Have yet to get my sunfish in the water, but knots I know.? You may want to consider this one.
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Thanks for all the replies - I knew this group would come through for me!
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Re: Comments on an old Sunfish
The paint I used was Interlux brightside epoxy.? I bought it at a local marine supply house for $36/quart (beats West Marine by $20)..? My color?was 4152 yellow but they carried? several other colors.? I put on two coats with about 1/4 of the can left
over.? Very nice paint.? Has a special thinner (Interlux 216 solvent) that?I used to clean my brush.? The paint dries hard and pretty smooth which helps reduce butt friction when tacking and hiking.? I did not spend a lot of time prepping¡..would have done
more if I knew?it would come out so nice.? Just some light sanding with an orbital sander and taping off the alum rail and hardware¡.no filling dings.
I am down to one bike, a 71 BSA 500 single¡. last year of production?before BSA went out of business.? Sold my other BSA¡¯s.? I rebuilt a number of them and rode them down along the shore towns and in the country.? I don¡¯t ride much anymore.? It cuts into
my sailing time and I am up at an age that if I drop a bike I will not recover quickly.
My boat has a small leak that I have not located despite pressure testing.? About a cup or water, maybe two after a sail shows up in the hull but I just drain it out. The spars and mast are good and I have another sail now with a window in it.
Do you know about the Harkers Island regatta?? It is in July and it will be my first regatta.? It is a 10 mile race around Harkers Island.? It will be a competitive race for some od the better sailors but I think a bunch enter just for a great time.? I¡¯ll
be with that crowd.
Where in NC do you hail from?? A lot of shallow sounds which keeps the waves down but the wind is always blowing.? Wilbur and Orville even knew that.
Cheers,
Mr Mike
Michael,
Thanks very much for this thread. As a beginner, in a 60's sunfish like yourself, it's an interesting read! Many thanks. Also interesting to learn about your bikes, although my days of bantams and tiger cubs are well behind me...another story for a different
day.
Meanwhile, I was impressed by your deck repaint. I don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time 'renovation' an old boat which is there primarily to be sailed but I would like to refinish the deck since that's the part I spend the most time looking at (
apart from the sail of course, and quite often the bottom...).
You say marine epoxy. Can you supply any more detail? Or a brand?
Many thanks and hope you're getting out. Those of us who live on the water are lucky indeed.
Best regards.
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Re: Lake Michigan Sailing (getting off the beach)
Hi Andrew, ? I grew up sailing on Lake Michigan north of Chicago (Winnetka Yacht Club). There were hundreds of Sunfish on racks. We had a junior sailing program with about 20 kids three times a week and maybe 25 Sunfish on a weekend racing (along with a fleet of Thistles, Flying Juniors and later Lasers and Enterprise). Nothing fancy. No clubhouse. Just good racing and instruction for youth and adults (the club would end up with at least one Sunfish world champion, Masters champion, one Thistle national champion and a number of other high-caliber contenders). ? For the larger boats there was a launching ramp that went right into the lake (no breakwater at the time) and the Sunfish launched off the beach. If it was a northeaster the waves traveled over 300 miles down the length of the lake and were quite exciting by the time they got to us. ? How to launch: ? If there are any appreciable waves it's best to have someone help. If they can help you launch the boat, and then hold it, so you can get in, in deep enough water to get your daggerboard halfway down and your rudder down, you can have the mainsheet ready to trim and the trick is to go off on a close/beam reach so you have the power to get through the waves. A strong push by the person helping gives you a head start. This is all possible to do alone once you become more experienced. But even for the experienced, in extreme waves, it really pays to have help. ? If you're alone, and certainly in less extreme conditions, you want to generally do the same thing. Get your board down halfway, get your rudder down and the sheet in your hand, push the boat out so you have some momentum (that will give you steerage) ¡ And jump in ¡ trim hard and fast. ? If