That is just weird!And another question…
Holes.
On my rudder and centerboard, there were little holes, centerline, no more than a quarter of an inch, and had been well filled and finished over. Similarity, the surplus (60’s?) Super Sailfish rudder and centerboard that I have, have larger holes seemingly intentionally through the pieces.
Any idea why? I suspect that this was something that was done during the manufacturing process to maybe hold the raw wood in a jig, maybe? Curious if this is seen in similar boats of similar generations. Any guess is as good as mine.
Oops. ‘Pour’. Not ‘poor’I have become quite fascinated with the boats fasteners. Almost all of the little anchor imprinted nails had survived and were functioning well. Almost all of the screws had corroded away, and all of the glue was now nonexistent. It proved the right call to have opened her up to allow for regluing the joints and replacing the now vaporized screws. Light would poor through the centerboard box joints, and surely water would too. The mast base block was now a loose stack of blocks. I feel privileged to have been able to see the parts reduced back to parts, and to have been able to put them back together as they should be.
The moment those anchors came into view was the moment I really fell in love with this boat.those anchor imprinted nails are awesome!
The picture on my smartphone is too small to be sure, but I think all the parts are bronze. The pin could be chrome-plated brass, as it appears brighter than the duller bronze parts.And now a question of material importance.
I don’t like using the wrong terms, but I’m not sure of the metals that the rudder components are made of. Would anyone have a good sense of what are the metals of the pictured rudder release brackets, and the hinge piece that attaches to the rudder. Thanks!
The picture on my smartphone is too small to be sure, but I think all the parts are bronze. The pin could be chrome-plated brass, as it appears brighter than the duller
Thanks for the input. I’ve been misusing ‘brass’ as a catch-all for any coppery shiny metals. All the metal bits are getting a good polishing, and I need to determine a good protective coating to put on. Possibly just a rust oleum clear spray coat.The picture on my smartphone is too small to be sure, but I think all the parts are bronze. The pin could be chrome-plated brass, as it appears brighter than the duller bronze parts.
Today's replacement bow handles are made of ["Zamak"] zinc. In a couple of my saltwater Sunfish, the zinc behaved like the zinc anodes that are designed to disappear! So many have been cast, the WC trademark may be hard to see.Oops. Crittenden. Not Chittenden.
Love that rudder!Even though I’m waiting for warmer weather to give a finish coat of paint, I couldn’t resist seeing what the freshly dressed rudder assembly will look like in place.
The paint that she came to me with was, at most, a touch up coat. She’s always been a basic white, with the classic red sit-spot,and I’ve opted to stick with the original livery. After being fully stripped, though, I did consider keeping that wonderful wood patterning exposed. She’ll be clean and simple, like the day she came out of the factory, but always a thought of the beauty beneath.
Love that rudder!
Oh the humanity!We all can keep a secret, right?
I’ve created a crime against authenticity. In painting the ‘sit-spot’, I accidentally extended it an extra 12 inches back to the stern, making it 47 inches long rather than the scripted 35 from the Alcort home build plans. (Again, thanks to those who made sure these were posted online, SC!)
At least I was able to reuse the 3 loop bridle that came with. That’s $30 saved right there. Might not be the best for performance, but authentic…
Be sure to leave the connecting bolt loose or you won’t be able to swivel the extension 360 degrees with that rope on there. Swiveling 360 is occasionally helpful while sailing.View attachment 59389
And adding a bit of rope work to dress up the tiller extension.
I made a cup holder for my ex-racer "test-mule" Sunfish. (The one with "The Ultimate Inspection Port").Oh the humanity!
Next thing you'll know it will have cupholders and USB charging ports
Just kidding, looks great! I would have considered some sculpted EVA foam w/ self-stick adhesive for the sitting area, like the stuff used on SUP's.