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New Ice Blue

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TheGoldenDuck

Member
Hi all!

Picked up this new Sunfish last Saturday. Finally got it on the water. (No pictures of that yet.)

My neighbor pointed and yelled, "You are doing it wrong, the water is over there!" He is a motorboat guy but I think he might be right.

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Picked up a Dynamic dolly to go with it.
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Happy 4th of July!

Ed
 
T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
After I bought it but before I picked it up, I contacted LP and asked about where they make new Sunfish sailboats. I also asked if blocks or air bags are being used now. They said, boats are made in China and the UK. But they are moving production to Portugal.

They also said that some boats have blocks and some have bags.

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T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
The halyard is junk. It gets blue stuff everywhere. So, I picked up some new line at West Marine. (The place was packed.)
IMG_1645D.JPG

I assume two of the reddish-orange lines are outhauls. Any ideas as to what the third one is?

Oh, and it comes with sail rings and line. Nice to have options or spare pieces of line.
 
norcalsail

norcalsail

Well-Known Member
Very glad to see the photos GoldenDuck. Beautiful boat and I love that Colada sail, of course! Looking forward to seeing it in action. I was too lazy to get to Tomales today, but might make it to our regional park lake. My boat came with that same orange mainsheet. I bought another red one from a dealer but it was thinner and almost immediately gave me blisters on the outside of both pinky fingers so I stored it and went back to the original mainsheet. It's really cool you have the old Sunfish you all learned on. My Dad and I went to buy the almost new Sunfish in Wisconsin back in the late '70's. If everything goes right, I'll be there sailing it July 15th...Congratulations on that clean, clean boat!20190716_193523.jpg
 
T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
Norcalsail,

that picture tells a story.

The mainsheet is ok, but I have only used it once and there was almost no wind. I figure it will get a little better as it wears in.

Ed
 
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Wavedancer

Wavedancer

Upside down?
Staff member
Thanks for the nice report!
We have had some spirited discussion on this forum about the origin of 2019 and newer Sunfish.
The ones at the 2019 Worlds had the 'Made in the UK' label on the stern, but some really knowledgeable participants claimed the boats were actually made in China.

2. Somewhat surprised that the boat didn't come with an adjustable gooseneck clamp. Those are really quite handy for adjustments to the rig.

3. Because your boat is so nice, be careful not to scratch the deck with the bolt sticking out from the underside of the boom.

4. Get some sheet hangers; you can buy them, but you can improvise just fine.

5. I don't know what the third red rope is for either. Bowline perhaps?
 
signal charlie

signal charlie

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Could that line be for a cunningham and outhaul? Maybe they just make one line kit for all boats or put the wrong line kit with the boat, if it came with both sail clips and sail ties.

What we do with our boats for to prevent deck scratches by the lower interlocking bolt screw is replace that end cap with an outhaul cap, eyelet down. That acts as as a bumper to keep the metal from contacting the deck.
 
S

sailcraftri

Well-Known Member
I am taking a guess that from left to right you have:

mainsheet, halyard, 2nd halyard for Jens type rig, daggerboard retainer, outhaul, cunningham, sail ties

Interesting that they use Nautos blocks as they sell Sunfish and Laser parts competing against LaserPerformance.
 
L

LaLi

Well-Known Member
sailcraftri said:
Interesting that they use Nautos blocks as they sell Sunfish and Laser parts competing against LaserPerformance.
Click to expand...
Nautos probably doesn't think of themselves as "competing" against any builder in a market for "builder-supplied" equipment. They just produce the stuff, and if someone buys it, fine. They don't care about any class rules. Likewise, LP probably thinks they can, as the trademark holder, use any fittings they wish, including ones made by Nautos. They don't care if a manufacturer also produces other parts which aren't legal.

Does the Sunfish class have a construction manual like the Laser does, where even tiny details like this may be spelled out? Or is it all just tradition, like the blocks coming (until now) from Racelite only because that's how it has "always" been...?

_
 
beldar boathead

beldar boathead

Well-Known Member
LaLi said:
Nautos probably doesn't think of themselves as "competing" against any builder in a market for "builder-supplied" equipment. They just produce the stuff, and if someone buys it, fine. They don't care about any class rules. Likewise, LP probably thinks they can, as the trademark holder, use any fittings they wish, including ones made by Nautos. They don't care if a manufacturer also produces other parts which aren't legal.

Does the Sunfish class have a construction manual like the Laser does, where even tiny details like this may be spelled out? Or is it all just tradition, like the blocks coming (until now) from Racelite only because that's how it has "always" been...?

