Hello,
I recently acquired a 1977 sunfish! Very excited about sailing it this summer.
Hull came in weighing about 160lb. That was before removing the drain plug and emptying it out. Once the weather got warmer, I decided to start looking into cutting an inspection port a few inches aft of the coaming (need to reattach the coaming/screws are rusted out/coaming is loose but attached) . As I moved the hull around I heard a few loose items inside. It was either going to be multiple backing blocks or ice. Thankfully, it was ice... so it shed a couple more pounds! (the boat only sat outdoors for a few weeks, not years. Hopefully the initial weight upon acquiring it (prior to draining it) means something positive .
While there are several patches inside the cockpit, thankfully the previous owner did not sand the gelcoat in order to create a good bonding surface. Those ugly patches can mostly be scraped off using a spatula. I will repair them properly.
Besides installing a port at the bow so that I can install a new bow-handle backing plate, refinish the rudder and center-board, and some repairs to the gel coat, I feel like a got a project which is just right for the couple of hundreds spent.
I understand the hull drying topic has been discussed many times on this forum, however, I have a few questions and would also appreciate some feedback from some of the more experienced members.
Would one port be enough to dry this sunfish? (Since all I need to loose is about 15lb (may be less due to the water/ice I took out), I believe it would be ok, even If it takes a few sessions/I'm about 140lb myself so maybe a bit heavier hull helps with the solo sailing a bit.
Would a 250w heat lamp be overkill or damage the hull?/I currently have a 60w shop light inside the hull with some air circulation. Any objections about leaving the 60W bulb on inside the hull for several weeks? Let the record show that the outside air temp here in MI is approximately 50 F.
I look forward to your feedback. I hope to document my progress so that other newcomers may benefit from my own experience as well.
Also, Anyone in the Detroit Metro area?? Lets go sailing this summer.
I recently acquired a 1977 sunfish! Very excited about sailing it this summer.
Hull came in weighing about 160lb. That was before removing the drain plug and emptying it out. Once the weather got warmer, I decided to start looking into cutting an inspection port a few inches aft of the coaming (need to reattach the coaming/screws are rusted out/coaming is loose but attached) . As I moved the hull around I heard a few loose items inside. It was either going to be multiple backing blocks or ice. Thankfully, it was ice... so it shed a couple more pounds! (the boat only sat outdoors for a few weeks, not years. Hopefully the initial weight upon acquiring it (prior to draining it) means something positive .
While there are several patches inside the cockpit, thankfully the previous owner did not sand the gelcoat in order to create a good bonding surface. Those ugly patches can mostly be scraped off using a spatula. I will repair them properly.
Besides installing a port at the bow so that I can install a new bow-handle backing plate, refinish the rudder and center-board, and some repairs to the gel coat, I feel like a got a project which is just right for the couple of hundreds spent.
I understand the hull drying topic has been discussed many times on this forum, however, I have a few questions and would also appreciate some feedback from some of the more experienced members.
Would one port be enough to dry this sunfish? (Since all I need to loose is about 15lb (may be less due to the water/ice I took out), I believe it would be ok, even If it takes a few sessions/I'm about 140lb myself so maybe a bit heavier hull helps with the solo sailing a bit.
Would a 250w heat lamp be overkill or damage the hull?/I currently have a 60w shop light inside the hull with some air circulation. Any objections about leaving the 60W bulb on inside the hull for several weeks? Let the record show that the outside air temp here in MI is approximately 50 F.
I look forward to your feedback. I hope to document my progress so that other newcomers may benefit from my own experience as well.
Also, Anyone in the Detroit Metro area?? Lets go sailing this summer.