Old verus New Style Bailer or Can OLD be saved?

Petrel

Petrel

Member
Hi all,

I've got a pre 1970 SF with the old style bronze or brazz or ? rudder rigging.

There is a cast aluminum bailer and I can see the little translucent plastic ball. It's dinged up and where it fits to the hull (bottom) it looks like some gap (perhaps missing caulking). On the cockpit side of this bailer, there is no cap that I can see (no screw on or pop-on/pry-off cap) and there is white colored caulking around and perhaps atop it. Messy looking.

My question is: Can I just buy a new cap or use a cork stopper? Or do I need buy (should I buy) a new bailer? The "old style" bailers are no longer being made (although I _think_ I might know a place that _might_ still have a few in stock). Will the "New Style" bailer fit? Will it fit with the hull thickness of the older SF ? I read the windline.net article on how to replace the bailer, but it didn't address the Old vs. New question I have.

It if would help, I can upload the photo of the cast aluminum bailer. I suspect you're already familiar with how they look though. Thanks.
 
I am not sure about which old style bailer was used on your pre 1970 SF. My 1973 SF came with the old style aluminum body bailer with the screw in and out type plug. However the plug was gone. I replaced this old style bailer with the current plastic bailer. It fit just fine.
 
I see what looks like the old stile bailer in N.O.S. shape for sale on
EBAY all the time just search sunfish if you want to go that route instead of the new plastic bailer
 
Thanks. I mght play with it as is, then see about replacing the bailer. I just wanted to be sure the plastic (new type) would work on the older hulls.
 
The new plastic bailers will fit fine on all fiberglass Sunfish. I am not sure what they cost, but if you can't find a proper plug for the old one, I think you should get a new one. If you sail in salt water, I would definitely get a new one, as the metal ones corrode in salt and become impossible to open/close. BB
 
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