sunfish rudder and daggerboard repair – progress

a long while back I posted about refinishing my Sunfish and Super Porpoise rudders and daggerboards.  I proceeded to sand down a bit of the finish on the Super Porpoise parts, but sailing seasons got in the way, along with various other winter woodworking projects, and I never got back to finishing them, or even starting on the Sunfish wood parts.

so this winter, I bit the bullet and plunged full bore into refinishing the wood parts from all (3) of my boats – (2) Sunfish and (1) Super Porpoise.  here is a look at the (2) Sunfish rudders.

the lower rudder is from my new(er) 2000 Sunfish, the upper rudder is from my 1960′s Sunfish.  strangely the older rudder seems to be in quite a bit better shape, and the newer rudder appears to have some type of finish glooped onto it, some sloppily gumming up the rudder spring as well.

step 1 was removing the hardware and inspecting the condition of each piece.  the older rudder has a couple cracks up near the head, and the drilled holes for the rudder pins are all misshapen from years of use.

the newer rudder is in similar condition at the rudder pin holes, with no noticeable cracks.  but the finish that was used is all gummed up and just looks horrible.  pretty severe were is noticeable at the one rudder pin hole.

the daggerboard from the newer Sunfish was coated with the same finish, and was likewise a sloppy mess.  step 2 would be to strip the finish from the wooden parts.  since I would be working in my make-shift woodshop in my basement, I opted for the Citristrip (“safer”) Paint & Varnish Gel.  after brushing the orange stripping agent on and letting it sit for a while, I then used various scrapers to remove the finish.

the Citristrip gel worked pretty well for the older wooden parts, but the (2) newer pieces with the strange finish were hardly phased by it.  I hit them with a 2nd coat, and let is sit and soak longer, but it didn’t work much better the 2nd time around.  after consulting with some a Sunfish expert (thanks Alan!), I think we determined that the sloppy finish was some type of epoxy, which made it that much more difficult to remove.

step 3 was thus my process to get each board to a stripped and ready-to-finish condition.  I used my random orbit sander, and worked my way through several grits, carefully starting with 40 grit.  normally, I wouldn’t use 40 grit, as it is quite rough, and even then I only used it for the flat portions, but extreme measures were required to get through that sloppy epoxy. 

I then would work my way up to 60, 80, 100, and 120 grit papers, and by then the boards felt pretty smooth.  I used a bit of 60 grit paper by hand on the edges, and then jumped right up to 150 grit to finish out smoothing the edges.  during the power-sanding, I wore a sanding mask, and had my large shop dust collector running right near the workpiece, as well as my air cleaner that is hanging from the floor joists to help keep dust down as much as possible.  every once in a while, I would empty the small bag that collects sanding sawdust on the random orbit sandpaper into a plastic jug – as I will be re-using some of the sawdust later for repairs.

I didn’t try to sand out some of the deep gouges, as you can see above, but will use a filler later on those areas.  some of the leading and trailing edges of the boards had some dry rot that I removed as best I could.  I used a block plane to slightly re-shape the daggerboard edges by hand.

step 4 is various repairs.  the upper ends of the daggerboard have holes of various shapes and sizes from the hardware that had kept the handle in place.  some were just stripped nail holes, some were bolt holes that had pulled right out of the board end grain.

I used some blue painter’s tape to dam off the end, as well as to close of the bottom of the board.  I then mixed up a batch of West System epoxy (I buy mine at Jamestown Distributors or US Composites).  I have the 105 resin and 206 slow hardener as shown above.  to this I mixed in some of the 404 high-density adhesive filler (white in color), and I added in some of the saved sawdust (in the plastic container on the left in the picture above) to get the epoxy mixture colored similar to the wood.

this picture is the end result – from the side the blue tape was on.  the other side needs to be sanded and smoothed down some as I didn’t apply the epoxy perfectly level.  but I was impressed at how well the simple blue painter’s tape worked on the bottom and end grain areas.  I will probably use this same mixture to fill in the out of round holes in the rudder heads, and just re-drill new holes after the epoxy has hardened.

