Inheriting an old Sunfish in need of repair - can I do it myself?

Zoe B

New Member
I recently moved to a house on a lake and a prior owner (not the most recent one) left a 1986 Sunfish there. The prior owner was fastidious and I believe all the parts are there. But the boat has been unused for 15 years (the folk I bought the house from were not sailors) and I think it's taken on a lot of water. More seriously, some of the expanded polystyrene buoyancy material has decayed, where an inspection hole has been left open. I am a sailor, but have never owned a boat. I'm game for learning to maintain this Sunfish, but the advice on replacing foam buoyancy is intimidating, and I don't have a dry shop to put the boat in. Which option would you choose: a) sell the hull as is b) try to fix it myself c) look for a local enthusiast who'd like to help fix it up in return for launching rights?
 
Presently, the owner of a "seasoned Sunfish" doesn't need to worry about being arrested for having deteriorated foam. ;)

I'd say you were lucky, as in our world of Sunfish, a 1986 is a fairly new model; lucky twice, for living on a lake. :cool: Lucky, again, as you've come to the right place. :)

The Sunfish's internal blocks are to keep the hull relatively rigid. (Buoyancy, although required, was a benefit). If adding your weight doesn't cause concern, the hull's structure is probably sufficiently strong for lake sailing. I'd mostly be concerned about the weight added by internal water, as a "dry-out" will consume the rest of this summer's weeks up there. (Heavy weight would also hurt the selling price, should you decide to sell). There's the possibility you may get the hull's weight below 135 pounds before this sailing season ends up there.

Put an ordinary bathroom scale down, stand the Sunfish on its edge, and peek over the deck side to read the scale. Weighing the Sunfish always benefits with a second person to help steady the hull. (But I've weighed a few alone).

'Twer mine, I'd find a sunny location, tip the Sunfish on its edge—with the deck drain down and opened. Run a cord to a $10 muffin fan mounted to an open inspection port. If there aren't two ports, I'd cut a second port of the same size or larger. (Or cut the handy and accessible "Ultimate Inspection Port"). If you don't have a "local enthusiast" nearby to do the cutting, the fan can be taped to a PVC pipe that fits loosely in the existing port. Direct the airflow as deep into the hull as possible. Returning damp air will flow outwards through the same hole.

I'll stop now. ;)
 
That waterlogged condition might be due to improper storage and condensation... or heaps of rain runoff pouring directly into an open deck drain or inspection hatch. You can build a simple curved wooden cradle for your boat to store it up on its rail, leaning against a wall, the drain always down and open, with any or all inspection ports or hatches also open to facilitate drainage. Since my Minifish deck drain was small, I installed two inspection ports in the cockpit, not only for inspection purposes but to air out the hull after each use. If you're on a budget, a simple blow dryer will help you air out that hull... direct the hot air into the hull, no need to point the gun at whatever foam may still exist. You might want to inspect all seams and joints in the hull, particularly those small seams where the daggerboard well (or trunk) meets the hull, a notorious problem area in many boat classes... poke a small LED flashlight into the mast step tube and look for problems at the lower joint where the tube meets the inside of the hull, another problem area since all the drive created by the rig above is transmitted directly through the mast step. Any cracks or glass rot in the upper joint where the tube meets the deck should be clearly visible... if there's a problem, fix it before you go sailing, otherwise the problem(s) will only get worse, I personally guarantee it, LOL. :confused:

P.S. Good advice from other members, and pictures wouldn't hurt... if I were in your shoes I'd fix the boat myself and sail her on the lake, but even if you sell her you'll get more money once she's fixed and operational. If you post pics, post pics of everything, not just the hull. :rolleyes:
 
Two inspection ports and a muffin fan and non rainy days. You'll be blowing for the rest of
the summer but a month of blowing might get the boat light enough to sail. It's really surprising
the amount of air a muffin fan can push through the hull.
 
Now that the rain has stopped I got some pictures, and weighed the boat, per advice. It's only 140lb so I'm optimistic I can dry it out enough. So, I'm definitely on the project! Attached are various pics of parts of the hull, daggerboard, tiller, rudder etc. Bear with me because all my names for stuff are 25 years old and British (I had to look up 'muffin fan' and discover it's what I would call a 'pancake fan'! I welcome any advice on what repairs might be needed here. The rim seems pretty sound except in one place (pictured) but there's wear on the bottom of the hull that looks like it needs covering.

Heading out to cut a second inspection hole and fit a fan. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I misspoke, it's a 1984 Sunfish apparently.
 

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The boat is at a decent weight for one of its age. It likely left the factory at close to that weight. It is no newer than 1970 or so, and quite possible older. They stopped using Sunfish in that font around 1970, and 1971 was the last year for that rudder fitting. The deck will help date it more closely so If you have a pic that would help. There is also hopefully a metal serial number plate aft of the splash rail.

