sunfish sailboat forum

SUNFISH OWNERS GROUP

Sunfish Enthusiasts, Day sailors to Racers

Sunfish Owners Group is formed for all those who seek the camaraderie of sailing, restoring, racing and owning the venerable Sunfish.  There is many sources of information relating to the Sunfish and this group supports ALL Sunfish owners.  Membership is free.

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• Dec 12, 2020

How To Rig A Sunfish Sailboat

• Dec 11, 2020

Sunfish Sailor Reacts to SUNFISH SAILING TERROR Video

Sunfish Sailors try a Vanguard 15 Sailboat

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The Sunfish Owners Group will help bridge the gap with ALL owners of Sunfish Sailboats. Our community can come together to explore recent news and past stories. Read on to see more about what’s been happening lately, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all the latest updates.

RADICAL FS RUDDER

Oct. 7, 2020

A brand new vertical Rudder is being made specifically for the Sunfish.  It will need the "newer" gudgeon bracket (which has been on sunfish for probably 40 years).  The company claims it has less weather helm, weigh half as much, improve speed with less drag.

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Used sunfish / purchase guidance

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I'm relatively new to Sunfish sailing but have got the bug and am LOVING it, thinking its time to buy a used boat! After browsing local Craig's list and newspapers ads all Summer, I've come across a 2003 Sunfish that I'm excited about and considering buying, but have a few concerns. For starters, the boat I'm looking at does not feel "heavy" and at first glance looks like its in "near mint" condition with just a few typical "bump" dings on the sides along the top of the deck (which have been epoxied over). BUT, on closer inspection I'm wondering whether or not the following issues should be "deal killers": 1) MAST STEP: Looks like there is a vertical 1" - 2" surface crack in the mast step. Not an obvious hole or gouge by any account, but definitely a break in the otherwsie completely smooth surface. Should this be repaired or just leave it? If not repaired, is this an area that will likely let water get into the hull overtime or is this no big deal (i.e. something that many 10+ year old boats face from normal wear and tear in the delicate mast step)? If repaired, is it a big expensive job (worth doing) or a simple gel coating or other epoxy type filling that could clean it up (something that even a novice like myself could do)? 2: DAGGERBOARD SLOT: It looks like there is a faint 1" - 2" surface line near the to of the opening about 1" into the slot. Same issue and questions as with the Mast Step above (i.e. Big issue?, simple repair? or just leave it and not b concerned?). 3. STRESS CRACK. There is what appears to be a "stress crack" and some "spidering" coming off one end of the crack just behind the right side of th cockpit on the top of the deck. As I understand it, "stress cracks" like this are fairly common as boats get older. Is this true or is there something I should be more concerned about here? If its just a cosmetic issue, is there something I can do to get rid of these lines and/or keep them from getting worse? Or, do I just leave them "as is" and not be concerned at all? MANY THANKS to all of you who share your experience and guidance. So GREATLY appreciated as I begin to take my sailing skills to the next step (hopefully)! As an aside, I have pictures I can include that shows each of the above noted issues, but since I'm new to this forum I don't know how to attach photos (or if they are even allowed). Any guidance for adding Pix is also appreciated. Best, Rob  

Hi Rob, Welcome to sailnet from a satisfied sunfish owner! It was my first sailboat as a kid and I've had one ever since in the family, many moons later. Of the three issues you listed, the mast step sounds like the one to pay the most attention to, but this is where pictures would come in handy. I'd put the mast into the mast step hole and see if there is any movement in the crack when you put a side load on the mast. Also, fill the mast step with water and see if it drains into the hull. Even if the boat fails those two tests, a 2003 sunfish is still a baby (mine is a mid '70s model) and it would have some major damage before one might decide it's beyond repair. Fiberglass cracks are a relatively easy fix - perhaps you could use them as a negotiating point for an otherwise sound boat. Does the owner have all the rest of the gear - sail in good shape, daggerboard, rudder/tiller/tiller extension, spars/mast/halyard, main sheet... maybe a trailer? With respect to uploading pics, check out the sailnet FAQs - about 4 posts down is a recent thread on the subject. Myself, I find photobucket easy to use. I upload the photo there, copy the "img" link from photobucket and paste that into my sailnet post. Good luck with the boat shopping (and sailing!)  

