The serial number on the stern indicates that this is a 1980 boat. The price was right, for sure...
After the clean-up (I like Soft Scrub), do a bubble test for leaks.
You should also fill the mast tube with water to see if it leaks.
For the time being, use a stopper/cork for the drain hole in the deck
The bailer in the tub may still be useable.
Others on this forum are expert restorers of boats of this vintage; me, not so much...
I’m just here because of your username. Been years since I saw a monkey island reference.
Also, congrats on the new boat and getting her home!
The small hole in the front of the cockpit is a vent hole - don’t plug it.
Clean it up and inspect the sail and lines. Intensity Sails has very reasonably priced brand new sails that are a worthwhile upgrade.
You could probably sail it as is this season and repair it next off-season.
Hello!
I guess I am sort of Sunfish restoration expert having owned and restored about a hundred of them over the years and I live in nearby Cazenovia, NY .
Give me a call at 315 655-8296 and I would love to drive up and take a look at it. No charge. I think you have scored a winner. The parts alone are worth
several hundred dollars, and 1980 vintage Sunfish were well built. I can see from the video that it was sold by Syracuse Yacht Sales so it is a local boat.
Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
Definitely a good buy, and you can trust advice from Alan Glos.
That inspection port in the cockpit is an odd one, as there's only an inch of space behind it!I suspect it was installed to make a professionally-finished repair to a puncture in the side.
The original finish to the fiberglass construction is called gelcoat. It's a hard, thin—but fragile—coating to the deck and hull surfaces.
The fine fractures near the rear stripe suggest someone's hard fall on the deck. I wouldn't bother with a repair, as it's difficult to match colors; likewise, the cracked red splash guard. That splash guard through-fracture and abrasions can wait for next season.
External damage to the bailer could result in imminent loss of the check-ball. That's a good reason to repair the abrasion and buying some Thixo. (Check for compatibility).
The threaded hole on the top-right deck is the drain. A hardware store "set-screw" in stainless steel—wrapped in Teflon tape—will close it up for now. A stock replacement is costly.
Use very little pressure in the pressure test. (Tape over the vent hole, and use the drain—or vice-versa). Someone suggested that "lung power" is enough! What does that amount to? One or two PSI?
While awaiting your pressure test results, it appears all you're "short of" is a few paint brushes!
All good advice above. Don’t cover that cockpit vent hole! You got a steal for $100. The rudder alone is worth $150-200 and is the preferred “new style”.
Hope he had it stored upside down outdoors or that missing drain plug will have caused a weight problem. Were you able to get the boat on sawhorses by yourself? If so you’re probably within range (125-135 lbs or so)
Don’t worry about paint. Once you give it a good washing and maybe some rubbing compound and wax it will shine right up. Peel or sand off any loose or sloppy repairs. The leak test will tell you where you stand from there (and the only time you DO cover vent hole if using the open deck drain to blow air into hull)
Splashguard can be repaired easily and painted to look like new. Replacing it is very expensive and shipping is crazy because of shape.
Let’s see the sail- maybe not as bad as owner suggested?
You can definitely get out on the water this summer! Nice find!
Nothing there that can't be fixed... you can temporarily tape some of it just to go for a sea trial. That cr@p hanging off the hull looks like a misguided repair effort, some of it may just be peeling paint. Either way, you wanna scrape that off, maybe tape any underlying cracks until you figure out whether you want to actually make permanent repairs. That moisture you felt inside the hull may be due to condensation: proper storage and ventilation (i.e. inspection ports) will solve that problem. Meh, pretty good deal for a C-note... I'd say get those blades varnished, temporarily tape up the worst cracks, and go for a sea trial to see whether you're into sailing. Some folks get seasick, and such motion sickness is about the only reason I can see for NOT liking the sport of sailing. If you're susceptible to motion sickness, you should already know... worst-case scenario, you can probably double your money just by cleaning up the boat, lol. If you find that you enjoy sailing (as most folks do), then you can start making permanent repairs. That's my $.02, be sure to read up on the "Rules of the Road" prior to your first voyage, and don't forget a PFD (required by law in most states). Ya don't have to wear it as an adult, but it has to be aboard. Last thing ya want is some cheesy ticket to sour your first voyage...
Yup. Faded Sunfish logo and familiar colors.
View attachment 45123
I had the same "soft" sail, which made it easy to close up or wrap on the spars. I used a discarded white vinyl roof gutter with bungees to keep it from filling when ashore.
For about $9, sail repair tape can fix those defects. Gorilla makes a cheaper 2" wide clear tape, about double or triple the thickness of regular packaging tape.
That'll get you out on the water.
You'd benefit from starting on a day with a gentle breeze to light winds. Enough to move you around on the water and get a feel for the sail and rudder movements, and not too risky that you should have to worry about the sail or lines. That'll give you a better idea of how much you like it and how much time/money you'll be okay with spending to get it in better sailing condition.
I'd tweak your list like this:
1. Clean boat.
2. Tape up the sail.
3. Go sailing.
Then worry about the other stuff.
Put some type.of wind indicator on to reference the wind. It can be a piece of cassette tape tied to a sail clip in front of the first pulley.
This is my simple PVC pipe dolly design:
View attachment 45127
I go into details and have a .pdf of plans you can download (free) at my Sunfish sailing blog here:
sunfish PVC dolly plans
about 3 years ago, I did a long & exhaustive search online for various ways to transport a Sunfish down to and around the beach. after finding several fairly expensive versions you could buy, …my2fish.wordpress.com
I later added a PVC pipe handle, but you don't need it.
yes, that's how I did it previously. works just fine.
I've since added the handle.
View attachment 45128
Plans for the handle (.pdf file) are here:
sunfish pvc dolly & handle [plans]
several years ago, I blogged about the Sunfish PVC dolly that I built for moving around my Sunfish. I later drew up plans for building the dolly, and posted them here for free! I have since then b…my2fish.wordpress.com