Yesterday when I posted this request, I referred to the info "Sunfish Rigging Instructions" that was written by LaserPerformance on the correct part name. They refer to the splash guard as COAMING. Not wanting to be wrong I referred to it as such. I removed the SPLASH GUARD yesterday and found the hull be in reasonable shape under the guard . I have built two aircraft from plans where I have had to make everything that wasn't standard aircraft parts. Repairing this will be pretty simple, and I am leaning toward pop rivets as it was made originally. Thank you for the info!I find the term coaming too broad when applied to Sunfish made of fiberglass. Coaming is used in aviation, kayaks, and to describe the raised bases of hatch covers. With fiberglass Sunfish, I prefer the term splash guard.
When I had the necessity to replace a ripped-off splash guard on a borrowed Sunfish, the splash rail had previously been replacedwith sheet-metal screws and Liquid Nails adhesive. (Rough duty from kids). Reasoning that the splash guard could be ripped off a third time, I filled the original holes, moved the splash guard ⅜" back, drilled new holes, and reattached the splash guard with stainless sheet-metal screws. Maybe it was moved ⅖" —I forget.
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The ends of the splash guard sit above the factory's Styrofoam™ structural blocks, so access through any inspection port is problematical. My own well-seasoned ex-racer (Sunfish #1) has ragged ½-inch holes where four former attachments had pulled through.A short sailing season doesn't help, so I'm still working on a fix.
Pictured below without the long plastic insert, this toggle should do the job—and I've bought a few—but they're never where I need them.
After reading your post I decided to remove the rub rail, which was painless. The hull and deck seam is tight, and now I don't have to fool with masking the rub rail for painting. And...... the outcome will be better. My splash rail was also riveted on. Thanks for the info!Rub rail is easy to remove just drill out pop-rivet heads with 1/8 drill bit. When reinstalling DO NOT
drill through bottom of Rub Rail. Check hull deck seam, most likely you will find the hull seam split
near the ends of the splash rail on each side. This is where the boat flexes the most.
Later boats had splash rail pop-riveted on. If you can afford it replacing with rivet-nuts
is the way to go.
It didn't have a hole in the middle as the vang was like an original Laser vang, as it was entirely fastened to the boom and mast. The SS also had two holes at the end of the coaming - one for outhaul, and one for the cunningham.The Super Sunfish did have holes in the coaming for double ended controls for, I believe, the outhaul, cunningham and vang. It was a very slick rig and very similar to the Force 5 sail control rig.
Alan Glos
My pre hiking strap boat does have those larger edges, which are extremely prone to collecting dirt when the boat is stored upside downThe new cockpit is wider which is nice, but the old ones were stronger around the edges. Pre-hiking strap you could stick your feet under the lip to hike. The glass was thicker and the trim helped. The new boats the edge is much thinner and prone to cracking even in the somewhat raised area even though you don't hike from it.
Why are you doing this?
OK...Say the coaming is now cut from the wrecked Sunfish, and I'm ready to cut out the rear deck. But is there enough fiberglass material in the rear deck (X) to completely cover the removed coaming?
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I've just arrived at my #3, #4, and #5 Sunfish. It must have been the perspective in the photograph. There's plenty of fiberglass material in the rear decking to complete my latest "air-project".Why are you doing this?
My most-original Sunfish, with bronze rudder parts—identified as a '71—has the following as metal-attachment hardware:I recently acquired a mid-seventies Sunfish which sat outside under trees for fifteen years. It is my first experience with a Sunfish. The hull is in nice shape, but I am in the process of refinishing it with Interlux epoxy. I would like to remove the coaming which looks like it is held on by pop rivets. Am I correct, and can I just drill them out and replace them after I spray the hull? Also, there are three holes on the coaming that are empty. Two are on the ends and one in the center........what was there? Thanks for the info!
For those keeping track, I just checked my 1979 Sunfish's original splash-guard attachment hardware, and it is by aluminum rivets, Photo to follow.