Old pre 72 Sunfish

I don't know the exact age of my sunfish but it seems to be of the pre 72 era.(made out of plywood)
I got it for free from a friend. But it seems to be missing a piece of hardware that connects the tiller to the boat. Does anyone have a picture or some info on this part? I searched the web for hours now and haven't gotten any extra info so I decided to post here. If anyone has
a pre 72 sunfish with all the hardware for the tiller could you please send a picture of the hardware too [email protected]

Thanks You Soooo Much!:):):):):):)
 
Here Are Some Pictures of the Hardware I Already Have for the Rudder and of course a couple pictures of the boat in-progress. I have no idea what the bronze rectangle is for can anyone enlighten me?
 

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Good news is I think you have all the parts you need except for a carriage bolt the approx the height of the stern of the boat. Trying to explain how to put your parts together would take a paragraph or two and it still might not be clear, but someone will have a picture to post and show you, or they will point you somewhere with a pix.

Also, that boat is not only pre 72, its likely pre '62! Production of wood kits stopped in the early '60's. But you have a fun project and there is no reason that that boat will not be as much fun as a fiberglass fish, and you have a collectors item!

BB
 
Wow cool!!!
They sell carriage bolt in home depot or a place like that right?

I have no idea how all this stuff will fit together...
The guy i got it from said he lost something on the ground from the tiller, due to termite eaten wood..
Please post photos!! :)
 
Stephan,

Neat boat, looks like it is coming along well. I just had to replace my bolt and wingnut, and I'm not sure if you will find a close approximation to that bolt from Home Despot. My local harware places didn't have anything suitable. I could have used all-thread, but I wanted the original, and it's less hassle than fabricating something anyway, and the real part matches the rest of the bronze. For what its worth, My local vanguard delear http://www.inland-sailing.com/default.htm had every single peice of harware for these boats in stock, including that bronze bolt. They do mail order.

Annapolis performance sailing (APS) has it too, PN# V79010 - bolt assembly, carriage bolt with wing nut (old)- $9.45 www.APSLTD.com. Inland is actually a little cheaper, like 8$ and change, not sure about shipping though- never mail ordered from them.
 
Well I live in The US Virgin Island and it seems as though they charge 50$ for Shipping!
So I might have to find an alternative. Could anyone please post a pic on how the Tiller is connected to the boat. Anyway thanks for the info! I have to go to UVI now.
 
Oh, I figured you were mainland.

This diagram from another poster might help:

http://www.sunfishforum.com/old-style-rudder-lower-t4203.html

As stated before my Home depot did not have an identical bolt in a suitable marine metal..... your's might. All the bolt does is tension the lower rudder bracket against the spring plate in the top bracket to make the rudder stay locked into place, and yet still allow kick-up.
 
I found my serial # Plate thingy..
Last two digits were 65 so it was made 1965 right?
My fish is as old as my mom!


I live in the Virgin Islands so we have some marine stores.
They'll Probably have the bolt I need.
Are you sure i have everything for assembly?
In the picture it looks like i might be missing something am i missing the Vertical plate??
Do I have the spring plate or deck plate? Do I have the hinge pin?
 

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The vertical plate should be part of the rudder. It looks like all parts are there except the bolt and bolt tube. The bolt tube is important too: it prevents the bolt and bottom plate from moving side-to-side and releasing the rudder in heavy seas.
Note: the old rudder is notorious for popping out in heavy seas or at high boat speeds even with all the correct parts.

Fred
 
Looks like you are missing the vertical plate. That's a bummer. As the other poster mentioned the bolt and tube are MIA too. If I can find my camera, which went MIA after a recent trip, I will post a pic. I was fairly sure somebody else must have a pic ready to go.
 
You guys may be correct. I though just the vertical pin was there, but at a second look,the plate might be flopped to the side. Can you shoot another pic where the rudder is attached to the hardware?
 
NO!!! It seems as though I'm missing the vertical hinge plate. Sadly that is the part that is missing. I'll have to see if someone found it. It fell off while the rudder was eaten by the termites. The new owners of the land, where it was in storage, said they cleared everything and took it to the dump. Supposedly a lady from Water Island (Island on which it was stored)
took most of the stuff from the dump. So i'll have to ask her if she has it. I might even have to buy the new rudder.............. It took some time and effort to make that old rudder in the photo........... Hehe hope I find the vertical hinge plate.

No need for photos now...........
 
Sorry to hear that.... I don't think you can find it readily available anywhere, but maybe somebody here has a good source for the really old stuff.

You could try posting a wanted ad in the for sale section of the forum.

I was watching a listing on ebay recently (check out item# 270265704535). It was the major pieces of the rudder attachment assemby and it sold for about 50$. The seller would have charged you 14.00$ to ship. You can always just relist the pieces you don't need and recover some of your money.
 
I think the part you need could be hard to find. I think (but I could be wrong, hopefully someone will know for sure) that the transom on a wooden Sunfish is shorter than that on a fiberglass Sunfish. If I am wrong, you will just need the plate from any old-style Sunfish rudder - not easy to get, but not that hard. But if I am right, you will either need a bronze plate from another wooden Sunfish (good luck with that!) or I think - but am not sure - that the plate from a Sailfish would be the same size (again - not an easy task.)

someone will know for sure and post the answer. BB
 
Search for Herb Baker in past posts. He deals in used Sunfish parts and usually finds most any piece you ask for. The prices I've seen him post always look very reasonable too.
 

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