Rebuilding a '64 Sunfish

Hello,
I am in the process of rebuilding an old 1964 model Sunfish. I'm doing some fiberglass work and updating the deck hardware, and am going to spray new gel coat on the deck. I've been considering whether to do the conversion to the new style rudder. I guess if I'm going to do the conversion I should do it now so I won't have to mess up the new gel coat later.

Is there a market for the old rudder and hardware? If there is, what would the old parts be worth? By the way, I'm near Austin Texas.

Thanks for any information.

Here is a picture of the boat and a couple of pics of the old rudder and stuff..

Retrofitting with the new style (post 1972) rudder system is a good idea and this is a great time to do it. Hopefully your aft inspection port will allow you to position the internal rudder bracket back-up plate. If not, you will have to install a smaller port nearer to the transom.

Yes, there a good market for the old style rudder gear that you have. I would guess that the rudder, tiller, and related fittings could fetch a little over $200.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY

Thanks for the info Alan. I think the inspection port is close enough to install the back-up plate. Now I just have to decide if the boat is worth investing in the conversion kit.

Thanks again.

I hope you'll be able to justify going for the conversion kit because the new white rudder really dresses up these old boats.

The new white and grey colored rudder system really hasn't been touched upon here, so here a couple of pictures of a '72 with the new system. If you are going to put yellow back on the deck, it'll go great with the new grey and white rudder system.

A couple of quick notes. On a scale of 1-10, your old rudder and parts are about an 11. I've never seen the old system in great shape - even if they are all shined up. This system could even be worth a little more than the afore mentioned $200 - especially with that top piece of brass on the rudder blade.

That top piece on the rudder blade, the brass cap piece that surrounds the top of the blade, appears to have only been around in the transitional year of '71-72, when they were moving from the old to the new system. You also have what looks like almost a modern style blade on an old blade system - I've never seen that. Perhaps some tradesman got creative at some point down the line. It all adds up to an old system in incredible shape and value ($).

If you do go with the new system, note that LP now goes with a grey inspection port instead of white. So you may want to sub out white, or something that matches whatever color you are going to repaint (or re-Gelcoat) the deck. Also, the screws in the kit are very poorly made, so be prepared to buy your own better quality ones.

Finally, both the LP and the windline.net converstion kit instructions suggest that the actual far reach of the hole on the inspection port be about 4" from the end line of boat. Yours looks to start about 8-9" out. So you may want to consider pulling the wooden block on the top deck (inside the present inspection port hole - it's surrounded by expansion foam and serves as a foundation from which the old wingnut and system hardware were attached to the deck) such as to give yourself some room to operate from that distance inside the hull. Yanking out that internal piece of teak will also allow you avoid having to cut the internal plate, as that piece, while easy to cut, lengthens the process. And the beverage count. Best of luck with your ongoing project!

Thanks for the replies and the information about my old rudder setup. I really want to convert to the new rudder, but I decided I just can't justify the cost of the new set up right now, even though apparently the old one has some value to sell. I've completed the boat, and now need to modify the trailer with cradles to support the hull and then will sail it. (By the way I know in the photos the trailer has no snubber in the front... I removed it to make it easier to work on the boat.)

Now the the story on the rebuild. I had a Sunfish a long time ago and enjoyed it, but was not really in the market for one. I had been searching for a trailer for my canoe, and found a listing for a Sunfish with trailer for less than I had seen some other trailers for. The boat was pretty rough, but I figured that even if it was beyond repair I came out ok on the trailer.

List of work done on the boat:

Removed the aluminum rub rail and found the deck/hull cracked and separated at the bow. I cut out the rough edges and layered up new fiberglass to the original thickness.

The aluminum rub rail was in pretty good shape so I cleaned it up and reused it.

Sanded off 2 coats of cracked paint and most of the old gel coat on the deck. The old Sunfish had 2 drain holes on the deck, and they were both frozen closed. I think they were brass? Someone had painted over them and drilled a new hole for a drain! I glassed the old hole shut and installed 2 new plastic drains the old locations.

Sanded off globs of Marine Tex off the cockpit floor and found lots of cracks in the glass. I ended up reglassing the whole floor.

Cut out a 12" long crack on the bottom of the hull along the keel, and also a smaller crack on the keel. Surprisingly the rest of the bottom was in good shape.

