New member looking for some advice on a project Sailfish

FishFlyer

New Member
Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum and new to boat repair in general.
I recently picked up a 70's Sailfish project locally for $70, it needs some work before it sails. I am currently working on putting inspection ports in,and was wondering if anyone could tell me a good spot for one on the rear end of the boat,where i wont end up hitting the foam on the inside.

Thanks
 
Also, as i was just working on the boat, sealing screw holes. I now need access to the backing blocks for the traveler cable..
 
This is a Sailfish, right? (Not a Sunfish)?

Some like leaving the deck alone, instead cutting holes in the bottom directly below the hardware. This makes sense, as repairs generally strengthen the area cut--are out of sight--and a good start for a beginning fiberglasser. :)
 
This is a Sailfish, right? (Not a Sunfish)?

Some like leaving the deck alone, instead cutting holes in the bottom directly below the hardware. This makes sense, as repairs generally strengthen the area cut--are out of sight--and a good start for a beginning fiberglasser. :)

Yes this is a Sailfish. The main idea for the inspection ports on my boat are for drying it out. It had been sitting full of water for who knows how long before i got it. Anyway, i got one port installed up front, just tried reinstalling the side rails (?) and three of the four screw backing block holes are stripped out.. So now i have to get in there and replace the wood somehow.
 
This should help Sailfish inspection port location

The search function can help you find useful threads to help, and pls post your questions.
Awesome, thanks for that link.

I managed to use wood glue and some filler pieces in the stripped holes and it seems to be holding quite well.

I will see what happens in the future, but right now i just want to get it on the water.. I'm thinking I will fix everything over the winter and maybe put some paint on it as well.

I'm going to try to get a picture of what I got done today.
 
Alright, today i put in one inspection port, epoxied splits on both deck seams, sealed up all of the screw holes, messed around with some green marine paint (I think it looks decent) and put about 5 coats of weatherproofing stain on the side rails, along with new screws.

These things are supposed to weigh like 85lbs, Right? I haven't weighed it yet but my guess is it's closer to 150 than 85..
Here it is, in my "work stand".
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Alright, today i put in one inspection port, epoxied splits on both deck seams, sealed up all of the screw holes, messed around with some green marine paint (I think it looks decent) and put about 5 coats of weatherproofing stain on the side rails, along with new screws. These things are supposed to weigh like 85lbs, Right? I haven't weighed it yet but my guess is it's closer to 150 than 85..Here it is, in my "work stand".
Your "work stand" is what I've recommended in the past. I used "retired" fire hoses as support.

Better than a workbench, the advantage is being able to rotate the boat to the best possible angle—and in your case, height.

And speaking of height, the trees in your location reminded me of Holderness, NH, where I bought a terrific 1971 Sunfish last Autumn. Apparently, it had been moored its entire life, and appeared like-new as a result. I hated to see it go, but I got top dollar—plus, the new owner sent pictures the next day, with his kids all over it while sailing. (Times we tend to remember). :)

.
 
Alright guys, i have another question..

Did the older wooden Sailfish have a smaller daggarboard? The reason i ask is because the boat didn't come with one, so i found one on Ebay for a decent price in great condition. So i received the daggarboard today and went out to test fit it, and it seems to be too small for the slot in the hull, like 3/4" of room front and back, and the metal spring on the daggarboard doesn't hold it in at all.. What gives?

I know i can make it work, just thought i would ask before i go trying to make it fit correctly.
 
Nice boat. The Super Sailfish MKII did have a smaller daggerboard because the hull is not as deep as the fiberglass Sunfish. We like upgrading to the spoon tip board or the Barrington.

She should weigh 98 pounds.

Specs Alcort Sailfish Sunfish.jpeg
 
Nice boat. The Super Sailfish MKII did have a smaller daggerboard because the hull is not as deep as the fiberglass Sunfish. We like upgrading to the spoon tip board or the Barrington.

She should weigh 98 pounds.

View attachment 32452

Interesting. So my boat should have the small one, correct? That's odd that it still seems too small then..

Here it is. Almost too nice for my old dirty boat!
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Well when you say small, there are 73 years of daggerboard designs. The wooden Sailfish definitely had short 31 inch or so daggerboards. As far as trunk length fore and aft, we haven't come across too much variation. Some boards in later years were a little thick.

(L-R) Wooden Sunfish and Sailfish board, 1960s spoon tip for fiberglass Sunfish that may have been on the fiberglass Super Sailfish MKII as well, Shadow Board 1972-? then the Barrington Board.

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A 50-60 year old piece of wood can shrink in all dimensions, or may have been damaged, sanded, refinished etc...that may have removed material and changed dimensions over the years. Yours has definitely been taken apart and refinished as the older boards had standard slot screws.

All said, it's better than a board that is too thick and too long fore-aft :) You will find that you boat performs better with the longer boards.
 
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:rolleyes: I've got a few: The middle one below I think is the "Shadow" board.


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The blue one was given a thin fiberglass cloth coating by the previous owner, which (I think) took a hit, got wet inside, swelled-up and gradually peeled. Where the glass has peeled off, it looks a new board! :) I'm getting back to removing the rest some day! :rolleyes:

'No idea why those holes were drilled. :confused:

.
 
Yes the middle one is the "Shadow" Of Its Former Self Board, a compromise when they brought the Minifish to market.

Pin holes to set the board a different heights for different points of sail?
 