_
Click to expand...
Unfortunately LP and prior builders own the rights and design of the Sunfish, unlike ILCA. They can do as they please. While prior builders mostly honored the one design principles of the Sunfish, LP seems unconcerned. Thus we get boats with no foam blocks, rudders with cavitation issues, etc. LP seems to have little interest in a construction manual - similar to the Laser situation, although their Sunfish change to eliminate foam blocks is more flagrant.

That said, Sunfish-Laser used some Nautos or Nautos-like blocks briefly, and at one point whoever was building Sunfish at the time offered radial and Mylar sails, but the class complained and they stopped.
 
Cactus Cowboy

Cactus Cowboy

Well-Known Member
That shade of blue on deck will help cut glare, always a plus. :cool:

Norcalsail, that lake shot is awesome!!! Reminds me of swimming in Tappan Lake, OH, when I was stuck in the woods for awhile during my "trucking daze"---no truck stop around where I could take a shower, but the minute I rolled into sight of the lake, I told myself, "There's my shower!" :rolleyes:

Parked in a wide dirt turnout by a dock, and just like camping, I scraped my face and washed my hair by the truck, then went for a swim in the lake... perfect weather too!!! Nice little lake, very scenic & beautiful!!! :)

It's funny, I also took a swim in Lake Shasta, Lake Superior (Ashland, WI, nice little beach where my truck was parked on private property), the Rocky Broad River in Chimney Rock, NC, and a few other venues... body-surfed at Myrtle Beach in perfect weather & shoulder-high waves, but had to rinse the salt off afterward. :confused:

Hey, when you're on the road, sometimes ya take your baths where you can find 'em, LOL. Beats staying funky, that's for sure... that swim in the Rocky Broad River was a short one, perfect weather in May but that water came down from the mountains and it was ICE-COLD, it was a 30-second dip, LOL. :eek:

Hope y'all are enjoying the holiday, I'm just having a cup of herbal tea, that Vermont Maple Ginger by Celestial Seasonings... I didn't like this stuff at first, but it grew on me, and it's now my favorite. I make a cup every morning while I'm getting the cats fed, it's a daily routine. Cheers!!! :D
 
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C

chris williams

Active Member
Hi, I just heard of a new ice blue boat that was manufactured without a vent hole. It sat in the sun, the air inside heated up, and several seams popped as a result. You might want to check with your dealer to see where the vent hole is supposed to be and be sure it is there. Chris
 
L&VW

L&VW

Well-Known Member
The Porpoise came without a vent hole. That may have been a one-way brass valve on the transom. (That I removed to save weight). :confused:
 
T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
chris williams said:
Hi, I just heard of a new ice blue boat that was manufactured without a vent hole. It sat in the sun, the air inside heated up, and several seams popped as a result. You might want to check with your dealer to see where the vent hole is supposed to be and be sure it is there. Chris
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip. Wouldn’t want to bust a gasket. This is under the mainsheet block:
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T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
Inspired by norcalsail, I got a new Harken mainsheet block similar to the one it came with.

IMG_1764.JPG

I thought about switching the cam so that it un-cleats the other way. But I grew up sailing catamarans and the mainsheet blocks on those are oriented the same way this one is. So, I decided to leave it this way for now.
 
T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
Wavedancer said:
Thanks for the nice report!
We have had some spirited discussion on this forum about the origin of 2019 and newer Sunfish.
The ones at the 2019 Worlds had the 'Made in the UK' label on the stern, but some really knowledgeable participants claimed the boats were actually made in China.

2. Somewhat surprised that the boat didn't come with an adjustable gooseneck clamp. Those are really quite handy for adjustments to the rig.

3. Because your boat is so nice, be careful not to scratch the deck with the bolt sticking out from the underside of the boom.

4. Get some sheet hangers; you can buy them, but you can improvise just fine.

5. I don't know what the third red rope is for either. Bowline perhaps?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice!

I put a plastic cap on the bolt with some silicone.

We’ll see if that can protect the deck.

I’ll use some line for sheet hangers.

Ed
 
norcalsail

norcalsail

Well-Known Member
TheGoldenDuck said:
thought about switching the cam so that it un-cleats the other way.
Click to expand...
Hey GoldenDuck, I do like that block. My cleat is oriented the other way and I thought it might be easier to uncleat in a gust. I'll be interested in how it works for you the way you have it. Really like that boat!
 
T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
Went for my second sail on the new boat yesterday.

My dad sailed his older sunfish. Several years ago, his neighbor was throwing the hull away. So, my dad offered to take the boat. The guy had some parts but it needed a bunch of stuff so I bought a mast, spars, sail, rudder, and dagger board for $800.

On the sail yesterday, the mainsheet block and cam worked but I am thinking of flipping the cam. The block wobbles around too much and that makes it hard to uncleat in a gust.