That metal edge hopefully is the only issue with the deck and you can just pop rivet it in place.
 
Give the boat a good washing and let it thoroughly dry before tackling any repairs... you'll be able to assess the damage better with the hull clean. Some of those gouges in the hull look deep enough to fill. Might buff the hull to see how far it'll clean up before attempting further repair. Looks like the daggerboard well will need a little work, a file will help get rid of some of the trash... worst-case scenario, a bit of glasswork to seal and reinforce that area. If that inspection port is messed up, replace it, they don't cost that much... I like the clear hatch covers myself, one can see at a glance whether the hull is taking on water. If you decide to paint the hull to brighten her up, start by cleaning up and filling those gouges, sand the entire hull smooth, wipe the hull with acetone and let it dry before applying primer. Two coats primer and two topcoats, linear polyurethane is a good choice IF you're going to paint. Some here don't hold with painting, I'd rather have a good-looking boat than some crappy-looking weathered old hull... you can always slap new numbers on, plus you can choose colors for hull & deck, a light color will reduce glare on deck as opposed to gleaming white. The other stuff looks minor: some light sanding and varnishing for the wood, cleaning up the spars (looks like you have an extra upper & lower boom set, pick the best one for regular use), replacing hardware & fittings if necessary... it ain't rocket science. Where's the sail and running rigging? Is it all MIA? Didn't see any pictures of it... :rolleyes:

P.S. These are only suggestions, you might choose to go another route... as a boat owner and skipper, the choices are yours to make. :cool:
 
Meant to add this earlier, but I got caught up cleaning all my hummingbird feeders and giving my little feathered friends fresh sugar water... I have a bunch of feeders hanging right outside these banks of picture windows in my house, there's a hummer in front of me as I key this, LOL. But what I was going to add: on second glance at those pics, you've got age-or-stress-related cracks in the original gelcoat, as well as simple gouges, and all of those need to be addressed while you overhaul the boat. No big deal, you can do one area at a time, using only as much material as you need for each repair. One step at a time, no worries, the boat still gets done... some folks who aren't familiar with glass repair and gelcoat cracks and whatnot, they get flustered or intimidated, but there's no need for that to happen. You can easily do this, especially if you have access to a few good tools. It'll cost a little money for materials, not that much, and besides, boat work ALWAYS costs money, aye? You can reduce the cost by doing the work yourself, and you can take pride in your work once you're on the water. :cool:

There are a few problem areas to be addressed on that hull, but it's really not in THAT bad shape... on "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" scale, it falls somewhere between good and bad, with an ugly spot here and there, but NOTHING like some hulls I've seen and repaired. Of course, we haven't seen the deck yet, there may be issues there as well... but the first thing to do is get the boat cleaned up as best you can, lose the dirt and crud and whatever else so you can see the damaged areas well. Looks as if at least one previous owner liked to sail Polynesian-style right up onto shore, or maybe that individual liked dragging the boat around without a dolly... no worries, that damage can be repaired. It also looks as if the boat was stored improperly, when you finish your overhaul you wanna take better care of your boat. I take it you don't have a trailer because the boat and property are right there on the lake? Think about a rack or cradle for storage, and get a cover or tarp for protection, unless you have a garage or carport handy. Long-term solar abuse is not good for boats or sail gear, you understand. :confused:

Another option is to use a shed as a boathouse, if you happen to have one handy. The whole idea is to NOT leave your boat in the dirt, exposed to the elements---same goes for spars and all sail gear. Padded wooden racks are good, and those large plastic-coated utility hooks one can buy at Home Depot are great for storing spars once you've rinsed and dried them after use. Maybe you won't need to worry so much about rinsing, I was thinking of saltwater sailing. Everything should be stored out of the sun when the boat is not in use, that's a good habit to adopt, otherwise it won't be long before your refurbished boat looks the way it does NOW, LOL. If you have to store the boat in the sun, get a cover for it... I used to store my Minifish up on her starboard rail in a simple curved & padded wooden cradle, the boat leaning against the north wall of the old beach cottage where no sunshine reached, and even then I had her under a tarp. With regard to sail gear (and as a technical rock climber), I can assure you that line & sail fabric are degraded and weakened by long-term solar abuse... same goes for everything else, store it properly and you won't have that problem. :rolleyes:

ENOUGH TEDIOUS SERMONIZING, GET YOUR BOAT FIXED UP AND GET OUT ON THE WATER... ONCE YOU REALIZE WHAT A TREASURE YOU HAVE, PERHAPS YOU'LL COME TO LOVE HER AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER, AYE??? :D
 
My first repair to this hull would be to get that trim back on the Sunfish. I had a similar circumstance. The trim became a spear, which managed to catch the halyard, my electric trimmer's cord, and some arrowhead plants near shore. :confused: Finally, when it caught the mainsheet, it pulled out another three inches, and couldn't be ignored any longer. :( Fortunately, there were no injuries, the trim didn't crease, and one pop-rivet made everything right. :cool:
 
AMF bought Alcort in 1969. Since the hull sticker says only “Alcort”, my guess is this boat is 1968 or older. My second guess is there are no racing stripes on the deck, dating the boat as 68 or older. I see the NJ registration sticker says 1984, but that has nothing to do with the age of the boat.
 