for the cracked sections, I am going to try to reinforce the cracked area by drilling a hole and inserting a dowel, set in place with some epoxy.  I cut a small notch in my Super Porpoise rudder to create a flat area to start drilling.  I’m sure it would help immensely to have a drill press, or create some sort of jig – but I don’t have either, so I just free-hand drilled the 1/4″ diameter hole.  I had bought an 18″ long drill bit at the hardware store that worked well. for the dowel – I am using a stainless steel piece of 1/4″ diameter threaded rod, cut to length after I’ve drilled the hole.  it is shown below, only partially inserted into the drilled hole.  it won’t be visible after I’ve filled the hole with epoxy.

again, I just mixed up some of the West System epoxy (which with the metered pumps is a breeze to get the ratios correct).  this time I didn’t add any filler (although I probably could have used the 404 for added strength), and used the dowel to insert as much as I could down into the drilled hole before placing the threaded rod in there for good.  I will use this same repair on the cracked Sunfish rudder head.

with the remainder of the epoxy I had mixed up, I added some 407 low-density fairing filler (the 404 sets up really hard and is difficult to sand, the 407 is softer and easier to sand into a nice finish).  the 407 filler is already a brown color, but I think I added some sawdust anyway.  I then just applied this to various small gouges and nicks on the various rudders and daggerboards to fill any spots as required.

after this has dried and hardened, I will sand the patched areas smooth, and do a final check on each board before the finishing process can begin.

I still have some work to do (dowels in the Sunfish rudder head, epoxy the Sunfish rudder pin holes to then re-drill, etc), but progress has been made.  now the weather has been crazy warm in Michigan this late winter(?) and early spring, so I’ve got to get in high gear to make sure the parts are ready for sailing as soon as possible.

sunfish parts storage

a few weekends back, I was getting annoyed with my random large and cumbersome parts for my Sunfish sailboats getting piled haphazardly on various shelves in the garage, and just adding to the general state of mess that exists in my garage.  I was specifically thinking of the rudder & tiller combination and the daggerboard(s) that I had, and trying to come up with a better storage solution for them.

so this is my solution – I built (2) brackets out of a piece of 2×4 and 3/4″ diameter wooden dowels. each 3/4″ diameter wooden dowel is about 12″ long, and (2) maybe 24″ long pieces of a 2×4 to make the set.  I drilled a 3/4″ diameter hole in the 2×4 (approximately 3″ apart) and used a little wood glue to hold the dowels in place.  then I just screwed the brackets into the wall studs in just about the only empty space along my garage walls – which happens to be up above where the back garage entry door swings open against the wall.

so on my storage rack, you can see (2) wooden daggerboards, my FRP replica daggerboard from Intensity Sails, (2) rudder & tillers (the rudders are hanging behind the blue rope), plus my collapsible paddle, and some various bits of rope hanging there as well.  up on the top, I have my small tupperware box that I keep most of my other sailing gear in – sailing gloves, a cat bag to go in an inspection port, sunscreen, a whistle, my floating clip thing to hook onto my glasses, a sponge for the cockpit, and other various little things I bring along.  I’m extremely happy with the storage rack – much more organized than I had been with the parts before.

sunfish hiking straps

here are 2 videos that I just recently saw posted at the Yahoo Sunfish Sailor Group about modifications to make your hiking strap have some ability to adjust the tension on the hiking strap while sailing.

in this first video, Dayton Colie goes into a little detail on how David Loring, the 3-time Sunfish Worlds champion, customizes his hiking strap to give him to capability to adjust the tension on the hiking strap while in the middle of racing out on the water.  it does involve making a custom attachment using webbing material and some grommets.

Dayton Colie and David Loring collaborated to make a pretty sweet DVD called “Back to Basics for Sunfish World Championship Speed” – it’s available from most Sunfish dealers, including Intensity Sails.  the video could stand to be updated for HD, but it is still a great video, with rigging tips as well as tips for while out on the water.

in the second video, Eduardo Cordero and Paul-Jon Patin display some what their sailing coaching school, Starboard Passage, has to offer.  the hiking strap customization is at about 0:55 with more comments throughout the video about it.

there are also a ton of pictures on Sunfish rigging at Starboard Passage.

