept 4" inspection ports. Just behind the coaming I cut a 6" hole for a larger port. I vaccuumed about 4 gallons of water from the bowels. The foam was saturated about 2 inches up. I rigged a box fan, large trash bag and clothes dryer duct. Inserted the duct in the stern port, covered the large 6" port, letting the air flow the full length of the boat and exit the bow port. this morning it is nearly bone dry...only a hint of moisture still in the foam. I lifted the bow easily with one hand. I figure about 40lbs of water in the initial vaccuuming and probably another 10-20 lbs in evaporation. I'm going to let the fan run through Saturday and then flip the boat and prep the hull for paint. The deck is stripped down and ready now. Should have it all back together and shining like new by next weekend. Then I will tear down the trailer and start on it.
 
I Think the water got inside the hull through a little puncture hole inside the cockpit. The boat was a pond boat so it sat outside all the time. Rain filled the cockpit, ran through the hole and filled the hull. I can't find anything else. The trunk and mast hole look perfect. We'll see. Maybe I'll throw it in the swimming pool for a few days and see if it sinks!

PS...The puncture is patched.
 
Don't know which hole you filled, but there's supposed to be a (tiny) breathing hole in the front wall of the cockpit.
 
The puncture hole I filled was not a breather. It was in the front lower left corner. That area seems awfully thin. Looks like maybe a tiller handle or something got thrown in kinda rough.
 
Don't know which hole you filled, but there's supposed to be a (tiny) breathing hole in the front wall of the cockpit.

Wavedancer,
has this always been the case? I'm pretty sure my mid-1960's Sunfish doesn't have a breathing hole in the cockpit wall.

tag
 
The hole is apx 1/8" in diameter and located high on the front cockpit wall. Hard to see unless you get in the cockpit and look under the front lip.
Without a hole the expansion and contraction from temperature and sun can and will eventually cause the boat to expand enough to break loose one or more foam blocks.
 
mike,
yeah, I'm aware of the significance, but I'm pretty sure mine isn't there. my Sunfish is in storage at my dad's for the winter, so I can't double-check, though. I'm wondering if the previous owner covered it, maybe?

tag
 
The hole is apx 1/8" in diameter and located high on the front cockpit wall. Hard to see unless you get in the cockpit and look under the front lip.
Without a hole the expansion and contraction from temperature and sun can and will eventually cause the boat to expand enough to break loose one or more foam blocks.
Well, tag, did you ever find it? :confused:

It's located behind "the hook". ;)

.
 
40 pounds? then another 10-20 pounds? Wow. That's 5 gallons and 1.5 to 2.5 gallons. That's a lot of water.
 

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