Grassroots Boatorsports

So...it doesn't have an engine, but...

I should be picking up a FREE Sunfish sailboat this weekend.

It purportedly has a hole in the hull and the sail "needs replaced."

I posted an ad on CL saying I was looking for something like a sunfish and the guy called and offered it to me for free. Cool!

My girls will get to learn how to sail...and I'll get to re-learn.

Photos this weekend after I pick it up.

Missouri is a terrible place to sail, most of the time. But I figure a boat this size can be motivated by light and sporadic winds like we have here. So game on!

Clem

I had a sunfish growing up... great little boats that can take a LOT of abuse and are an excellant way to teach somebody how to sail.

You're not too far from Finger Lakes State Park; looks like some nice day-trips are on your horizon.

Sunfish are great starter boats, very entertaining and super family fun!

We have a family Sunfish, also acquired on the extreme cheap and needing a sail. As I remember, a brand-new sail wasn't too bad, either. Kids have had a ball with it--me, I guess I don't get sailing, because for me it's an upside-down machine.

Margie

best fun I had was a "minifish" with the sunfish rig. If you are unfamilier, the Minifish was a 2 foot shorter version of the sunfish that AMF came up with for some unknown reason (as if a sunfish was already too big?) but with the rig from the bigger and heavier sunfish.. she flew!

Pimpish and family are quite the Sunfishers

I love our sunfish. Nobody else really sails it anymore, so I have it to myself. The only thing is doesn't do is point worth a crap, so plan a lot of time to go upwind.

I don't think that there was ever a time that I didn't know what a Sunfish was. They sold them at Sears and Caldor's.

Even so, I thought this was pretty interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunfish_%28sailboat%29

Have fun with it, Clem.

oldsaw wrote: You're not too far from Finger Lakes State Park; looks like some nice day-trips are on your horizon. Sunfish are great starter boats, very entertaining and super family fun!

Well...finger lakes is so shrouded with forest (It's a reclaimed strip pit mine...) that I don't figure it'll be the best sailing...I've never been over to the rocky fork area though...that looks more open and is on the same spot. Finger lakes is fun for paddling though, and of course, it's the only public place around for dirtbiking.

We've got the old "Philips Tract" lake, Stephens Lake Park, Little Dixie conservation area, and a couple of private lakes that I know. So...it should get use a few times a year, I figure.

I learned to sail on a similarly sized and rigged boat at Boy Scout Camp years ago. I had a 16' daysailer for some time but I'd prefer to have something small like this to enjoy on our small lakes with little wind.

mad_machine wrote: best fun I had was a "minifish" with the sunfish rig. If you are unfamilier, the Minifish was a 2 foot shorter version of the sunfish that AMF came up with for some unknown reason (as if a sunfish was already too big?) but with the rig from the bigger and heavier sunfish.. she flew!

I had a MiniFish as well but I left the stock rigging on it because if I listed it over to about 45 degrees, I could just get the mast to clear under a bridge that cut through the center of the lake I sailed on.

I'd love a minifish for ease of transport. Mine won't have a trailer...yet

Tommy, the Sunfish has a Lanteen Rig [type of sail/mast/boom]. If there is a way to put a vang on it and flatten the sail out it will point better. Tie something from the base of the mast to the boom a few feet back.

Except for the rig, that MiniFish looks a lot like a Laser.

Anyone ever drive a sailfish? Same as a Sunfish but it has no foot well, only hand grabs. Talk about an upside down machine.

Dan

you could always push the collar all the way forward so that the upper Boom (is that the right term for it?) is almost verticle. This will turn the lateen rig into a regular catboat

I had a Sunflower sailboat 20-some years ago. Similar size, but an open hull. Strapped it to the roof of Dad's '73 Delta 88 all the time.

Not mine, but like this:

RealMiniDriver wrote: I had a Sunflower sailboat 20-some years ago. Similar size, but an open hull. Strapped it to the roof of Dad's '73 Delta 88 all the time. Not mine, but like this:

Also available at Caldor, if I recall...

I see no reservoir for gasoline, nor any device to provide proper propulsion. I do not understand.....

No such thing as a free boat.

Shawn

This thread has made me go on Craigslist and see if deals like this are anything remotely common...

MadScientistMatt wrote: This thread has made me go on Craigslist and see if deals like this are anything remotely common...

Oh, don't even start that! You're from Georgia! That's where all the best Craigslist deals are found.

Only one Sunfish on any of the Georgia Craigslists though...

Trans_Maro wrote: No such thing as a free boat. Shawn

Even when It is a gift, I went out of pocket for the basic roof kit for my kayak, and I'm looking at another $300ish for a proper yakima rack this year.

Looks like april 1 is my nicest day off, weather wise, time to bust out my kayak

I'm surprised no one has even mentioned how to fix the hole in the hull.

carguy123 wrote: I'm surprised no one has even mentioned how to fix the hole in the hull.

That's because we all already know how to use Silly Putty and duct tape.

Buy? Come on, be grassroots and BUILD one.

We're partial to canoes.

yes, we could build one.. but the grassroots way is to buy one with a hole in the hull, fix it up, re-rig is, and have a lot of fun on the water with it