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Our buddy Howie worked at Alcort in Waterbury Connecticut from 1960-1978, then he did warranty work for them for another 10 years. He is thinning his stash and we just got a box of goodies from him. Skipper claimed the jacket but she let me try it on :)
Alcort AMF sailboat parts circa 1960-1988.
Horizontal latch plate, horizontal hinge pin and vertical latch plate for the wooden Alcort sailboats, it has screw eyes on the stern end for wood screws that fastened into the oak transom. The 4 inch vertical latch plate is for the wooden Sailfish and Sunfish that have the shorter transoms. The horizontal latch plate on the left was for the fiberglass boats. The 7 inch bolt and wingnut is for the old style rudder on the fiberglass Sunfish with the taller transom.
Vintage Wilcox and Crittenden hardware. The block with the eye screw id for the wooden booms on the early boats.
The bottom on ZSA ZSA is finished, so it was time for a float test. ANd since we were going to do a float test, why not rig for sail? We launched ZSA ZSA from the dolly and I walked her out a bit to clear the dock, Skipper on the helm. A light push and she was underway, for the first time in at least 5 years and many more before that.
There was only a wisp of wind but that is where these boats have a great time.
Barely enough wind to disturb the water but enough for Sea Trials.
Skipper on her high speed pass. She was working hard to maneuver the boat in about 30 inches of water, I had waded out to get pictures, 500 feet off shore and still only waist deep. WE used a longer daggerboard today to improve tacking, more about that in another post. Once she got ZSA ZSA off the shoal she didn't have to hold the daggerboard up with her feet :)
Another pass over the shoal, Skipper and ZSA ZSA were good sports posing for the paparazzi.
Out to play for a bit, tacks and gybes went beautifully. The boat sat great in the water, beautiful lines. Alcort tucked the bow up a little bit from the original design, that helped prevent submarining that was common on the first model.
One more pass for the photog. Skipper has found that on the Super Sailfish that it is easier to lay back to tack versus bending forward, better balance on the boat.
My turn, I used our mini Greenland paddle to get clear of the treeline wind shadow, it worked great. We wanted a small paddle that would fit in a Sunfish cockpit with the Greenland style blade, this works nice and takes up very little room, easy to use one handed because the blade is not too big.
The paddle tucks out of the way nicely on the Super Sailfish, I think we'd need a lanyard on windier days :)
A few quick strokes with the paddle to get through a lazy tack.
Light wind day, fun to just put the tiller over and do donuts. Back to the beach, Sea Trials successful.
ZSA ZSA will head back to the shop to work on the deck fit and finish now, we had a few tiny leaks in the deck seam, daggerboard trunk and mast step. No leaks on the bottom seam or keel! The sail set beautifully and we were very happy with how she handled with her new skeg, in light winds and shoal water she didn't really need the daggerboard. Rudder stayed in place and felt very secure, the tiller straps could be straightened a bit. Overall an enormously successful and fun time!
Lots of little jobs today, rigging for Float Test and Sea Trials. Takes time to get all the bits in the right spot. Started off by needing to move the boat from the sawhorses down to the Dynamic Dolly. Flying ZSA ZSA using Skipper's small boat hoist, which is made from Sunfish eyestraps, sheets, halyard blocks and halyard cleats.
One of these spars is not like the other. They should be around 13' 9", trimmable down to 13' 8 inchish. Not sure why the boom was so long, not the first time we've seen it.
Much better, trimmed it with a metal blade on a reciprocating saw. Notice how the vintage spars have a different outhaul and cap arrangement, eyebolts vs the integrated plastic tabs on the outhaul caps
Here's another common issue of corrosion at the interlocking eyebolts, solution is to trim 1/2 inch off. We removed the rusted eyebolts by twisting off the stop nut with vise grips and tapping the bolt out with a hammer, then popped the old boom caps off
We used a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade, Kobalt cordless was the tool choice today. It came as part of a set with the drill, impact drill and flashlight. We have been happy with the set.
Drilled holes for the new spar interlocking eyebolts through the clean spar and spar caps with a Milwaukee 3/16th inch titanium bit. We also added a new style outhaul cap on the bottom spar with the tab pointing down. Why you ask? Some of you folks know why. That plastic tab will act as bumper and prevent the eyebolt from gouging a half moon arc on the front deck.
Time to put the sail on the spars, we like to bend it on the vintage Alcort way. 50 feet of 1/8th inch nylon line by New England Rope is plenty to bend the sail onto the spars. We cut two outhauls off the end, about 2 feet each is plenty. Attach the tack of the sail with an S hook. Tie the outhauls at the head and clew. Then find the middle of the remaining line and run a piece out each spar to the outhauls.
We attach the sail with a marlin hitch, leaving enough slack so the seam of the sail can stand up. Finish off the line at the outhaul with a couple of half hitches.
Time for a halyard. We use 25 feet of 3/16th inch New England Rope Sta-Set. We have the length marked out on the deck. 25 feet works for the sheet as well.
