My new 47 year old Sailfish is home

JerryP

New Member
Got the Sailfish home yesterday, had to leave it with friends in Cinncinatti, where I bought it. Wife was less than thrilled about it riding back sticking out of the hatch of her Cadillac when I bought it, so I left it with friends and went to get it in my truck yesterday
Took a buffer to it. It is in even better shape than I expected..
The wood is teak, and beautiful.
Working on a bit of sealing refinishing it.
I expected it to be solid, and probably need painting, but the gel oat is intact, with only a few minor scuffs.
It is good enough shape, I am going to leave the top yellow gel alone, but may paint the bottom.
I am not disappointed that it is in such good condition, but I had plans to paint it, and do some modifications to it, but it is in too good of shape to defile it, if that makes sense.
Looking forward to sailing it tomorrow on a small lake



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Wow, that looks really nice, love that yellow. Congrats! It's great that you got the matching yellow sail with it too. My $50 blue Sailfish came with the very tired looking original matching blue sail & a much newer green sail, but the sail we will likely use with it is green. I might paint the top of the board to match the newer sail, depends on how much ambition in me to do it.
 
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Congrats! It looks like new!

FWIW the original handrails were mahogany I believe. If you find signed of varnish on them, that would almost confirm they are not team as teak is typically not varnished. The Sailfish I recall seeing back in the day had varnished rails.

Here are some thoughts - pros and cons - of painting the hull. Prepping hull to repaint
 
Congrats! It looks like new!

FWIW the original handrails were mahogany I believe. If you find signed of varnish on them, that would almost confirm they are not team as teak is typically not varnished. The Sailfish I recall seeing back in the day had varnished rails.

Here are some thoughts - pros and cons - of painting the hull. Prepping hull to repaint
You are right mahogany, I should have known that difference.thanks for correcting that.
 
Well, my first day out was not so great, fell off it twice
It makes a great paddleboard and kayak.
I should have not even tried it with the sails today, I am not focused today.
The lake I thought would be good, would have been, except for to two feet of silt that kept me from getting back in.
I will mark it off to a learning curve,
I may need training wheels.
 
I thought mahogany stains if it gets wet, especially under the varnish. That's why you have to be really careful about glass rings occurring on your dining room table, if not using coasters, etc. Teak is also varnished quite a bit. As an oily wood, it isn't really required and can weather to a nice grey. ...something you see on teak decks (with varnished cap rails and trim for contrast). Teak is a fantastic antiskid too. But most sailboats in "Bristol" condition will have the brightwork varnished... maybe only 7-10 coats though. ;-) There is a product call Sikens Cetol, which is a stain and an overcoat....and it also has a high gloss clear as the last coats if desired. The stain MUST be put on first however. MUCH easier than varnish, but the stain colors can start to look like "shoe polish" if too many coats have been applied.... with starting to lose the visibility of the grain. You almost see this coating the most, walking around the marinas nowadays. A nice Hatteras or Hinkley....it'll be professionally varnished.
 
my first day out was not so great, fell off it twice
I was sailing last December on Tomales Bay and fell out. It was a bit of fun and I was left wondering what happened but peiced it together later. I was on a starboard tack and hiked out a bit and the wind died. The boat rocked to starboard and over I went! Climbed back in and was on my way. The new boat hasn't been capsized yet but I was out in some heavy wind last summer in the Old Fish and capsized three times- lots of fun.
 
I first sailed on a wood Sailfish back when I was 9 or 10. Last time I sailed one was a glass one and I was maybe 16 or 17. My recollection is it is like sailing a log! Not much stability, but a lot of fun. I’d love to sail one again someday.
 

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