George Orwell must have been working at the Joisey DMV that year, LOL... :eek:

Or his corpse, which would explain the long wait... ;)
 
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Uh, needs electric power washer first to see what you
have. Loose trim is a hazard, remove now and replace
later in the project.
 
This, and the other posts, are very helpful for me getting going. I'm excited to report that I found the serial number - 41690 - which puts the manufacturing year as 1967. Coincidentally, this is my own year of manufacture! The boat and I have both weathered fairly well, but I think I've taken on more water.

I did a lot of cleaning yesterday and ordered a replacement inspection port and some glue! I'm in no hurry, so I'm happy to do what's needed. If you or anyone else can point me to more information on the alternatives to painting that would be great. I'm good with tools but not very tidy with a brush, and I don't care too much about the look of the thing. I'm also curious about a beginner's guide to 'glass work'. I've been dotting about this site and found lots of people talking about that work but no "Read this before you try it!" page. Pictures of the deck now attached. Buying a cover next as there is nowhere to store her out of the sun, though I do have the potential for building a rack.

Also, I'll take care of that pop rivet asap!
 

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Nice corrosion on that plate... maybe this little boat has seen salt water after all. The apparent "coincidence" with regard to your birth years? Pure cosmic action there, clearly meant to happen, something called "natural progression"---things happen or don't happen for a reason. I must say the deck looks better than I thought it would, going by the appearance of the hull. Already, your job gets easier, LOL. There must be heaps of Internet articles & tutorials on simple fiberglass & gelcoat repair, read up on a few to get an idea of what needs to be done. After you've washed the boat, you wanna closely inspect that dagger well area, it looks pretty cheesy... you'll wanna fill that void where a chunk of gelcoat and/or glass is MIA under the rail, and of course you'll wanna fill those cracks and gouges, though you have options there in the way of products & methods you can use to do the filling. Remember, you can easily do this, even if you just do one step at a time. Moi, I'd still paint the boat, but that's just moi, I'm a fool for fresh paint, same way I'm a fool for chocolate milk on the road... I rationalize this weakness by telling folks that chocolate milk is a heckuva lot cheaper than cocaine or heroin. :rolleyes:

Post shots of the sail & running rigging if you have it, just so these nautical heroes can take a look at it and give ya some pointers... sails that are still serviceable can be washed and made to look better, I used to wash mine on a clean concrete slab out back with a mild detergent and a soft scrub brush, while small rips or tears can be mended using sail repair tape or patches. Line can also be washed, but if it looks too old or cheesy you wanna simply replace it for safety's sake... positive aspect there is that you can upgrade every line aboard the boat. You'll wanna whip all line ends, that's a good skill to learn, and it's easy enough once ya get the hang of it. Any rusty old hardware (talking screws, bolts, nuts here) should be swapped out for brand-new stainless, and any deck fittings which are beyond salvation should also be swapped out... now that you're the proud new owner of an Obamanomic Megayacht, you wanna start thinking "MARINE SAFETY" in every possible aspect, especially if you plan on taking kids sailing aboard this craft. And marine safety begins on shore, before you ever leave the beach, ramp, or dock, with bulletproof sail gear & solid marine hardware you can trust with your life. :cool:

AGAIN, JUST MY $.02, I LIKE SAILING WITH CONFIDENCE IN MY BOAT & ALL GEAR, SURE BEATS EQUIPMENT FAILURE AT SEA... OR CAPSIZING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHANNEL WITH A 75,000-TON WARSHIP OR FREIGHTER BEARING DOWN AND SOUNDING FIVE ANGRY BLASTS, LOL. ;)
 
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My 2 cents is getting this boat ready to go shouldn’t be so complicated. I wouldn’t bother fixing gouges unless they impact water -tightness, and imho paint is a maintenance nuisance as it scratches easily.

Also, no one whips line ends anymore - just melt the ends with a match.

Make sure hardware that should be tight is tight. With all that moisture in the boat the wood backing blocks may have rotted. They are under the bridle eyes, halyard block and cleat, rudder fittings and bow handle. If you can easily turn the screws in those fittings clockwise, there is a 99 percent chance the block is toast and you will need to install new ones.
I think there are articles on this site about stuff to use to polish gelcoat and you should be able to get a decent shine on that deck.
 