THANKS for your reply, Bill. As a newbie out here I can't believe how generous and kind people like you are to share your insight and knowledge. As for me, I'm first coming to sailing as a man in my early 50's, hoping to share the fun with my 12 year old daughter. I've now included some pix below. As for the mast step, I did fill it with water as a test when looking at boat, waited a while and was glad to see that the water lever stayed the same without any of it seeping into the hull. The pix of it attached show the shot I took from above looking down the hole and then an extremely zoomed in shot to greatly magnify the crack. In the photo of the daggerboard slot the stress cracks appear just below the blue gel coat as a couple of faint arcs (not as obvious to see as the crack in the mast step). The pix of the stress crack on the deck is clear to see (but doesn't form a 90 degree angle, more like stem with a bouquet of flowers!). Curious to hear your follow-up prognosis on all of these issues after viewing the pix. Thanks again for all of your help.  

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That Sunfish hull is still in near mint condition. Those "cracks" in the mast step & center board trunk could just be spots where the gel coat did not adhere or was scraped off. Hope you can get this one for a good price. Seems to me a fair price for a hull in this condition is around 1500 +/- (mostly plus). If I'm not mistaken they cost about 3500 new. I see loads of older Sunfish listed on CL/eBay in the 500 - 1000+ range. There are some real advantages to getting a newer Sunfish. Like BillSull I have sailed mostly on "ancient" hulls from the 70's. Many of them readily take on water and must be drained after a few hours use. A newer hull should hopefully be air tight and can be safely sailed longer and harder. Great boat for a 12 year old too. If your daughter takes to it she could soon be sailing it by herself or with friends (and you too, of course!).  

THANKS CALEBD for the encouraging words. Someone else on another forum thought the placement of the crack in the mast step was not a big deal; particularly since it was not near the opening of the hole which apparently absorbs most of the movement/stress from the mast. He suggested I apply Marinetex, sand and not think about it any further (unless and until it becomes a real issue). As for the other components, after a very careful inspection the hull appears to be blemish free. The Daggerboard is the new composite style, the rudder and tiller are wood with the newer aluminum extension . . . all of which are in excellent condition. The mast and spares also appear to be in excellent condition, but curious to hear your thoughts as to what I should be looking out for other than making sure everything is straight. The sail is a white racing sail and appears to be in fine shape, but a little stained in places and with some sticky adhesive residue where numbers had been applied. I actually spoke to the service people at North Sail and they said it would come off easily with acetone and not do any damage to the sail. . . confirming that acetone is what they use all the time to get duct tape-like adhesive reside off of sails sent in for repair. The only thing that seems to be missing is the bungee retainer cord and so-called brummel hooks (?) that wrap around the hole in the board and front pull handle. I assume I can get these items for just a few bucks when I pick up the Marinetex. Do you know the length of bungee that I will need for this? And, is it customary to attach it to the front pull handle or somewhere else? I seem to recall reading where some people wrap it around the mast, but not sure what works best. But wait . . . there's more! It is being sold with a Seitech dolly (also is excellent condition)! The whole package is being offered for $850 (not on LC, but from someone at a local "yacht club" in my area). I am aware that a package like this on CL goes typically in the $1500 +/- range as you've noted (and ALOT more from local boat/sail shops in my area). Looks like I'm buying me a boat tomorrow!!! Will keep you posted. Again, thank you SO MUCH for your reply. Hopefully this exchange will help others as well when things at first blush seem a bit too good to be true!  

That looks like a great deal Robert. Go for it! Caleb's comment about sailing with your daughter made me smile and recall sailing on the sunfish with my daughter. At first, it was just us on the boat, then a friend or two was invited and eventually I was relegated to being in charge of boat transport only and waiving goodbye as they sailed away from the boat ramp! Just be prepared - you may have to buy another boat if you want to go sailing to. :^)  

Hi Bill. As mentioned, my daughter is 12. I'll cherish these days with her on the water (even if I'm left on shore to watch as she sails off with a friend), since before I know it she'll be old enough where she'll be asking me for the keys to the car! Yes, I'm psyched about getting this boat after spending the better part of the Summer looking for one. I guess patience (coupled with "end of season" timing) pays off! Thanks again for your guidance and support.  