Woo! Check out that classic 5 panel Ratsey and Lapthorne sail, soft like budda. And just drink in the beauty and simplicity of a vintage Alcort.
This hull has a few extra options, toe rails and a splashguard. They are well done so we don't know if Alcort added them at the factory as a trial or one of the owners added them.
Bow handle, rub rail and toe rail detail. We ordered the half oval stainless keel strip that starts under the bow handle tab, wraps under the stem and runs down the keel 18 inches.
Most Sailfish have just a halyard cleat on the side of the mast collar, we will probably change ZSA ZSA back to that configuration.
How we start the marlin hitch, loop it around the interlocking eyebolts then put a hitch on the tack grommet, one for the gaff and one for the boom.
Alcort Super Sailfish ZSA ZSA.
ZSA ZSA is being upgraded with a Barrington style daggerboard, it measures 39 inches vs the factory 31 inch board. Tacks will be much improved and leeway reduced. We still need to repair some parts of the deck, sand, fair, prime and paint.
Vintage rudder assembly, check out that tiller. And look at the half moon scatch from the tiller extension bolt, ZSA ZSA was sailed a lot at one point.
New drain plug and bridle.The original drain plug was bronze and they are hard to seal, someone changed it to a newer style plug, which was worn. We'll go with this style for now, sealed in with epoxy.
Ready for Sea Trials. Tomorrow!
To roll up the sail, make sure it is not is not pinched between the spars, pull it away from the mast, find the middle and start loosely rolling it.
Look how soft this old sail is, a new sail will need to be rolled looser.
Roll the sail up to the spars and throw a loose sail tie around it.
This is a good way to secure the sail while refreshments are being had. The rudder can be popped up and held down by the spars so it does not drag while launching or retrieving. We also take a bit of the sheet sometimes and tie the spars to the bridle.
Alcort Museum. (L-R) 1953 wooden Sunfish ZIP, number 13 of the first 20 pre production boats built, snoozing under a boat cover. 1950s Alcort Super Sailfish ZSA ZSA awaiting Sea Trials. 1963 wooden Sunfish CHIP patiently waiting for a new bottom. 1950s Standard Sailfish WINNIE says "Im ready!" These boats represent the first 3 styles of boats that Alcort built, beginning in 1949. In 1960 the fiberglass versions of the Sunfish and Super Sailfish began hitting the high seas.
Attached the final 3 bottom panels to our Super Sailfish. We used TotalBoat THIXO (thickened epoxy) in the seam, ran a bead around the sides and keel, and another bead on the edge of the panel, that should help ensure complete coverage. One bead down one glueing surface is not enough, as the wood soaks in some of the epoxy and might result in a glue starved joint. When the panel goes on we look for a small bit of epoxy to squeeze out, that tells us the joint is full and there is enough pressure on the panel. It took about one tube of THIXO per panel. I like the THIXO because the consistency is perfect for this application, and it is handy to dispense it from the tube in a nice bead, that minimizes epoxy being smeared everywhere and optimizes keeping epoxy in the joint.
Once the panel was positioned we drilled pilot holes and fastened it with 7/8th inch #14 silicone bronze ring shank nails, supplied by Jamestown Distributors.
Keel strip fastened by drilling a pilot hole and counterbore for a 1 1/2 inch #8 silicone bronze wood screw with a Fuller combination bit. These screws use a Forstner bit. Screws and Fuller bit set also supplied by Jamestown Distributors.
Took a break between panels to see if we could trim the bottom panel with a flush blade on a DeWalt oscillating multitool. We could get close if we were careful. Sanded with 60 grit on a random orbital sander.
Back to drilling pilot holes for the nails, the template we made worked out great on the straight sections of the hull.
When we got to the curves at the bow we found it best to offset the template from the nailing line and use it as reference for the holes, otherwise we couldn't follow the curve.
I was told that only the Great Spirit can make something perfect, so goof ups are welcome on our boats. I made sure there were several, as tribute. And it gives the Usual Visitors something to look for.
Spacing for the keel strip screws was 6 inches, shhhh, don't tell anyone that Alcort recommends 7.
There is a 18 inch keel band that attaches at the bow, it is a continuation of a tab on the bow handle. We need to buy some more quarter oval strip to make on for ZSA ZSA, the one shown belongs to CHIP. While we are here, check out the keel strip or skeg. ZSA ZSA had a deep skeg that fit between the bottom panels, the Sunfish CHIP had a short skeg that covered the panel edges. I asked Skipper for guidance on how to make the new skeg, she said keep it tall and add the overlap, and call it the "Hunter Skeg" after her sailing ancestor LT. Ben Hunter. The Sailfish does not have much draft to aid in lateral resistance, the skeg should help with that and aid in tacking.
All 4 panels epoxied and nailed. Hunter Skeg fastened. 2 boards over the scarf joints to hold light pressure while the epoxy cures.