By Poseidon, you're RIGHT!!! :confused:

Those frayed & tattered line ends will be great for fouling blocks, snagging cleats, etc., while the gouges and gelcoat cracks will surely help the boat track or porpoise through the water!!! :)

WTF was I thinking, offering helpful suggestions to this OP in an open forum??? :eek:

Meh, GHETTO IS AS GHETTO DOES, I'll bow out with one final suggestion to the OP: if and when ya ever get around to building a boat dolly, be sure to go with the 22" rims & lo-pro tires!!! :rolleyes:

CHEERS, AND GOOD LUCK!!! :cool:
 
Now for some pictures of the sails... There are two. The blue one is in worse shape with a number of repairs that I have photographed closely. the yellow-red-orange one is sound except for some slits in the window. Since I haven't yet put the boat together, I'm not sure which sheet is which yesterday but one looks pretty ropey (ha ha) and the other two in decent shape. All this has been kept snuggly dry for years and I'm pretty sure the guy who was sailing her took very good care.

Now that I have two of the three layers of grime off the hull, the project is looking less daunting! I'll dry it out, then repost pics of some of the trouble spots for specific action advice.
 

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By Poseidon, you're RIGHT!!! :confused:

Those frayed & tattered line ends will be great for fouling blocks, snagging cleats, etc., while the gouges and gelcoat cracks will surely help the boat track or porpoise through the water!!! :)

WTF was I thinking, offering helpful suggestions to this OP in an open forum??? :eek:

Meh, ghetto is as ghetto does, I'll bow out with one final suggestion to the OP: if and when ya ever get around to building a boat dolly, be sure to go with the 22" rims & lo-pro tires!!! :rolleyes:

CHEERS, AND GOOD LUCK!!! :cool:

Ooh, please don't bow out! I'm valuing both the 'scrappy but on the water quick' and the 'if a job's worth doing' points of view. I won't be building a boat dolly, probably but buying one. Curious to hear your thinking on the rims and tires tho'.
 
Team "Sail It" vs Team "Boat Show". We've been on both teams :) What you have is what our Guru Alan would call a "Beach Banger." My Test Pilot, Skipper and Boat Whisperer says TILEX the hull, fix the rivet, and put some Marine Tex Epoxy Putty of fairing compound where gelcoat has chipped by the metal trim. The weight is awesome for a 1967 boat, you can sail on of those boats without any foam for structure and they sail great, because the woven roving fiberglass those years is almost bomb proof. This 1971 hull had shrunken foam, someone had put some wrong kind of chemical inside, but she sailed smooth.

Buttercup deck yellow afte.jpg


So to get in the water you'll need to attach the sails to the spars and get those lines cleaned up. The halyard and mainsheet need to be about 25 feet so give them a measure. Early mainsheets shrunk down to around 22 feet. I would definitely trim the ends and melt or whip. We put a tight wrap of gaff tape around the area to be cut, then cut it, then whip the end with whipping twine 16-20 wraps, then sear the end. Some cord nowadays has an outer shell and inner core, and burning alone may or may not keep the ends together. And nothing makes a boat look nicer than a new set of lines.

If you have the plastic rings for the sail, use those. If not, buy 50 feet of 1/8 inch nylon line marine grade and attach the sail with a marlin hitch. That was an option back then and how we do any new sail on our boats.


As for the hull, it is comprised of a gelcoat skin over GRP (trying to add a Brit term for you). The gelcoat is mostly cosmetic but it also helps protect the GRP underneath. The GRP is a composite made of fiberglass cloth and polyester resin. So when you look at your hull, if you see all the way through the gelcoat to a pancake syrup colored bit of fiberglass, the gelcoat is gone and you are looking at the GRP. Keep an eye on those areas or add back a protective layer of gelcoat (brushed or sprayed) or paint. Your boat has several scrapes that I would leave alone and enjoy the season. If you see GRP and it is clear, then it is okay. If it is cloudy or frayed then it has been crushed or punctured and need repair. If you can see glass fibres fuzzing out, then it needs repair. I'd tend to the area around the bottom of your fiberglass trunk, a quick repair is to sand that area lightly with 120 grit to get rid of loose chips then apply Marine Tex Epoxy putty sparingly. Let it dry then sand smooth. Remember that the daggerboard has to slide through so don't get a big blob on the inside of the trunk. Check out our blog post on Marine Tex and THIXO (thickened epoxy) repairs. (http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/2018/02/1980-amf-sunfish-sugar-2-21-feb-18-hull.html)

daggerboard trunk fiberglass.JPG
 

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Potential water leak where the gelcoat is chipped away, fill that with Marine Tex or thickened epoxy resin or new gelcoat.

gelcoat chip.JPG


So Zoe B, congratulations on your new Flagship and back to your original post. "I am a sailor, but have never owned a boat. I'm game for learning to maintain this Sunfish, but the advice on replacing foam buoyancy is intimidating, and I don't have a dry shop to put the boat in. Which option would you choose: a) sell the hull as is b) try to fix it myself c) look for a local enthusiast who'd like to help fix it up in return for launching rights?"