it's really wavy, and you are trying to maintain a perfect bottom is smooth as a baby's butt (most folks who are racing), the safest thing is to come in with speed, surfing, as fast as you can, and ride right up on the beach. Obviously you need to get your daggerboard up at the last minute so you don't damage your boat. The rotor will kick up on its own. Then jump out of the boat, quickly, and pull it all away up on the beach before the next wave hits. ? There is a saying in flying, "With speed there is control." The worst thing you want to do is basically stop and then broach in the waves. If you have a really nice boat, maybe for racing, we usually surf to the beach and then in the trough of a wave quickly go head to wind and jump out of the boat and grab the handle. Hopefully someone will come and help you get it on the dolly. ? Good luck. It's worth the effort! ? Mark Kastel La Crosse, Wisconsin ? PS: Photos below of my "new" boat. I race a pristine 1984 AMF/Alcourt Sunfish. I bought this one last year, a 1975. It's in pretty good shape and I have a used racing sale to go on. It's for practice. The maiden voyage was last Saturday on Lake Onalaska (part of the upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge). It was oilcanning and making noise pretty badly under the cockpit or just below the storage compartment so I'm not sure this will ever be competitive for racing but it cleaned up pretty well and is going to be a lot of fun for 500 bucks. I can leave this one on the beach, at the local club, and keep my good boat hanging in the rafters of the garage ready for the next regatta (I sure hope there might be a few yet this year). ? 
? 
Mark A. Kastel Kastel@... 608-625-2042 ?
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From: [email protected] < [email protected]> On Behalf Of Andrew M via groups.io Sent: Monday, May 4, 2020 2:47 PM To: [email protected]Subject: [SunfishSailor] Lake Michigan Sailing #LakeMichigan #Alcort ? I have a nice old Sunfish that I have been sailing on lakes in Northwest Indiana (NWI).
Does anyone sail out of any of the beaches, casting off from the beach?
Any tips on sailing Lake Michigan in NWI?? Wind conditions, wetsuit, etc.? Thanks!
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Re: Questions From The First-Time Sailor
Mark Suszko wrote:
¡°I dread capsizes because I'm not exceptionally young or fit and when I have gone over, climbing back in after righting the boat in deep water has been a huge struggle. After a couple of attempts I get too tired. So for now I sail only in a shallow cove where I can literally stand up and ?walk the boat back to shore.¡±
?
My club (in normal times) conducts sailing lessons for adults using Sunfish sailboats. We get a wide range of ages and fitness levels. One thing we do for people who have difficulty getting in the boat after a capsize is to create a stirrup by tying a 6 to eight foot length of line to itself with a bowline around the hiking strap. If you don't have a hiking strap a line secured to the top of the dagger board will do. In shallow water we adjust the stirrup so that when the line is flipped over the side of the boat it forms a loop that the sailor can put his or her foot in and step up to enter the boat. In normal sailing the line just lies on the bottom of the cockpit.
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Re: Questions From The First-Time Sailor
One thing to try if you get tired and can¡¯t get back on is to hang on the bridle and tiller, grab the sheet and sail back to shore with the Sunfish dragging you behind. Might be a lifesaver as it was for one gent who had a mild cardiac event in a similar dinghy, he got back to shore and was able to call for help.
On Friday, May 8, 2020, Shawn L < shawn@...> wrote: When I was younger (and more fit) I could sometimes work it so that I could move from the top of the dagger board directly onto the boat as it was coming back upright.? Though this was on a sail fish.? Took my kids out on it a couple of times as well -- they could just hang on to the splash rail on the high side and ride the boat back up.
I've considered rigging some sort of foot stirrup?that I could use to get back onboard with less effort.? Thinking about doing it on a kayak as well.
I dread capsizes because I'm not exceptionally young or fit and when I have gone over, climbing back in after righting the boat in deep water has been a huge struggle. After a couple of attempts I get too tired. So for now I sail only in a shallow cove where I can literally stand up and ?walk the boat back to shore.
