开云体育

I have a Windflite 14 and yes it is almost a Sunfish. Some of the drawbacks are Sunfish racing clubs won't let you join/race. There is no aft storage compartment and it would be difficult to add hiking straps. Other than these things the boat is a blast. I am not sure about $1,000.00 unless there are no bumps/scrapes and the trailer is in perfect condittion. There are always great buys on e-bay. I keep seeing Sunfish for less than $1,000.00. There are also newer boats available as well
Anyway...my two cents.

Robert Curley <jimbobcurley@...> wrote:


--- icekayaker <coldkayaker@...> wrote:

Hi
I an hunting a Sunfish to buy. I am located in
central Pennsylvania area.
Anyone close by looking to sell? I am looking for a
complete boat. One
that could be sailed the day of purchase. I am
thinking of using it
for small time racing at a local club.
Eric

Hi: I'm in Central NY. Someone in my neighborhood
has an AMF Windflight14 for sail. It looks almost
exactly like a Sunfish and judging by the hardware on
it is the same vintage as my Sunfish (1972). The
price is $1000.00 for boat and trailor. I could find
no information about a Windflight online except that
there is someone else in the country that has one for
sale for $750.00. No one I talked to has ever heard
of this boat. I could get the telephone number of the
seller if you're interested.

Bob Curley

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Hi gang!

I finally got out on the sunfish this past Saturday!
Having sailed nothing but a Hobie 18 the last several years, I must admit that the performance was a little of a let-down, but I think there is room for improvement. The PO was not much of a sailor and surely did not have things tuned properly.

The day started out picture perfect. There was a pretty steady breeze and warm air and water temperatures made for some fine sailing conditions. My 9 year old son and I put the boat in the water at the ramp and his first comment was "dad, it's full of water". I quickly discovered that the self bailer had become a 'self swamper' without the floating ball there to seal off the water from filling the cockpit. We sailed awhile with the cockpit half full, knowing that this was certainly not ideal. There were some decend puffs healing us pretty well from time to time, dispite our 240 + water ballast. There was a definite bow wave ahead of the boat whenever we got going good, so I feel that we never skimmed the surface properly. My son took the tiller for the first time and we flipped just a few moments later. It was actually good for him to experience a capsize since that has always been his biggest fear on the Hobie. I was able to right the boat in moments and off we went. We took a break at the swimming beach after sailing a few decent runs across the lake and I fashioned a screw-in plug out of a piece of drift wood I found by the beach. This actually sealed quite well and improved the performance a bit, but we still never really seemed to skim the surface like I think the sunfish should, and like I recalled doing several years ago with a high school chum. Breaking down was a real snap compared to a Hobie. I was loaded up and ready to roll before I finished my cold brewski! I liked that for sure. We plan to take it out again next weekend.

Comments and questions...

The brass ring on the lower spar seemed to ride up pretty high on the mast. I figure it to be about 4 feet off of the deck, but I didn't measure. Where should the mainsheet normally be connected on the upper spar to give me the best sail angle for recreational sailing?

In the Hobie, when a gust hits I crank down pretty hard on the mainsheet to flatten the sail out pretty well as speed increases and the boat accelerates immediately. On the sunfish, this seemed to slow the boat down. Comments?

I found the mainsheet required more effort than I had anticipated to sheet in under load. My son would have a real hard time sailing this boat alone the way we were saling her. Am I trying to hard to flatten the sail and point to close to the wind?

I have a wooden dagger board. Should it be inserted with the straightest edge forward and the tapered edge to the stern, or the other way?

The rudder had a strong tendancy to turn to weather. I'm used to a more neutral helm. Is this typical?

My sail is pitifull, having several small holes in it and the consistancy of a bed sheet. I know that I need to replace it if I want decent performance, so a good recreational sail is in my future.

I have a shorter mast that I got with the boat. I haven't measured yet, but can anyone tell me what length of a standard Sunfish mast is? I may be using the wrong one.

When pointing fairly high, should the boom spar be sheeted in til it's close to the leeward edge of the transom, or am I sheeting in too tight?

My bridle wire is frayed badly. Should I replace it with an original type cable wire, or should I upgrade to the rope type with a travelling block like I've seen they use on later boats?

Thanks in advance for everyone's help and comments you might have.

