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cleaning up a minifish that has been in storage

cjoannes@cfl.rr.com
 

what is the best way to clean up a minifish ... discolorations on white decking mostly. and is there some kind of overall treatment to apply to help keep the surface protected from FL sun? any advice appreciated. thanks!
 

Sail it first and see if the discoloration affects sailing :)

But if you're bored ashore, go least intrusive first.?
1) Dawn dishwashing liquid soapy water and let the sun bleach it a bit.?
2) TILEX but do not let it sit too long or dry.
3) 3M Fiberglass Restorer and Wax
4) Wet sand with 1200 then 2000 grit followed by a good past wax like Meguiars
*) Iron Out Rust Stain Remover gets rid of mineral stains. READ THE PRECAUTIONS and wer Personal Protective Equipment

Of course we need photos!

Cheers
Kent and Skipper
 

I had good luck on mine using Bartender's Friend and damp towels, then acetone, prior to prime and paint or waxing. Be careful with acetone: wear gloves and a mask and do it outdoors, away from ignition sources.
 

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Hi Mark,

?

I'm glad you suggest taking precautions using acetone but there also might be less toxic alternatives (CarboClore?). You mentioned flammability but I wanted everybody to understand its toxicity as well.

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I understand acetone is a potent liver toxin and carcinogen. It absorbs through skin and through the lungs.

?

The sad part is it functions excellently for many applications in working on fiberglass boats. Input about alternatives, from our experts, would be appreciated.

?

Best regards,

?

Mark

?

Mark A. Kastel

Kastel@...

608-625-2042

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From: sunfish_sailor@... [mailto:sunfish_sailor@...]
Sent: Monday, April 8, 2019 9:38 AM
To: sunfish_sailor@...
Subject: [sunfish_sailor] Re: cleaning up a minifish that has been in storage

?

?

I had good luck on mine using Bartender's Friend and damp towels, then acetone, prior to prime and paint or waxing. Be careful with acetone: wear gloves and a mask and do it outdoors, away from ignition sources.
 

3M Marine Restorer and Wax.? With a buffing wheel.? Take your time.?

The only way to combat Florida sun is with a hull cover.?

cjoannes@cfl.rr.com
 

thanks for all your info and suggestions. had her out on sunday and she floats and sails ok considering the wind conditions (dismal). including a pic on the water ... just enough wind to get enough speed to make it through the "no wind" zone (sorry but my technical terms are lacking) and make it to shore. the other pic is a close-up of the deck before i washed it with mild detergent and water. it looks better but i wouldn't mind shining it up a bit and of course protecting the surface. also it has very fine cracks that are visible when you look closely. it is outside now but i will be making room in the garage to keep her under cover. heading out of town now but will post more pics upon my return.
 

What Gail said.?

Our good friends at Jamestown Distributors sell it and ship fast if you can't find it elsewhere.



Cheers
Kent and Skipper

PS Where is your Minifish and what is her color scheme?
 

Last year I acquired a Minifish that had been sitting in a farmer's barn for 30 years completely encrusted in dust, moss, and lichen.?

I removed most of the heavy crud off with a spray bottle of Fantastik and Scotch-Brite nonabrasive scour pads. Do circular motions with very light pressure. When that was done, I followed up by polishing it off with microfiber towels.? ?

After few hours of cleaning it looked like this:


?
I should have taken before photos to compare.?

As for the two holes in the deck, my Minifish has the same. I put a piece of transparent vinyl inflatable tube repair tape over them.?

It's starting to warm up around here. Can't wait get back out on the water!

~Rolan


---In sunfish_sailor@..., <cjoannes@...> wrote :

thanks for all your info and suggestions. had her out on sunday and she floats and sails ok considering the wind conditions (dismal). including a pic on the water ... just enough wind to get enough speed to make it through the "no wind" zone (sorry but my technical terms are lacking) and make it to shore. the other pic is a close-up of the deck before i washed it with mild detergent and water. it looks better but i wouldn't mind shining it up a bit and of course protecting the surface. also it has very fine cracks that are visible when you look closely. it is outside now but i will be making room in the garage to keep her under cover. heading out of town now but will post more pics upon my return.
 

