Sunfish ID help

Chad Morris

New Member
Just picked this baby up for free! I know by the new style rudder and the metal trim that it was made between 72 and 87. My son says that the all wood rudder and tiller plus the blue deck means built in 82. I have found the SN yet.
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Looks like it just came out of the factory! Amazing shine. Your son is off by a decade on the nose. It is a 1972. That was the only year there were stripes only on the bow along with the new style rudder. After that, there were stripes on the fore and aft decks. The only issue with those boats is they came with a very small centerboard, as the factory started providing the same board with the Sunfish and Minifish.
 
Is this the same year with the leaky hull? I just washed it so it is wet hence the shine. There is very little damage other than a few nicks and bumps. The bottom of the cockpit has had a crack repaired. Other than that for a 45 year old boat it seems to be in awesome shape. I have never sailed but my son (17) teaches sailing MB, along with every other water MB, at BSA summer camp.

So a little back story on how I acquire it for free.

I was on a Kayak trip with our Boy Scout troop for a week. I mentioned to on of my fellow ASM's (Assistant Scout Master) that I was looking for a Sunfish for my son. He said wow I know someone who wants to give our troop one but it was decided we didn't want it. He gave me her # and now it's ours. Both her son and grandson were in our troop so she wanted to pass it to a Scout.
 
We plan to refinish these soon. Boat was stored in a garage so it is very dry. Sail was in the basement. A little dirty but in great shape.
 

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Ahhh I just stuck my head in the cockpit and saw the rough edge where the deck and hull meet. How is it that this couldn't be repaired? Seems like there should be a few repair options. I could fill with tiger hair and smooth it out and make it water tight. I could also use some white silicone. I'll fix that right up!
 
Ahhh I just stuck my head in the cockpit and saw the rough edge where the deck and hull meet. How is it that this couldn't be repaired? Seems like there should be a few repair options. I could fill with tiger hair and smooth it out and make it water tight. I could also use some white silicone. I'll fix that right up!
I haven't made a study of those seam edges of each of my three Sunfish, but it's possible that they all left the factory, "looking rough".

.
 
I am planning on pressure testing the hull today. I have a cooling system pressure tester that I hope to make work. I can put a few psi in and control the pressure also watch the gauge. Probably gonna keep it at 2 to 3 pounds and see what I find.
 
I meant to add that, if you are comfortable with fiberglass repair, it couldn't hurt to reinforce an old boat's deck at that interface. Since viewing the damage done at the rear of the cockpit's deck, I've found spider-cracking all around the cockpit. If my former-racer Sunfish didn't have other serious issues, I'd run a two-inch—and followed by—a 1-inch tape epoxied all around that seam. Here's what's likely to eventually continue to creep around the cockpit—one very flexible corner :eek: :

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I WAS an aircraft mechanic for about 15 years. Four of those I spent doing quite a bit of composite repairs to flight control surfaces and fairings. I'll probably hang it upside down with some straps from the barn roof and sand it down to fiberglass then do a layup all the way around.

Gonna let the boy sail it a few time before it gets too cold. I'll make it water tight first quick.
 
A plus is that the original metal Depersia bailer is intact with all the pieces. Gonna take it off carefully and clean it up.
 
I'd think a neatly done bead of caulk could accomplish similar results. Less effort. Otherwise, you HAVE to hang upside down on your knees and fiberglass with the boat upright. Turning the boat over isn't fair! You work on a boat, you get in uncomfortable positions. That's typically a requirement!
 
A plus is that the original metal Depersia bailer is intact with all the pieces. Gonna take it off carefully and clean it up.
I did the same, but had to go to my neighbor's shop to get a socket to fit the nut on the cockpit sole side. It was a weirdo size, that I don't remember now. But it wasn't something as simple as 1.25" or the like.

BTW, with the boat on its' side, I could reach both sides of the bailer. I think I might have had a pipe wrench on the outside of the boat, since the nut is recessed on the inside. It's been a fresh water boat so it all came apart pretty easily....even being a '69
 
I have a socket that will fit. I may warm it a bit and spray it with some PB Blaster. Just warm not hot. The brass will move a bit and break any corrosion in the threads.