John C
Hobie 18
Sunfish
Lou, Ky

_________________________________________________________________
Get MSN 8 and enjoy automatic e-mail virus protection.

Howdy Carlos,

Welcome to the group.

Great feeling, sailing. Puts your hand on the pulse of the planet.

I'd suggest that you store the sails in a closed container....

Careful, you can grow some nasty molds in a container that can't breathe. A
piece of 8" to 12" PVC pipe with both end caps drilled for venting and
screened against insects may be a better option.

Many sunfish are stored on saw horses in a garage out of the weather.

- Or hung from the rafters.

...and if you haven't got an inspection port in your deck, one would be
worth the effort.
You could keep vermin out by duct taping a screen over the opening during
storage. You'll have a nice dry boat for your next sailing venture.

They will store ok on their side, but my personal preference when doing this
is to prop the boat on Styrofoam or at least two wood blocks to distribute
the weight at more than one point.

There are jillions of boats like these that are easy to rig.

Lido 14 and W.D. Schock's Capri 14 come to mind, but if you really want a
cool dinghy that holds 4 and is still easy to set up look for a
Vagabond/Holder 14.


Wayne

-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Robinson [mailto:robinsonline@...]
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 5:08 PM
To: sunfish_sailor@...
Subject: Re: [sunfish_sailor] new owner questions


Hi Carlos,
Yeah, I know how ot feels to begin sailing, wonderful isn't it!
I am 62 and still get the thrill!
I'd suggest that you store the sails in a closed
container....most of my sails are larger and I use trash cans
taped shut. I store all lines in there too. Mice and rats will
find a nest in them if they are around sometimes chewing holes
and making stains.
Many sunfish are stored on saw horses in a garage out of the
weather. Anyway I would store it inverted to keep it dry. It
probably won't hurt it to be stored on its side unless it blows over.
For a second boat I suggest one that you can step the mast by
yourself. As I have gotten older this has become more important
as I sail mostly by myself in a trailered boat. I have a couple
of 12.5 puffers, a Chrysler mutineer, and a rebel...only have to
have help with the rebel. There are jillions of boats like
these that are easy to rig. Good luck in finding one. Some of
my friends sail one design boats in the summer and cruisers in
the winter months.
Fred


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Hi Carlos,
Yeah, I know how ot feels to begin sailing, wonderful isn't it!
I am 62 and still get the thrill!
I'd suggest that you store the sails in a closed container....most of my sails are larger and I use trash cans taped shut. I store all lines in there too. Mice and rats will find a nest in them if they are around sometimes chewing holes and making stains.
Many sunfish are stored on saw horses in a garage out of the weather. Anyway I would store it inverted to keep it dry. It probably won't hurt it to be stored on its side unless it blows over.
For a second boat I suggest one that you can step the mast by yourself. As I have gotten older this has become more important as I sail mostly by myself in a trailered boat. I have a couple of 12.5 puffers, a Chrysler mutineer, and a rebel...only have to have help with the rebel. There are jillions of boats like these that are easy to rig. Good luck in finding one. Some of my friends sail one design boats in the summer and cruisers in the winter months.
Fred


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Hello:

I have recently returned from a trip to our family lake cabin in the
Adirondacks in Upstate NY. I bought a used Sunfish by phone
from a neighbor before arriving, and had the time of my life
sailing for the first time ever. It all felt qutie intuitive, and after a
few trial runs with my family spotting me I went down the 1.5 mile
lake and around a few islands, clipping along and feeling the
wind to give me guidance as to what to do with the sail and tiller.
What an experience.

So now I'm hooked. But I have a few questions about storage. I
simply put the boat on edge on the dock, leaning slightly against
the dock support. Is this okay, or is that too much weight on the
edge? What is the preferred method of out-of-water storage?
This will be stored until next summer.

Also, what is the best way to store the sail? I separated the sail
from the mast and loosely rolled up the mast and boom in the
sail and laid it down in an inside room. Is this enough? (of
course I made sure it was dry....) This room is known to have
had mouse problems. Will they try and get into the rolled sail?
Any suggestions as to a better way to store it?

Thanks in advance for advice. I'm extremely happy to have
discovered sailing at 50 years old, and look forward to many
years of fun. My only regret is that I live across the country from
this summer cabin and now have to contemplate buying a boat
and trailer to do local sailing!

