sailfish sail

brendanbeglin

New Member
hey i just got an old orignal wood sailfish, it is in fairly good condition for its 60 year age but the sail is paper thin and torn at the seam. i need a new sail but am on a tight budget. it is the original sailfish so it has a smaller sail than sunfish, 12 ft foot 12 ft luff 65 sq area, new sails are no longer made originals are not on ebay and sunfish sails are a foot too long in both directions. can anyone give me some advice on where to go from here, i have already contacted a sailmaker and the price quote given to me is $320 which is twice what i paid for the boat. i was thinking about buying an unlicenced sunfish sail and trying to cut it down to size but since i know nothing about sailing or boat restoration figured id ask here first
 
Find out how much it would cost to have a used Sunfish sail cut down from your local sailmaker. I would buy the white sail from Alan Glos (btw...He is a great guy and knows his stuff..see the post that has two sails for sale) and bring it to the sailmaker with the spars. I have had some success in the past with Haarstick sails here in Rochester for repairs on both Sunfish and Thistle sails. They have been very reasonable.

Good Luck!

Mike Fortner
Fairport, NY
 
can anyone give me some advice on where to go from here, i have already contacted a sailmaker and the price quote given to me is $320 which is twice what i paid for the boat. i was thinking about buying an unlicenced sunfish sail and trying to cut it down to size but since i know nothing about sailing or boat restoration figured id ask here first
If not Mike's idea, I think your options are then down to ...

Re-sew an aftermarket sail

NEIL PRYDE STORE - $140
http://www.neilprydesails.com/store/sun.htm

The Sail Store / FX Sails - $149
http://www.thesailstore.com/sunfish-sails-c-21.html

Sail sewing books ...

Sailmakers Supply
http://www.sailmakerssupply.com
(there are other shops like this one as well - shop around)

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Sew your own from a pre-cut kit...

Sailrite Kit - $179.40
(they sew it for you - $199.82)
Double check size with Sailrite. Often their sail dimensions are customer supplied and incorrect.


Downsized Canoe Sail

Sailboats To Go ... 55 sq ft - $229
(comes with some hardware you wouldn't need so there may be a little negotating room)

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You could also look for a used Minifish sail. Alcort made them up thru perhaps the early 80s and they had 65 sq ft sail. BB
 
ok so i think re sizing a sunfish sail is my best option has anyone tried sweing a seam on one of these with a normal sewing machine, i would hate to shell out 150 bucks on top of the cost of a used sail only to realize i could have re seamed it my self, i just dont know if a normal sweing machine will ruin the sail.
 
has anyone tried sewing a seam on one of these with a normal sewing machine, ... i just don’t know if a normal sewing machine will ruin the sail.
If your sewing machine will sew a pair of pants, say, Dockers, it'll sew modern 3.7 - 4 oz polyester sail cloth (not much different from a heavy windbreaker).

The Minifish sail is a great idea ... good thinking BB. Even better when you consider some sail makers may still be offering to make that sail for you. I'd consider both sails synonymous when shopping around. But, as it's been pointed out, they are just about as scarce these days. Sailrite might have a kit already made up, however.

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