Showing posts with label halyard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label halyard. Show all posts

Monday, June 3, 2019

1963 Alcort Sunfish CHIP 03 Jun 19 Rub Rails and Rudder

03 Jun 19:

Coat of TotalBoat Topside Primer for the rubrails, which are preshaped pine trim from Lowes.


Sanded rudder with 120 grit on a DeWALT random orbital sander, rinsed with Clorox.


3rd and 4th coats of TotalBoat Halcyon varnish.




Installed rudder releasing mechanism, patented 1953 and used until 1969.






Installed the bridle eyestraps 10 inches forward of the transom, to the center of the strap. Fastened with #10 silicone bronze Frearson head wood screws, predrilled pilot hole.



2 coats of TotalBoat Halcyon varnish for rudder and tiller.


Gathering bits for CHIP, daggerboard, halyard and sheet.


Log of CHIP.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Alcort Super Sailfish ZSA ZSA 26 Nov 18 Hull Fairing

26 Nov 18:

Picked up the sheet, halyard, bridle and bow line from West Marine, New England Sta-Set.


Trimmed the bottom panel edge with a flush cut metal blade on a DeWalt multi oscillating tool, used the metal blade because I needed the flush cut. Trimmed it as close as I dared then finished with a Stanley #5 jack plane and light passes with a Black and Decker belt sander. Sanded the fairing compound with 60 grit on a DeWalt random orbital sander


The rub strip is rotten in one spot so we will scarf in a new strip. We started by cutting out the bad part, eyeballed a 45 degree cut and made it with the oscillating tool. The bow is to the left, so we angled the forward end of the scarf so it would overlap aft....


...and angled the aft scarf so the rub strip will overlay it.


Peekaboo.


The wooden Sailfish and Sunfish have a stainless rub strip that wraps from the tab on the bow handle, around the stem and aft 18 inches. Speaking of bow handle, it is different than the fiberglass boats that do not have the tab, or the keel strip. We used the rub strip off of our wooden Sunfish CHIP as a guide, ZSA ZSA's was missing so we need to order a new piece of 1/2 inch, half oval strip. To fit the metal rub strip with used a 3/4 inch long handle hand chisel to bevel down the wooden keel strip, and cleaned that up with the jack plane.



Sanded with 60 grit and ready for primer.


We applied TotalBoat Topside Primer, rolled the bottom with a Mighty Mini Roller kit and brushed the sides with a Redtree Fooler chip brush.





Log of ZSA ZSA.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Sunfish Sailboat Hull, Spars and Line Specifications

Here is a list of Sunfish Specifications, provided by Sunfishsailboats.com aka Yankee Boating Center. They have great a great parts and service department, even live people to talk to on the phone. I have bought several class legal sails, line kits and other Sunfish parts from them. One neat thing they will do when you buy a line kit is pick out line colors that will compliment your boat's color.

From Sunfish Sailboat

We bough this Mackinaw sail from them...

From Sunfish Sailboat

and this red and white sail...

From Sunfish Sailboat

and this Newport sail...

From Sunfish Sailboat

and this Mai Tai sail...


Here are specifications for the spars:

Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy
Mast -
Style: Round Tube
Finish: Clear Anodized
Length: 10' (3.05 m)
OD: 2-1/4" (57.15 mm)
Wall Thickness: .083" (2.11 mm)

Spars -
Style: Round Tube
Finish: Clear Anodized
Length: 13' 8" (4.17 m)
OD 1-1/2" (38.1 mm)
Wall Thickness: .065" (1.65 mm)

Have a great sailing season! Check out our book The Sunfish Owners Manual for more great information

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Sunfish Sailboat Sail Rigging

28 Apr 18:

We like to rig our Sunfish sail so the boom is comfortably clear of the deck, we call this the recreational rig.


The gooseneck is placed about 22 inches back, between the first and second sail grommets back from the tack.


The halyard is tied about 60 inches from the top of the gaff, 5 grommets down from the head grommet. This puts the halyard close to the aft end of the cockpit when the gaff is lying down.




Our friend Dozer likes the rig on his 1982 Sunfish VIPER.




Get more great tips on the history and How To of the Sunfish and Sailfish from The Sunfish Owner's Manual, we put it together and published it December 2013.

Catch the wind!!

Thursday, November 2, 2017

AMF Sunfish Parts New Old Stock

02 Nov 17:

Bought some AMF Sunfish parts from ebay, a couple of nice daggerboards. One was the spoon tip sold from the early 60s until 1972, and the other was a Barrington board sold from the 80s until the late 90s, it was new old stock and still had its box! We also scored some boom caps, a deck drain assembly and a halyard still in their AMF bags.



Monday, May 6, 2013

Sunfish Pickin Perdido, FL

Found a 1982 Sunfish, decent condition, not being used by new owner.

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

Nice ride home behind the pickin van

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

North sail is a little faded but usable

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

Rudder is in good shape

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

Daggerboard is even better shape

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

A few simple projects, clean up the end of the sheet

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

Boom will be replaced, it has already been trimmed an inch and goosneck area has corrosion

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

Perdido boat got a bath and some light sanding and wax may be next

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

Monday, March 18, 2013

Sunfish Rigging

West Marine is having a 25 percent discount sale on rope this month, so we went by their store in Ft Walton Beach and picked up 25 feet of 3/16 inch sta-set line for a halyard, red and blue fleck. Also 25 feet of 5/16 inch sta-set line for the mainsheet, we like ours just a little smaller for hand grip and also goes through boom blocks and cleat better when new. And 8 feet of 3/16 inch shock cord with 2 shock cord hooks for the daggerboard retainer. I already had a 50 foot piece of New England 1/8 inch rope at home that I have been cutting up for for outhauls. It would also make good daggerboard retainer line if the daggerboard still has the old style brass spring.
I normally can get a complete line kit from Yankee Boating Center for $49.99 plus shipping. The West Marine sale price was 75 cents a foot for the sheet and 43 cents a foot for the halyard, so my total Sunfish rigging purchase out the door, with tax, was $45.63. Add in some money for gas and both line kits are about the same, so I am guessing YBC must be able to get a dealer discount on rope.

From Sunfish Sailboat

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Sunfish Rigging Manual


I have been looking for a good rigging manual. Found it on Laser Performance's website:
Sunfish Rigging Manual




Laser Performance new parts list

There are some nice folks working at the Laser Performance store in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, I have talked to them a few times.
Here is a link to their new parts list: Laser Performance Parts List

From Sunfish Sailboat