First boat owner... and many questions.

TheGreatOne

New Member
Hello everyone, I recently purchased a sunfish boat with the serial number: 60859, I have no clue what year it was made in.. or anything else about the boat. The reason I bought it is because it's my first boat ever, and.. also the fact that it came with everything including the trailer for $100 Canadian.

I have a few questions about it though.. firstly, is it possible to tell what year it is from the serial number? Also.. how easy is it to dry out? I'm fairly sure the boat is heavier than it should be, as it does not weigh 130lbs like I've been reading everywhere. The boat was sitting outside for a few years turned upside down on the trailer I believe. But.. I can see a bit of water where the main pole sits in, I also did not find a storage part in the part where ones foot goes in, but I did see one on another boat on another post.

It also needs a new patch of fiberglass to replace a shady repair job that was done before. The sail came with the boat has a bit of mildew along the bottom edge.. aswell as a 1cm tear which I'm hoping to fix if possible.

I am new to sailing, even if it's a sunfish, specially fixing boats, but am extremely eager to learn and get this guy on the water and have some fun. I will try to take some pictures and post them once it clears up outside. Right now the boat sits in my driveway on the trailer.. under a tarp. Any input would be appreciated.

I forgot to mention that the serial number is on a metal plate, ontop of the hull..

So was everything worth $100? or is it a lost cause?
 
Hello everyone, I recently purchased a sunfish ... was everything worth $100? or is it a lost cause?

Does your serial number plate say, Sailfish Sportscraft, Richmond Hill, Ontario or Alcort, Inc., Waterbury, Conn.?

The US serial number chart places 60859 at 1969. I don’t know if the Canadian production is included in the US number group or if there was a separate series for the Richmond Hill boats so ’69 may or may not be correct if it’s Canadian made. Maybe someone with Sunfish Class connections or pre-AMF Alcort affiliation can enlighten us both.

You can dry out your boat fairly easily. The FAQ here has a guide, however it’s still under construction so I’ll direct you to another free source for the same illustrations and instructions to both dry out and leak test. You can also find resources for DIY fiberglass repair while you are on that site.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunfish_sailor

The storage compartment you saw on another boat didn’t come in until 1971.

You can patch your sail with Sail Tape or sew on a patch. Sailmakers Supply has sail cloth and books on sail repair. Sunfish dealers have Sail Tape.

Post some pictures so we can see your great discovery.
 
It sounds like you bought the sunfish my neighbor wanted.
Did you buy this in Ontario kijiji or craigs list posting.
In my humble opinion you got yourself quite reasonable deal.
My first sunfish on ebay was $550US for a 1969 in reasonable shape.
Please post pictures so I can show my buddy what he miseed.

Enjoy!
mtl-ndo
 

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