Sailing is a great way to connect with kids. Buying the Sunfish is great idea. Looks like you've found a good one at a great price. As for using Marinetex for small repairs? At a race a dozen years ago a friend accidentally rammed my Hobie 16, holing the port hull about 5 or 6 feet from the bow. This was between races. Once off the water we did a temp repair with Marinetex just to get the boat thru the next day of racing. That repair was never redone. The Marinetex holds today. Good stuff!!!  

THANKS so much to everyone who joined in on this forum to lend support to my issues. I'm please to say that I now own the boat and took it out for a first sail this afternoon. It handled great . . . and the truth is that this boat is significantly better than my sailing skills!!! But, I felt confident even though conditions were not optimal. I sail in a moderate size creek that empties out to a bay that empties out to the Ocean. Wind speed (approx. 13MPH) was a little much for my very basic skills, but when I "caught it" and wasn't too paranoid about how fast I was going (or felt like I was going) it was INCREDIBLY EXHILARATING and SO MUCH FUN!!! A few things I learned from may maiden adventure: 1) I can't be afraid to hike back. That said it would definitely help if I had a hiking strap!!! Will probably pick one up tomorrow. Hardware is already mounted on boat. Just need strap. Any recommendations (or are they all fairly the same for my basic non-competitive day-sailing needs)? 2) The life vest (PFD) I had on was horrible. Not that I needed it (I didn't flip!), but the main sheet kept getting caught on the back of it when "coming about". Its the PFD I use when Kayacking . . . a very good one which feels like it has foam blocks sewn into pockets of an outer shell. I think the mainsheet kept getting wedged between the foam blocks on the back. I know, that sounds ridiculous, but it happened more time that I would have cared for!! Is there a better/smoother/less cumbersome PFD you can recommend for sailing? 3) As I said, winds were approx. 13mph. (maybe a bit more). I realize it is all relative to ones personal taste, but what is considered light, mild, strong, etc.? I'm sure many of you live for strong wind, but for now, for me, I think something in the 5 - 10 mph range would be ideal. Curious to hear whatever "wind stories" you folks have. 4) AsI noted, I sailing in a creek (not a small body of water by any means) surrounded by land, marinas, houses, trees, etc. (kind of like swimming in a fish bowl). As a result, it felt like the direction of the wind kept changing way too often (I assume depending what obstacles I happened to be passing by at the time that blocked or let wind pass through). Control and handling was definitely better when further away from shore and out in more open water. Once I get my confidence up a bit I will need to get out into the open bay (something that may need to happen sooner rather than latter due to issue #5 below!). 5) I went out at low tide and the dagger board was hitting bottom WAY TO OFTEN! This meant that I had to raise and lower it frequently in order to move. Problem is that I couldn't get it to stay up when I needed it to. That made it cumbersome to hold the tiller with one hand, the main sheet with the other and the daggerboard with . . . .! Exactly, it felt like I needed at least three hands to even move at all at times. I understand that you're supposed to tie a bungee through the daggerboard hole and then around the bow handle with with so-called brummel hooks or sister clips. Is the idea there that the tension form the stretched bungee will act as a grip that holds the daggerboard in the position you want? Any explanation/guidance would be most appreciated here (including length of bungee cord needed and where/how to place it. 6) Good news is that any of the stress cracks (including the one down in the mast step) held up perfectly without getting any worse. I have a feeling that the advice I got out previously was right . . . not a major issues. Nonetheless, I will take the advise of many and use Marine Tex, the "go-to" wonder product to address the crack issues I had as precaution, if nothing else. (again, particularly in the mast step). That said, any suggestions for applying it (especially in hard to reach areas) or other advice from those that have worked with it is GREATLY APPRECIATED. Wishing you all the very best and safe sailing!  

