Saturday, June 30, 2018

Sunfish and Sailfish Kit Boats

30 Jun 18:

The Standard Sailfish, Super Sailfish and wooden Sunfish were available as kits in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The wooden boats were also factory built. Check out the long coaming on the 1950s wooden Sunfish.


The Sailfish has a great insignia.


Specifications for the Alcort boats.


The kit boats came with several pages of instructions, and could be assembled with simple tools.



Thursday, June 28, 2018

1979 Drascombe Dabber VICTORY 28 Jun 18 Offer To Buy

28 Jun 18:

We have an offer from a nice couple to buy VICTORY, they hope to come hook her up soon and show her a new homeport in North Carolina. Details are being worked out and the plan is for her to take off in early August. We went out and told her the news, she was chillaxing with ST. JACQUES, MADISON, WAVE, PHOENIX and PINKY.


Our plan now is to make her a nice road cover for her trip, so she doesn't go down the road under a tarp or unadorned :)

Log of VICTORY.

1978 AMF Sunfish SUGAR 28 Jun 18 Kirby Number 4 Orange

28 Jun 18:

Brushed on another coat of Kirby #4 Orange with a oil paint sash brush, pulled the tape. The paint flowed on smooth and leveled nicely. SUGAR 2 is ready for white bottom paint next.



Log of SUGAR 2.

Alcort Sailfish and Sunfish Old Style Bronze Rudder Parts

28 Jun 18:

A few video notes on Alcort Sailfish and Sunfish Old Style Bronze Rudder Parts.



Some Thoughts on Fiberglass Repair

28 Jun 18:

Some thoughts on fiberglass repair.



Fair Winds,
Kent

Thursday, June 21, 2018

1978 AMF Sunfish SUGAR 2 21 Jun 18 Float Test

21 Jun 18:

Sanded for 4 hours, bottom hull is back to gelcoat now and old patches are cleaned up, ready for touch up paint.

Skipper came up with a great idea to hoist SUGAR 2 and flip her, then lower onto the dolly for a Float Test. It was incredibly easy to lift the boat and one person can roll the boat in the slings. Keep the lines about a third in so they don't slip off the ends.





Float Test. No major leaks, had a small seeper come from under the cockpit.



DId an air leak test on SUGAR 2 to track down the leak. Taped up the splashguard and inspection port holes, pumped low pressure compressed air into the hull through the forward bulkhead vent hole...that is AFTER Skipper discovered that someone had epoxied the hole closed. Found 3 small leaks, one 2 inch area on the keel, a small hole in the daggerboard trunk and a short section of the deck/hull seam.




Forward wall of daggerboard trunk, bottom of hull.


Added a 4 oz strip of fiberglass cloth to the keel, bedded in Pettit Flexpoxy.


Used half a paint stick to apply FLEXPOXY to the hole in the daggerboard trunk.


Back on the work dolly, rolled and tipped the second coat of Kirby #4 Orange.



Log of SUGAR 2.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

1978 AMF Sunfish SUGAR 2 20 Jun 18 Rudder and Tiller

20 Jun 18:

Assembled the Sunfish rudder and tiller. The small bits of blue tape hold the pivot bushing in place while the rudder cheek is positioned.



Log of SUGAR 2.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Drascombe Lugger ONKAHYE 19 Jun 18 Dolphin Cruise

19 Jun 18:

We did some yard sailing for Father's Day and it was time to get ONKAHYE out for a little cruise. We planned to just launch and tie up, then sail later, but the winds were nice so we decided to sail for a bit.


Took some pictures for our upcoming knot book.

Anchor line.


Jib sheet.


Main halyard.


Side stay.


We still love the ease of the sliding gunter rig, easy to set up.


Every boat needs a pin rail.


Saw about 20 dolphin today, they circled us for a while.




We practiced beaching and dropped the hook for a while. ONKAHYE was well behaved.






Log of ONKAHYE.


Monday, June 18, 2018

1978 AMF Sunfish SUGAR 2 18 Jun 18 Kirby Paint

18 Jun 18:

We need some International Orange to match our Navy flight trainer paint scheme and Kirby Paint had it.

Rolled and tipped the #4 Orange on the bow.


Rolled and tipped a second coat of primer on the stern.




Log of SUGAR 2.

Sunday, June 17, 2018

1978 AMF Sunfish SUGAR 2 17 Jun 18 Bow and Stern Primer

17 Jun 18:

Rolled and tipped the stern with Kirby Primer, tinted with #4 Orange.



Rolled and tipped the bow with Kirby #4 Orange.


Log of SUGAR 2.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

1978 AMF Sunfish SUGAR 2 16 Jun 18 Seam Sanding

16 Jun 18:

Cleaned up excess epoxy from the seam with 60 grit on a random orbital sander. Skipper did some art. Sande old paint off the bow and stern.


Log of SUGAR 2.

World's Wettest Sportiest Boat Alcort Sailfish 1949

16 Jun 18:

LIFE Magazine put Alcort Sailboats on the map in 1949 when they published a photo article about the Standard Sailfish. At the time Alcort had sold just over 100 boats, sales took off and they built thousands of wooden and fiberglass sailboats into the 1980s. The Sailfish was phased out in the 1970s and their iconic Sunfish is still being built today by Laser Performance.












Reference:
Life Magazine, Aug 15, 1949, p. 52-54.