Small Boat Restoration: old style rudder

Showing posts with label old style rudder. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

1971 AMF Alcort Sunfish Specifications

16 Jul 19:

Specifications for the 1971 AMF Alcort Sunfish. 139 pounds was a target, hull weights were not strictly monitored yet but they would be soon, as One Design racing grew in popularity and the US Sunfish Class Association grew. The USSCA worked with the manufacturer to improve quality control, maintain the "one design" nature of the Sunfish and implement changes along the way. On this drawing we like to point out that the straight edge of the wooden daggerboard was aft, and that was emphasized in some literature as well. We like it that way because if we hit an underwater obstacle the daggerboard has a chance to rise up over it. Racers tend to run it the other way, with bungee tension, but they are not coming and going off the beach, or sailing in the shoal as much as we do. Also note the 5 panel sail, that would change in the 70s to a 6 panel sail, wide fabric got harder to find and the 6 panel cut was easier to cut into a better aerodynamic shape. The bronze rudder assembly with spoon tip blade and spoon tip daggerboard would be replaced in late 1971 with the new style pop up rudder with pointy blade and a cut down daggerboard, the lower forward edge got angled back and cut straight, it was designed for the Minifish and then used on the Sunfish, not sure why. Racers didn't like it, but that's another story. 1971-2 the cockpit storage cubby appeared also

Note that the Racing Crew was 1-2 people, Doubles racing used to be popular, Team Racing as well. Price with sail, $580! We could sell that boat, in decent shape with a new sail, for $1800 in NW Florida all day.

July 2019 Laser Performance price with sail $4,629.85. Still built new and still a great deal!

The Sunfish is a sailing icon. One of sailing’s best-known brands, it is unmatched in simplicity and performance making it popular for all ages and abilities. Designed as the ultimate beach craft, this maintenance free boat holds its resale value thanks to its robust construction, highlighted by hard chines and a flat underbody. The Sunfish can be stored almost anywhere and is a snap to car-top, making it a popular international class and easy to transport to your favorite beach for family fun.

The Sunfish from LP features:
·Fiberglass hull, now 129 pounds and 1 inch wider with molded non-skid around the cockpit. Rolled deck edge is more comfortable and makes great hand holds.
·Fiberglass foils vs wood. Wooden blades are still available and Class Legal
·Aluminum spars, pretty much maintenance free, rinse them and the sail and let dry
·Line kit
·Class legal sail
·Kick-up rudder system
·Self-bailing cockpit
·Storage compartment in the cockpit

Drop us a note if you want to order one, find a local dealer or contact the current manufacturer Laser Performance.

Didn't mean to turn this into a sales pitch, but these are fun boats! One stick, one string, great way to get some sun and play on the water.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Sunfish and Sailfish Rudder Variations

Sunfish and Sailfish rudders from the 1950s until 1972. Daggerboard also.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Alcort Rudder Releasing Mechanism

22 Nov 18:

This is the way the old style (1947-1972) flip up rudder operates. When the rudder is in the latched position and a backward force is exerted against it as in beaching the Sailfish or on encountering a submerged obstruction, the beveled surface of the hinge plate slides on the matching bevel of the latch forcing it down against the head of the carriage bolt. The carriage bolt then exerts a downward force on the spring. When this force is sufficient to depress the spring the latch drops allowing the hinge plate to swing free. The spring tension can be adjusted as desired by tightening or loosening the wing nut. In general the least tension of the spring which will hold the rudder in the latched position while sailing is the best adjustment and will let the rudder flip up without damage when encountering an obstacle. However, on very windy days when you wish to be sure that the rudder stays latched, it can be positively locked in the down position by tightening the wing nut. (Assembly Instructions For Building Your Sailfish Kit, Alcort, 1960).

On the wooden boats the carriage bolt is held straight because it goes through the transom. On the fiberglass boats the bolt is free and slop can develop. Alcort added a plastic tube to help hold the bolt vertical on later boats.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Alcort Inc Rudder Releasing Mechanism Patent

In 1954 Alcort, Inc patented the rudder releasing mechanism used on their different models of Sailfish and Sunfish sailboats. The bronze assembly allowed the rudder to automatically swing up if an obstruction was struck and then be easily restored to operating position. It was also designed to be "simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use."