Hi Robert, With respect to hiking straps, I played around with them, but had a hard time find a location that did put the strap in the way when coming about (when I used one strap down the centerline of the footwell) or left me hiking out too far by the time I got my foot in the strap. I prefer to just hook my toes under the edge of the deck around the footwell. Hiking out is my favorite part of sunfish sailing, but these days, I need some serious wind to counteract the substantial moment arm that I present when I move my rear end off the boat! Speaking of wind speeds, my feeling is that you don't want to turn off your daughter to sailing with a "BFS" right out of the box. If you haven't been exposed to that acronym yet on this site, google it. You'll see many entertaining sailnet posts listed in the google results, with the granddaddy of them all titled the "Big Freakin' Sails" thread. Early on with my kids, I rigged the sail a little higher on the mast than I normally would to avoid close encounters with the boom when it came across the deck. This meant that I had to pick my sailing conditions more carefully because a high sail makes the sunfish much more tender. After awhile, when everyone was comfortable with how they had to bend over to avoid the boom while tacking, I could gradually move the sail down. When everyone is ready for a "BFS" there's nothing better than rigging the sail low and going out in 15 - 20 kts. You can easily get a sunfish up on a plane while broad reaching and it's a blast! The daggerboard bungee will be handy then - you want to the board up to really get planing (but not so high that the boom could catch on it). I don't bother with brummel / sister hooks - the standard hooks that come on bungee cords work fine. I hook one end of a 24" bungee in an eye screw on the forward end of the top of my wooden daggerboard and wrap the other end around the mast and back on itself. That gives enough tension to keep the board at whatever height I want. Since you have a nice composite board, you may have to come up with a different connection to the board because to avoid drilling holes. Glad you had a good sail - now I'm going out for a sail of my own!  

Congrats on your new ride, BoDean. Sounds like a steal!  

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Repurposing sunfish sailboat?

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So I have a solid sunfish hull that and a crazy idea just popped into my head, has anyone heard of maybe adding some rod holders, little cooler, and a trolling motor or small motor to the stern?? Do you think this could be possible at all? Would a 2hp engine be too heavy? Would I be able to register it, would I need to? Anyway just a crazy idea because I'm really not a sailor and don't even have the rigging to sail it anymore.  

If it's got a motor you'll have to register it. I've never been in a sunfish without a sail, they were pretty tippy from what I remember.. Self bailing and always took on water through the centerboard hole in rough seas... if you take on this project be sure to post pics... a  

thanks for clarification re motor. I'm gonna think more, but I might be starting this on wednesday my next day off. I am planning to somehow seal the centerboard hole up and mount my ice chest with rod holders mounted in that area. I'm gonna use the smallest size marine white igloo cooler. Store my tackle in the little storage space in the 'foot well' area in the stern. My only thought is where to store the battery for trolling motor...any ideas? what size trolling motor should I buy? minn kota riptide? any estimated cost for motor? I also plan to get some kayak paddle or canoe paddle just in case..I plan to mostly cruise it to my fishing spots and hop out and wade. I can sort of picture it in my head! If it doesn't work out I will really only be out what I lose reselling the trolling motor. They are a little topsy turvy but really only when sailing in a stiff wind IMO. It'd just be me, 1-2 fishin poles, small chest with maybe 1 bag of ice, battery and troll motor I dont think the added weight of everything would surpass the weight of another person. And I've sailed on it many times with a 2nd person from 110pound girlfriend to 180lb dad. Will post pics.,.I'm getting kind of excited!!!  

I think Mike in Friendswood had/has one. Pretty tippy platform to start with. Craigslist it and buy a fishing hull for your fishing boat project.  

oh, not gas. I know my 11' kayak had to be legally registered in Tx with a trolling motor, but there may be a shorter length that is exempt.. For a 'sail' boat I presume that means powered by sail, the limit (I believe) is still over 13' before it's required to be registered.. a  

Do it!!! or maybe retro fit a jetski motor in it...  