The foam is in great shape, it is not unusual to see those pellets wandering around inside. You can vacuum out the inside and check for any water leaks after you sail it, luckily there is already an inspection port installed so you can check. While no leaks would be awesome, a trickle here or there is not unusual, there are ways to track those down if the time comes. The weight is correct as well, the target for those boats is 139 pounds.

Line whipping, fun to do in the evening:


For covers we like SLO Sail and Canvas, the most versatile is their Sunbrella SPARS ON DECK cover with straps, you can leave everything on the boat during the season. Don't get the super duper waterproof cover, it will trap moisture underneath and create mildew. Sunbrella breathes.

For dollies we like $495 USD Dynamic, they ship fast and the materials hold up great. The narrow tires are excellent with the Sunfish, but if you have a lot of loose loose sand you might want the wider tires. We can get you one free shipping, if you are interested send us a PM.


As for cleaning up the hull more, I'd buy a small car polisher at Walmart and put a coat of 3M Fiberglass Restorer and Wax on the hull, see how that looks. Wet sanding 1200 and 1600 grit by hand is another option, then wax.

If you do not have a Marine supply nearby, call our friends at Jamestown Distributors, they ship fast, have a wide selection of products and also a Tech Help Team to answer questions.

Go sailing!
Kent and Audrey
 
Team "Sail It" vs Team "Boat Show". We've been on both teams :) What you have is what our Guru Alan would call a "Beach Banger." My Test Pilot, Skipper and Boat Whisperer says TILEX the hull, fix the rivet, and put some Marine Tex Epoxy Putty of fairing compound where gelcoat has chipped by the metal trim. The weight is awesome for a 1967 boat, you can sail on of those boats without any foam for structure and they sail great, because the woven roving fiberglass those years is almost bomb proof. This 1971 hull had shrunken foam, someone had put some wrong kind of chemical inside, but she sailed smooth.

View attachment 26120

So to get in the water you'll need to attach the sails to the spars and get those lines cleaned up. The halyard and mainsheet need to be about 25 feet so give them a measure. Early mainsheets shrunk down to around 22 feet. I would definitely trim the ends and melt or whip. We put a tight wrap of gaff tape around the area to be cut, then cut it, then whip the end with whipping twine 16-20 wraps, then sear the end. Some cord nowadays has an outer shell and inner core, and burning alone may or may not keep the ends together. And nothing makes a boat look nicer than a new set of lines.

If you have the plastic rings for the sail, use those. If not, buy 50 feet of 1/8 inch nylon line marine grade and attach the sail with a marlin hitch. That was an option back then and how we do any new sail on our boats.


As for the hull, it is comprised of a gelcoat skin over GRP (trying to add a Brit term for you). The gelcoat is mostly cosmetic but it also helps protect the GRP underneath. The GRP is a composite made of fiberglass cloth and polyester resin. So when you look at your hull, if you see all the way through the gelcoat to a pancake syrup colored bit of fiberglass, the gelcoat is gone and you are looking at the GRP. Keep an eye on those areas or add back a protective layer of gelcoat (brushed or sprayed) or paint. Your boat has several scrapes that I would leave alone and enjoy the season. If you see GRP and it is clear, then it is okay. If it is cloudy or frayed then it has been crushed or punctured and need repair. If you can see glass fibres fuzzing out, then it needs repair. I'd tend to the area around the bottom of your fiberglass trunk, a quick repair is to sand that area lightly with 120 grit to get rid of loose chips then apply Marine Tex Epoxy putty sparingly. Let it dry then sand smooth. Remember that the daggerboard has to slide through so don't get a big blob on the inside of the trunk. Check out our blog post on Marine Tex and THIXO (thickened epoxy) repairs. (http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/2018/02/1980-amf-sunfish-sugar-2-21-feb-18-hull.html)

View attachment 26121
Super helpful thanks!
 
To Ghost Rider - you will note I started my post with "my 2 cents." Apparently it is OK for you to post opinions, but not me. Regarding gouges in the gelcoat - they will have no noticeable effect at all on the performance of a Sunfish. If you plan to try to win the Sunfish North Americans you should not have a dinged up hull, but otherwise it really does not matter as long as it does not leak.

I have fairly recently seen 470s and Lasers sailed by Olympic hopefuls. They have the bottoms of the boat in perfect shape, but I am sorry to say they did not whip their lines! Here is a nice sheet from APS for a Laser, and it isn't whipped Laser Mainsheet Rooster Rope 7mm (9/32. If someone is still using cotton or jute, melting isn't an option, but for most modern line it is fine. I do agree with Signal Charlie that some lines with different cores and covers are hard to melt, and to be transparent, APS does whip its J24 sheets. There is nothing wrong with whipping, but in many cases it isn't necessary.

