New owner help
- Thread starter sail101e
- Start date
Well you have your work cut out for you with bringing your GF onboard. I'd recommend your "ad campaign" go something like "she is a performance boat and the winds where strong and I did not know all the stuff that I do now that I've had some training. I'm confidant that I can ......." followed by some practice by you and then a trip with her on a light wind day with no gusty conditions.
Good luck
Good luck
Your daggerboard needs to be held in place with a bungy cord. It stretches in a loop between the front hole on the top of the daggerboard to the handle at the bow. At each end of the bungy is a brummel hook. http://coliesail.com/sunfish-daggerboard-bungee-heavy-weight.html
This bungy tensions the top of the board so that it will stay in the right place in the slot (and keeps it from sinking to the bottom when you turn turtle). If the daggerboard slips through the slot, you've got a problem. Anyhow, you need that daggerboard; it's what allows you to sail to windward and it is the lever on which you pull to right the boat. FWIW, I sail my son's Sunfish once in a while and I'm always capsizing. These boats have no ballast other than what the occupants provide, and if you're not quick it's easy to end up in the drink when the wind shifts or if you jibe quickly. But it's also the best way to learn and honestly it's part of the fun of sailing these little boats.
Go out by yourself on a day with little or no wind and capsize on purpose. That's one of the first things kids learn in sailing camps because if you can't right the boat you shouldn't be on it. Even with a sail full of water, my 13 year old rights the boat in a snap...but he has the daggerboard to pull on, so get that ironed out first.
Having said all that, it's a tough boat for two adults to sail, not much room to move around, but it can be done. It's a wet boat, there will be more capsizing, so if comfort in the water is low, I'd recommend something else.
This bungy tensions the top of the board so that it will stay in the right place in the slot (and keeps it from sinking to the bottom when you turn turtle). If the daggerboard slips through the slot, you've got a problem. Anyhow, you need that daggerboard; it's what allows you to sail to windward and it is the lever on which you pull to right the boat. FWIW, I sail my son's Sunfish once in a while and I'm always capsizing. These boats have no ballast other than what the occupants provide, and if you're not quick it's easy to end up in the drink when the wind shifts or if you jibe quickly. But it's also the best way to learn and honestly it's part of the fun of sailing these little boats.
Go out by yourself on a day with little or no wind and capsize on purpose. That's one of the first things kids learn in sailing camps because if you can't right the boat you shouldn't be on it. Even with a sail full of water, my 13 year old rights the boat in a snap...but he has the daggerboard to pull on, so get that ironed out first.
Having said all that, it's a tough boat for two adults to sail, not much room to move around, but it can be done. It's a wet boat, there will be more capsizing, so if comfort in the water is low, I'd recommend something else.
I am going to have to do something for sure. Right now she is bruised up pretty good on legs and arms- I am guessing from falling on the concrete ramp, not out of the boat but it is the same thing to her. I am thinking for next weekend going to a popular beach area inlet- it is way more crowded but protected from the gulf by jetties so it should not be too rough. If it is too rough we can just float in the water.
My wife would not go out on a board boat or my daysailer (the one in my profile picture). I now have a bigger keel boat and she has been out a couple of times and is liking it. Only took 25 years...
Getting stranded in an Optimist pram was my impetus for learning how to sail. Learned the basics out of a book from the library ("Hand, Reef, and Steer" was the title). Then took lessons at age 10 - first lesson, how to right the boat after a capsize.
Stick with it, you'll come to love it! Once you feel in control and can make that litttle Sunfish go where you want - there's no feeling like it in the world.
Getting stranded in an Optimist pram was my impetus for learning how to sail. Learned the basics out of a book from the library ("Hand, Reef, and Steer" was the title). Then took lessons at age 10 - first lesson, how to right the boat after a capsize.
Stick with it, you'll come to love it! Once you feel in control and can make that litttle Sunfish go where you want - there's no feeling like it in the world.
I am hopefully going to try again this weekend. The waters are more protected so hoping for better conditions. My boss lives on the bay but on the opposite side of where we were and she said it was white capping on her side on Sat so it was rough all over..
