ALCORT Fiberglass Sunfish and Super Sailfish MKII Rudder Carriage Bolt Tube

20 Mar 18:

The fiberglass ALCORT Sunfish and Super Sailfish MKII rudder had a carriage bolt that could move around under sail and that slop allowed the vertical hinge plate to pop out of the bottom latch plate groove. AMF/ALCORT added a rubber tube over the bolt to help keep it centered in the middle of the transom slot. We recently came across a few spares. In 1972 the rudder design was changed to the current style.

Here's a picture of the tube installed on our Super Sailfish MKII SWEETNESS.

1963 Super Sailfish MKII SWEETNESS.

Have you ordered your copy of The Sunfish Owners Manual yet? Great information on the most popular boat ever built.

Fair Winds,
Clark and Skipper

Sunfish Rudder Carriage Bolt Sleeve

The fiberglass Sunfish from 1960-1972 had a bronze rudder releasing mechanism that included hull plates, a spring plate and a vertical hinge. Hinge tension was adjusted by a carriage bolt that ran through a spring plate. The bolt went through the hull of the wooden Sunfish and it was shorter, so there was not much slop. On the fiberglass Sunfish the bolt was outside of the hull and longer, 7 inches, so some slop developed as the assembly became worn. On later 60s fiberglass Sunfish a nylon sleeve or tube was added to help hold the bolt vertical in the transom slot.