Carlos Alden

--- icekayaker <coldkayaker@...> wrote:

Hi
I an hunting a Sunfish to buy. I am located in
central Pennsylvania area.
Anyone close by looking to sell? I am looking for a
complete boat. One
that could be sailed the day of purchase. I am
thinking of using it
for small time racing at a local club.
Eric

Hi: I'm in Central NY. Someone in my neighborhood
has an AMF Windflight14 for sail. It looks almost
exactly like a Sunfish and judging by the hardware on
it is the same vintage as my Sunfish (1972). The
price is $1000.00 for boat and trailor. I could find
no information about a Windflight online except that
there is someone else in the country that has one for
sale for $750.00. No one I talked to has ever heard
of this boat. I could get the telephone number of the
seller if you're interested.

Bob Curley

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software

Thanks for the insight. I should elaborate, I have an old beat up
Holder 12 (looks like laser) that I brought back to life and put a
sunfish rig on. Has a 12' mast instead of the stock 10', and does
have a stock sunfish sail with the logo and everything.

Friend of mine has a sunfish and challenged me to a race. I have
never raced before, looking for tips on how to setup my boat to beat
him, and what type conditions I should look for when picking the day
to race.

I am a bigger guy at 290 lbs and 6'2", and he is about 5'10", guessing
220 lbs? Sounds like I should look for the heavier wind days.

I have always loved the sunfish but ended up switching to this Holder
12 because it sorta has a cockpit that I can lounge around in, with my
sunfish, my back started complaining after 6 hours or longer sailing
trips, and that is the type sailing I mostly do.

Sail setup:
- How do I tell how tight or loose to make the luff and foot?
- Should I lower the sail and make it more of a deck hugger for the
race, or keep it up high?

Any other setup suggestions?

Thanks
Shorty

Hi Frank,

Well, new boats come with a strap and retro kits are available - see item
"N" here

I use the foot-under-the-cockpit-lip myself, but the strap sure would be
more comfortable. I think it changes the center-of-gravity and lets you hike
out farther as well making the boat a bit more stable.


Wayne

This is a never ending source of comment/argument.

2003 Portsmouth number for a Laser: 91.3. 2003 Portsmouth number for a
Sunfish: 99.6. This means the numbers claim that the Laser is a little
faster. If you get really experienced racers, that likely is true. When
I've sailed Portsmouth against Lasers, I usually beat them ... often boat
for boat.

Laser racers are vehement that they're faster and more fun. Sunfish racers
contend they are equally fast and way more fun. Lasers have a slight
advantage in light air, meaning they move faster (less wetted surface, high
aspect ratio rig gets sail up into more air). Sunfish have a slight
advantage in heavy air (hard chines, more stable hull shape, lateen rig
which is adjustable for further depowering). Lasers capsize far easier in a
big blow than Sunfish. I've raced both.

For folks who want to race, if they are 6' or taller and 175-195 pounds, the
Laser is a perfect choice. For folks who are 4'10-6'10 and 85-240 pounds,
the Sunfish is a perfect choice.

The choice also comes down to the folks you want to be with. Sunfish
sailors are there to have FUN and race, overjoyed when they do well, and
still happy when they do not. They're willing to share tips and tricks,
help newbies get rigged and get going, etc. I haven't raced a Laser in
quite a while, so I don't want to comment on ancient history ...

There's my two cents!

8-)

Gail

~~~/)~~~~/)~~~/)~~~~~/)~~~~~~/)~~
Gail M. Turluck
Sunfish 24186
~~~/)~~~~/)~~~/)~~~~~/)~~~~~~/)~~

That's the way to go. I'm pretty sure Dan Feldman at Wind Line Sails has a
link in his "How To" section of his web site for installing one.



Good luck. It's about a 3 hour project including installing the inspection
port, way less if you already have one behind the splash rail ...

Sincerely,

Gail
~~~/)~~~~/)~~~/)~~~~~/)~~~~~~/)~~
Gail M. Turluck
Sunfish 24186
~~~/)~~~~/)~~~/)~~~~~/)~~~~~~/)~~

Was wondering how sunfish compare when raced against Lasers. Anyone
have any experience and advice in this area?

Thanks
Shorty

I was thinking of installing a single hiking strap for simplicity.
Any comments??
Frank

--- In sunfish_sailor@..., "Wayne Carney" <wcarney@f...>
wrote:

Hi Eric,

Welcome and come on in out of the cold.

