Newbie With Sunfish

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Seashoresunshine

New Member
Hi all,

I just got a sunfish. It was free, and is in good shape I think. Considering I'm about 115 pounds and I can lift the hull I'm guessing it's about the right weight (120lbs).

It was originally purchased referbed with some fiberglass work 10 years ago. Then it was in excellent condition. It has sat outside in New England near a freshwater pond for 8 years and has not been moved. I have some obvious problems, though I think they are minor

1. The traveller was a rope and it's rotted. What can I use to fix it?
2. The sail has a couple nickel sized holes. What's the best way to fix those?
3. The body is in fairly good shape (no cracks, three patches, two in good shape) but as dirty as sin. I was thinking of using a tire brush and bleach after reading some of the threads...would that be the right tactic?
4. There is one spot where it looks as if a fiberglass patch either failed or wasn't done properly. I'm slightly confused by the directions becuase they seem to be a whole body repair and I want to make a small repair. I can post pictures if necessary. It's right along the edge of the boat and not on a flat spot.
5. I started to clip on those little plastic rings to hold the sail. I clipped one on wrong...how do I unclip it?
 
Traveler can be replaced with a wire traveler or a rope one. I have new ones of each for sale. Located in RI.

Sail patch material might work. I have some available. I have white, black and clear.

I use Comet cleanser with a non-scratch 3M scotch pad. Local hardware stores carry these.

Pictures would help with the bad patch.

Use needle nose pliers. The plastic is very brittle so you may break the clip. I have some used ones available or a complete set of new ones. You could also use rope, I also have these.

You can contact me at cjo1023 at yahoo dot com. If you brought your boat with you I can help with suggestions. I am in Rhode Island.
 
Thanks! I'm in mid-NH with no real way to transport the boat yet, working on getting a car topper/roof rack. I live on a pond so that'll have to do for now. Once I get her cleaned I will post pictures. I *pretty sure* there is no further damage under the dirt. Right now, it's literally mudball with some moss-like growth.

What is the sail patch material? I've done seamstress work...could I use a polester/nylon thread with ripstop nylon?
 
Seashoresunshine said:
5. I started to clip on those little plastic rings to hold the sail. I clipped one on wrong...how do I unclip it?
Click to expand...
:oops: How did you clip it on wrong?

:eek: Do The Authorities know about this? :rolleyes:

Actually, the point on the clip is 3/16-inch in diameter. Drill out the end of a dowel with a 3/16" drill bit, and twist it down on the clip-end—compressing the split, then pop it off—using your third hand. :confused:
 
IMG_1136.jpg


Crack! Someone told me to use Bondo Mar-glass. Good idea yea or nea?

IMG_1135.jpg

largest hole

IMG_1133.jpg


boat with the skipper

IMG_1139.jpg


Holes. 4-5 in the orange of this size, one in the blue
 
The hull repair looks simple as it appears the fiberglass has not been compromised and it is just the gelcoat that has chipped. I would sand this area down and patch with PC-11 epoxy or PC-7 epoxy. Use wax paper once you apply the epoxy to create a nice smooth surface and eliminate need to sand afterwards. Don't apply too much epoxy, just enough to patch the spot.

Sails holes can be repaired with sail repair tape for now.

Looks like your halyard may be to far down the boom and should be brought closer to the top. You want to bring it up two rings. It will be lower to the deck but better for the boom.

I'll meet up with you Friday.

Craig
 
If you've never sailed before and just want to try it out, throw some duct tape over the cracks in the hull and on the sail holes and put er in the water. Duct tape hull patches lasted me about 4-6hrs in the water last summer. (I wanted to hold off on repairs till winter)

Sail repair tape would be a pretty permanent fix for your holes. Then if the looks of it bothers you, pick up a Neil pryde sail. They're cheap. My boat came with one, and as a casual sailor I am very happy with it.
 
Also, on that nasty crack I'd just cut it all out and reglass it. See my hull repair thread for some ideas. If I would have been a little more patient and used a proper fairing compound my repair would be invisible.
 
How bad is the stress put on the mast? I was actually happy it was that tall. I'm going to be taking kids for rides and I want to make sure there's no boom accidents.
 
I don't think that 2" long crack needs major surgery. I'd either use the recommended epoxy, or buy Marine-Tex, which is a fairly structural epoxy made for exactly this type of work - and it is white, so the patch won't show much. You are likely to get a leak sailing with duct tape on the hull, and when water gets in it is a pain to get out. If the boat weighs about 120 right now, don't take a chance on getting water in it. A solid fix with Marine Tex or epoxy will take an hour or so and you are done. Sail repair tape is cheap and is perfect for the holes you have.

The mast does not get stressed by the high sail, but the upper book does some. It will also be vastly easier to sail if it gets windy if the sail is lower. You could try moving the halyard up one ring first, but two is probably the better bet. It takes about a minute to move it back if you don't like it, so try experimenting. BB
 
I ended up using loctie marine epoxy (goes on white w00t) so that should be good. I reparied the bumps on the bottom but a thunderstorm let water in. Now I have water in the boat. Context clue is that the boat does NOT take on water when it's upside down, only upside right. I epoxy'd some cracks on the deck that looked superficial (but started weeping when I went to get water out of the boat) and drained the water.

Is there anything else I should be aware of that could possibly cause the boat to leak when upside right? Daggerboard looks fine because it can be acessed by weather upside right and upside down. Perhaps mast? The lip under the cockpit?
 
Wavedancer said:
You need to do a soap bubble test to find the leaks. There's a lot of info on this topic on this Forum. For instance, here is one link:

http://www.sunfishforum.com/content.php?pg=airtest
Click to expand...

Before I do this does anyone have any pictures of this step?

" Tape over the vent hole located in the forward wall of the cockpit"

I may have unintnentilly gotten water in that hole, trying to bale the cockpit out. I'm pretty sure thats where the majority of water was comming from...the forward lip of the cockpit.
 
It's just a small hole drilled in the front wall of the cockpit. Stick your head down in the cockpit and look forward. You'll see it.
 
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