-- Kent B. Lewis
(850) 449-4841
--
Cheers
Clark and Skipper
Our blog
Our book?
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Re: Comments on an old Sunfish
Michael,
Thanks very much for this thread. As a beginner, in a 60's sunfish like yourself, it's an interesting read! Many thanks. Also interesting to learn about your bikes, although my days of bantams and tiger cubs are well behind me...another story for a different day.
Meanwhile, I was impressed by your deck repaint. I don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time 'renovation' an old boat which is there primarily to be sailed but I would like to refinish the deck since that's the part I spend the most time looking at ( apart from the sail of course, and quite often the bottom...).
You say marine epoxy. Can you supply any more detail? Or a brand?
Many thanks and hope you're getting out. Those of us who live on the water are lucky indeed.
Best regards.
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Re: Questions From The First-Time Sailor
When I was younger (and more fit) I could sometimes work it so that I could move from the top of the dagger board directly onto the boat as it was coming back upright.? Though this was on a sail fish.? Took my kids out on it a couple of times as well -- they could just hang on to the splash rail on the high side and ride the boat back up.
I've considered rigging some sort of foot stirrup?that I could use to get back onboard with less effort.? Thinking about doing it on a kayak as well.
I dread capsizes because I'm not exceptionally young or fit and when I have gone over, climbing back in after righting the boat in deep water has been a huge struggle. After a couple of attempts I get too tired. So for now I sail only in a shallow cove where I can literally stand up and ?walk the boat back to shore.
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Re: Questions From The First-Time Sailor
I dread capsizes because I'm not exceptionally young or fit and when I have gone over, climbing back in after righting the boat in deep water has been a huge struggle. After a couple of attempts I get too tired. So for now I sail only in a shallow cove where I can literally stand up and ?walk the boat back to shore.
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Re: Questions From The First-Time Sailor
Strongly agree that learning to treat capsizing as part of life is fundamental in dinghy sailing. ?It was my great good fortune to be taught at a place with that philosophy, instead of the club across the river that said to sit on top of your turtled boat and wait to be picked up.
The link that was posted below starts out with two statements (about avoiding capsize) that don¡¯t necessarily apply. ?First of all, it talks about the stability of a keelboat, and a Sunfish is anything but that. ?The only ballast is you, so keeping the boat rightside up depends on your alert response to the amount of wind in the sail. ?You respond in two or three ways:
¡ª if the gust is sudden and brief, and your heading gives you room to let the sail out sufficiently, then rather than turn the whole boat into the wind (the other statement that may not apply), you just loosen the sheet and let the sail spill the wind.
¡ª if the wind increase is sustained and you want to take advantage of it and go faster, you can keep the sail sheeted in but move your body weight farther out to counterbalance it. ?Be ready to come back in quickly if the wind dies!
¡ª if you¡¯re going in a direction where there¡¯s not enough sheet length to slacken the sail, then you do need to turn into the wind, at least enough that you have room (sheet length) to let the sail empty. ?But be careful ¡ª if you have the centerboard down and you turn too quickly, the turn itself will roll the boat in the same direction the wind is pushing it. ?(Known as ¡°tripping on your centerboard.¡±) ?So it¡¯s generally good not to have the board too far down when you¡¯re sailing at an angle that¡¯s downwind very much. ?In those directions you don¡¯t need the board much anyway.
The Sunfish has a boom whose tip slants reasonably high above the boat. ?But if you go spend time in another kind of dinghy whose boom is lower, there¡¯s another way you can trap yourself, too (and you might even manage it with a Sunfish, I haven¡¯t tried) ¡ª if:? ¡ª you haven¡¯t responded in time to keep the boat from heeling over,? ¡ª and you¡¯re moving along at a significant speed,? ¡ª and the sail is out far enough that the boom has begun to drag in the water,?
then loosening the sheet can¡¯t save you, because the drag of the water itself on the outer corner of the sail will keep your sail tight even with the sheet released. ?Beginners who have this happen to them are going in the drink, and can end up wondering why it didn¡¯t help to loosen the sheet. ?(In the desperation of getting rolled, it¡¯s hard to be very analytical about everything going on.) ? This is probably one reason that the small sails sometimes issued to beginners on windy days are cut at an angle that holds the boom high. ?(Another reason may be to reduce the chance of the boom knocking you on the head in a gybe.)