I am obviously in the "go" not "show" category to paraphrase Signal Charlie. Lastly, to Zoe B, it looks like you got a great deal on a free boat - the sails look decent, boat is on OK weight, it has all the parts - you will have fun with it!!!
 
Roger that, duly noted, I will now proceed to repeatedly fore-and-backhand-bitchslap myself...

[LOUD SLAPS AND PAINFUL MASOCHISTIC CRIES IN BACKGROUND FOR AT LEAST TEN SECONDS]

Okay, I'm good... hey, OP, that's great advice from Signal Charlie, although the dolly price seems exorbitant, maybe it has gold & platinum elements not visible in the photo. You can make your own dolly at a fraction of the cost, using wheels off a riding mower or wheelbarrow... pneumatic tires are mo' bettah. A 1/2" threaded rod clamped beneath the dolly frame will serve as an axle, you can buy the rod, washers & nylon locknuts at the Depot for a few bucks. I used wood scraps for dolly frame & cradle, just because they were readily at hand under my carport/boat work area, while closed-cell sleeping pads (Camping aisle, WallyWorld) or those foam noodle pool toys are fine for padding edges or providing additional support. Those 3"-diameter noodle toys with no slit and a hole down the center, you can run a line through 'em and tie 'em in place wherever you might need a foam roller for support. I'll try to dig up a shot of my West African Boat Dolly at some point in the future... another hand here (Tag, I think?) posted a shot in a separate thread of a dolly frame made out of PVC pipe, which will also work fine as long as the pipes and elbows are securely assembled with PVC glue. I'm thinking a $495 dolly will be overkill if you're simply dragging the boat from garage to lakeshore and back, but sturdiness counts if you're planning on cartopping the boat elsewhere. :rolleyes:

I'm having a little trouble with being lumped into the "Team Show" category... I'm not sure I would qualify after dragging my old Laser hull up onto the reefs of Los Coronados, regularly scratching paint & gouging gelcoat in the process. As a lifelong small craft sailor who routinely left others in the dust, I'm thinking maybe I should be lumped into the "Team Go" category... if not, I'll surely be TRAUMATIZED, you'll see me pronto on the Jerry Springer Show, sobbing & whining about being labeled as a nautical poser, AYE??? But there's nothing wrong with having a good-looking boat as ya tear up the recreational fleet... I kinda like my boat to look sharp as I pound beers and steer with my feet like a nautical chimpanzee, all while the boat is traveling at maximum speed across the water. That bewildered look of would-be competitors, it's just PRICELESS, no amount of money can replace it... not to mention the clueless stares of all the tourists aboard the cattleboats, tourists on the boardwalk ashore, restaurant patrons in bayside joints where my spars are scraping the windows, yada, yada, yada. This holds especially true when ya hoist big ol' glass longnecks in a custom neoprene Costa Rican quart cooler cup---purple in color with a sling attached so it rode across my torso like a bandolier, ready to hand when the time came to guzzle beer in front of those same folks I mentioned, the boat HAULIN' @$$ as I casually tore past, LOL. :eek:

Now, that purple Costa Rican cooler cup, THAT might fall into the "Team Show" category... never saw another like it, it was a custom job presented to me as a gift from a friend. It had little webbing loops sewn onto each side so you could fasten the sling to it... looked like some real seafaring gear straight out of a pirate flick. I'm talking REAL pirates, not those Epic Darwin Failures they call "pirates" nowadays... pfffffft. WTF, they had to ruin rainbows & cowboys, but that just wasn't enough, so pirates took a hit too. Meh, those tools of dirty globalist swine won't last forever, not when the SHTF, LOL. Oh, BTW, those glass bottles aboard the boat, those are a MARINE SAFETY issue, as a novice you wanna go with tinnies every time, or plastic as well if you're drinking soda... broken glass rolling around in the cockpit presents a serious nautical hazard as dangerous as the rocks & shoals which can hole your boat, stress or splinter your daggerboard, leave ya hard aground, etc., etc., LOL. Good thing about "running hard aground" in a Laser or Fish, you can step out of the boat, make things right, and launch that bad girl again, no worries, provided the damage isn't too great. Meh, you'll learn to raise the dagger as you approach shallow water, and ensure that your rudder can easily kick up when necessary. :cool:

ENOUGH SAID, I'M A LONG-WINDED B@STARD ONCE I GET STARTED, TIME FOR ANOTHER COLD BEER... GUESS I'LL TRASH AROUND THE INTERWEBS FOR AWHILE, SOME GAL WAS SUPPOSED TO COME BY TO TOUR THE HOUSE AGAIN BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HER YET. :confused:

MEH, SHE'LL PROBABLY BE THE ONE TO BUY IT, SHE LIKED IT WELL ENOUGH THE FIRST TIME... PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE, I RECKON. ;)
 
Buy a good dolly, you deserve it! Disclaimer: I am the Trailer/Dolly/Cover guy, I run the Boat Yard while the Skipper is the Sailor of the family. I also have the title of Movable Ballast, bestowed upon me by our friend Webb Chiles.

