Please help me get new to me Super Porpoise up and running.

danmiller369

New Member
Well I inherited a super porpoise and I’m a complete sailboat newb. I’ve watch lots of YouTube videos and read the sunfish manual a few times now and I still have some questions.

my boat (hopefully pictured below) appears to be almost ready to sail but I am
Confused when it comes to a few items.

1) there is no traveler from one side of the stern to the other, in fact there Arnt even mounting points for a traveler. It’s my understanding that the main sheet should attach to this traveler at one end.Because there is not traveler, how has this sailed before. Where would I attach the sheet too?

2) there is not ratchet block/pulley or even a mounting point for the other side of the sheet rope at the forward side of the cockpit to slide through. What is a cheap option to get this thing sailing? What would be the best way to mount the brackets I need to the hull and what brackets do I need.

3) is there a drainplug? I can’t seem to find one and if there is not I’m skeptical about drilling and mounting brackets into the hull.

Attached are pictures Any and all comments are valued. The sail is in pretty good shape as it was stored indoors unlike the hull which needs a nice cleaning and some wax.
 

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Scroll to post 26 here to see where the sheet attaches on your boat. It’s different than a Sunfish. Rigging a Super Porpoise and getting parts

Like older Sunfish and all Sailfish, there is no forward center block for the sheet. You just hang on to the sheet as it comes from the forward boom block.

I don’t know about drain plugs. I think the cockpit drains didn’t need a plug but someone else will know more than me about this.
 
Belfast is correct, the mainsheet clips to the metal loop that is on the rudder.
The cockpit has open drains, I don’t think they have any plugs.
You could mount a mainsheet block but you’d likely have to install an inspection port to get to the backside of the fasteners.
 
Belfast is correct, the mainsheet clips to the metal loop that is on the rudder.
The cockpit has open drains, I don’t think they have any plugs.
You could mount a mainsheet block but you’d likely have to install an inspection port to get to the backside of the fasteners.
Thank you. I attempted my first sail today and it wasn’t very successful but I’ll blame the wind.

As far as where the goose neck and halyard should be, I can’t find the operators manual so is it standard to use the sunfish numbers of 14-24” for the goose neck and 54-74” for the halyard?
 
Sounds like you are new to sailing. This should provide some help! https://www.sunfishclass.org/documents/learn_2_sail_in_3_days.pdf

The SP has a bigger sail than a Sunfish, but the adjustments are probably in the same ballpark. The range you give is pretty big. I'd put the gooseneck at perhaps 20 or 22" inches. As far as the halyard goes, try adjusting its position to get the sail about this high off the deck when the sail is fully hoisted
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The sail needs to be pulled up until the spot where you have tied the halyard is as high as you can get it. At that point, if the sail is much higher or lower than in this picture, drop the sail, slide the halyard some to adjust, and re-hoist.
 
This is currently how it’s set up. I’m not sure how it looks. I’m thinking the tack needs to be lower and the outhaul(?) (back corner of sail) needs to be Higher.does this look right?


Over all I had a blast. I sailed away with the wind and was forced to tack back. I only wish I was able to sail closed haul a little faster than what I was. I am wondering if how I have it set up was hindering my speed.
 

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Move your gooseneck to between 16” to 20” from the tack (where the two booms meet).
Then move your halyard attachment on the upper boom way up... try maybe 100” to 110” measured upwards from the tack (this is a Sunfish measurement, but a good place for you to start).

I would set up the mast with the Super Porpoise sitting on your trailer or dolly, and then fiddle with the gooseneck and halyard settings when you are on shore, so you can raise the sail and see how it looks, lower it and adjust either setting, raise it and check the new setting until you find what seems right for you.
 
See my posts #4 & #5 in this thread:

Shows a pic of my sail orientation and some suggested measurements (again for Sunfish, but they’ll get you close).
 
Move your gooseneck to between 16” to 20” from the tack (where the two booms meet).
Then move your halyard attachment on the upper boom way up... try maybe 100” to 110” measured upwards from the tack (this is a Sunfish measurement, but a good place for you to start).

I would set up the mast with the Super Porpoise sitting on your trailer or dolly, and then fiddle with the gooseneck and halyard settings when you are on shore, so you can raise the sail and see how it looks, lower it and adjust either setting, raise it and check the new setting until you find what seems right for you.
Definitely set up your sail on the trailer, to get the position of the gooseneck and halyard so the sail is higher in the back, and to practice getting it up and down.
My SP is not very happy sailing close hauled, unless it's really blowing. So don't expect much when it's a milder, safer day.
Mine had a drain, but it is on the upper left of the hull, like your picture. Since it had other holes, and had water in it, I drilled a hole at the bottom under the rudder mount, and threaded it for a 1/4 -20 SS bolt and an o-ring. It works well as a drain.
 
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The SP has two open cockpit drains. The drain tubes are sealed to the cockpit floor and extend into corresponding cups or funnels that are sealed to the hull bottom. This allows for flex between the hull and the cockpit tub. In theory, the rim of the cup is above the waterline, so water can't enter the boat through the drains. In practice, maybe not so much. In my SP, someone ripped those out and installed solid tube drains that could not slip to deal with the flex. Net result: they pushed up from the cockpit floor and always leaked. It's not the greatest engineering. The SP rig is nearly identical to the sunfish with about 10 sq. ft. more sail area. I think the spars are maybe 6" or so longer. A good Sunfish starting point is to tie the halyard around 100" from the boom/gaff joint and clamp the gooseneck around 15". So your starting point can't be much different. When rigged, the joint between the boom and gaff should be around a foot off the deck and the boom should slant upwards a bit. You can tinker with it until the boat points well, has a light helm, and you can duck the boom. The lower the boom, the better they point, but harder to limbo under the boom when tacking. A Sunfish sail will work fine as a replacement if needed. Aft end of the sheet clips/ties to the strap loop at the top of the rudder.
 
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