You might also post a message here:


If you find a Fish or even a clone, hang with this group. Lots of good
sailing advice for the asking.


Good luck on your quest.

Wayne

Wayne

Thanks for the advice. And the warm welcome. Still shivering from last
winter ha ha.
Eric

-----Original Message-----
From: icekayaker [mailto:coldkayaker@a...]
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 12:00 PM
To: sunfish_sailor@...
Subject: [sunfish_sailor] hunting sunfish


Hi
I an hunting a Sunfish to buy. I am located in central

Pennsylvania area.

Anyone close by looking to sell? I am looking for a complete boat. One
that could be sailed the day of purchase. I am thinking of using it
for small time racing at a local club.
Eric



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Hi Eric,

Welcome and come on in out of the cold.

You might also post a message here:


If you find a Fish or even a clone, hang with this group. Lots of good
sailing advice for the asking.


Good luck on your quest.

Wayne

Hi
I an hunting a Sunfish to buy. I am located in central Pennsylvania area.
Anyone close by looking to sell? I am looking for a complete boat. One
that could be sailed the day of purchase. I am thinking of using it
for small time racing at a local club.
Eric

Most suspect places to look are the entire daggerboard trunk, mast step, and
if you have the old style rudder (brass fittings), the screw into the bottom
of the hull. After those comes the rim of the deck, but those leaks are
harder to repair (not impossible). Good luck. ]

When air testing you need a fair amount of pressure, but not enough to blow
the fiberglass off the 2-part expando-foam that glues it to the styrofoam
blocks.


--G

~~~/)~~~~/)~~~/)~~~~~/)~~~~~~/)~~
Gail M. Turluck
Sunfish 24186
~~~/)~~~~/)~~~/)~~~~~/)~~~~~~/)~~

Hi Wayne,
I noticed you are active on this list and the beachcats list.
I'm embarrased to say that I haven't gotten to sail the sunfish yet. The later part of the summer has been quite busy. I took the H18 to Florida two weeks ago, but decided not to piggyback the sunfish on the trailer. I'm just now catching up on life from that trip. The Ohio river is the closest body of water for me to sail the sunfish on, but it's been unusually muddy and high all summer long. I have a small lake about 30 minutes away that might do OK if I ever find the time. I'm sure I'll manage before the water gets hard and give a full report.

Thanks for asking,

John C
Toy list:
Hobie 18
Sunfish
928 Porsche
Louisville,KY

From: "Wayne" <wcarney@...>
Reply-To: sunfish_sailor@...
To: sunfish_sailor@...
Subject: [sunfish_sailor] Re: Rudder and tiller help
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 15:13:56 -0000

Hi John,

I have an 'early style' tiller and rudder assembly available...

How's the boat now that you've been sailing with the proper rudder?
Getting any teaching time in on the Sunfish or just sailing the Hobie?

You've been awful quite since you got your new boat parts.


Wayne





--- In sunfish_sailor@..., "John Campbell" <jkcjohn@h...>
wrote:

I have an 'early style' tiller and rudder assembly available for

$95 +

shipping. let me know if you are interested and I'll provide

further

details and photos. No sense in reinventing the wheel!

John C

From: "fnhspartan" <marquette_93@h...>
Reply-To: sunfish_sailor@...
To: sunfish_sailor@...
Subject: [sunfish_sailor] Rudder and tiller help
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 18:19:53 -0000

I'm making some parts for my Sunfish's maiden voyage and could use
some help.

Anybody got the dimensions of a simple tiller and extension? They
must be just two narrow boards pivoting on a single bolt.

Also, the rudder diagrams do not indicate the locations for the

bolt

thru-hole and the spring posts. The rudder assembly diagram also
indicates a third hole in the rudder blade - is that for a stop?

Please let me know soon. Thanks!

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_________________________________________________________________
<b>Get MSN 8</b> and help protect your children with advanced parental controls.

Hi Mike,

Saturday was too calm, and I could barely putt around.

There are some tricks, e.g, Sit on the leeward side to help the sail to
fill, sit down in the cockpit, push the boom out to catch some wind. You'll
learn as you sail more.

It was frustrating trying to sail straight and I found out
how much sailing the boat requires skill rather than knowledge.

Knowledge AND Skill! ...that puts you a class above power boats that only
need gas. 8^)

Try sailing "off the wind" a bit more while you are practicing your skills.
Practice pointing close to the wind on calmer days. Easier said than done,
but it's a way to handle stiff breezes.

