Sailfish

Beekeeper

Active Member
Just came across a sailfish on craigslist for $120 with a new sail, I can see in the picture the rudder and dagger board on top of the hull. I have text with the owner and he said the hull is waterlogged and heavy and will talk to him later today. What do you guys think, worth while project, I know how to dry the hull having done it to my current fifty year old sunfish, even though it's still a bit heavy after six months with a lightbulb and a fan in it. I don't need the boat as I have five sailboats under 16ft, I know, I need help, but thought it would cool. Any thoughts would be welcome.
 
Just spoke to the owner, boats been upside down in the yard for years, rails rotted off and weighs a couple hundred pounds by his estimate with a slice on one side about 4 inches long. Not sure if it's worth the work. Are these little boats nice to sail, I've only seen one in pictures?
 
I would pass as a Sailfish is very difficult to de-water...but if the sail is a genuine Sailfish sail with a crisp Sailfish logo, it might be a good parts boat. Maybe the seller would take $100 for everything.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
Thanks for the reply, I was thinking a sailfish would be the same as drying out a sunfish, thanks for pointing out it isn't. The sail is a new sailfish sail, red and white with the sailfish logo and I'm sure he'd take $100, he was wondering out loud where he could dispose of the hull. I don't need a parts hull though, was hoping I could dry her out and sail.
 
You'd either need to install deck plates, or split the deck hull seam, pull out yellow adhesive foam, reattach blocks, seal it all back up etc... A lot of work for minimal return. Sailfish are very wet boats and harder to sail than the Sunfish, but kids love to jump on and off of them.

If you get the Super Sailfish MKII, next you'll be looking for the wooden Alcorts...

ZIP WINNIE.jpg


...and your garage will look like this...

CHIP and ZSA ZSA copy.jpg
 
Yes, I decided to skip this project. My garage currently has the copperhead I'm working on that I picked up a few weeks ago which is next to the 16ft Malahini, a Glen L design, mahogany runabout that I built a few years ago. And as paddling season comes to a end I have two 14ft Chesapeake Light craft paddleboards that I built that need to be refinished. Thanks Charlie, your comments carry a lot weight, and I love your garage!
 
Well we'll need to see some photos of those boats. And where is the Sailfish located at, someone else might be bored and looking for a project.

I might have to acquire a fiberglass MKII Sailfish some day, just to round out the Alcort collection so that I have all 5 early Alcort sailboats, the wooden Standard Sailfish, wooden Super Sailfish, fiberglass Super Sailfish MKII, wooden Sunfish and fiberglass Sunfish. Notice that I said I, not We. Skipper has no desire to sail the fiberglass MKII again, she's happy to ghost around on the little Sailfish or the wooden Super.

Audrey SWEETNESS.jpg


Now, the Super Sailfish can also make a very stable, and heavy, SUP. Or a sit on top kayak. Skipper paddled one out, raised the rig, sailed around a bit, capsized, recovered, sailed around a bit, lowered the rig and paddled back in. It will carry up to 400 pounds. So it might be a good boat for a crew that only has room for one boat. And it is a good boat for the kids to learn to swim on :)

Audrey Sweetness SUP.jpg


Audrey Sweetness paddle.jpg
 
The sailfish was listed on Worcester Ma. craigslist, no pics just a simple ad, when you text to him he would forward the pics, said he has owned the boat for over 25years. As for my boat pics, I have never learned to post pics online. I actually don't even use a cell phone, I have one but it stays in the junk drawer in the kitchen coming out only once every couple weeks to delete junk then back in the drawer. I'll try to get my wife to help me with that one day.
 
I picked up a MKII for two hundred bucks that I practiced finishing work on before tackling my aunts old Sunfish. Not as easy to sail for my size, as it was like lying down under a windsurfer. Not hard to maneuver, just splayed over to one side or another. It does seem a bit heavier than it should be though...
 

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