Spring Commissioning time and we have a ton of parts. Send us a message if you need one, best way to reach us is through a private message on our facebook page Small Boat Restoration. That way we can trade payment and address info in private. Or leave us a message here and we'll figure it out.
The bow end of the upper spar mast cap and interlocking bolt pulled out of corroded holes, so we pulled the caps off, rotated the spar 90 degrees, and reinstalled cap and interlocking bolt in fresh metal.
Dissimilar metal corrosion between the aluminum spar and stainless interlocking bolt is common around our salt waters, fresh water rinse downs are helpful preventative maintenance.
Rotated the outhaul cap 90 degrees.
Made sure the new holes would be oriented correctly with the outhaul cap and drilled new holes for the interlocking bolt with a 7/16th inch drill bit. You might notice in this picture that we installed an outhaul cap on the bottom spar (boom), that way if the spar drops down onto the deck there is plastic material rubbing the deck versus the metal interlocking bolt end. Many a Sunfish have half moon scratches on their foredecks from those bolt ends. A couple of wraps of gaff tape could also cover the bolt end.
Reinstalled the interlocking bolt, secured with a nylon lock nut.
Probably should take BOOMER out for Sea Trials again, to check our work. I'll write up a test card for the Skipper.
We made a tool to align the centering strip that straddles the keel longeron, it centers a 5/8th inch wide strip that is temporarily attached while the 4 bottom panels are fastened. The centering strip is removed and then a keel strip is installed to protect the plywood panel edges and act as a small skeg.
Centering strip alignment tool on the left, old keel strip on the right. The inner part of the keel strip is 5/8th inches wide, and it is wider on the opposite face to cover the plywood panel edges it fits between the bottom plywood panels. A 5/8th inch wide temporary strip will be made that is not notched, to be used while the panels are being fit.
The old keel strip that covers the inner edges of the bottom panels and fills the gap between the panels. The gap is there to make fitting easier and allow a place for the keel strip to fasten.
Centering strip alignment tool.
Getting close to fastening the bottom panels, they need to be aligned properly.
Current occupants of the Carriage House, ZIP, CHIP, WINNIE AND MARGARET ROSE.
Sealed up some screw and nail holes with TotalBoat THIXO (Thickened Epoxy).
Also built back up some shallow areas on the keel longeron at the bow and daggerboard trunk and sealed up the inside faces of the daggerboard trunk and mast step.
Next up we'll scarf the bottom panels in prep for installation.
Thinking of buying a Sunfish or have Spring commissioning maintenance? Check out our book The Sunfish Owners Manual, full of tips and photos of the World's most popular boat, with a Nautical Glossary.
A couple of notes about the deck edge trim. Be careful when removing the corner trim, it is easy to bend the trim and tear the thin piece of aluminum around the rivet hole.
The trim is attached with a rivet that is only supposed to go through the top of the trim, not all the way through. Keep an eye out for sharp burrs on the bottom side of the trim, usually from where drill bits went too far when the trim was removed or when new holes were drilled in the deck edge flange. Knock the edges down with a file, they can catch unsuspecting fingers.
We picked up a Sunfish sail and Sailfish sail on ebay, and when they arrived we were pleasantly surprised to find out the Sailfish sail is for the smaller Alcort Standard Sailfish, 65 square feet versus the 75 square feet for the Sunfish sail and Super Sailfish sail.
Ratsey and Lapthorn had a sail loft on City Island for many years, wish they were still there, they did some amazing work. The cut and stitching are phenomenal.
We didn't notice at first but the sail is 4 panel vs the 5 panel cut of the Super Sailfish and Sunfish. It measures about a foot shorter along the luff and foot.
The 5 panel Super Sailfish sail, 75 square feet.
Quality bronze hardware.
Aout 4 1/2 inches of draft cut into the foot and 3 1/2 inches in the luff.
We'd like to know how they go so clean of a cut and perfect stitching.
Now we need a boat to go with it. Guess we need to draft up plans for a Standard Sailfish hull :)
Metal De Persia bailer screw cap. They seize up enough on their own, without help from a coat of paint. First Gen Sunfish did not have a bailer, that might have been the best tack.
Cross section of a DePersia bailer, bow od boat to right. The knurled cap is supposed to be unscrewed while the boat is underway and let water be pulled out of the cockpit by venturi.
Old hull panels used as patterns. There was extensive checking (flaking) in the plywood. These are the aft sections.
Lined up 2 layers of 1/4 inch marine grade Douglas Fir plywood and used hull panels as a pattern. These are the forward panels.
Cut the ply with a DeWalt jigsaw. Stayed just about 1/8th inch outside the line on the outside edge and we'll plane that down once the panels are fit on the boat. The inner edge we cut to the line.
We beat the rain! For our Northern friends, that green stuff is called grass. 74F today.
Keel strip is rabbeted to cover and protect the edge of the hull panels. We'll make a new one.
The Supervisor flew by to check on things.
2 pieces of 4x8 plywood required to make the 4 bottom panels. Next we need to cut the scarfs to join the panels together. They will be attached with thickened epoxy and silicone bronze ring shank nails.
Put a barrier coat of TotalBoat WetEdge on the interior of the Douglas Fir plywood. That interior face is where any wayward moisture would end up and the open grain needed to be finished to protect against moisture. Used a Mighty Mini roller kit and Redtree Fooler double chip brush to carefully smear the paint around, a flood coat. All supplies available from Jamestown Distributors.
1963 wooden Sunfish had a V shaped coaming, aka the Mustache, cut from mahogany. Attached through the deck with screws at the end. Held together in the middle by a cool bronze bracket made by Wilcox and Crittenden Co, Inc.
1963 wooden Sunfish had a V shaped coaming, aka the Mustache, cut from mahogany. Attached through the deck with screws at the end. Held together in the middle by a cool bronze bracket made by Wilcox and Crittenden Co, Inc.
Rigged our Penobscot 14 ST. JACQUES for sail today, she sports a sprit sail rig. We chose the rig for simplicity, small size of the spars, ease of use and ease of storage. We added a brailing line to collapse the sail while we are on the beach and while we are rowing. We consider it a hasty reef as well.
Skipper's ensign.
Longleaf pine oars nestle under the breasthook when underway, ready for use. The kine on the starboard belaying pin is for the snotter line, that holds the bottom of the sprit spar. The mast thwart is removable, but we have found that it makes a nice backrest when rowing from the forward seat.
The snotter line has a second purpose, it holds the mast in the thwart in the event of a capsize.
The cypress centerboard is not weighted, so we added a downhaul line with cleat, and another line to hold the centerboard up on land.
The padook worked great to paddle away from the seawall and fend off, then there was room for the oars.
The line traveler for the spritsail ties onto a belaying pin on each quarter knee. The jam cleat under the tiller is for the rudder uphaul, primarily used on land. The jam cleat on the inner transom is for the rudder downhaul line, otherwise it is free to float vertical in shoal water.
Skipper's tilt tiller design has been working great, she specified Sunfish tiller straps. My design(s) broke every time!
The Penobscot 14 has a nice 1 inch keel from the bow to just aft of the centerboard trunk, then if flows into a sizable deadwood. Arch designed the centerboard to be offset, a side benefit to that is the centerboard trunk stays clear of debris when beaching. We also added a sacrificial strip of pine along the bottom of the oak keel.
Sunbrella cover holding up great, it's covered in pine pollen vs the boat being slimed.
