Judging by appearances, probably not going to be your problem, but MarineTex will "yellow" if one's Sunfish is stored deck-down and exposed even to "northern" sun.All, I have a 1978 Super Sunfish that
It's warm enough now so I plan to do it this weekend. Any recommendations, warnings, tips?
Thanks, though I keep it in the garage on a trailer, deck-up so having the Marine-tex yellow isn't an issue.It's not "Great Stuff".
Judging by appearances, probably not going to be your problem, but MarineTex will "yellow" if one's Sunfish is stored deck-down and exposed even to "northern" sun.
I've forgotten the remedybut a little wet sanding may restore the finish. (I think I spray-painted over my repair--a postcard-sized area).
Thanks, the damaged area is about an inch by a half inch. Yes, the glass is broken, but given the size and that my current trailer won't stress that area, do you think marine-tex will or will not work?It is hard to tell from the picture, but the damage on the chine looks like the glass is broken. If that is the case I would not use marine tex. It really should be glassed for strength.
Keep in mind even marine tex need some properly sanded area for a good bond. That means you need to sand out the hole some and put in the marine tex. The taper on into the hold increases the hold on good material and creates a stronger repair.
Thanks for the info. That's helpful.It is hard to tell from the picture, but the damage on the chine looks like the glass is broken. If that is the case I would not use marine tex. It really should be glassed for strength.
Keep in mind even marine tex need some properly sanded area for a good bond. That means you need to sand out the hole some and put in the marine tex. The taper on into the hold increases the hold on good material and creates a stronger repair.
I stand by my opinion having done lots of repairs over the years with Marine Tex.Marine Tex can easily fix an area of that size. It’s incredibly strong stuff.
Thanks for the info. That's helpful.It is hard to tell from the picture, but the damage on the chine looks like the glass is broken. If that is the case I would not use marine tex. It really should be glassed for strength.
Keep in mind even marine tex need some properly sanded area for a good bond. That means you need to sand out the hole some and put in the marine tex. The taper on into the hold increases the hold on good material and creates a stronger repair.
thanks very much for the thoughtful response. I was hoping to get the boat in the water quickly and that Marine Tex would help me do that. I don't have glassing skills. Maybe use the Marine Tex on the holes and a very light coat on the glass abrasions so I can sail it. Then work on the glass work?So here is my take on repairs.
I have worked with many different materials doing repairs. I play with restoring antique cars and I fix whatever comes along if I can.
After having repaired holes in 4 different sunfish and recently seen a few marine tex repairs in a 420 I have an opinion.
I think for larger holes like yours you are much better off structurally with doing glass. The marine tex is hard as a rock, the glass has give. I can see it being more likely to crack or damage at the edges because they are dissimilar in hardness. I would also think if few hits on the chine, which happens a lot based on all the Sunfish I have seen, it might be more likely to have an issue down the road.
If you put a backer in of mat glass and layer up the outside and gel coat it then it will likely never have a problem.
I posted back in the fall how I did a chine repair with a blind backer you can look up.
In either case, the strength is from having a nice taper around the hole to give a lot of area for the new material to bond to the old. If you are doing a thick marine tex then you will want to make sure it is worked into the edges. The bonding is by getting the epoxy to go into all the scratch from the 80 grit (or what is recommended by marine tex).
The rest of the spots are fine with either material.
If you get gel coat get a tint kit for $9 and watch boatworks today for his gel coat color matching. You need to knock the white down a bit with some black, a very very small amount of black, and a bit of yellow. If you are better at color matching you might figure it out better then me, I am real bad at it.
I try to caution sailors about using one's teeth to hold the mainsheet.Easy call. Go with the Marine Tex. I made my own dentures from Marine Tex about 30 years ago and they are still good as new!
So I followed the instructions for cleaning, sanding, cleaning and applying the Marine-tex. Worked great! I think I need to apply a second layer in a couple of places but it's just fine to get the boat in the water right away.Thanks for the info. That's helpful.
thanks very much for the thoughtful response. I was hoping to get the boat in the water quickly and that Marine Tex would help me do that. I don't have glassing skills. Maybe use the Marine Tex on the holes and a very light coat on the glass abrasions so I can sail it. Then work on the glass work?
Easy call. Go with the Marine Tex. I made my own dentures from Marine Tex about 30 years ago and they are still good as new!
I just got a 1980 Sunfish and the bow handle came off. Can I put an inspection port behind her and then bolt it down?
That's what I did. The handle had disintegrated upon my purchase, and I wanted to bolt the new handle on. I didn't want to spend actual money on an inspection port to compromise the smooth lines at the bow.Or you can just go the simple way, and cut a hole in the bow.
All of the above is my opinion of course, but I hope you find it helpful.
Good luck!