Tillers, Gooseneck Settings and Flemish Coil

11 Jul 20:

A conversation in The Sunfish Forum got us motivated to launch our 1981 Sunfish MADISON (green and blue sail) and 1982 Sunfish PHOENIX this morning, because I couldn't remember which tiller setup was on which boat. I think every boat has something different.

After we got back we cleaned up the boats and took some pictures

Just to confuse everyone, we made our own tillers, they come up just short of the cockpit so Skipper can steer with her leg or her upper leg (butt) while she slides around the aft cockpit edge to tack.

Another custom length tiller with a Ronstan Batttlestick 31 inchish. The extension gets used on occasion, mostly when ghosting and reclining in the cockpit.

Color coded blade tips. I hope Skipper doesn't change her mind on which tiller she likes on which boat.

On to halyard and gooseneck settings, how we like it. See how the aft end of PHOENIX's boom (near boat) is peaked up a little more than MADISON?

Both rigs are set to Geezer Rig, plenty of cockpit boom clearance. Both sails are tied 5 sail rings down from the top grommet, or the 6th grommet down, approx 60 inches.

PHOENIX's gooseneck is set at 20 7/8 inches aft of the interlocking bolt.

MADISON's gooseneck is set at 23 3/8 inches aft of the interlocking bolt.

Video: https://youtu.be/qs2FVwrvIlI

Tie 'em how you like'em and post your measurements below!

Log of PHOENIX.

Log of MADISON.

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.

Penobscot 14 ST. JACQUES 28 Oct 18 Sculling and Salvage Ops

28 Oct 18:

Went out in ST. JACQUES for a little exercise, light wind so we planned to row a bit against the ebb tide and then catch a ride back to the dock. Sail a bit if the wind picked up. Skipper found out she could scull with the rudder and make about 2 knots. Also a good test for the new tiller design, it held up great.

We used the padook to clear the groins, I rowed a bit, Skipper sculled, then I rowed back with a little wind on the top of the brailed sail. On the way back we spotted a few snags that were hazards to navigation, dock and seawall boards and knocked loose by Hurricane Michael, so we grabbed them with with the padook and brought them to shore. ST. JACQUES first marine salvage operation!

Miles rowed 1.5/Total 13.25

Log of ST. JACQUES.

Penobscot 14 ST JACQUES 27 Sep 18 Tiller Varnish

27 Sep 18:

Second coat of varnish on the Penobscot 14 tiller, TotalBoat Gleam Marine Varnish Satin, applied with a Fooler chip brush from Jamestown Distributors. And a better look at the new tiller and tiller straps.

Log of ST. JACQUES.

Sunfish Rudder Assembly

30 Jul 18:

Rudder Parts R Us. So when you get a used "new style" Sunfish rudder shipped to you, it might show up like this, to minimize size of packing box. The "new style" started showing up on boats around 1971.

There will be a rudder, tiller, tiller extension maybe, and L-R tiller straps, tiller extension bolt, rudder pin, tiller bolt, rudder springs, and the big part is the rudder cheek with cheek bolt.

There is a plastic bushing that goes between the rudder cheek and the rudder, best to tape it down to keep it centered over the bolt hole.

Spring pin installed with rudder springs. There are bushings under the tiller straps as well. Note the round hole on the forward edge of the blade, that is a dowel inserted cross grain to help prevent grainwise splts caused by stress risers around the fastener holes, and where the tiller strap hits the blade when it is raised. Go easy.

Oh no, some fastener heads are on this side and some are on the other. Better fix that.

We use vise grips to grip the rudder spring and pull it over the rudder pin.

Fastener heads fixed and tiller attached.

Sunfish and Drascombe hardware, mostly, in my Uncle's tacklebox.

Tiller extension has bushings as well.

Tools used for rudder assembly. Mjolnir worked great to tap in the rudder pin, Skipper was like a nervous Mom watching her baby used on something other that grommet tools. It worked great, no tool marks left on the pin and the nylon head was not marked either.

Ready for Test Flight. We had to adjust the gudgeon a bit, the upper arm was bent, probably from being dropped. We used a crescent wrench and gently bent it back down.

Restoration Log of SUGAR 2.

1978 AMF Sunfish SUGAR 2 20 Jun 18 Rudder and Tiller

20 Jun 18:

Assembled the Sunfish rudder and tiller. The small bits of blue tape hold the pivot bushing in place while the rudder cheek is positioned.

Log of SUGAR 2.

St. Jacques Log Sail and Oar Plus Tiller Repair

21 Aug 17:

Took St. Jacques out for a short sail in light winds, worked on the transition from shore to sea. Sail was ready but First Mate forgot to drop the centerboard about halfway, so we went a bit sideways in the light breeze until the dock helped him gain his bearings. Once untangled from the bow line and mainsheet, we poled and paddled a few feet to gain sea room then crawled off the beach under sail. Worked our way up towards the river looking for dolphin, ended up ghosting a bit and rowed for a while. 7 1/2 foot oars for the forward station may be a few inches too long, but it is too early to tell with the limited rowing experience of the crew. St. Jacques was very easy to handle and likes to sail just above a beam reach. Wind died again and temp index started creeping towards 100F, so the oars brought us home. Just prior to the shore, the tiller snapped at the foot and the sail got brailed for the last few feet. Time to watch the eclipse now.

The tiller snapped where I had cut the shoulder too deep, which created a weak point. Kind of like notching a tree to fell it.

Repaired the broken tiller with Jamestown Distributors TotalBoat THIXO (thickened epoxy) and a wrap of 4 oz fiberglass cloth.

Wrapped the fiberglass and epoxy with saran wrap to help smooth the surface and hold the pieces together.

St. Jacques waiting for the next adventure.

Rowed 1 mile/Total 2 miles

Log of St. Jacques

Sunfish Generation 2 Rudder and Tiller

We are fixing this 2nd generation rudder to use on our 1953 Sunfish, which originally had the elephant ear rudder (Gen 1). The wooden Sunfish uses the smaller vertical plate (4 inches) like the Sailfish and Super Sailfish used, because of its shorter transom. Zip will perform better with the bigger 1960s era rudder blade. We will also use a Barrington board, as the original centerboard only measured 31 inches on those short keel wooden Sunfish.

2nd generation tiller from the 60s used on wooden Sunfish, Sailfish, Super Sailfish, and Super Sailfish MKII.

We like Pettit Captains Z-Spar, satin finish. Here it is being applied over the mahogany tiller.