Epic trip to pick up 2 Sunfish in Grand Island, a 1952 and a 1977. Owner was downsizing fleet and wants to see the boats restored, that's what we like to do. Both are in decent shape. Drove up and got the 52 from the garage rafters and the 77 from Niagara Yacht Club. Double decker trailer worked great. Boats are down in Navarre now after a drive by of Antique Archaeology Nashville store.
Sanding progressing. Delivered Neptune, nice house close to water, boat will hang out on the beach with other Sea Scout boats during the Summer. Zip went down to check out the Bay.
Looks like you're making great progress on the woody! I'm jealous since I still have a house to paint, tiles to install, trim to repair and children to raise before my wife will let me start working on my two Sunfishes.
Looks like you're making great progress on the woody! I'm jealous since I still have a house to paint, tiles to install, trim to repair and children to raise before my wife will let me start working on my two Sunfishes.
Hi danpal,
I have shower tile to repair, stairway to paint, window bench to build, 2 kids in high school but the Skipper loves the Sunfish. It is her getaway boat. She also loves canoe, kayak, SUP, Daysailer and Lugger, so we get some time outside. If she knew how to run a sander and do fiberglass she' be outside and I'd be assigned KP. She towed a trailer last year so I'm nervous, I thought that's why she married me, I had a truck and was trailer qualled.
Does your wife sail? Maybe you can start on her boat
Alas, she's not a sailor. She gets seasick just looking at the water. I'm still working on getting her to try it though but I think it's a lost cause. She saw a 45' sloop when we were up in Maine and she turned to me and said she'd sail if I got her one of those. Could take a while...
The mast on this boat is two part, upper wood with taper and sheave at top, lower section is aluminum. Could that be factory? I assumed it would be one piece wood with block at top. This kit brochure shows what looks like a two piece mast.
Fast forward, restoration of wooden Sunfish "Zip" complete. Sanded about 3 pounds of paint off deck and chine, epoxied deck, chime and splashguard with West System. Put a coat of Interlux Brightside Fire Red on the hull, wood trim and cockpit. Painted floorboards. Reinstalled all hardware, splashguard backer, splashguard and edge trim. Put gaff tape on aluminum section of mast, it rests in the mast step real snug now. Taped tears on sail. Reinstalled rudder. Ordered new sail from local sailmaker.
Sailed Zip on the Summer Sailstice and she sailed great. She took on about abot 1/2 gallon of water as soon as we put her in but no more, so did she swell up and seal? That's what my wooden boat buddies are saying. Neighbor said when he was a kid if they were going to take out their wooden skiff with 5 hp they'd fill it with water a few days before the weekend, then pump it out Call me a wooden boat noob. I was all worried about wet vaccing the water out and placing fand to circulate air in the hull all night. Zip probably just sighed and shook her head...
Thanks to all of the Forum members for making this possible, the advice and parts supply over the last 2 years has been fantastic!!! I'd like to single out Alan Glos, he has answered many an email and phone call, plus his parts ride again on several of our restorations, most notably "Ray" of Hope. And we give a special remembrance to Wayne, he populated most of the files on sunfish_sailor and posted great advice on this Forum.
Zip is getting a new bow handle and we will work on the not so nice deck patch next. Also ordered some used bronze hardware, we need a wooden spar boom block, and will use the second screw in block for a cockpit mounted sheet block, this boat has nothing currently. The hull was not in too bad a shape, it got a light sanding and a roll and tip of Interlux Brightside Fire Red. This Winter we might sand it down for a new prime and repaint and get a look at the keel. We ahd a small leak early in the sail but it stopped, either wood swelled up or dust/old paint chips inside sealed it. Took a few pictures inside the hull before the sail, it is dusty and there is a little water staining, but dry. We decided to put clear epoxy on the deck and chine and leave hull red. We like the amazing grain pattern of the fir, and would like that to be seen. And when the Skipper hikes out, the red hull will look nice...well, okay with that splashguard there probably wont be much hiking out
She's a good sailor when you throw on a 2nd generation rudder and a Barrington board. Not much keel otherwise. You won't be doing much hiking with that splashguard, but you will grin from ear to ear when you hear those wooden spars thunking during the tacks.