Redfish got launched!

Seaotter5

Well-Known Member
Redfish the Sailfish finally got out on the water today. There were the usual minor glitches: the lower boom was turned 45 degrees in the gooseneck, meaning that the main sheet blocks were on the side of the boom, instead of the bottom. The boat has obviously been in salt water a lot, as the brass fittings were heavily corroded so I just sailed that way; and the weird blocks on the top and bottom of the mast kept the sail from going up easily. The gooseneck kept on getting stuck on the lower pulley.
Other than that, all went well. The winds were variable, at 0 to 12 mph and changing direction every few seconds, which allowed me to do a bit of testing under different conditions.
It’s still early days, but a few things caught my attention.
First of all, the Sailfish doesn’t need a lot of wind to sail. She was moving and under control when I couldn’t even feel a breeze. If we have another “no wind” race day at Gifford Pinchot I am definitely racing the Sailfish! Conversely, at 12 mph the Sailfish was “lively”. I am very glad that I didn’t test it last week in 20 mph gusts!
Secondly, the Sailfish paddles very well with a kayak paddle, better than my Minifish (Which actually paddles pretty well), and far better than I remember my old Sunfish paddling. Third, I need to figure out how to lay back instead of leaning forward when tacking. And, finally,
4CD8E02C-854B-485D-94D8-EBABF468F0BE.jpeg
the side rails make it really easy to secure stuff onto the boat. If I can figure out a way to lounge back onto some kind of a cushion while still running the helm, I think that the Sailfish would be a great calm mini-cruiser/adventure boat . A very wet one, mind you, but a very comfortable one!

Anyone know how to free up corroded brass?
 
Nice... you might try a little vinegar to get rid of corrosion, soak the fittings if possible and then rinse them well to get rid of the acetic acid. Once you get the fittings cleaned up, you can put some WD-40 or whatever on 'em and then towel 'em dry. I used that routine before when dealing with corrosion, and it actually works, you just have to rinse the fittings well afterward so the acid doesn't go on eating metal, LOL. :eek:

P.S. That household cleaning vinegar works fine, and so does the kitchen variety... vinegar is good for combating corrosion and freeing up fittings stuck fast. :confused:

Edit: That T-A-P or Triple Action Penetrant isn't a bad product, it freed up some nasty corroded fittings & whatnot when I used it in the past. :rolleyes:
 
Great report, and the boat looks wonderful! Does she have a name?

Skipper sez WD40. Spray and tap a few days in a row. If it was loose enough at one point to move 90 degrees, it should release in a day or two. I say if you like where the gooseneck is rigged, and it proves problematic to release the gooseneck, you could move the boom blocks.

You Super Sailfish MKII makes a nice SUP also.

Congrats on Successful Sea Trials!
 
Great report, and the boat looks wonderful! Does she have a name?

Skipper sez WD40. Spray and tap a few days in a row. If it was loose enough at one point to move 90 degrees, it should release in a day or two. I say if you like where the gooseneck is rigged, and it proves problematic to release the gooseneck, you could move the boom blocks.

You Super Sailfish MKII makes a nice SUP also.

Congrats on Successful Sea Trials!
Thanks for the kind words! I have (of course) read your review of the Super Sailfish, and it was one of the reasons I bought her!
My wife (Joni) teaches first grade, so my boats are:

1Fish (Grumman sailing canoe)
2Fish (Minifish)
Redfish (Super Sailfish)
Bluefish (my new to me Sunfish)

Joni has promised to paint names and fish emblems on them in Spring, once school is out for the year.
 

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