Bridle Replacement

Bridle needs replacement

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

If Sunfish is late 80s or older, the screws go into a wooden backer block, held in place by adhesive or fiberglassed into place. Sometimes the block can come come loose of both screws are removed at the same time. To prevent this, only remove one screw at a time and loosen the other. Put new bridle on and reinstall screw. Newer Sunfish have a threaded metal backer plate

From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration

Stripes and hardware

Installed the coaming, it screwed back in pretty easy. I was able to press 4 seized up screws with rivnuts back into original holes and seal with epoxy

From Sunfish Sailboat

Gudgeon, backer plate and hardware

From Sunfish Sailboat

Gudgeon installed, with a bit of silicone around the screw holes

From Sunfish Sailboat

Both wooden backer blocks for the eyestraps had fallen off. I had to dig through some foam on each side to find them, luckily they had not gone too far. I put some silicone on them, flipped them around, held them in place while Jack drilled a pilot hole. Then we dropped in a screw, put on the bridle and put in remaining screw. That was a satisfying sound to hear them snug up to the deck when we tightened them

From Sunfish Sailboat

Jack puts in the inspection port for the first time. We had to take it back out in order to have more room when the backer block issue arose. Plus the hardware was goofed up, I had some stop nuts that were the wrong size. I grabbed them from the bin at the hardware store without checking ALL of them. I normally do, but I was rushed because I was last customer in store. Also remember to pick up a few extra, in case something gets lost in hull

From Sunfish Sailboat

Her is the rig we plan to use. Sail, mast and spars came from Craigslist, the sail matches new color

From Sunfish Sailboat

Put another coat of paint on the stripes today then pulled off the tape. Also installed bow handle, halyard block and halyard cleat

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This Sunfish is ready to go!

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New bridle and inspection port, reinstalled with new hardware

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Aft deck stripes and cockpit. We left the vintage AMF Alcort sticker

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Halyard Cleat Repair

This halyard cleat has a screw sheared off in the wooden backer block. I picked a drill bit that fit inside the halyard cleat screw hole, in this case it was a 5/32 inch bit, and then drilled into the deck where the old screw was stuck. These are the tools used to drill out the old screw, and you can also see the progress of the deck repair. (Edit Tip) When working over internal wooden backer blocks, leave one screw in at all times to prevent the block from falling into the hull. Do one screw hole, reposition hardware over repaired hole, put in screw loosely into new hole, then swivel hardware aside to work on second hole.)

From Sunfish Sailboat

As I drilled I saw wood shavings coming out, a good sign that the backer block is still there. There were more shavings than what are shown, but it was windy today :)

From Sunfish Sailboat

Next I'll force some Marine Tex epoxy putty into the drilled out screw hole. Once it is dry, I'll drill a small pilot hole and install a new halyard cleat screw, either an original bronze or newer stainless screw. The deck repair will get another layer of Marine Tex, then sanded and painted.