Annapolis Performance Sailing: 20 years

after my last post, I wanted to make sure that I don’t give the impression that I don’t like Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS) or the great service that they provide. I’ve ordered several parts from them, and will continue to do so in the future.  they have also started a blog – the APS Stern Scoop, providing commentary from employees (all “racing” sailors), as well as good product reviews, and notices of sales at APS.

this year APS celebrates their 20th year in business – as the business started in 1991 when the founder, Kyle Gross:

…recognized the need for a local business that would supply dinghy racers with everything they needed – from foul weather gear to obscure boat parts that seemed impossible to find.

you can find a pretty thorough history on the APS website, including old magazine covers, a video, and an interview with Kyle Gross.  Kyle talks a bit about changes over the last 20 years:

The other thing has been the threat to sailing. Perceived (and in many cases, real) barriers: water access, cost, historically, an elitism had to be overcome. It seems that every sport has become a little more intense, whether it’s lacrosse or soccer or whatever you happen to do , there’s more equipment, the bar has been raised, it’s a bigger commitment. Therefore, the person that participated in 4 to 8 activities from organized sports to recreational whatever it is—scuba diving, I think the economic pressures and the commitment levels have required that people pick their top 1, 2, or 3 and there’s no room for others. There are so many barriers to sailing that it’s an easy one to just drop off of people’s radar, and it’s hard to overcome that. The sport has grown, and trust me, I’ve been happy for that change.

[full disclosure: this is not a sponsored post or anything like that - just wanted to pass on the news for their 20th anniversary.]

APS Sunfish recreational sails (misleading ad)

so, I was flipping through the 2011 catalog that I got in the mail a few days ago from Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS), and I’m a little frustrated with the way they show the new “practice” or “recreational” (so basically not class-legal) sails.  here is a scan from the 2010 catalog, but it is identical in the current 2011 catalog, other than minor price changes:

my concern is that looking at this page from the magazine, there is no indication that the significantly cheaper recreational sail (above the picture of the 2 sails) will be arriving at your doorstep without the Sunfish logo.  if you go onto the APS website, they have these practice/recreational sails shown correctly, without the Sunfish logo – but if you only looked at the catalog, you might assume the logo is going to be there.  here is a snapshot from the website:

if you’re looking for a cheaper Sunfish sail to replace your old, worn-out sail – this is a perfectly good option if you’re a recreational sailor, or if your local club will allow the non-class-legal sail for club racing – but just be aware that it won’t arrive with the Sunfish logo, as it is not the official class-approved sail.

but, you can always just buy some insignia cloth, and make your own logo if you’d really like to see that little Sunfish up there when you’re sailing.  that’s what I’m planning on doing!

spring thaw at Torresen Marine

this Saturday, March 12th, Torresen Marine in Muskegon, Michigan is holding their “spring thaw” event.

the event will feature several seminars during the course of the day:

• 9:00 a.m. Fog, Lightning & Great Lake Storms – Capt. Jack Klang of Quantum Sails
• 10:30 a.m. Blister Repair & Prevention – Kevin Kyle of Interlux Yacht Finishes
• 11:30 a.m. Introduction to NOAA in Muskegon: Science, Charting, Forecasts & Operations – Dennis Donahue
• 12:30 p.m. New & Current Product Line-up – Jeff Fink of Raymarine
• 1:30 p.m. What’s Happening at GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute? – Amanda Syers
• 2:30 p.m. Successful Application & Maintenance of Performance Coatings – Bob Harris of Pettit Paint
• 3:30 p.m. Ten Sailing Skills Every Wife Should Know (Husbands welcome & encouraged) – Capt. Jack Klang of Quantum Sails

I’m probably not going to drive all the way across the state for it, but it does look interesting.  there should be several suppliers on site, including representatives from Laser Performance, Harken, and Interlux.

that weekend, they will also be offering a sale on Laser and Sunfish sailboats – $300 off a 2011 model.

sunfish storage gone wrong

thankfully, this is not my Sunfish.

the picture was posted over at the Sunfish Forum a month or two ago by Alan Glos – I got his permission to share the picture here on my blog.  here’s how he described it:

Attached is a photo of what’s left of my neighbor’s 1960s vintage Sunfish hull after a recent fall windstorm on Cazenovia Lake here in Upstate New York. The hull is a total loss and it is off to the landfill for the “long dirt nap” after we chainsaw up the errant tree. R.I.P.