And beginner or not, there may not be much you can do at this point ¡ª the only two things, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve succeeded with either of them, are (1) hike out really hard and try to pull the boat flat enough to get the boom out of the water (but since you¡¯re dealing with a gust that¡¯s rolled you to begin with, good luck with that¡) ?and (2) if you did leave your board down, then counterintuitively, you may be able to roll back up a bit if you turn sharply downwind ¡ª the flip side of the caution I mentioned earlier.?
Even if this succeeds, you¡¯ll be in a kind of undefined situation, pointed strongly downwind with a sail too full. ?If you have enough sheet length available, you may still be able to let the wind out; if not, and you¡¯re clear of other boats or obstructions, your best option may be to gybe and try to stabilize yourself on the other tack.
Have fun learning to use the wind!
Crispin
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª What direction are you sailing? If the wind gusts the beginning sailor will want to pull in on the line controlling the sail (sheet in). The best thing to do is loosen up and dump the wind, in other words ¡°let everything go.¡± Don¡¯t actually let go, but relax a little. The boat will not capsize if you control the sail and shift weight and steer up a bit into the wind, as the boat will slow and stop as you steer into the wind, also called ¡°going into irons.¡±
Don¡¯t be afraid to capsize, early lessons include standing next to the boat in shallow water and use the halyard to pull the boat over onto its side. Make sure the sheet is not tied off and that the daggerboard is fully inserted. Work around to the bottom of the boat and push the daggerboard down to right the boat. Climb back aboard.
Check out this flyer Learn To Sail in 3 Days and keep the questions coming??
Cheers
Clark and Skipper
Our blog
Our book?
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I use the Ossel Hitch to attach the halyard to the upper spar. Its benefits are: it is easy, it resists a sideways (up or down the spar) pull and it stays firm even when wet which we often can be.?
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Directions can be seen here:?
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Re: Health Benefits Of Sailing
There is no better connection to wind and water.
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Cheers
Clark and Skipper
Our blog
Our book?
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Re: Understand What¡¯s Happening
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Cheers
Clark and Skipper
Our blog
Our book?
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Re: Questions From The First-Time Sailor
What direction are you sailing? If the wind gusts the beginning sailor will want to pull in on the line controlling the sail (sheet in). The best thing to do is loosen up and dump the wind, in other words ¡°let everything go.¡± Don¡¯t actually let go, but relax a little. The boat will not capsize if you control the sail and shift weight and steer up a bit into the wind, as the boat will slow and stop as you steer into the wind, also called ¡°going into irons.¡±
Don¡¯t be afraid to capsize, early lessons include standing next to the boat in shallow water and use the halyard to pull the boat over onto its side. Make sure the sheet is not tied off and that the daggerboard is fully inserted. Work around to the bottom of the boat and push the daggerboard down to right the boat. Climb back aboard.
Check out this flyer Learn To Sail in 3 Days and keep the questions coming??
Cheers
Clark and Skipper
Our blog
Our book?
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You want a rolling hitch.?
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We wrap the spar two to three times, wrapping from the aft end of the boat towards the bow, then tie two half hitches. The half hitches lay across the wraps and hold them snug. A piece of gaff tape to mark where the wraps go is also good to keep the halyard snug, and we usually wrap just under a where a sail ring is.?
Here¡¯s one of our videos:?
Also more Sunfish information on our YouTube page, use the search window to look up your areas of interest.?
Cheers!
