Trying To Work With an Older Sunfish

G

gillyb

New Member
Hello!

I have gotten my father's old sunfish out of the barn at last! I noticed that the mast has a cap on the top that has no place to thread the halyard. There is a hook, almost like a cup hook but closed a bit more near the top of the mast but on the side. I am wondering if there was some type of pulley that hung off of that through which you thread the halyard? I tried just running it through the hook and was able to hoist the sail almost to the top but then the weight of the sail would cause the halyard to get caught. So...., how might the halyard have originally been strung, and should I just consider buying a new mast cap with a loop? Also, I have been watching Youtube videos of rigging a sunfish and several people suggest attaching the daggerboard with a bungee chord or line to the mast so you don't lose it if capsizing. I wouldn't know how to attach something to mine because there are no holes or anchor points. Here are pictures of the one I have. Any thoughts?

Gilly

IMG_3692.JPG
IMG_3691.JPG
IMG_3693.JPG
IMG_3695.JPG
 
Your mast likely used to have a pulley. I’d upgrade to a new plastic mast cap with the built in fairlead.

For the daggerboard, you can just add an eye strap to the top of the daggerboard to connect a piece of line or bungee cord to act as the daggerboard retainer.
 
If you want to go the original rig, I happen to have one of the original Wilcox-Crittenden brass blocks you need, $8 + postage. Just remove the eyebolt shown in your photo, pry open the "eye" with a screwdriver, loop the eye over the eye of the block, hammer the eye closed, re-attach the eye bolt to the mast head, put your halyard through the "new" block and go sailing.

Let me know if you are interested.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 

Attachments

  • 1BF0FF25-B5BA-446F-A9C4-1AB6B3766928.jpeg
    1BF0FF25-B5BA-446F-A9C4-1AB6B3766928.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 29
  • BEC48840-209F-49A5-B385-E578E458CE7A.jpeg
    BEC48840-209F-49A5-B385-E578E458CE7A.jpeg
    1.2 MB · Views: 30
tag said:
Your mast likely used to have a pulley. I’d upgrade to a new plastic mast cap with the built in fairlead.

For the daggerboard, you can just add an eye strap to the top of the daggerboard to connect a piece of line or bungee cord to act as the daggerboard retainer.
Click to expand...
Thank you for responding. I appreciate your advice. So you would say that a new mast cap would do a better job than a pulley? Is there a trick to removing the old one and installing the new?
 
Alan S. Glos said:
If you want to go the original rig, I happen to have one of the original Wilcox-Crittenden brass blocks you need, $8 + postage. Just remove the eyebolt shown in your photo, pry open the "eye" with a screwdriver, loop the eye over the eye of the block, hammer the eye closed, re-attach the eye bolt to the mast head, put your halyard through the "new" block and go sailing.

Let me know if you are interested.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
Click to expand...
Thank you for responding! Do you think a new mast cap or the pulley (block) as you suggested would be the better option?
 
gillyb said:
Also, I have been watching Youtube videos of rigging a sunfish and several people suggest attaching the daggerboard with a bungee chord or line to the mast so you don't lose it if capsizing. I wouldn't know how to attach something to mine because there are no holes or anchor points. Here are pictures of the one I have. Any thoughts?

Gilly

View attachment 52984View attachment 52985View attachment 52986View attachment 52987
Click to expand...

I just loosened a couple screws on the side opposite the spring and slipped a piece of nylon twine through and tied a loop.
 
The mast top blocks tended to pull the eyebolt open, as the eyebolt was chrome plated brass. I'd go with a newer style cap with its integrated fairlead.

For the daggerboard we either add an eyestrap with a small stainless ring, or drill a vertical 1/4 inch hole in one of the handhold cleats.
 
signal charlie said:
The mast top blocks tended to pull the eyebolt open, as the eyebolt was chrome plated brass. I'd go with a newer style cap with its integrated fairlead.

For the daggerboard we either add an eyestrap with a small stainless ring, or drill a vertical 1/4 inch hole in one of the handhold cleats.
Click to expand...
Would you have any pictures of those options? I really appreciate your reply. Also, others have suggested I get the mast cap with the fairlead but many suggest I will have to shave the cap down in order to get it to fit my older mast. Did you find that to be true and how would you recommend I do that so as not to risk ruining the mast cap?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top