Old wooden fish - worth it?

DanBro

New Member
I have come across a 1963 boat; wood hull. It is complete and appears to be in remarkable condition for 55 years old.
Were mast and spars wood or Al in 1963? (this boat comes with Al mast and spars)
Rudder, even the pin is original along with the dagger. Bottom paint is cracked but wood is solid. Hull appears to be dry. How heavy should it be? sun1.jpgsun3.jpgsun4.jpg
Will take some finishing work - but when done, will it sail decently, or keep looking for a modern boat (maybe only 20 years old...)
Thanks
 
Surprisingly, they weigh about the same. :cool:

Wooden boats are fun to build. (I've built three wooden boats myself—though not Sunfish). :)

'Think I'll leave it at that! :confused:

This one would make a good overhead decoration for a restaurant.
 
Ok, I’ll bite
I’ve never built a wooden sunfish, but sailed a few and owned both a wooden sailfish and sunfish.
My sailfish came with wooden spars and aluminum mast. I do not know what was original.
I do not believe they sail as well as their fiberglass relatives.
I also hated having to be so careful with them on the beach. My fiberglass sunfish is left on beach. I don’t think I would get as much enjoyment out of a wood model, as I would be trying to keep it pristine. That said, I have seen several beautiful wooden ones - true museum quality.
 
Looks like a very well-kept boat. ' Is it worth it' depends on the asking price, condition of sail and spars, rudder and daggerboard. Also is it worth it means do you want a wooden boat or a newer, fiberglass model? Got any other info? Weight should be around 120/130 lbs.
 
The tiller/rudder assembly (including extension) is original and complete, same for the dagger. Finish on both is good. Daggerboard slot and mast step look to be in good condition. Paint on bottom is cracked so will need to be refinished. Sail, mast and spars were all wrapped up so full inspection was not possible, but what I saw looked OK. From trolling the forum, this boat was made from a kit as only fiberglass was offered as a complete boat. SN 12840
 
The tiller/rudder assembly (including extension) is original and complete, same for the dagger. Finish on both is good. Daggerboard slot and mast step look to be in good condition. Paint on bottom is cracked so will need to be refinished. Sail, mast and spars were all wrapped up so full inspection was not possible, but what I saw looked OK. From trolling the forum, this boat was made from a kit as only fiberglass was offered as a complete boat. SN 12840
With an Irma-damaged Sunfish given to me by a neighbor, I was handed a rolled-up sail. I was delighted :D, as I'd used that pretty sail on the occasions I'd borrowed it. In unrolling it, two large holes appeared :(, obviously chewing-damage from rodents. :mad:

Another of my rolled-up sails (with an official, inked, stamping) was ruined by a large hole chewed through a
World-Olympics sail. (snif)

..
 
You've pretty much answered it, wood boats take (more) upkeep.
Being what it is and if you store it inside upkeep should be an
occasional strip and repaint once every few years. Maybe
less if you consider outdoor Latex paint can last 10 years and
that's out in the weather 24/7. Just do a quick check around
the seams. Usually they were put together with Weld Wood
powered glue. Good stuff also used on Aircraft.
 
Nice looking boat. The mast and spars were aluminum in 1963. It should weigh around 145 like our two wooden Sunfish do. There is no foam inside.
It will not sail well with the smaller 31 inch daggerboard. A bigger daggerboard is better, and it needs the longer spoon tip rudder, which it should have, not the elephant ear. There is a good chance that the daggerboard trunk will leak a small bit.

It will be easy to refinish, we suggest an oil based paint like Kirby or Rustoleum or one part polyurethane. It should be stored indoors if you plan on it lasting another 55 years. Wooden Sunfish are fun to sail but they are not racers. Not everyone can own a fiberglass Sunfish :)

IMG_5330.jpg
 
Well - Thank you for all of your comments and advice! I have decided I want to own a sunfish to sail and enjoy, not to fuss over, sand, paint and start over again. I have gone for this one - a 2000 model with a still crispy sail. Stored inside since new and "low hours". If anyone is interested in further exploring the wooden '63 let me know. Thanks again and will see you on the lake!
newsun.jpg
 
Yeah, that's a beauty! I bought mine new as I have so much stuff to do already I did not want a project boat. And, although I have done some fiberglass work on a Snark and a fiberglass canoe, I would want to be much better to work on a Sunfish. Totally agree with your logic and what a great boat... hoping to see more pictures, especially in the water!
 
Tag - I was always amazed that they used blue tape for the stripes. Why they did not gel-coat the blue the same as the green?
 
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