If you decide to sell it and haven't 'modified' it too much, you might find a taker here: http://www.tcdyc.com/?q=forum/1 That's the forum for the Texas City Dike Yacht Club. It's kind of a tongue in cheek thing. mostly a bunch of Cat sailors/racers that hang out at the TCD.. Also, look up the Texas 200 Sailboat Race. I'll bet a lot of people there would be interested in the hull, as a replacement for theirs(that has rigging) or to modify into some other bastardization of the sunfish for the race... Andrew  

Had a neighbor in Aransas Pass that did exactly what you're wanting to do. He added PVC pipe (3" IIRC) down each side filled with some sort of foam to aid stability. Built a transom and mounted a trolling motor on it. He had it inspected by a Game Warden and had TX numbers on it. He used to fish the flats at Ransom Island in it.  

Ever heard of the internet? Just google "sunfish sailboat conversions". Many are from duck hunters. Here is one image. Good luck  

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I think you'd be better off with a flatstalker or johnboat. I'd sell the sailboat and put the cash toward one off those.  

I can stand up pretty well in mine....nice gigging rig....just pole it along...yep, any type of motor you have to have TX #'s  

I converted one a while back (5 years ago). It did really well with a 40lb. thrust trolling motor, and even better with a 3.3 Hp outboard. It felt a little "tippy", but in reality you would have to work to actually tip it over, as the hull weight is over 200 lbs. We never even came close to tipping it over. I built a fiberglass over wood transom, that worked fine but eventually went bad. I would recommend sort sort of all composite motor mount. I will try to post some pics later. My kids loved it, and I found it to be a stable fishing platform.  

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A new old Sunfish...Or Sailfish

• Thread starter DPManley
• Start date Oct 30, 2014

• Oct 30, 2014

Sunfish by the looks of it. Sailfish and Sunfish were similar boats, mostly differing in the wider beam and more stout hull of the Sunfish. I think the Sunfish is around 4 ft beam, whereas the Sailfish is about 3 feet, maybe 42". My dad build 2 Sailfish boats from kits in the late 1950's early 1960's. So that may be the vintage. I would be careful about adding too much weight with glassing, etc. just do enough to protect the wood. The dagger board in the pic does not look standard . . . I assume it is supposed to be the dagger board :noidea: I currently have a fiberglass Sunfish. . . Fun boats to have.  

The guy who sold it to us made a funny face when we asked for the dagger board. Then he brought that out. After a minute we agreed that is is a rudder off another boat. It is too thick to even be cut down for a dagger, and has a nasty crack. We will get a nice mahogany board and fit it in. I read that 3' is a good length for a Sunfish, but I will look for a plan to be sure.  

sailor55330

Seaman apprentice.

• Nov 19, 2014

Definitly not the dagger board or the correct rudder for either boat. As for the sails, I would use a mild laundry detergent and a soft brush on the concrete and rinse with a garden hose. If you aren't replacing the ropes, those can be cleaned by putting them in a washing machine inside a pillowcase that is tied shut. Let them hang to dry. Good Luck--sounds like a fun project.  

Petty Officer 2nd Class

• Jan 22, 2015

Agreed with other comments here. Hull looks to be a kit Sunfish. The Sailfish not only had a narrower beam, it lacked a foot well... had a flat-top deck, like a surfboard. The Sailfish also had a smaller sail area than the Sunfish. Bear in mind, there was also a "Super Sailfish" that was a Sailfish hull with a Sunfish-sized sail (75SF), so if both of your sails are the same size, you have a Super-Sailfish sail. Disclaimer: All of this comes from memory, which aint what it used to be. I wouldn't glass it... agree that it will add a lot of weight.  

• Aug 24, 2017

Re-opening my old thread - This Sunfish sat in my sons garage and got no action. In his defense, he did get married and was a little busy. This week we moved it to my house and I have the hull sanded. I need advice on hull paint. Most bottom paint I see is black and expensive. I would like to stay under $100 for white paint to cover the hull above and below the waterline. Any recommendation for paint?  

West Marine has Z-Spar white enamel. It does say for above the waterline. Must I use true Bottom paint on a day sailer?  

If you are going to take the boat out of the water after each use, then go with an interlux 2-part urethane pair. If you keep the boat in the water seasonally then put Interlux 2000 barrier coat on the bottom and the urethane on the side and deck. If you stay in salt water use ePaint EP2000 on the very bottom over the Barrier coat  

Thanks Ted. I will be day sailing - drop it in the water, sail a few hours and back into dry storage. A quick look online and I see Interlux 2 part for around $65 a quart and $125 a half gallon. I doubt I can cover the whole boat with a quart, but I don't need a gallon so I bet a 1/2 will do. One area I am worried about - the slot where the dagger slips through seems exposed on the inside. I am thinking I need to use a narrow bottle brush or something and coat the inside of the slot?  

