New Sunfish Rigging Manual

2). Lay the boom to the port side of the mast. (Port side is left when looking at the bow). :oops:

Isn't it the "other" left? :confused:

Port side is right when looking from the bow...
Port side is left when looking from the stern...
 
LVW said:
2). Lay the boom to the port side of the mast. (Port side is left when looking at the bow). :oops:

Isn't it the "other" left? :confused:

Port side is right when looking from the bow...
Port side is left when looking from the stern...
Click to expand...
That wording is confusing. And while the picture on the front of the manual shows the sail on the correct side of the mast, the picture on page 5 shows it on the wrong side.

The boom blocks shown must be aftermarket as they are not class legal.
 
LVW said:
2). Lay the boom to the port side of the mast. (Port side is left when looking at the bow). :oops:

Isn't it the "other" left? :confused:

Port side is right when looking from the bow...
Port side is left when looking from the stern...
Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback. While the wording is correct, I would agree it is confusing. We will work on this.
 
beldar boathead said:
That wording is confusing. And while the picture on the front of the manual shows the sail on the correct side of the mast, the picture on page 5 shows it on the wrong side.

The boom blocks shown must be aftermarket as they are not class legal.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback. You are correct about the image on page 5. That has been added to our list fix fix on the next revision.
 
I like this guide...with the knot names and vid tutorials. Is the centerboard in the photo backwards? Page 5. I sailed with it that way my whole life...then...I was schooled it was wrong...correct my ways...now I see this! What do you think?
 
supersunfish1 said:
I like this guide...with the knot names and vid tutorials. Is the centerboard in the photo backwards? Page 5. I sailed with it that way my whole life...then...I was schooled it was wrong...correct my ways...now I see this! What do you think?
Click to expand...
It backwards, sail is on wrong side of mast, and it looks like the boom blocks SFD is providing are not legal for racing. Don't know why they are not providing the ones Laser Performance provides.
 
Thank you all for the feedback and please keep all constructive feedback coming. It is our desire to improve where needed. There are some errors on page (5) that we will correct and repost, (the daggerboard and mast orientation for starters).

Regarding the blocks. All equipment that we supply with new boats are class legal. Yes, the blocks in the manual appear to be different than the class legal blocks. The intent of this manual is to provide a guide on how to rig a Sunfish. The class legality of a component is irrelevant to this intent.
 
"Is the centerboard in the photo backwards?"

You will find the daggerboard pointed different ways in all Sunfish literature, as well as the booms on the wrong side of the mast. As for the daggerboard, do what you want. We like having the shorter edge forward, so if we find a sand bar or rocky bottom the board has a better chance of sliding over the obstacle vs banging into it. If the longer edge being forward was better, why is the rudder not placed the same way?
 
signal charlie said:
"Is the centerboard in the photo backwards?"

You will find the daggerboard pointed different ways in all Sunfish literature, as well as the booms on the wrong side of the mast. As for the daggerboard, do what you want. We like having the shorter edge forward, so if we find a sand bar or rocky bottom the board has a better chance of sliding over the obstacle vs banging into it. If the longer edge being forward was better, why is the rudder not placed the same way?
Click to expand...
The new boards (since 1993 or so) are foil-shaped so it’s important to have the correct edge forward. I believe you are a pilot and I doubt you’d attempt takeoff with the wings on backward

The older boards came from the factory for most of the years they were made with the same shape fore and aft so it didn’t matter so much which way they went in.

The angled rudder is dictated by class rules, but for rec sailing you can do with it as you please.
 
Beldar, most of our wing shapes are swept aft, with more span on the trailing edge, to help keep airflow attached all the way to the trailing edge, vs spilling over the wingtip, aka "Spanwise flow" aka wingtip vortices. Laminar flow is also manipulated with vortex generators and winglets.

Rake.png


We've never sailed with the new plastic boards, so how are they oriented? Pointy end forward?

And yes, I'm an aviator, but I also flew helicopters, so I have a proven history of attempting takeoffs with all types of wings. So far, out of tens of thousands of attempts, all but one have been successful.
 
Nice rigging manual, thanks.

At the Lake Norman Community Sailing club we rig our daggerboards so that the rounded edge of the daggerboard is the leading edge and the more knife-like edge is the trailing edge. We attach a shock-cord leash to the top-forward hole of the daggerboard and run it around the bottom of the mast and hooking a knotted loop to the halyard cleat. This holds it in place when capsizing and if raising the board when running downwind.

Using the leash in the way we do it seems easier than the way shown in the new manual.
 
signal charlie said:
Beldar, most of our wing shapes are swept aft, with more span on the trailing edge, to help keep airflow attached all the way to the trailing edge, vs spilling over the wingtip, aka "Spanwise flow" aka wingtip vortices. Laminar flow is also manipulated with vortex generators and winglets.

View attachment 57808

We've never sailed with the new plastic boards, so how are they oriented? Pointy end forward?

And yes, I'm an aviator, but I also flew helicopters, so I have a proven history of attempting takeoffs with all types of wings. So far, out of tens of thousands of attempts, all but one have been successful.
Click to expand...
As Roger mentions, the plastic boards are rounded edge forward, with the “pointy” edge aft. That would be the same orientation as on a Piper Cub.
 
signal charlie said:
Beldar, most of our wing shapes are swept aft, with more span on the trailing edge, to help keep airflow attached all the way to the trailing edge, vs spilling over the wingtip, aka "Spanwise flow" aka wingtip vortices. Laminar flow is also manipulated with vortex generators and winglets.

View attachment 57808

We've never sailed with the new plastic boards, so how are they oriented? Pointy end forward?

And yes, I'm an aviator, but I also flew helicopters, so I have a proven history of attempting takeoffs with all types of wings. So far, out of tens of thousands of attempts, all but one have been successful.
Click to expand...
theres always this.
 

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LVW said:
2). Lay the boom to the port side of the mast. (Port side is left when looking at the bow). :oops:

Isn't it the "other" left? :confused:

Port side is right when looking from the bow...
Port side is left when looking from the stern...
Click to expand...
LOL that is confusing. The missing piece of information is: where is the observer when looking at the bow. If I'm in the cockpit and looking at the bow, then this description of Port is correct. If I am outside of the boat standing in front of it and then facing the bow, then this description is incorrect.

I think when Chris updates the manual, he indicates to say, "Port side is left when sitting in the boat and facing the bow", then it will be clear.
 
beldar boathead said:
The new boards (since 1993 or so) are foil-shaped so it’s important to have the correct edge forward. I believe you are a pilot and I doubt you’d attempt takeoff with the wings on backward

The older boards came from the factory for most of the years they were made with the same shape fore and aft so it didn’t matter so much which way they went in.

The angled rudder is dictated by class rules, but for rec sailing you can do with it as you please.
Click to expand...

Here is a bottom view of a (well used and slightly abused) class legal plastic Sunfish daggerboard that reveals pretty clearly the airplane-wing-like foil shape that it has. Intuitively, this says to me that the new daggerboards are intended to be used with the long edge facing the front of the boat.

modern sunfish daggerboard-edge view.jpg
 
cmac233 said:
Here is a great Sunfish rigging manual that was just created this summer by Sunfish Direct.
Click to expand...
Thanks for producing this, Chris. I love the QR codes to the videos and the knot instructions on page 27

If you are going to be making some updates, there are a few typos you may want to fix:
  1. page 3: "shorck cord"
  2. page 5: "leach" should be" leech"
  3. page 11: same "leach" error (interestingly, it is correctly spelled in the glossary at the end of the guide)
  4. page 21: the known shown in the diagram is not a figure 8 knot.
 
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