removing sunfish top

OSU66

New Member
I bought a 1950's vintage sunfish that needed lots of repairs. It is great but very heavy. I am going to remove the foam and need to remove the top to do that and other repairs on the hull. Has anyone removed a sunfish top and if so what would be your suggestions.
 
I don't like being negative , but don't do it !
Search this forum for related threads & you'll see what's been said previously.
If the hull is worth saving then fitting inspection ports , fixing the leak(s) , then slowly drying out the hull is possibly the way to go & again you'll read plenty of advice on previous threads.
 
Isleofwightlen is correct. If you search the forum, you will find maybe one example of somebody who was able to put a fish back together, after taking the deck off. But IMHO, taking the deck off is NOT a good idea unless you are willing to sacrifice the boat.
 
- - besides, the top never comes off all the way. You'd have a rough time re-glassing it without a twist in the hull and putting the crown back in the deck. Although an older boat doesn't have much crown to start with. Good bet the blocks will dry. The attachment foam might fall apart and need to be redone, but that's not a reflection on the blocks. They are different materials. Ports and time is the consenus unless you are very experienced with small fiberglass boat building.
 
"...I am going to remove the foam and need to remove the top to do that and other repairs on the hull..."
Removing the deck isn't like removing the top off a cookie tin. The daggerboard trunk and mast step are bonded to hull and deck. (I'm not sure about the cockpit itself.)

Since you'd have easy access to the hull, flotation and deck, you could still remove the deck. Economically, it would be a costly and ambitious Sunfish project of questionable collectible value—even it had been originally purchased by a movie star! Maybe a high school shop class will take up the task.

Repairs to the hull (or deck) can be done by cutting an oval hole around the damage, buying (or making) a pre-cut piece of fiberglass material, bonding it to the inside, and glassing over that repair outside when cured. Ports placed near the planned repair will make the repair much easier.

To make a pre-cut fiberglass piece from epoxy, just lay a piece of heavy plastic film down on a flat surface, and build up a few layers of cloth (or mat) and resin. Trim to oversize the patch by about an inch and peel off the plastic. Drill a hole in the center, and pull it against the inside until the epoxy is set. Coarse-sand every place the epoxy resin touches. Build up more cloth on the outside, then sand to fair the repair. (I really like West System® epoxy over the standard polyester resin).

If you still remove the deck after all this advice, I think we'd all like to "take a look". Take photos for us! :)
 
I am not going to remove the deck but have removed the edge and have been able to get all of the foam out and have added back reinforcements out of marine plywood. The top is inline and we are putting it back on today.

Will send pictures when we are done.
 
Just a thought, do with it what you will, but foam was used instead of plywood because it provides positive flotation. The general design principle is that if the hull gets a big hole in it when you are far from shore, and fills with water, it should still float.
 
Ihave been able to get all of the foam out and have added back reinforcements out of marine plywood. Will send pictures when we are done.

Be sure that boat does not leak!! Without the foam in there it can sink. Whole point of the foam is to ensure the boat never sinks. If you are not putting foam in there, you really should buy some Laser cubitainers, which are polyethelene cubes that serve as the Laser's positive floatation in case it gets punctured.

Also, it does not sound like you plan to race it, but the boat cannot be raced in its new condition. Its illegal to remove the foam.

BB
 
the boat is back in the water and sails great. high in the water and very quick, more like a new sunfish sails. i am not going to race the boat and know that I cannot given what I have done to her. The job of putting the top back into place was not that bad. If anyone wants to know how we did it please ask.

Happy sailing
 

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