St Jacques Sunfish shack Oct 2017.JPG


The Dynamic and Seitech prices are well deserved, quality marine grade components that will last, even in a slat water environment. Regardless of the make/manufacturer of the dolly, be it Home Depot or Lowes, we like them, our limited energy is preserved for sailing. And it is easier to get folks to go sailing with you or take turns on the Sunfish if they haven't been pressed into service hauling 140 pounds down to the beach. One can also solo launch and recover easier. And dollies retain their value, easy to sell.

I am 58 and I was able to roll the Sunfish around one handed, while filming. Dollies save wear and tear on people and boats :)

 
The phrase "live ballast" works for passengers and crew... put 'em where ya need 'em to keep the boat sailing on an even keel. Technically, the skipper is also live ballast, but he won't get all butthurt by being referred to as such, AYE??? :confused:

Now, take a HOT CHICK sailing and refer to her as "LIVE BALLAST"---well, ya might be SINKING yer own chances later, LOL. Of course, I always made a point of doing this, which in part explains my bachelorhood, "10-DASH-FO'???" :rolleyes:

MEH, I'LL TAKE SEAFARING TRADITION OVER "WEDDED BLISS" ANY DAY OF THE WEEK... MARRIAGE, THE LEADING CAUSE OF DIVORCE!!! ;)
 
Update on cleaning: this is as far as Tilex, Soft Scrub and Magic Eraser have taken me. It's so much better than when I found it covered in lichen that I'm no judge of how for to go. Worth powerwashing as well? Or some other stage before giving it a polish? I'm not too fussed about perfection in looks, but I do want to preserve boat life as much as I can.
 

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Power washing totally removes the mold to where you can polish, sand
etc. It would have let you avoid the previous steps. I use a electric washer
which will not do any damage. I'm sure you could strip the gelcoat if you
use the wrong nozzle on a gas washer. Power washing at the local coin-op
will not do zip as the pressure and nozzle are set to "Operator Dummy" mode.
 
My 2 cents, I think the boat will brighten a bit more as it gets more sun and less mildew. The next step for me would be to power sand or hand wet sand to take off the top layer of oxidized gelcoat. It is very easy to screw this up and go through the gelcoat to the fiberglass, which is already thin in areas.

Go sail it.

If the bottom needs to be white white white, lightly sand it and spray it with 6-8 cans of Rustoleum rattle can Gloss White. Scrape it up during the season. Sand it again off season and touch up with 2 more cans. This 2003 Vanguard boat had a lot of repair areas, splotchy, and we made it all one color for the owner with 6 cans of Rustoleum. He was delighted.

3M Fiberglass Restorer and Wax on the top.

Crystal waxed.jpg


6 cans of Rustoleum.

crystal rustoleum hull.jpg


You can look at some different levels of gelcoat/fiberglass repairs on our blog
 
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When it comes to rattle-cans, it's fairly easy to spray to a dry, powdery, roughness or make wet "runs". :( But the color white is forgiving as a finished color. There's some "art" to this: I'd practice with some other less important, flat, object, using a dark color. Pick a day without any breeze. Acetone is used to clean overspray from polycarbonate eyeglass lenses. :rolleyes:

Avoid powder whilst* spraying close, then spray further away from you, spraying as large an area as possible. (Spray one side, overlapping the keel, for example). As you go, keep the surface level, to avoid puddling and runs. I wet-sand the "end result" with #600 Wet-or-Dry. ("End result", because I consistently prove I'm not an artist). :confused: A non-glossy finish is OK with Sunfish racers. (The * is to help with learning our language). :)

Ace Hardware has occasional sales on Rustoleum® spray cans—ask, as flyers are printed. End-of-season sales are likely. :cool:

.
 
Also, I'll take care of that pop rivet asap!
Just a word here for pop-rivets that are missing.

Below is a picture of a pop-rivet that has "gone missing". It has "taken a hit" from some object (crime-scene evidence, top arrow). Replacing the pop-rivet would give a cosmetic treatment, but this rivet broke out from its intended fiberglass home. :( (Note what I called the "tan-line"). ;) This "break-out" can be demonstrated by temporarily inserting a pop-rivet, and pressing the trim back and forth.