Although I appreciate a challenge I've spent too many hours in uncomfortable positions. How about I hang it upside down and just pretend I was bent like a pretzel for hours.
 
well...you could hang it upside down...but leave it about 15" off the ground. That should make up for any "rule fixin' breaking"
 
Didn't do it yet. Gonna try this week. My son wants to sail it. He said come Saturday he is taking it out so I better do it. Alan S Glos is stopping by to look it over tomorrow too.
 
I have a socket that will fit. I may warm it a bit and spray it with some PB Blaster. Just warm not hot. The brass will move a bit and break any corrosion in the threads.

Although I appreciate a challenge I've spent too many hours in uncomfortable positions. How about I hang it upside down and just pretend I was bent like a pretzel for hours.

Brass? :confused:

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My Despersia bailer was not brass to be sure. I would guess it was cast aluminium or magnesium. A 3 foot breaker bar and socket wouldn't even move it a all.I ended up using the fiber reinforced cut-off wheel while dabbing a wet sponge technique.
 
mine body looks like aluminum or a cousin... brass screw on plug, hoping one day not to lose. Although fresh water used, was a bear to unscrew after almost 50 years of use. But it works now. Have to be on a good reach for it to drain. Won't drain close hauled. Probably normal I would guess.
 
mine body looks like aluminum or a cousin...
brass screw on plug
, hoping one day not to lose. Although fresh water used, was a bear to unscrew after almost 50 years of use. But it works now. Have to be on a good reach for it to drain. Won't drain close hauled. Probably normal I would guess.
Both pieces of my two De Persia bailers are made of aluminum. The exposed portion of the plug still has the anodized finish of a gold-colored top. The pop-up style also is aluminum:

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If it were truly brass, it would be notably heavier than aluminum.

But "all that glitters is not brass"—except in this forum's photo of the plug:
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In 1969 the cockpit drain plugs were still brass, the anodized ones showed up later, I don't know when, and then plastic.

The deck drain by the side of the splashguard went from all bronze, to bronze surround with anodized plug, to stainless for surround and plug. In 1969 it was still the all bronze.

It's possible that I'm wrong on the brass vs bronze on the drains; I'll defer to any metallurgists out there.
 
Probably bronze.....but who knows.

I know that West Marine sells brass fittings mixed in their bronze thru hull fittings...which the brass arent for continued underwater use, especially in salt water. I've quickly mis-ordered some not fully reading the spec description....just the sizes. Im sure I'm not alone in doing so. I believe some if not all of their close nipples are brass. Which leans even more to making that mistake
 
While not a metallurgist, I frequent recyclers. My experience is that (especially once polished) bronze is darker than brass. (Contains more "red" copper). Brass is a gold color.

Used where household water contains chlorine, bronze resists cracking due to leaching of the zinc from which "yellow" brass suffers. Searching "red brass" found this:
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I notice the brass over bronze because it is much brighter in color...at least in the marine fittings I've used. I steer away from brass unless it is screws, replicating what was already used.
 
Greetings -

I have a similar situation. I picked up this sunfish, and the previous owner does not know the year. I estimate that it is an early 1970's model based on some of the characteristics. If anyone can help me ID the year, I'd appreciate it. Here's what I have:

  • It has a rear storage compartment.
  • There is no serial number stamped on the transom.
  • New style rudder with gudgeon bracket.
  • It appears to have the "Shadow" style daggerboard.
  • Blue and red stripes fore and aft.
  • Sail is red, white and blue - probably original.
  • Splash guard is screwed, not riveted.
  • There is a white plastic plate on the deck just behind the splash guard. Nothing on it.
  • There is a rough edge where the cockpit meets the bottom of the deck.
  • Halyard feeds though a small pulley, not the black fairlead.
  • Bridle wire has a loop in it.
 

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Somewhere between 1971 and 1972. Google 'Evolution Of Sunfish' and
open the .PDF. Has pretty much the whole evolution of the Sunfish.
 
That is a wonderful resource - Thank you. I was thinking the same, 71 or 72. Aluminum cheek plates on the rudder, and Shadow style daggerboard are making me lean toward 1972.
 
I thought the rear cubby started around 73. Does anybody know for sure? The bi-centennial color scheme makes me think 75 though.
 
Rear cubby was 1971 and new style rudder 1972. This left only
one year with cubby and old style rudder. Author has list of
unsolved questions, would be nice if he's still around and we could
answer some of them. I have a deck fairlead on a 1980, anyone
with a earlier date?
 

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