Bad idea to leave any Sunfish in the water all the time. Especially bad if you leave the wooden dagger and rudder in the water. They should be stored in a dry, protected location. Beach the boat and store such that the drain plug is the low point, (secured to a post or tree for the side drain hulls, so it can't be blown over) if not hauling it home for garage storage. Inverted on a trailer or rack of some sort works well too. (tilted slightly to put that drain hole at the low point) Without in person inspection, I'd consider a light fiberglassing of the inside of the daggerboard slot. The wood kit has a bunch of joints (every corner) and that's opportunities for leaks to have developed. 3/4 oz cloth strips covering the inside of that slot will go a long way toward preventing problems. Its pretty easy to google for the drawings needed to make a daggerboard to match the original.  

I did find a detailed drawing for a dagger and plan to make it next week. I am making a rack to store the boat inverted. I don't recall a drain plug, but draining after each use is SOP for me anyway. Fiberglass the inside of the dagger slot would be a real challenge - I have no way to smooth any bumps. I agree that would be the safe course. I will see if I can find any tips on working inside a narrow slot.  

On my Sunfish . . . I had to mix up some thickened epoxy to seal up some apparent cracks in the dagger board trunk where it mated to the deck. I think I used a putty knife to work it into the cracked areas and then laid some plastic wrap inside the trunk walls to keep it in place while it cured.  

• Nov 28, 2017

The Sunfish fleet adopted a plastic daggerboard several years ago. There are wooden ones in garages around any group of Sunfish who race. If you are near one group, or fleet, contact them. Someone may very well hand you a wooden dagger board, or 2. Look up Sunfish fleets and see if any are near you. Any good enamel will be great for that boat. The one part Urethanes, ( Urethane enhanced Enamels) are good too.The original kits contained exceptionally good materials. The daggerboard slot may always be a trial if it leaks. But if it does it will not leak much. Be careful of any repairs inside the slot, or your new dagger board may not fit. You do seem to have a Super Sailfish sail with your Sunfish. They are the same size, 75 sq ft. and probably nylon. If you get around a racing fleet, sails are another thing to ask about. They use newer white sails and change them somewhat frequently. There may be older more colorful sails available for change, and shipping a sail is not expensive. For their purposes, the white sail is faster. For your purposes that may not matter. Either sail will work well for your boat. If you make a new friend, or find the information on the internet, you will discover the racing fleets have changed the running rigging somewhat. Some of the changes are practical and help. some of them may help on the race course, but are complicating for day sailing in your backyard. Wish I were there. My first sailboat was a Super Sailfish Kit for Christmas. It cost $247 and provided many years of fun, both building and sailing and maintaining.The Sunfish is the evolution of the 11 and 13 ft Sailfish from which it evolved. Good Luck and Best Wishes with your new baby. You do know that once your adopt a Sunfish, you must keep it.  

I wish you well, Good enamels will work well as will the one part urethanes. Some call them urethane enhanced enamels. Daggerboards have changed to plastic, which leaves a bunch of older wooden daggerboards in garages all over, but particularly around racing fleets of Sunfish where someone may very well hand you one or two. The national fleet web site may have information about new ideas in rigging. Some are good, and some are complicating for day sailing. All may be of interest. The sites will tell you where the Sunfishers lurk. Sails are similar, They use a newer white sail and therefore may have older white and colorful ones around for change. The piece of wood for your daggerboard is a nice piece of mahogany or teak possibly. These old wooden Sunfish are well built of good materials. Be careful of building up inside the daggerboard trunk, or your board may not fit. Good Luck with your project. It will be worthwhile.  

