Thrift Store Sunfish!

I've used JBWeld Aluminum on the spars with good results.

You don't need epoxy on the wood. Just find a varnish you like and read the directions. If it recommends a thinner, thin it 50/50 for the first coat. Some brands have wood sealers also, basically thinned varnish, for the first coat. Check your big box store, they may sell Rustoleum wood sealer and varnish.
 
You may also want to bleach the wood before sealing, it will lighten up some of the dark spots. Use plain old bleach and be careful not to get it on your skin or clothes :)
 
I've used JBWeld Aluminum on the spars with good results.

Yes - just fill the hole with epoxy and consider it fixed.


You don't need epoxy on the wood. Just find a varnish you like and read the directions. If it recommends a thinner, thin it 50/50 for the first coat. Some brands have wood sealers also, basically thinned varnish, for the first coat. Check your big box store, they may sell Rustoleum wood sealer and varnish.
I've used JBWeld Aluminum on the spars with good results.

Agree - just plug the hole with epoxy any consider it fixed.

You don't need epoxy on the wood. Just find a varnish you like and read the directions.

Signal Charlie - that rudder looks very porous. Does it need epoxy to fill the grain? It seems like it would take many coats of varnish to fill the grain - but you are the expert so I just thought I’d bring it up.
 
Not the expert, you are right that it would take many coats to get a high build of varnish and super smooth surface. I'd sand it down smooth if a fine furniture finish was desired, so there would be no grain to fill. Other wise seal it up and with a couple of coats and go sailing. Buy the racing rudder if racing is the goal. Or paint it!
 
Epoxy can be used as a filler. First wet the wood and when
it drys sand the fuzz off. Then put epoxy on and scrape off
as much as you can with a card while wet. After the epoxy drys
sand and and apply multiple coats of spar varnish. You'll be
glad you put the extra effort into it later on.
 
Thanks for the help! I think I'll just varnish the rudder for now. It's just temporary until I can get an FRP replacement. I think I should also be able to fabricate a new tiller using this one as a template. It looks pretty straight forward. I'll just paint the new tiller white to match the FRP rudder whenever that happens.

For the spar, I think I'll just tape it for now but I like the JB weld option. I've used their plastic bond many times and really had great results.
 
I had a spar with two big holes in the same end! :confused:

I sold it with the Porpoise II, reluctantly, as it was fitted with racers' cleats. Yours can probably be sleeved and redrilled, but to get out on the water soon, tape will work. ;)

It's important that the spar can float. :cool:

While the spar's fittings are apart, I'd coat the interior with an anti-corrosive, and seal the end-caps.
 
I'm considering purchase of a Composite daggerboard (class approved model). Only issue is that it appears to have a small chip on the trailing edge. For about the same price as the Intensity FRP board, I could get this board and an older N/S racing sail in decent condition with no rips/tears. Seems like a pretty good deal to me, but how does this board compare to the FRP model?
 

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The wood board looks shortened
I agree, it does look weird - perhaps it split and they "made do". Also, the white board appears to be laying flatter while the wood board is sitting vertical, that could lead to optical illusion of sorts.

I expect the white board in the pic above may be a bit less durable than Intensity's FRP board but performance (and value) should be about the same?
 
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I'm not the expert, but I think that board with the "grab handle" is foam filled with internal rods. The newer boards and also the ones from Intensity are solid without the foam core and potentially more durable.
 
Yes, the board with the big 'grab' handle is reinforced with rods. Those boards are just fine and 'shark bites' (broken off corners) can be repaired without much trouble.
 
BTW, what varnish should I use? I'll be brushing it on. Thanks for all the help! Don't know how I could have gotten this far this fast without the help. After sanding:

View attachment 34221
Doesn't look like mahogany. Maybe oak or ash?

Nothing wrong with either oak or ash, but it's not ever going to look like mahogany after many coats of varnish.

What say you, Signal Charlie? Not mahogany, as original equipment?

>
 
The board with the grab handle as shown is more durable than the intensity board. This one will dent some whereas the intensity chips. You are better off with this one, which is also class legal while intensity isn’t.
 
Thanks! In that case, I’m even more happy with my decision to buy that board.

About my rudder, I agree it looks like oak to me. After varnish it looks more golden than red. It will get me by for time being though.
 