From the patent: "The invention provides the following advantages: '
1. It affords a simple means of lowering the rudder into operating position from a boat after launching it from a beach, or in shallow water.
2. It permits a small craft to be driven or sailed upon a beach without injury, as the rudder will disengage itself automatically upon contact with the beach or submerged obstruction.
3. The rudder can be easily restored to operating position manually by swinging it downwardly to cause the lower end of the vertical hinge plate to engage against the rear beveled surface of the latch plate, without replacement of a shear pin or any other part.
4. The release mechanism may be adjusted to release the rudder more or less readily, as conditions demand, by varying the compression of the leaf spring, by means of the thumb nut.
5.The rudder may be locked positively in its operating down position, if desired, merely by tightening the thumb nut as far as it will go.
6.The rudder may be used to steer a boat even when it is in the unlatched or raised position in shallow water, and will afford a fair amount of maneuverability under such conditions, as contrasted to conventional detachable rudders, which had to be fully attached in order to operate."

This is a Standard Sailfish named Winnie, with the first generation rudder blade known as the "elephant ear." The 1940s and 50s wooden Standard Sailfish and Super Sailfish, along with the early wooden Sunfish, would have come with this tiny rudder. Note the short transom, the early wooden boats and fiberglass Super Sailfish MKII rudder systems have a short transom, so a 4 inch carriage bolt was used vs the 7 inch bolt used on the 1960s fiberglass Sunfish.

Here we are installing the rudder deck plate on our 1953 Sunfish Zip. Note that there are screw eyes molded into the bronze plate, so that the aft end of plate can be screwed into the top of the transom. Also note that the carriage bolt goes through the transom, not outside like the fiberglass Sunfish.

Here is Zip sporting an upgraded Generation 2 rudder, also know as the spoon tip. That blade provides much more helm control and is essential if you choose to use a newer design race cut sail on the older boat. The rudder pin has a keeper chain, normally secured to the hull. Since the boat is usually stored outside and it gets trailered around, there is more opportunity to lose that pin, held on only by its 60 year old chain. We changed this up later and secured the keeper to the rudder, which is stored indoors and rides in the car. Note the short transom again.

Ready for launch, just push the rudder down to latch it. Adjust tension as desired.

Rudder down and latched on the 1953 Alcort Sunfish Zip. Skipper was Master and Commander that day. And as always, how about that coaming?!

This is the transom of a fiberglass Sunfish. That transom is taller than the transom on the Sailfish series of boats and the wooden Sunfish. The carriage bolt measures just over 7 inches compared to the 4 inch carriage bolt on the earlier boats. The carriage bolt has also been moved to outside the transom, and a notch has been molded into the transom to provide clearance for the bolt.

This is the top deck plate for the fiberglass Sunfish, note how the rudder pin has the keeper chain eyelet screwed to the deck. We bet that there are a lot of Sunfish rudder pins strewn along the side of America's highways. And also there are no screw eye holes on the deck plate because the end of the plate extends past the transom. The last bit of trivia is that the patent number 2,675,775 is cast into the plate, many folks mistake that for a serial number. Oh, the last last bit of trivia, some early fiberglass Sunfish deck plates DO have a serial number embossed on the side of the plate, usually a low 4 digit number.

Reference:
US Patent 2,675,775 RUDDER RELEASING MECHANISM FOR SMALL BOATS
Alexander Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger, Waterbury, Conn., assignors to Alcort, Inc., Water bury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut
Application December 9, 1952, Serial No. 324,896
Patent Granted April 20, 1954

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Alcort Super Sailfish and Sunfish Archaeology

We have a friend working on an Alcort Standard Sailfish (wooden, 11' 7") and he had some rudder questions. Here is a tour of an Alcort Super Sailfish (wooden, 13' 7") and an Alcort wooden Sunfish, describing some of the rudder assembly nomenclature and other features of the early Alcort sailboats.

Chip and Zsa Zsa's Log

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Madison and Zip Day Sail; Spar Interlocking Hardware Repair

Took Madison and Zip out for a day sail today, winds 8-10 knots, water and air temp 72 degrees.