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AMF 1976 - Sunfish Like

• Thread starter juanboy2k
• Start date Apr 29, 2006
• Brand-Specific Forums

Greetings everyone!I thought I had a sunfish... the sail is definately sunfish like, as is the size (13'10") the dagger board, the rudder, etc., are all sunfish like. However, this boat has a teak wood coaming... it has a no lip around the cockpit (to anchor main sheet block), but otherwise, it looks very much like a sunfish.SO ... the original owners say it was an "AMF" boat. In 1976, when AMF was making Sunfish, did they ALSO make variants that were SIMILAR to the sunfish (same sail rigging, etc.) but that were, well, different????Most important question: Will Sunfish replacement parts (lines, rudder, etc.) work for this one? I can produce a picture if necessary [where would I put that?]thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!john.  

Many fish in the sea From what I have read about sunfish history and AMF there were lots of AMF boats. It seems AMF was buying up boat companies in some sort of attempt to be the Walmart of sporting goods. Sunfish came from Alcort and as I understand it AMF made a cheaper version they called the sunlite or something like that. I have seen a AMF mini-sunfish advertised on Ebay. My neighbor had a force-five by AMF and one of the people at my sailing beach has a AMF puffer. There are quite a few sunfish looking boats where I sail too. None of them say AMF, but they look exactly like my sunfish. I think there were a whole bunch of copy cats. Have you looked up the "sunfish sailing class organization"? They are probably the best place for information.  

Copy Cats John,Check with the Sunfish-Sailor group. There's a clone-fish list at their web page. They seem to know older Sunfish and the related Alcort/AMF boats. Send them a picture of your boat. It's a good chance they will know what it is and if the Sunfish parts will work on it. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunfish_sailor/  

arcticmonkey

Copy Cats Dude - We race Laser and Sunfish at our lake and there's a bunch of lookalike Sunfish in that group. Just because it has a Sunfish looking sail and measures the same doesn't make it a Sunfish. Parts don't swap either. I've seen them try and most of the time it won't work. Look at your serial number by the rudder. The first letters tell the boat company code. find the code in the Coast Guard database. Canada and the States use the same code so it doesn't matter if it wad made here even.  

Robert19706

Surfwind Ivan: Your right that Sears sold the Surfwind but I thought, maybe incorrectly, that AMF manufactored it for them. Where did you find such a good picture of it? Thanks, Robert  

Clonefish Directory Robert,Look into the link in my earlier post. That group has a directory of clones.I had a pamphlet from AMF that showed all their boats. There were a whole bunch, but none I recall with a blunt nose like an E-Scow.Maybe they made it for Sears and never sold it under their own name.  

amf windflite Hi, AMF had a cheaper version of the sunfish called the winflite. It was designed to be more accomodating to cartopping It was renamed the KG 14 after Katherine Goodhue whose husband Joe was the person that really pioneered the sunfish in the Northeast.It takes all the same parts as a sunfish.It was not cheaper in the sense that it was poorly made, it was less expensive and didn't have the resale value of a sunfish because it was not a class boat.  

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• Sailboat Guide

Sunfish is a 13 ′ 10 ″ / 4.2 m monohull sailboat designed by Alexander Bryan/Cortland Heyniger/Carl Meinart and built by AMF Corp., Alcort, Pearson Yachts, and LaserPerformance starting in 1952.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
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Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Although the earliest models were built of wood and offered as kits, the fiberglass version, first introduced in 1960, became the most popular recreational sailboat in history. As a result, there were many imitators.

Sunfish Builder Chronology 1952 - 1969 Alcort, Inc. (founded 1945) 1969 - 1986 AMF 1986 - 1988 Loveless & DeGarmo, dba, Alcort Sailboats Inc. 1988 - 1991 Pearson Yacht Co. 1991 - 1997 Sunfish/Laser, Inc. 1997 - 2007 Vanguard 2007 - Laser Performance Change in class rules permitted a new, slightly deeper daggerboard in the mid-1990’s.

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Sunfish SailBoat

Post by anonymous » Thu Jun 05, 2003 8:34 pm

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Sunfish, 2023 Sunfish World Championship Sail (NEW without sail numbers), North Sails

Own a special edition 2023 Sunfish World Championship sail.  This is a brand NEW sail.  Sa..

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Set of three Sunfish mainsheet hanger clips. Made of durable PETG plastic. Fitted for the 1.5" diam..