The board with the grab handle as shown is more durable than the intensity board. This one will dent some whereas the intensity chips. You are better off with this one, which is also class legal while intensity isn’t.
Yeah...for sure the Intensity isn't class legal...but you you think it is actually stronger?... dents vs chips...but I'm thinking "chunks" (shark bites)...vs "taking a licking"... :) That said, almost 100% of larger rudders on cruising sailboats are foam filled with a metal grid section in them...basically same concept. Some DON'T put reinforcement in the bottom third...thinking having the rudder bust off the bottom third, is better than destroying the rudder post hole in the boat, with a hard strike on the bottom...against rocks, coral, etc. That vein of thought might apply to a Sunfish daggerboard slot too. ;-)
 
Always remember to insert the daggerboard before you push off from the dock! :confused:

It helps to ship the rudder as well... :confused:

Good to see progress being made with the boat... but I wouldn't trim that spar, better to simply tape the unsightly hole until you figure out some way to patch it. In a structural sense, the boom is still plenty strong, the hole is more of an eyesore than a problem, aye? Maybe you could find some sort of fitting to cover it, or even a small sleeve to slide over it and epoxy/rivet that sleeve into place, LOL. :rolleyes:
 
I'm considering purchase of a Composite daggerboard (class approved model). Only issue is that it appears to have a small chip on the trailing edge. For about the same price as the Intensity FRP board, I could get this board and an older N/S racing sail in decent condition with no rips/tears. Seems like a pretty good deal to me, but how does this board compare to the FRP model?


I would take the composite daggerboard in a heartbeat. I have the same board with the grab handle and absolutely love it. With the board most of the way up, I use the handle to hold onto when healing the boat going dead downwind in light to medium air. It’s also easier to adjust up and down since, except when the board is completely down, you don’t have to reach over it when sitting/hiking.

Hope that helps.
 
I would take the composite daggerboard in a heartbeat. I have the same board with the grab handle and absolutely love it. With the board most of the way up, I use the handle to hold onto when healing the boat going dead downwind in light to medium air. It’s also easier to adjust up and down since, except when the board is completely down, you don’t have to reach over it when sitting/hiking.

Hope that helps.
Makes me want to say, "I like all of that right there!" LOL

Getting anxious for my stuff to arrive now! Bit by bit, it keeps pulling me in... $$$
 
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It was pointed out by an esteemed member of this Forum that those stickers are FAKE! I wouldn't bother with them.
As an aside, Sunfish/Laser, Inc. was taken over by another company many years ago.
 
It was pointed out by an esteemed member of this Forum that those stickers are FAKE! I wouldn't bother with them.
As an aside, Sunfish/Laser, Inc. was taken over by another company many years ago.
Good to know. Glad I only bought one, lol. Just need something to cover that hole. Still looking to find a 1-2" North Sails decal would be just fine.
 
Failing that search, maybe try adhesive aluminum tape. :eek:

I've got both aluminum- and stainless steel tape, but the stainless is too shiny to match the spar's finish. With some care—and two people—the aluminum tape can be placed around the spar, and maybe become invisible. It's a well-traveled roll, but I can snail-mail an eight-inch section if you want to try it. :)

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Getting close to finishing up my initial work on the boat. I have a couple things I need to do now and asking for some suggestions:

1) Rudder refinish - I've sanded down the rudder and tiller and sprayed several coats of exterior marine varnish on them. The look though, is not great. The wood looks more oak than mahogany. So, I'm considering just painting them white. Any suggestions for paint and finish to use? Also, matte or semi-gloss?

2) The stripes on the boat appear to have a black taped on overlay that's peeling badly. It does not appear to be under gelcoat, although the green base stripe may be. What is a good way to remove the peeling stripes?

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FWIW, here are a few pics of the rudder while I'm filling in the cracks with JB Weld epoxy prior to painting it white. The epoxy glue is still curing here and once its cured, I'll sand it smooth. Hopefully that seals up the cracks in prep for the paint. I'm going to see how much life I can get out of this setup before I have to spring for a new rudder.

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Paint, by itself, doesn't fill very well. :oops: If you want the rudder to look like a plastic rudder (and not like wood), more surface smoothing/filling will be needed. (As seen from the photos).

I'll cede the rest of this process to member Signal Charlie. :)

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Painted wood with all that grain showing will not look so good. Brush on varnish is probably thicker than aerosol. But if you want to paint you need to fill the grain. Perhaps this would work. Squeegee on a layer then sand the whole blade smooth.
 
Painted wood with all that grain showing will not look so good. Brush on varnish is probably thicker than aerosol. But if you want to paint you need to fill the grain. Perhaps this would work. Squeegee on a layer then sand the whole blade smooth.
Squeegee on a layer of varnish or more epoxy?
 
Painted wood with all that grain showing will not look so good.
Truer words have never been spoken. The white paint reveals every little tiny crack in the wood grain. I stopped after a few sprays. If I can't easily fill the grain, then I'm just going to sand again and go with the varnish. It obviously masks the grain cracks like no man's business.

Brush on varnish is probably thicker than aerosol. But if you want to paint you need to fill the grain.
Thanks. What do you suggest to use to fill the grain?
 
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