I’m glad I decided to use my dad’s barn for this year’s winter storage.

winter storage 2010-2011

to get my boat prepped for storage over the winter this year, I wanted to come up with a way to keep the inspection ports fully open to allow natural airflow through the (2) inspection ports I put in (I’d prefer a small fan, but the one I was using crashed out – to much constant running, maybe?).  I wanted to try to create some sort of barrier to keep rodents and bugs if possible from making a nice winter nest on the interior of my Sunfish, though.  I spent a few hours making these little screen covers for the inspection ports:

now before you criticize me for that piece of fine wood-working, keep in mind 2 things: it was quick and dirty, and I really really really HATE using a jigsaw.  I didn’t really have any other tool in my shop that would work any better, though, so that’s what I put together, and I think Norm Abrams would be mighty proud.

anyway, it’s made from a piece of 1/4″ plywood, with a piece of window screen stapled to the back.  I also added these little pieces of foam around the back perimeter to sort of seal the edges.  the 2 screws are attached to little blocks of wood, each with a small piece of the foam, and a quarter turn of a screwdriver from above will “clamp” the bug/rodent cover down over the inspection ports.

another thing I did towards the end of the summer or early fall was order a sail/spar bag from the Sailboat Garage (same folks that help run the Sunfish Class).  they recommended one a bit heavier duty than the “official” Sunfish version from Laser Performance, and so far I’m quite happy with it.  it is a full length zippered bag constructed of rugged, water resistant nylon, with the white webbing handles that make it easy to throw it over your shoulder to carry the sails, spars and mast down to the beach (order # MSF558 from the Sailboat Garage).

I had my usual helper that fall afternoon – Luke is modeling his lovely Burger King crown while sitting on top of the Sunfish.

for winter storage, I just keep the sails, spars and mast zippered up in the sail bag, and use bungees to hang it all from the roof of my garage:

last year, it was brutal ordeal to wrestle the Sunfish up into the 2nd floor of my dad’s barn (it really was brutal – I wrote about it here, if you want to re-live the pain), so I was really hesitant to try that same route this year.  instead, over the holiday break a few weeks back, I trailered the Sunfish up to my dad’s again, but this time decided to just hang the Sunfish from the floor joists of the barn.  the ceiling is pretty high, so it shouldn’t interfere with any of his stuff in the barn (unless he tries to wire up that extra ceiling fan hanging there!).

my brothers and brother-in-law helped me out this year, and we used my dad’s John Deere a little more wisely this time: we lifted the Sunfish laying flat and balanced it on the tractor front bucket, and used the tractor to lift and hold the Sunfish horizontal up near the joists.  after we screwed the (4) hangers into the floor joists, we had to only lift the Sunfish slightly and install the 2×4 cross beam.  I also threw in some scraps of fiberglass insulation as padding.  I’m sure there are better alternatives than that, but it was handy, and better than having the boat rest directly on the 2×4 cross beams.  I haven’t put a fan on it, but left the inspection ports open with the bug screens I talked about above.

we’ll see how it holds up over this winter, and it should be pretty easy to reverse the process in the spring!

Christmas idea: APS practice sails (on sale!)

this is getting to be late in December, but if you’re looking for a last-minute gift for a sailor, Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS) currently has their custom practice sails for the Sunfish, Laser, or Opti on sale for 25% off the regular pricing (until December 31st)!  you can pick up the race-cut practice sail for a Sunfish for $111, including a free set of sail numbers, and you can get them installed by APS for only $10.

this looks like a sweet deal, and a perfect opportunity to pick up a high-quality practice sail for a Sunfish racer, or just a good sail for a recreational sailor to use full-time.  I don’t know the racing class rules for Opti’s and Laser’s, but I would imagine they are similar to those for Sunfish: these practice sails are not class-legal for official Sunfish racing.  your local sailing club may allow them, though, or they will work great as a backup sail for practice days.  the Sunfish sail comes in 2 choices: the recreational sail with colored panels or the all white race-cut sail (sewn with more camber to the sail, giving it a bit more power).

