3. Should my mast have a cleat?
That question has the Sunfish community looking at new options—here:
Cleat replacement | SailingForums.com
1. Should I set up for general use or racing? I don't plan on doing any racing, but which method is superior?
Just proceed with the "Geezer Rig" until getting antsy for competitive speed.So hold off on doing anything with that for now?
Assume if you are sheeting with your teeth you don’t have a universal joint on your hiking stick, or the stick is a bit short. Get a universal and a longer stick - your teeth will thank you!I love the Robline 8 mm line for a main sheet. I have 29’ and sometimes I feel like it’s too short if I’m making a downwind run home and then leaving my boat on the beach to take a break before derigging With the booms swinging freely. I have had the stopperknot snatched through the mainsheet block. Now I double up on the stopper not with two turns instead of a figure 8, but be beware I’ve been warned that if the booms are allowed to swing beyond 90 degrees or further that it can actually screw the mast down into the step when you have a deck mounted cleat and bull’s-eye . This can possibly damage the mast step according to the gurus on the site.
The way the Robline handles and falls into the cockpit without tangling and getting twisted is quite superior to a lot of the other line types and it dries quickly. At first it can feel a little bit too slippery with gloves, but it does break in And gets less slippery. And it’s not too bad when you’re using your teeth to sheet in quickly in heavy wind.
I use the sheet hangers too, they and a dinghy sailing flotation device are a necessity in my book. I tried a few different PFD’s and I love the Rooster Diamond, it is very comfortable, has covered buckles so it is not getting hung up in the mainsheet when I tack. You can get all of these items from Intensity Sails reasonably priced.
beware the 5 mm halyard is skinny and hard on your hands. If you’re not racing you can size it up a little bit.
I also added the quick release boom set up using a very good quality bicycle seat post clamp. This has been a great thing as I can change the amount of weather helm depending on the wind conditions very easily.
Day before yesterday as I went out for a sail the wind began picking up. I ended up being out again with 18 with 20 something gusts. I stuck with it, I spent hours planing with glee and screaming woo hoo WOO HOOOOOO! With a final run down wind to my little beach on my lake.
Have FUN!!!
Just proceed with the "Geezer Rig" until getting antsy for competitive speed.
If a higher sail generates more power, then...
Something has been puzzling me as I read about recommendation fired rigging a Sunfish for racing vs. recreational sailing. If a higher sail generates more power, then why do I see the halyard attached so high (thus the sail is low) for nearly all racing sunfish? I understand that in High winds...sailingforums.com
About a mile from home, the wind picked up—a lot!I've heard of the sail going full forward and pulling out the deck cleat, and pulling open the eyebolt on the old blocks mounted at the top of the mast. Best to replace those old eyebolts, the nuts also vibrate loose during trailering and the block ends up on the side of the road with all those old style rudder pins and keel latch plates.
I would be very weary of cheap line, expecially for control lines, like a main sheet. I personally had the cover tear off while sailing... now when that happens the sail doesnt let out since the cover bunches up and cant run through the boom block... now if you want to ease out you can't, or you may limited in how much you can trim... this actually can become dangerous in a blow if you are prevented from trimming properly....About a mile from home, the wind picked up—a lot!I turned into a shallow area near a group of sheltering trees, hoping to wait it out.
Placing the daggerboard across the cockpit, I guess I napped about an hour, but the wind was still scary-forceful. Not having noticed, my boom had made a couple of circles over me.
I'd decided I could "sail" across that mile without the sail being raised, so I leaned over to lower it. The tension on the halyard was impressive, but nothing broke. (Probably my cheap line?)
Anyway, using only the mast, I managed to "sail" a decent broad-reach back to home base.
You want some cheap line? Go to Dollar Tree stores. The fine print on the package basically says, "Don't use this for anything".
View attachment 45587
I saw some colored and white line right size for that job at home depot by the foot. like 15 cent a foot.
Yes, but that's covered in another thread here. You're going to need more hardware, and don't need to proceed yet.So now I’m wondering, do I need to do something special with the second large grommet?
Also, in perfect noob fashion I didn’t realized I would have to cut the outhaul lines on the ends of the boom and spar and now I don’t have any line for it. I was going to use some line at harbor freight, but I read that I shouldn’t use any cheap lines in the rigging? If that’s the case I’m going to have to stop before I even start leave this all out while I wait for the line to come in.
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Yes, but that's covered in another thread here. You're going to need more hardware, and don't need to proceed yet.
Scroll to the Cunningham description here https://www.sunfishclass.org/documents/tuning_guide.pdf and mount the cleat as shown here information:
View attachment 45626
All that said, unless you are going racing you don’t need a Cunningham.