On Thu, May 7, 2020 at 11:36 PM crispin_m_miller < crispinmm@...> wrote: Hi, Jim,? My boat is bermuda-rigged (not a ¡®fish) but I¡¯ve played with knots a lot.? While a clove hitch may generally work there, it¡¯s a kind of marginally secure knot.? You might want to try two variants of it: (1) rolling hitch a.k.a. tautline hitch: do cross toward the tack as you describe, but before you do, take a second wrap around the spar, winding aft toward the peak, THEN cross toward the tack, over both turns, and apply the finishing half hitch.? This stacks up two wraps above the standing part of the halyard so that to slip up the spar, it has to slide both of ¡®em.? Mark¡¯s suggestion of some tape (maybe friction tape like they sell to wrap the grip of your hockey stick) also sounds good, though. (2) Ashley constrictor knot. ?(But you may need pliers to untie it): Tie a normal clove hitch but before you snug it up, cross the working end over the first turn and tuck it back through it, in the direction that makes it emerge in the middle between the two turns.? Then work things around so the diagonal cross of the clove hitch sits on top of the tuck you just made, binding it ¡ª then pull both ends tight.? Both ends should end up emerging between the two wraps, in similar fashion (in opposite directions).? Once you¡¯ve?pulled the ends tight, this knot is locked remarkably securely.
Have fun ¡ª Crispin On May 7, 2020, at 10:40 PM, Mark Kastel < kastel@...> wrote: Jim, ? Think of it is two half hitches around the spar. As a safety you can add 1/3 half hitch and a figure 8 knot on the end is a "safety." A piece of tape on the spar will keep the halyard from slipping and your spars coming down towards the deck. ? Good luck, ? Mark Kastel Sunfish 7500 La Crosse, Wisconsin (former scoutmaster although somewhat dyslexic --- it took a lot of time as a Boy Scout to learn the knots in order to earn small boat sailing merit badge) ? Mark A. Kastel Kastel@... 608-625-2042 ? ? Hi all,
They say to use a clove hitch to attach the halyard to the upper spar. Over time I've pretty much memorized it, though I still have a diagram of it stashed in my crate of sailing stuff just in case. However I have experienced issues with the clove hitch sliding up the spar or coming undone from time to time and I think the issue is related to which way I cross with the working end on the first turn around the spar. It seems to hold better if I cross over towards the tack. Or put another way, when rigging the boat with the spars laying on the deck, if I cross over in the direction of the bow. Have any of you observed this too?
Thanks,
Jim
Conway, MA
-- Kent B. Lewis
(850) 449-4841
--
Cheers
Clark and Skipper
Our blog
Our book?
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Questions From The First-Time Sailor
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What if there¡¯s a gust of wind? Will the boat capsize?
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Understand What¡¯s Happening
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Sailing is rich with jargon, tradition, and lore. You¡¯ll better absorb the complexities if you know the basics ahead of time.
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Health Benefits Of Sailing
Do you have to justify days spent on the water ¨C to your family? your boss? yourself? Is it not just egotistical hedonism, an escape from responsibilities? Maybe, but now researchers have discovered scientifically (which we privately knew all along) that sailing is actually the same as going to a health farm (and cheaper, probably. Here are the results, brought to you by Dr Gillian McKeith
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No faster than the trailer, or there's going to be problems.
As with go-carts, when you run close to the road or the water, things seem faster than they are. ?11 knots or 12 MPH is the record, I think, but it sure feels like more in person, especially if there's a hard wind and choppy waves. I know it feels like a hot rod compared to my Butterfly scow. But my technique is still nascent.
11 knots is twice the rated "hull speed" of the boat. ? ?I'd theorize the Sailfish, being built more like a windsurfer, could go faster, if sailed like a windsurfer. But not as fast as a windsurfer designed from scratch which is scary fast, topping out over 53 knots.
My guess is five knots would be the average cruise speed of most Sunfish casual sailors and for me, thats plenty.
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Steve King
Signal Charlie