I bought the APS practice race-cut sail for my Sunfish this past spring, right after they were initially offered (I saw the ad in the APS magazine, before they had even been added to the website).  I knew they would be back-ordered a few weeks, but it took a bit longer than expected, and I didn’t get it shipped to me until late in the summer – so I didn’t actually get to even use mine yet!  I will keep it stored over the winter in the nice draw-string bag that comes with the sail, install my sail numbers and some tell-tales in the spring, and hopefully get several years of good use out of it.  I probably should have returned it – and then taken advantage of this sale, but oh well.

so stop on by APS and pick up a practice sail or any of their other fine sailing gear.

 

sunfish mainsheet block update

early this spring, I laid out my plans to upgrade to a Sunfish mainsheet block for controlling/holding the mainsheet, as my current setup on the Sunfish left a little to be desired (but was better than nothing on my Super Porpoise).  here is the picture of my old set-up, a swiveling fairlead with a cam cleat to hold the mainsheet if I wanted.  I also had the old hook on the cockpit edge (the really old method used to hook the mainsheet and relieve the tension you had to hold with).

my original plan was based on a few posts over at the Sunfish Forum that recommended trying to use a low-profile swiveling cam cleat and modify it with an eyestrap and stand-up spring, and then add your mainsheet ratchet block of choice — similar to this diagram below:

but, the more I looked at the diagram, and thought about how this system would work, I couldn’t wrap my brain around something: after I fed the mainsheet through the ratchet block, and then the through the little strap over the cam cleat, I didn’t think I would be able to really take advantage of the ratcheting action of the mainsheet block.  turns out my suspicions were correct as noted here – scroll down to comment #38 on this post over at the Sunfish Forum.

I decided I’d instead go with a simpler and slightly cheaper route: I would just remove the old swiveling cam cleat, and install an eyestrap on the deck.  the mainsheet ratchet block would then connect to the eyestrap.  then, to give myself the option to cleat the lines in light air or similar situations, I removed the old hook, and added a standard cam cleat.  for my setup, I used the Harken 2135 57mm ratcheting carbo block and the Harken 150 cam cleat.

here is a picture of what the ratchet block looks like with the mainsheet running up to the sail, and the other end of the line held in your hand (picture is simulated – I didn’t want to set up the whole rig, so my 9-yr old son was just holding both lines up in the air).

here is a picture with the mainsheet fed through the ratchet block and then cleated in the Harken cam cleat, with a stopper knot tied in the end of the mainsheet.

I had also bought a stand-up spring that would keep the ratchet block standing upright, and prevent it from bouncing around on the Sunfish deck, but honestly – it was ridiculously hard to compress the spring down and then to try to slowly feed the little split ring onto the pin holding the ratchet block in place (in fact, I never did get it fully installed).  after talking a bit with other sailors at the Sunfish Forum – some have had success using zip-ties or something of that nature to compress the spring, then install the ratchet block, and then cut off the zip-ties.  most of them leave the ratchet block on permanently, though, and I wanted to be able to easily and quickly install mine before sailing and then remove it after sailing so that I wasn’t trailering the boat with the ratchet block flopping around.  so as of right now, I will probably skip the stand-up spring, but keep it in case I figure out a way to cover/protect the ratchet block while I’m trailering the boat.

overall, I’m extremely happy with the setup I have now.  I really enjoy playing the mainsheet through the ratchet block, and enjoy how the sheave on the ratchet block grips the mainsheet, so that the amount of pull I see is reduced, helping to keep my hands and arms from tiring as quickly.  I also like that this setup will force me to focus more on the sail trim, instead of just using my old setup to set it and then forget it.  I’d highly recommend this upgrade to other Sunfish sailors.