Someone may have thought sticking a "pin" thru the hole was the best idea, when yes..dimples work fine...or even a sharpie on a white daggerboard ...or whatever... letting the shockcord hold the daggerboard at whatever position is desired. For a bit, I had one board marked, so I knew it was fully retracted..mainly for coming into shore or minimum drag (filling the slot, without creating a void...but not sticking out an inch or two either).
 
One more question (for now), I am unsure how old the lines are on my Sailfish.. Would it be a good idea to replace the lines, or should they be fine? They look to be in good condition, but they could also be original.. If i need to replace them, how many feet of line should i get?

I was looking at the New England Ropes Buzz Line in 5/16", will this work for all the rigging on the boat?

Thanks
 
If you intend to sail in rough seas & weather, any kind of serious breeze, and you're unsure of the strength & quality of your lines, then replace 'em... not all damage is visible to the naked eye, lines can age, rot internally, suffer UV or chemical damage, etc., and still look serviceable, when in reality they are ready to snap. And they'll snap at the worst possible time too, I guaran-f#%ng-tee it, LOL. New line isn't that expensive, it's worth the peace of mind, AYE? :rolleyes:

You can always use the old line for other purposes, so long as your life isn't depending upon it. I did the same thing with climbing ropes back in the day: any question, they were immediately replaced, and the old ropes used for other purposes such as tie-down line aboard a pickup truck. It just ain't worth it, running cr@ppy old lines aboard your boat, new lines all around will look better and give ya peace of mind. Just my $.02, FWIW, aye??? I'm off to the ol' hacienda to crack a cold beer, looks like I'm in with this new job so I'm a happy camper, LOL. :cool:
 
It depends on the lines. Older halyards are often cotton, which stretches so your sail gets lower at the day goes by. A very rough sheet can be tough on your hands - newer material is typically softer that what was often used back in the day. The sheet you have in mind sounds good - 28 or 29 feet should work. I'd get something with little stretch in the 3/16" or 1/4" inch range for the halyard. Thinner line works a bit better for the halyard.
 
Post a picture of your line. If it is factory line, it might be in great shape. We routinely buy old Alcort sheets and use them for lots of things, like sheets, and boat hoists.
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ZSA ZSA hoist sideways.jpg


The Buzz line you mentioned is the right size for a sheet, we like to feel the line before we buy it to see if it will feel good on our hands and to make sure it will run free through the blocks. For a sheet we buy 25' feet of New England Rope Sta Set, 5/16th inch diameter. A few more feet wouldn't hurt, you want to make sure that the sail can blow all the way forward with the sheet loose and a Figure 8 on the end, otherwise you could watch your boat sail away.

For the halyard we also buy Sta Set, 25 feet. And we buy another 25 feet for extra to make a 36 inch or so line bridle, 12 foot bow line and multiple sail ties.

CHIP will have vintage line that we bought on ebay.

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Post a picture of your line. If it is factory line, it might be in great shape. We routinely buy old Alcort sheets and use them for lots of things, like sheets, and boat hoists.
View attachment 32527


View attachment 32526

The Buzz line you mentioned is the right size for a sheet, we like to feel the line before we buy it to see if it will feel good on our hands and to make sure it will run free through the blocks. For a sheet we buy 25' feet of New England Rope Sta Set, 5/16th inch diameter. A few more feet wouldn't hurt, you want to make sure that the sail can blow all the way forward with the sheet loose and a Figure 8 on the end, otherwise you could watch your boat sail away.

For the halyard we also buy Sta Set, 25 feet. And we buy another 25 feet for extra to make a 36 inch or so line bridle, 12 foot bow line and multiple sail ties.

CHIP will have vintage line that we bought on ebay.

View attachment 32528

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Sta Set was my other choice. I might just use that for everything to keep all the same rope.

This is the line on my sail, it looks to be in good condition although there is some small fraying in some spots..
 

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Alright, i have been doing some leak testing and can't seem to find any obvious leaks, but it still won't hold air pressure for more than ~2 minutes. I'm thinking it will be fine for now, just as long as it's not filling with water when i put it in the lake..

In other news, I ended up ordering new line from APS cause I wanted to get a mast cleat anyway and figured, may as well get the order up to $50 for free shipping..
 
Well the Sunfish has over 30 designed holes in it, plus a vent hole, and over 30 feet of seam. There are a lot of places for air to escape, no problem as long as it does so above the waterline :)
 
Update

Just put the new Sta-Set lines and mast cleat on from APS, i think i should have gone with the 1/4" instead of 5/16" but it will work. The boat is still pooling water in the hull every morning when i check it.. The foam in there must hold A LOT of water. Probably still weighs ~150lbs, definitely a two person job to get it on the trailer..

Anyway, heading up to the lake on the 4th to test her out, can't wait :D.
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Hope it floats and doesn't leak :oops:
 
Did you check the mast hole for the leak? Fill it with water and watch- if water drains into the hull you’ve found a leak. Yes, the foam can hold a lot of water weight. Hope the maiden voyage goes well- keep us posted!
 
Did you check the mast hole for the leak? Fill it with water and watch- if water drains into the hull you’ve found a leak. Yes, the foam can hold a lot of water weight. Hope the maiden voyage goes well- keep us posted!

Yes, i did check it for leaks. It seemed to leak right at the top where the tube meets the deck. I epoxied the crap out of it and sanded it smooth, so there should be no issues with that anymore..
 

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