Is this a sunfish; can anyone confirm?
- Thread starter stang32
- Start date
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my2fish
that is a Sunfish sail, but definitely not a Sunfish hull.
beldar boathead
Married to Primat Boathead
Given the small diameter of the mast, putting that Sunfish sail on there looks like a risky proposition!
Seaotter
New Member
It is indeed a Snark, or a boat made by one of the companies that Snark purchased over the years. It is probably a boat sold as a Sears Jetwind, although it was sold by other retailers with other names. It has a Styrofoam hull covered by a thin layer of plastic. There are several videos on YouTube on how to restore old Snark hulls.
Snarks are still being sold by a company called Sailboats to Go. They no longer sell the Jetwind, but you can get more information from the website. They sell parts for their boats, and I am sure that you can order parts suitable for your boat from them. BTW, the owner of the company is happy to personally respond to questions via email.
But...
Used Snarks are readily available through Craigslist or FB marketplace. Complete boats are often priced at $200 or less. Before you spend a lot of money on a 40 year old boat, I would check around. If you want a Snark.
People often denigrate Snark boats. They don't sail particularly well, they can be damaged easily, and they can be tricky to sail due to their narrow beams. I wouldn't want to sail them in anything more that a 12 mph,breeze. Any new ones are way too expensive, IMHO.
But Snarks have some very nice qualities, as well. their best feature is that they are stupid light, like less than 50 pounds. You can car top them by yourself. Yeah, the Sunfish is supposed cartopable. Yeah, right. Not by me! And sometimes you don't have a sailing buddy available to help you lift it.
And Snarks are fun to sail in nice relaxing winds. I have only sailed in a Super Snark, so I don't know how the Jetwind might sail.
I seriously looked at a Jetwind, complete with sails and everything, for $100. I bought a Minifish for $400 instead. I am happy with my choice. But the Jetwind would make a great paddle board!
I would encourage you to check out the Sailboats To Go website and then decide.
Sorry for the very long answer to your very simple question. Short answer: nope, not a Sunfish!
Snarks are still being sold by a company called Sailboats to Go. They no longer sell the Jetwind, but you can get more information from the website. They sell parts for their boats, and I am sure that you can order parts suitable for your boat from them. BTW, the owner of the company is happy to personally respond to questions via email.
But...
Used Snarks are readily available through Craigslist or FB marketplace. Complete boats are often priced at $200 or less. Before you spend a lot of money on a 40 year old boat, I would check around. If you want a Snark.
People often denigrate Snark boats. They don't sail particularly well, they can be damaged easily, and they can be tricky to sail due to their narrow beams. I wouldn't want to sail them in anything more that a 12 mph,breeze. Any new ones are way too expensive, IMHO.
But Snarks have some very nice qualities, as well. their best feature is that they are stupid light, like less than 50 pounds. You can car top them by yourself. Yeah, the Sunfish is supposed cartopable. Yeah, right. Not by me! And sometimes you don't have a sailing buddy available to help you lift it.
And Snarks are fun to sail in nice relaxing winds. I have only sailed in a Super Snark, so I don't know how the Jetwind might sail.
I seriously looked at a Jetwind, complete with sails and everything, for $100. I bought a Minifish for $400 instead. I am happy with my choice. But the Jetwind would make a great paddle board!
I would encourage you to check out the Sailboats To Go website and then decide.
Sorry for the very long answer to your very simple question. Short answer: nope, not a Sunfish!
Webfoot1
Active Member
Snark sail area is 45 sq. in., Sunfish is 75 sq. in.. I can't see this boat being
useful for learning sailing, more like a beer drinkers challenge. Snark sails
are available on E-Bay for not much. I'd buy a new sail rather than destroy
a future sailor through the frustration of trying to sail it. You'll most likely
end up bending the mast after righting the boat for the umpteenth time.
useful for learning sailing, more like a beer drinkers challenge. Snark sails
are available on E-Bay for not much. I'd buy a new sail rather than destroy
a future sailor through the frustration of trying to sail it. You'll most likely
end up bending the mast after righting the boat for the umpteenth time.
tag
my2fish
that is not a Snark, either.
tag
my2fish
I think you have a hull from a Super Scamper, built by Kransco. see additional pictures and measurements at Shorty Pen's boat guide: Super Scamper By Kransco ShortyPen Sailboat Guide
same basic hull shape, and the same strange rudder mount as your photo.
same basic hull shape, and the same strange rudder mount as your photo.
tag
my2fish
see this thread for add'l information:
What type of boat is this?
What type of boat is this?
Seaotter
New Member
I should preface the above with "I think." Snark and other similar companies made a LOT of boats, and different companies made versions of the same design, and many of them copied the " Sunfish" basic design. Since Snarks were thought of as "toss away boats" (I remember a friend saving up Kool cigarette packaging to get a free one) there isn't a lot of documentation on them.
beldar boathead
Married to Primat Boathead
Depending on where you live and demand for Sunfish parts, you might get more money by cleaning the sail and selling it on eBay, then selling the spars on Craigslist and dumping the hull.