I cut two inspection ports in the deck so I could get to that 12" crack from the inside, and also so I could dry the hull out good. I know they are ugly NightSailor, but they are pretty useful ! Before I started drying, the hull weighed 141 pounds, and after drying it weighed 129 pounds.

After the repairs were complete I used West Marine white gel coat to refinish the deck and the cockpit. The deck was originally yellow, but I decided gel coat is enough trouble as it is without mixing colors in it. On the bottom, I just used new gel coat over the repairs and polished out the old gel coat on the rest of the hull.

I installed a new bow handle, bridle, and splash rail. I also removed the old style main sheet hook and installed a new main sheet block. The halyard block and cleat look to be made of bronze, and they cleaned up real good.

The mast and spars were in pretty good shape, but I did cut off 1/2" on the ends to get rid of the wallowed out holes for the eye hooks and re-drilled new holes. Installed new end caps on the spars and the mast. Again the blocks on the boom are bronze and I cleaned them up and used them.

Cleaned up and refinished the rudder and dagger board, and made a new tiller from a piece of red oak I had in the shop.

I got a new sail and loops from the Neil Pryde company. The sail appears to be well made. I also got a new sail bag to keep that new white sail clean.

I'm anxious to sail my new boat! If it sails good I'll probably end up doing the rudder conversion next year.

Sorry for the long post!

Here's some pictures:

Some "before" pictures...

Where are you located. I'm in Connecticut, if you want to meet up for a sail.

Wow, that looks great. After reading all these comments on trailers, whoever is building that trailer needs to start doing some advertising because it looks like he's centered the load just where it is supposed to! What a sharp looking piece of work!

Now for the million dollar question. You've got a great looking Neil Pryde sail. How come it has a Sunfish logo on it??!!?

Also, this is a late '60's fish with modified rudder system (read someone updated the rudder blade). When you glassed over the well (cockpit), did you get rid of those those late '60's grid lines which were prevalent in that period of a boat, or did you work around them?

Thanks for the response, and the great before/after pictures.

NightSailor: I would love to meet up for a sail, but I am in Central Texas, and I don't think the bearings on this trailer will make it that far!! Thanks.

PBA: Thanks. The trailer does distribute the load well, but I am going to redo the supports to go side to side instead of fore/aft to support the hull better. That way I can use it for my canoe also. I'm not sure, but I think the cracks in the hull may have been caused by something falling on the boat while it was on the trailer.

Neil Pryde used to make the recreational sails for Sunfish back in the early 90's. Maybe they have an agreement to use the logo. They don't try to hide it, as it is on their web site and when I ordered it I asked if it would have the logo and they said yes. I did notice that they are the only one of the after market vendors that use the logo. It fits the spars perfectly, but they do have fewer grommets than the factory Sunfish sail.

The data plate with the serial number was still on my boat. I have it but did not put it on since it is in poor condition. The number indicates that the hull was made in 1964, but on a boat this old who knows what changes have been made. The cockpit floor does have raised channels. I glassed over them so they are still there.

Thanks again

bcb said:

Some "before" pictures...

Click to expand...

Nice job on your boat, I too just finished up a '64 this spring, (well not quite, there's always more to be done). But lets talk about the support rigs in this pic. I like them, and would like to copy them. Any hints on what you would do to make them better? Do you have them attached (so that they just wont slide away from their contact points)? Is it easy to mount the SF on to them? I can picture running from one side to another, all while balancing the hull on it's side, ( could make a funny you tube vid, sped up and to the Benny Hill theme song, though).

67stang said:

But lets talk about the support rigs in this pic. I like them, and would like to copy them. Any hints on what you would do to make them better?

Click to expand...

They've always worked fine for me. If you have any ideas to make them better, have at it.

bcb said:

They've always worked fine for me. If you have any ideas to make them better, have at it.

Click to expand...

..Ok, thanks, I'll try to figure it out by trial and error ....

67stang said:

..Ok, thanks, I'll try to figure it out by trial and error ....

Click to expand...

67stang:
Here's a better picture of one of the racks. I made them a few years ago to hold the wings of an airplane I built. They are free standing, and the Sunfish is very stable in them. I was able to mount the 'fish in them by myself, but it would be easier for two people. I just balanced the boat on its side and slid one rack under the bow first as the curve of the hull allows it to slide under without lifing the boat. Then I would pick up the stern and slide the other rack under.

The shorter upright is 24" high, the long one is 60", and they are 14 1/2" apart.