Used SunFish hull deformmed?

S

SteveWNY

New Member
I went to look at a used Sunfish this past Saturday. I'm looking for a boat in the 1000 dollar range for my kids to enjoy. The boat was the right weight, dry, and passed every test in the buying guidelines....in essence, I would have bought it on the spot, but it had a problem that made me not even make an offer. The hull was not "fair" on the bottom.

For example, where the drain was, the hulll was pushed in slightly, and I could definately see it was slightly concave. There was another spot that just didn't look right as well. I realize this was a mid seventies SF (AMF), but I just don't want a super slow boat. I'm not going to race this one, but I'm willing to pay for a better boat......will all the SF I look at have this condition? My 9 year old said all the boats he learned on were worse at the Canandaigua Yacht Club this past summer.

I'm new to Sunfish, so please advise.

Take Care,
Steve
 
I think you did the right thing, you listened to that "inner voice". Something didn't seem right.

Another boat is always out there, another deal to see.


Its kinda hard to tell you what the boats problem is without seeing it and you being a new buyer..best to read this forum more and keep looking.


FYI I bought a '74 Sunfish is excellent condition for $275, which is a really good deal - it should of gone for about $650. I don't know your area but $1000 seems high unless it had a really good trailer also.
My boat does not have any concave spots or soft spots and after 10 trips sailing has zero water pour out of its drain when tipped on its side.

others that are wiser and older on this forum I am sure can give out better advise...... :)
 
Menmar is right - it is impossible to judge for sure without seeing the boat. However, I know having looked at lots of Sunfish they often are not fair, especially boats from the '70s and '80s.. Where they have their bumps and concave sections seems to vary. So that boat may be fine. That is at the upper end of a reasonable price for a 30 year old boat unless it has a new, official sail and a new plastic daggerboard. And the way the economy is now it is a good time to bargain.

If the boat shows no signs of repair, and is firm when you press in on the bottom, my guess is the boat is fine, but obviously that is impossible to tell from where I am sitting! Is there perhaps a yacht club with Sunfish nearby? YOu could either see if one of their Sunfish experts could look with you, or you could look at some boats at the club to get an idea of what kinds of variation fits within the normal range for a Sunfish.

BB
 
I concur with the previous posters. the price is high for that vintage. I bought a solid 70's Fish with a barely used sail and a trailer for under $500. Go look at some other boats and push on them, look inside, inspect the spars (especially where the gooseneck connects to the boom), and generally "kick the tires." That will give you a good idea what the boats are like. Most all Sunfish sailors will let you inspect their boat and give you some idea of it's value.

Good luck.
 
Re deformation of the bottom of the hull:

Could it be that one of the internal foam supports has broken, or loosened?

PS: I concur that the asking price is too high.

PS#2: I hope that you will find another boat for your son to play with this coming summer. However, unless he is extremely careful, expect him to inflict some (further) scratches and bruises on your floating baby.
 
Re: Used Sunfish hull deformed?

Those depressions you're seeing are where the foam support blocks are, in most circumstances. The two-part foam used to "glue" the blocks in place generate heat when it flashes off. If the fiberglass wasn't quite set up, occasionally the hull shape changed. I have one of those boats and raced it extensively. It did not affect my overall performance, that I'm aware. I was in the hunt, as it were. Did it keep me from top 2? Can't say for sure.

If you've found a dry, solid 1970's model, that's good on weight, you've found a keeper, whether you're going to race or not. Negotiate if you're not happy on price, but keep in mind a new boat is over $3,000 now and won't be going down. My 2000 hull also has a slight deflection in it. It has been competitive and still does not leak.

Sunfish are low-cost, relatively quick-to-produce, engineering marvels that allow the every day person to acquire a safe platform on which to go sailing. I'd take a Sunfish over a Snark any day! The Sunfish won't sink, though the hull may fill with water and the deck awash. STAY WITH THE BOAT, and you're good to go.

There may be a few perfect hulls out there, but my guess is nearly every single one has some flaw or another. There are not bulkheads which would ameliorate the expanding foam issue and I doubt we want to obsolete nearly 400,000 hulls by changing the construction going forward. We all need to keep in mind this is a simple boat, and to go out and have fun with it, knowing that one well-timed and well-executed tack (for those who race) will make up for any shortcoming in the hull!!
 
By the way, I noticed that you were not planning to race this boat. As long as the boat does not leak and does not weigh too much, you will never in a million years see a speed difference while sailing it recreationally due to a slightly non-fair hull. In fact, as Gail points out, you can race with a not-perfect hull and you will likely never see a difference in speed.


BB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top