She looks great. The one hole on the coaming I don't know about, I'd seal it up with a dab of Gorilla glue ot thickened marine epoxy or MarineTex epoxy putty. The hole on the deck might be a vent hole for the hull, some Minifish had those under silver serial number stickers to allow hull pressure to equalize. ANother spot for those vent holes is on the forward wall of the cockpit.

Don't worry about the fine cracks, that is gelcoat crazing, normal for a 40+ year old boat. The gelcoat is there to be pretty and protect the fiberglass underneath from UV. As long as there is not large areas of gelcoat chipped away or crushed fiberglass underneath from an impact, she is good to sail.

No wind areas?
"Horse Latitudes"
"Doldrums"
:)

Cheers!
Kent and Skipper
 

The little holes must have been for a cleat or perhaps the base of a mainsheet block. A compass could also go there. Holes might be too high up to be from a mount for a hiking strap, but look at the back end of the footwell to see if there were matching holes there. Could maybe re-use the holes to mount a waterproof otter box for an MP3 player or radio, etc. if you like tunes to sail to... or a bottle holder?
 

If you need a new sail to go with your nice Minifish I have 12 new Minifish sails in three color choices.

Craig


On Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 10:16:58 AM EDT, rolanyang@... [sunfish_sailor] wrote:


?

Last year I acquired a Minifish that had been sitting in a farmer's barn for 30 years completely encrusted in dust, moss, and lichen.?


I removed most of the heavy crud off with a spray bottle of Fantastik and Scotch-Brite nonabrasive scour pads. Do circular motions with very light pressure. When that was done, I followed up by polishing it off with microfiber towels.? ?

After few hours of cleaning it looked like this:


?
I should have taken before photos to compare.?

As for the two holes in the deck, my Minifish has the same. I put a piece of transparent vinyl inflatable tube repair tape over them.?

It's starting to warm up around here. Can't wait get back out on the water!

~Rolan


---In sunfish_sailor@..., wrote :

thanks for all your info and suggestions. had her out on sunday and she floats and sails ok considering the wind conditions (dismal). including a pic on the water ... just enough wind to get enough speed to make it through the "no wind" zone (sorry but my technical terms are lacking) and make it to shore. the other pic is a close-up of the deck before i washed it with mild detergent and water. it looks better but i wouldn't mind shining it up a bit and of course protecting the surface. also it has very fine cracks that are visible when you look closely. it is outside now but i will be making room in the garage to keep her under cover. heading out of town now but will post more pics upon my return.
 

Can you send me more info about the Minifish sails?

~Rolan
Gerry Lempicki
 

Hi Craig,
?Can you tell me more about the Minifish sails as far as color and pricing?
Thanks!??
-Gerry

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 10:56:17 AM EDT, Craig cjo1023@... [sunfish_sailor] wrote:


?

If you need a new sail to go with your nice Minifish I have 12 new Minifish sails in three color choices.

Craig
 

Price is $150. I have the following colors:

Dragon


Sunrise



Mackinaw


Shipping probably around $15

Craig



On Wednesday, April 10, 2019, 5:37:14 AM EDT, Gerry Lempicki ka1stz@... [sunfish_sailor] wrote:


?

Hi Craig,
?Can you tell me more about the Minifish sails as far as color and pricing?
Thanks!??
-Gerry

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 10:56:17 AM EDT, Craig cjo1023@... [sunfish_sailor] <sunfish_sailor@...> wrote:


?

If you need a new sail to go with your nice Minifish I have 12 new Minifish sails in three color choices.

Craig
 

Nice work on the Minifish Rolan! And great pictures of damage commonly found inside mast tubes and daggerboard trunks, chipped resin. A simple fix with some fresh thickened epoxy or epoxy putty.
 

Looking at the picture, you might consider tying the halyard farther up the upper spar (gaff). That will bring the tail end of the boom up a bit. She looks like a lot of fun!

We had some Minis for a while but the Skipper liked to run over me with them... :)


Cheers
Clark and Skipper
cjoannes@cfl.rr.com
 

thanks "lewis.kent@..." for the comment about moving the halyard up a bit. i was wondering myself if the placement was/is right. this boat had been rigged with a sunfish sail which was too large. i shortened the spars (piece of cake since there was a join about 18" from the end which was the amount i figured needed to come off) and replaced the sail with a minifish sail. so all the rigging may be off a bit.

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