I got very good at righting the boat after
capsizing (must have done it 10 times)

A very good skill to have. Good sailing classes teach this in the first
lessons... you can see why now. You're really good when the boat blows over
and you are still sitting on the side rail and don't even get wet.

There are a number of scrapes and pits in the gel coat where I can
see fiberglass. I can go around to each of those and patch them with
West Systems epoxy.

Gelcoat paste might be less expensive.

I plan to air-test the hull for leaks after
that. Sound ok?

Sounds good. see:
Remember, the technique is to blow air _at_ the drain hole, don't seal the
connection and pressurize the hull - you can blow a seam.

Sounds like you have been taking on a lot of water. The most important thing
to do at this point is to install an inspection port. see:
-and-

Will I be doing any harm to the hull by sailing it
again after these repairs (but before I dry it out)?

The sooner you can dry it out the better, but you should be able to go
sailing in the mean time. If you are still taking on water you may be
negating your efforts until you can let it dry completely.

Look over the material on waterlogged boats in the Group FILES area.
"Search" back through the various discussions on the topic in the message
area.


Sail on,

Wayne


OBTW, Lots more good tips in the Wind Line How To Page:

-----Original Message-----
From: fnhspartan [mailto:marquette_93@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 11:04 AM
To: sunfish_sailor@...
Subject: [sunfish_sailor] Re: Rudder and tiller help


Thanks, Wayne. I took my Sunfish out for the first time last
weekend. What an education!

Saturday was too calm, and I could barely putt around. Sunday was
too windy (15+ knots?) for a first-time sailor and I got blown down
the lake. It was frustrating trying to sail straight and I found out
how much sailing the boat requires skill rather than knowledge.

I got very good at righting the boat after capsizing (must have done
it 10 times) but the worst part was towing home a hull that was
nearly filled with water. I emptied it out and it's sitting on dry
land now but I need some advice:

There are a number of scrapes and pits in the gel coat where I can
see fiberglass. I can go around to each of those and patch them with
West Systems epoxy. I plan to air-test the hull for leaks after
that. Sound ok? Will I be doing any harm to the hull by sailing it
again after these repairs (but before I dry it out)?

Thanks again.

-Mike

Please dry it out ASAP.

The styrofoam inside can soak up the water if it is left inside. It then becomes a real nightmare getting the water back out of the styrofoam. Sometimes it isn't possible and one must open up the boat at the hull/topdeck joint, to remove and replace the foam.

Again, the best bet is get rid of the water FIRST Thing. (grin)
Dave J
sd0044@...
=======================================

Thanks, Wayne. I took my Sunfish out for the first time last
weekend. What an education!

Saturday was too calm, and I could barely putt around. Sunday was
too windy (15+ knots?) for a first-time sailor and I got blown down
the lake. It was frustrating trying to sail straight and I found out
how much sailing the boat requires skill rather than knowledge.

I got very good at righting the boat after capsizing (must have done
it 10 times) but the worst part was towing home a hull that was
nearly filled with water. I emptied it out and it's sitting on dry
land now but I need some advice:

There are a number of scrapes and pits in the gel coat where I can
see fiberglass. I can go around to each of those and patch them with
West Systems epoxy. I plan to air-test the hull for leaks after
that. Sound ok? Will I be doing any harm to the hull by sailing it
again after these repairs (but before I dry it out)?

Thanks again.

-Mike


--- In sunfish_sailor@..., "Wayne" <wcarney@f...> wrote:

fnhspartan,

Anybody got the dimensions of a simple tiller and extension?

Take a look in the FILES area for a new tiller diagram.

The rudder assembly diagram also indicates a third hole

I believe the third hole you are looking at is actually the post

for

the kick-up spring.


Wayne



--- In sunfish_sailor@..., "fnhspartan"
<marquette_93@h...> wrote:

I'm making some parts for my Sunfish's maiden voyage and could

use

some help.

Anybody got the dimensions of a simple tiller and extension?

They

must be just two narrow boards pivoting on a single bolt.

Also, the rudder diagrams do not indicate the locations for the

bolt

thru-hole and the spring posts. The rudder assembly diagram also
indicates a third hole in the rudder blade - is that for a stop?

Please let me know soon. Thanks!