Old boat, rotted hole in bow, missing hardware--where to start?

D

driftwoodbeach

New Member
I've got an old Sunfish, given to my mother probably in the late 1970s by a neighbor who bought herself a new one. I believe we had to purchase some hardware back then, and I know we once bought a new rudder and a new sail, probably in the 80s. The boat was well-used until my mum got sick in 1992 and then passed away in 1994.

Since then the boat's been under the deck at our cottage, exposed to the elements. I dragged it out last summer to consider the possibility of refurbishing it and found a rotted hole (maybe 5 or 6 inches long?) in the bow, as well as missing hardware for the rudder assembly. Beyond that, it needs some general sprucing up. I think the sail may still be in good enough shape but I'll need to do some investigating when I'm at the cottage later this week.

I haven't sailed since before my mum was sick, and although I've been inconsiderate in letting this boat rot under a deck for 15 years, it would mean a lot to me to get it in shape to sail again and to get my kids sailing it. My mum adored this boat.

Is getting this boat in working order too daunting a task for someone who's never done anything like this before? Can anyone recommend any resources for something like this? I really don't know a thing about boats other than how to sail, and even that I'll need a refresher in if I can get this boat working. Any ideas are appreciated.
 
May be you could provide us with a picture of the hole, so we could tell you if it is a do-it-yourself repair. There are some infos on fiberglass repair on the Sunfish site and in the Internet.
 
Thanks, blueberry. I will be where the boat is later this week and will get some pictures to post.

Old geezer, if there's no way I can get the boat working, that actually is a lovely idea.:)
 
What do you mean by "rotted" hole. Wood rots - fiberglass can be damaged, but doesn't rot. Agree that a picture will be helpful.
 
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