1953 Alcort Sunfish ZIP 19 Jun 20 Final Fittings

19 Jun 20:

Time to refit Zip's bits. After a kayak paddle. First we filed down epoxy bits in the daggerboard trunk, to make sure the daggerboard fit, and yes, it goes in both ways.

Reamed out the carriage bolt hole of any paint drippings, 1/4 inch bit.

Attached the rudder assembly latch plate, secured with a #8 silicone bronze screw, 1 inch.

Fit a new bow strip, quarter round stainless that runs back 16 inches. ZIP showed up to us without one, so this is new bling for her.

Screws got clocked on all the reinstalled hardware.

ZIP got a flip, the finishing dolly disappeared and she got lowered onto the Dynamic Dolly.

ZIP got a new rudder pin.

On the factory boats the keeper chain was attached to the deck, but we found that many of those pins came loose during trailering and now litter the side of America's roadways. They are hard to find, so we attach ours to the rudder.

It is important that the vertical hinge plate have a nice straight edge on the bottom and that the latch plate, the cup that the hinge plate notches into, not have a worn upper edge, other wise there can be slop in the rudder assembly. If you have an old style rudder and it pops out easily, check these parts and make sure the spring plate on the deck is straight.

The last screw, the "Whiskey Screw."

Whiskey Screw video: https://youtu.be/p1z41gdjPFs



The patch looks nice.

Drilled out the hole for the daggerboard retainer line, it was full of dirt.

1/8th inch dacron cord from New England Ropes.

Rigged for sail, prep for Sea Trials on the Sailstice.

She's ready!

Log of ZIP.

Alcort Super Sailfish ZSA ZSA 28 Nov 18 Rudder Assembly Installation

28 Nov 18:

Time to trim the new keel on the Super Sailfish and fit the latch plate, the bronze plate for the rudder assembly that is on the keel. The important measurement is the distance from the deck plate to the keel plate, we took that off of our wooden Sunfish, which uses the same assembly and has the same size transom.

Brought the measurement over to the SUper Sailfish transom and marked the keel strip.

Marked how far up the keel strip to cut, and how deep.

Scribed the cut with a Japanese pull saw then cut with a multi oscillating tool. Smoothed the cut and trimmed to final shape with a 1 inch long handle chisel. The latch plate is secured at the forward end with a #8 silicone bronze screw that goes through the keel strip and into the internal keel longeron. The aft part of the latch plate is secured with a carriage bolt that goes through the latch plate, up through the transom and then through the spring plate on the deck. A wing nut tops off the carriage bolt.

Well the boat is upside down but you get the idea. Wing nut tightens or loosens to control pressure on the latch plate, if an obstruction is hit the vertical plate of the rudder pops out of the latch plate because downward pressure is put on the spring plate. Tightening the wing nut tightens the latch plate and makes it harder for the vertical plate to pop out.

Log of ZSA ZSA.

Alcort Inc Rudder Assembly

Information on the early years of Alcort Inc sailboat rudder assemblies for the Standard Sailfish, Super Sailfish, Super Sailfish MKII and wooden Sunfish.



Rudder system for early Alcort Standard Sailfish, Super Sailfish and wooden Sunfish. The Super Sailfish MKII (fiberglass used similar hardware and a different blade.

Rudder hardware on the left with 4 inch vertical plate is for the wooden Standard Sailfish, Super Sailfish, Fiberglass Super Sailfish MKII and wooden Sunfish. Longer vertical plate on the right is for the 1960-1971 fiberglass Sunfish.