Wooden Sunfish Pickin Marshvilee, NC

Found the info, boat serial number dates into 1963. Deck and chine used to be light blue, not sure about the hull yet. It has remnants of the old rudder pin keeper.
 

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Hi, I just purchased a wooden Sunfish, Serial #12328, which I believe dates to 1963. I plan to restore it and am looking for a copy of the assembly instructions for the Sunfish Kit. I have a copy of the assembly instructions for the Sailfish kit and If anyone wants a copy I will email them to you. This is my 3rd Sunfish, my previous two were fiberglass. I helped my Dad build a Sailfish kit back in the 1970s so this is a project I have always wanted to try as no plans to build an authentic Sunfish are available. Any hints from your restoration project are welcome. Jim
 
Hi, I just purchased a wooden Sunfish, Serial #12328, which I believe dates to 1963. I plan to restore it and am looking for a copy of the assembly instructions for the Sunfish Kit. I have a copy of the assembly instructions for the Sailfish kit and If anyone wants a copy I will email them to you. This is my 3rd Sunfish, my previous two were fiberglass. I helped my Dad build a Sailfish kit back in the 1970s so this is a project I have always wanted to try as no plans to build an authentic Sunfish are available. Any hints from your restoration project are welcome. Jim


Hi Jim
Our 1963 boat waits patiently, it needs new plywood on one side of the hull, and we have a Penobscot 14 project ahead of it. Maybe this Fall?

Anyway, Kit Assembly Instructions can be found in the Files section of the Yahoo Sunfish_Sailor group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/sunfish_sailor/files/Wooden Fish 1945 - 1966/

We also restored a 1953 Sunfish, you can read our blog here: http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/2013/06/1952-wooden-sunfish-zip.html

Good luck with the boat, we'd like to se some before and after shots.

Kent and Audrey
 
Kent and Audrey, Thanks for the info. I'll post some photos later. Regarding plywood... where does one find plywood that is 14 feet long? Am I going to have to somehow join two pieces of plywood together? I know I'm a long way from that stage, but I have been thinking about it. The sailfish kit that I helped build in the 1970s came with 3 large pieces of marine plywood, one for the deck and two for the bottom. Jim
 
Kent and Audrey, Thanks for the info. I'll post some photos later. Regarding plywood... where does one find plywood that is 14 feet long? Am I going to have to somehow join two pieces of plywood together? I know I'm a long way from that stage, but I have been thinking about it. The sailfish kit that I helped build in the 1970s came with 3 large pieces of marine plywood, one for the deck and two for the bottom. Jim

As Danpal mentioned, 2 boards will have to be scarfed together. You can cut the scarf with a hand plane, sanding block or rig a jig for a router. Boulter Plywood in Somerville MA can get boards and scarf them for you, you might try your local marine plywood house and see if they can get it done for you. Standard marine ply comes in 4x8, 5x8 or 5x10. You'll need 4 feet wide for deck, 2 foot strips for each side of hull. Plans call for 1/4 inch, nowadays you'll find 6mm. Make sure it is marine plywood and has the British Standard stamp. Popular nowadays is okume.
 
about scarfing plywood: while it might seem like a daunting task, it's not too terribly difficult.... and certainly something you want to learn if you are going to be building a Sunfish. the best instructions I've seen are in "Stitch and Glue Boatbuilding" by Chris Kulczycki.

also, you can get 14' plywood still.... the last time I checked, a dealer in Louisianna still had it (but i don't recall if it was scarfed, or one long sheet)
 
Thanks all for the comments on scarfing... Looks like I'll be learning a new skill soon. This winter will be spent disassembling deciding what needs to be replaced.
 

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