Fullscreen capture 612018 35849 AM-001.jpg


I pushed the trim back in firmly, whilst drilling a hole on each side to install two new pop-rivets. Two rivets, as the Sunfish aluminum "surround trim" is robust and a fairly heavy aluminum extrusion. Avoid drilling through the bottom half of the trim, as it serves no purpose and creates an unnecessary cutting edge for fingers. :eek:

This most-excellent 1970 Sunfish sold before I could "ghost-restore" the missing rivet with epoxy filler. ('Sold the same week—happy to sell it :) but sorry to see it go). :confused:

.
 
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Update after a couple of Saturdays, the bottom of the hull is clean, repaired and sanded. I fixed a pop rivet, and found another place at the stern where I need to put the trim back into place. Before I do, I'm focusing on making sure I have all the parts I need for the rudder. I have a lot of bronze fittings and no appetite to upgrade to the new rudder system, but I'm struggling to make sense of the descriptions I've found. It looks like I'm missing a locking pin (which I understand I can replace with a stainless steel pin), but what else do I need?

Also, I could use some advice on two drain plug that won't open and one "thingy" that looks like a drain plug but I think isn't (see second to last picture).
 

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And a couple more questions:
1) The residual little stump pictured here presumably used to anchor the chain on which the pin hung that secured the rudder. Unless I replace that pin with one on a chain, presumably this element is redundant and could be filled?
2) The bronze plate pulled away from the hull, presumably because the wood is a bit rotted. I have to choose now whether to drill out and fill the holes, or to cut an inspection port and replace the whole backing block. I have a similar dilemma at the stern where the handle has pulled out. I prefer the drill and fill option, but once I've drilled, I guess I've got big holes in the hull, right?
 

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Hi Zoe B

Good work! You do need a rudder pin to attach the rudder to the deck hardware, 1/4 inch works and we have some vintage Alcort pins with the chain if you want to go that route, send us a pm. It also looks like you could use a new carriage bolt spacer tube. I attached the Rudder Assembly patent paperwork so you can read through and learn some of the terms.

Here's a video tour of the First Gen rudder systems:


So what else do you need? What else do you have? Someone MacGyvered your deck plate, that plate with the ears on it looks like it should have gone on a wooden boat but it looks like it will work. Maybe that is what they had at the factory that day, when they were building all variants of Sailfish, wooden and fiberglass Sunfish.

As for the drain plugs, soak them with some penetrating oils for several days and get a screwdriver with a wide flat blade or else the slot will strip out more, we have one dedicated just for drain plugs. Sometimes light tapping with a hammer on the top of the screwdriver while it is being turned can get the screw loose, that is a 2 1/2 hand affair. And that other "thingy" is in fact a bronze drain plug, usually found on the wooden boats.
 

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Hola
Yes, that is the hole for the rudder pin keeper chain screw. If you go with a vintage pin I would screw the pin to the rudder blade, it can get lost riding around on the deck or corroded if left outside long periods. So you can reuse the hole or fill it.

You can probe in the deck plate holes with a paper clip to see if you feel any wood backer block under there. If you do then you get one shot at filling the old hole with thickened epoxy (THIXO or FLEXPOXY) and/or dowels and fastening into that. By looking at the holes and the 2 aft holes underneath I surmise that the original correct deck plate pulled away, so they put on the older plate with the screw hole ears and tried to fasten it that way.

I'm not sure how you plan to "drill and fill"? If the blocks are rotted away or fell off, other options are to split the seam and get to the blocks that way, keel block probably needs a new strip as well. Or put in an inspection port. We find that the bow block usually falls off because the hangar adhesive dries up and fails, and the stern blocks usually rot due to excess foam and moisture back there.

So an inspection port need tools material and parts....drill bits jigsaw Inspection port fasteners sealant

and so does splitting the seam....drill bits putty knife hammer thickened epoxy fiberglass cloth clamps rivets rivet gun

With inspection ports you can peek inside and sponge out water. I'd use a smaller port on the stern, 4 or 5 inch, it fits better wit the deck camber.

If it were my boat, with my tools and skills, I'd split the bow and stern seam, replace the blocks and then put an inspection port just ahead of the daggerboard trunk. See our thread on SUGAR 2.
 
Update from beginner'sville:

I finally got an uninterrupted weekend to make some progress.
I did a thorough investigation of all the backing blocks and determined that I needed to replace or refix many. All now done!
I preferred to cut a couple of inspection ports rather than split the boat, so I have a few windows now!
I've filled all the cracks and chips with marine epoxy.
New sheets, all the rigging parts appear present. I'm planning to try sailing her before I decide about painting, though I took the fairing off to paint it a satisfying turquoise.

I have a trailer and a cover too.
Still no joy on shifting the bailer cap, or any of the drain plugs. I can manage without opening the drain plugs because of all the inspection ports, but what are the implications of a seized up bailer?

And one more small question: I have one of the below at the stern. The other is missing. They don't appear in the manual I was looking at, so what are they for? Securing the boat at a dock?
 

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