Hi folks,
New to the forum and new owner of a super sailfish in need of some TLC. Foam is definitely waterlogged so will need to dry it out. There is currently a crack/hole in the deck about 3" behind and to port of the bow handle. crack is large enough for me to get fingers in to feel foam and confirm it is soaked. I am an old hat and comfortable working with glass, but was thinking of incorporating the cracked area into my bow inspection plate area to minimize the need to repair with glass. I currently have 12" watertight deck plates on hand and am considering using one of the them for the bow. Any thoughts from the group? Assuming it is a bit overkill, but figured it would allow easy access to the hull and foam, make the drying process easier, and save me some money as I already have the plates. Anyone know of any detriment or compromise to the hull integrity by going with a 12" inspection port? I can take a couple pictures and add them if it would help to visualize better. Thank you in advance and appreciate any guidance or advice offered.
Kind regards,
Brian
Thanks for the confirmation on the sails Beldar. Going to start looking for a used sail on this forum, craigslist, etc.Sunfish and Super Sailfish sails are the same dimensions, as the booms are the same length. I'd get a standard Sunfish sail or knockoff and not a racing sail. The racing sail has more power and that won't be needed on a Sailfish!
Weighing it before/after will tell you when to stop the dry-out process.
I believe the sails from the Minifish are the same sail area, and interchangeable but someone here who knows for sure can answer that. Do you have the spars? Their lengths would tell you.
The deck looks flat enough, after all. With the pop-in covers, you'll know soon enough!If you haven't used the pop-ins before, they're difficult to open, even with a screwdriver. I used a combination paint can opener/bottle opener (which is made with a hook on one end).
Can any of the Sailfish folks let me know if it's normal for the center deck area behind the daggerboard to have some give or be a little flexible? based on the pictures posted by Signal Charlie, I can see that this center area isn't supported by foam so I'm unsure it this is just a reality of the design or soft deck due to delamination of the fiberglass. I would feedback based on your boat/experience.