Hiking strap hole

maciekdp

New Member
I have an older sunfish. While doing a leak test today, I found I a 1/8 dia hole drilled in the front of the cockpit, right where the hiking strap could be attached. I've seen a small dot in that spot in pictures of a sunfish on the internet. Should that hole be closed up? Or is it in a location where it's very unlikely for any water to get in through there?

Thanks
 
The hole you refer to is the vent hole for the hull. If you plug this hole you will have a hard time getting water to drain from the hull. It's not likely that hole will take on much, if any, water. Better to make sure it is clean than to plug it.
 
Like Bryant said it's a vent hole. You do not want to plug it both for the vent action when you need to drain the hull, but also because temperature differences will cause expansion and contaction of the hull without anywhere to vent to the outside.
 
maciekdp said:
Should that hole be closed up?
Thanks

Yeah Baby. Wait for a real cold day and then seal up that hole good. Then leave your Sunfish out in the sun on a 90 degree day and wait for the bang. Let us know how high it blew the deck into the air.
 
Obviously, you want to close the vent hole with some duct tape while you run your leak test. Remove afterwards, or stuff will happen, as explained in some detail by Old Geezer.
 
I must have had enough back pressure built up inside the hull, because I didn't block the vent hole, and I still found the leaks I was looking for.
 

Back
Top