I suppose it isn't that far, but it felt a little intimidating to sail clear across the lake and back in such a small boat, especially with a ten-year-old squirming around as unstable ballast the whole time. HA! She likes to lie belly-down on the bow in front of the mast, which really plows the bow into the water. I have to sit so far back on the transom to compensate that I can barely manage the tiller (I'm seriously consider cutting the tiller in half and hinging it for such needs).
I've often thought about making a 2nd tiller, likewise shortened enough that I can sit comfortably at the back of the cockpit when sailing with one of my boys.
I've often thought about making a 2nd tiller, likewise shortened enough that I can sit comfortably at the back of the cockpit when sailing with one of my boys.
Tag, I believe you have a Minifish and a Sunfish. If your Minifish tiller/rudder assembly is like mine, you could put the Minifish tiller/rudder on your Sunfish, as the Minifish tiller is several inches shorter (at least on mine).
The family that sails together.... well, you know the rest.
Since you have quite a bit of experience with both boats I'm curious as to what you have observed in speed differences. How does your Minifish with a single occupant compare to two of you on your Sunfish? I ask because I just got my wife a '75 Minifish and we went out Sunday afternoon, with me attempting to follow her in my old 140 lb '71. I wanted to stay behind her so as to film her maiden voyage with a camera mounted to my Sunfish bow handle as she solo'd on her mini. However, I found that my heavy Sunfish continually wanted to pass he light Minifish. I was thinking that 95 lb Mini with a 120 lb occupant and a 65 sq ft sail would be fairly comparable to a 140 lb Sunfish with a 170 lb occupant and a 75 sq ft sail. But it didn't turn out that way. (Winds were 8-14 that day, so I'm wondering if things change as the wind increases).
The family that sails together.... well, you know the rest.
Since you have quite a bit of experience with both boats I'm curious as to what you have observed in speed differences. How does your Minifish with a single occupant compare to two of you on your Sunfish? I ask because I just got my wife a '75 Minifish and we went out Sunday afternoon, with me attempting to follow her in my old 140 lb '71. I wanted to stay behind her so as to film her maiden voyage with a camera mounted to my Sunfish bow handle as she solo'd on her mini. However, I found that my heavy Sunfish continually wanted to pass he light Minifish. I was thinking that 95 lb Mini with a 120 lb occupant and a 65 sq ft sail would be fairly comparable to a 140 lb Sunfish with a 170 lb occupant and a 75 sq ft sail. But it didn't turn out that way. (Winds were 8-14 that day, so I'm wondering if things change as the wind increases).