In other news, the boom end capbroke off. So I had to limp back home. Guess a new cap is needed.

I usually don’t take a phone or camera but did yesterday to get some action shots.

Here is my dad on his boat:

4A8B9D83-A4DD-4303-9FF5-8EB28F5C36F6.jpeg
 
L

LaLi

Well-Known Member
TheGoldenDuck said:
the mainsheet block and cam worked but I am thinking of flipping the cam. The block wobbles around too much and that makes it hard to uncleat in a gust.
Click to expand...
Now you see why this works on catamarans where the mainsheet always pulls approximately in the same direction, and the cleat is attached to a multiple block: it doesn't "wobble"! Because the vertical angle of the block changes when you want to cleat/uncleat, you end up moving the sheet a lot more than is practical. This is why no serious racers in Sunfish/Laser type boats use this.

If you still want to keep the "integrated" cleat, definitely don't "flip" it, as that's even harder to uncleat when hiking. The downward-releasing mode should actually work in hiking conditions, provided that the cleat angle is adjusted so that it opens when you pull the sheet against the gunwale (or even a bit higher). In the picture it looks like it's too low.

_
 
andyatos

andyatos

Well-Known Member
TheGoldenDuck said:
On the sail yesterday, the mainsheet block and cam worked but I am thinking of flipping the cam. The block wobbles around too much and that makes it hard to uncleat in a gust.
Click to expand...
Here's a video I did that specifically addresses the "wobble" you are referring to as well as other tuning that I did that turned this block and cam cleat arrangement from a set up I wasn't satisfied with to one I really like. It's referred to as the, "57 mm Carbo Ratchet Block With Cam".

Initially, I tried sailing my Sunfish with the cam cleat facing down but didn't like it. Following the set up from a sailor on this forum who posted a picture of this block and cam cleat combo years ago, I switched the cam cleat to facing upwards and with the proper adjustment of the angle of the cam cleat relative to the horizon, uncleating the main sheet is easy. I can do it just by flicking the sheet with my hand.

I've got this block and cam cleat set up on 2 of my Sunfishes. I personally know of 6 people who have sailed with this set up on my 2 Sunfishes and they have had no problems cleating and uncleating the main sheet. And now Norcalsail has one on his Sunfish. Follow the tuning steps in the video I put together and it will work great.

Cheers,

- Andy
 
norcalsail

norcalsail

Well-Known Member
I got my cleated block from Andy and really like the options it provides. When on the Russian River, we have to tack repeatedly in close succession. The cleat makes it so you don't have to switch mainsheet and tiller behind your back. I cleat, tack and quickly uncleat and adjust my mainsheet. You can finesse this move for best efficiency. Andy and I added a small block on the lower boom forward of the one that came with the boat to decrease the angle of the mainsheet between boom and deck. This really made it work to my advantage and Andy indicates this in his video. I have the cleat angled down as far as it will go so when I'm hiked out, it doesn't even try to cleat. I also thought of cutting a small rectangular piece of plastic to slide behind the cleat which would not allow the mainsheet to cleat at all. My last few times out have made me think this is unnecessary. I really like this block and the advantages it provides. This is before I angled it down.20190920_171535.jpg
 
T

TheGoldenDuck

Member
andyatos said:
Here's a video I did that specifically addresses the "wobble" you are referring to as well as other tuning that I did that turned this block and cam cleat arrangement from a set up I wasn't satisfied with to one I really like. It's referred to as the, "57 mm Carbo Ratchet Block With Cam".

Initially, I tried sailing my Sunfish with the cam cleat facing down but didn't like it. Following the set up from a sailor on this forum who posted a picture of this block and cam cleat combo years ago, I switched the cam cleat to facing upwards and with the proper adjustment of the angle of the cam cleat relative to the horizon, uncleating the main sheet is easy. I can do it just by flicking the sheet with my hand.

I've got this block and cam cleat set up on 2 of my Sunfishes. I personally know of 6 people who have sailed with this set up on my 2 Sunfishes and they have had no problems cleating and uncleating the main sheet. And now Norcalsail has one on his Sunfish. Follow the tuning steps in the video I put together and it will work great.

Cheers,

- Andy
Click to expand...
I'll tinker with my setup. Part of the fun of sailing is playing with your boat "in port". Thanks for sharing the video!
 
mixmkr

mixmkr

Well-Known Member
I moved my forward, mainsheet, boom block too...but because the main sheet was snagging too much on my tiller extension, when I was swinging it around, flogging the crew. I have my cam cleats one the sides with bases to help angle. I kept the hook for lower wind speeds and of course a single ratchet block, with the on/ off switch. The cams are mounted as far forward and outboard, to still thrubolt.
 
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