For the last 3 weeks I've been sailing the stuffing out of my 2
recently acquired 'Fish. Yesterday evening I was out in 10-17 mph and
had lots of fun chasing a friend of mine around Lake Houston. On
final approach to the boat ramp, I miscalculated the wind. When I
pulled up my daggerboard, a shifting gust blew me right into the
concrete slope that makes up the ramp.
I now have 3 long and deep grooves in the gelcoat on the ridge that
runs the length of the hull, and a couple "chips" (could just be
gelcoat, as the fiber is visible but doesn't appear compromised)
around the daggerboard hole. The chips could have occurred last
weekend when the same boat got hung up over some submerged pilings in
Galveston Bay. This particular boat has had past evidence of a leak
(less than a US pint of water inside the front hull after 3 hours of
sailing).
Sunfish have a reputation for being tough, but reality tells me that
they are not indestructible in the strictest sense of the word. I
don't want to be obsessive about dings and scratches, but I DO want
to preserve the integrity of the boat. What are some indicators that
repair is necessary for quality purposes rather than aesthetics?
Also, one of the masts has what sounds like about a cup of water in
it. How do I get that out and keep it out?
Thanks in advance for all the help.
Fair winds and following seas,
Nolan Habegger
Houston, TX