There should be a hole in the dagger board and a horn cleat just forward of the splash rail. Run a line from the dagger board to the cleat. That will hold the center board down. You can also get a swim noodle cut it open and place it around the upper boom (sail has to be mounted) and it will keep the boat from turning turtle. You can use tie wraps to hold it in place. (Or I have seen duck tape used)
you can drill a hole in the daggerboard if it doesnt have one already. (at the top, above the stop)
pics of your boat? a lot of the older boats had wood for rudder and daggerboards.
pics of your boat? a lot of the older boats had wood for rudder and daggerboards.
You wouldn't happen to know the size of that cleat would you? I can see where it was, but looks like it was removed.
Not sure if it was luck but boat didn't try to turtle..maybe that takes longer? I have a spare noodle as I use them to carry the sail on top so it won't scratch the boat . Thanks.
I'm going to tell you straight ... if you capsize that boat and you didn't like it and/or you value the company of your girlfriend and she doesn't like capsizing, then you have the wrong boat. Don't even think of the Puffer either. You will need a boat that is at least 18' to 23' and has the ballast to make it comfortable for you both to sit on one side of the centerline without tipping the boat over. I would suggest that since you sail on Mobile Bay, you should find a boat that is VERY DIFFICULT to capsize.
With a Sunfish or a Puffer, you are SUPPOSED to capsize the boat and LOVE IT! If you don't, they are not for you. It's nonsense to suggest that you must learn with a small boat like this. These boats are for teenagers.
When I was a teenager we had this boat which is very similar to a Puffer. The Puffer is just 13' and 160 pounds.
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=5550
As soon as my dad bought it for my mom he realized why he should have shopped a little smarter. We rigged it and capsized it immediately. He said "I should have known better when the salesman showed me how easy it is to right it and sail away". Only us kids used that boat because we spent as much time swimming around it as sailing ... and we loved it!
With a Sunfish or a Puffer, you are SUPPOSED to capsize the boat and LOVE IT! If you don't, they are not for you. It's nonsense to suggest that you must learn with a small boat like this. These boats are for teenagers.
When I was a teenager we had this boat which is very similar to a Puffer. The Puffer is just 13' and 160 pounds.
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=5550
As soon as my dad bought it for my mom he realized why he should have shopped a little smarter. We rigged it and capsized it immediately. He said "I should have known better when the salesman showed me how easy it is to right it and sail away". Only us kids used that boat because we spent as much time swimming around it as sailing ... and we loved it!
Its is clear
Having read your problems and reading your description given, may I advise.
I am a very experienced Yotty and a sailing instructor and its wonderful you are seeking advice because simply you will kill yourself by your description. You don't know the skill and art of sailing, so in that please do some side by side sailing with somebody who can show you what to do. Do not go alone!!!
Sailing is not something one can learn from a book. Same as riding a bike: it has to be learned. I will advise: learn how to sail upwind as any landlubber who does not know how to sail will be blown downwind. The class and size of yacht is of no importance, they will all go downwind and any yotty will always go upwind first on leaving shore.
If you can; join a sailing club. The fraternity is there to help. Any club commodore will help. As advised by other writers do a sailing course too.
Paul
SirI recently bought a small sailboat (Sunfish) and it about did me in on Saturday.
I got about a mile offshore and knew I needed to turn back. Rolled it when I turned around. I could not upright it and had 2 other boats come by and it took 2 other guys along with myself to get it upright (we tried with 2 and it was not enough). What do you do when the sail is full of water? If I had not had help come by, I would have had to ditch the sail it was so heavy.
I also had trouble getting back to shore due to cross wind. Boat kept wanting to drift downwind. A storm was coming so I when I got about 1/4 from shore I jumped overboard and pulled the boat behind me to get back home.
My girlfriend was watching from shore. She had tried to get in earlier but it rolled on her. Because of all this, she is now scared of the boat. I am thinking of getting something more stable with a larger cockpit. AMF had a boat called Puffer that looks like it may be more stable , has a much larger cockpit, plus it can use a small kicker in case the boat gets uncooperative when a storm approaches
Has anyone had a boat like this and if so, would you say it is more stable than a Sunfish (for 2 people).
Thank you...
Having read your problems and reading your description given, may I advise.
I am a very experienced Yotty and a sailing instructor and its wonderful you are seeking advice because simply you will kill yourself by your description. You don't know the skill and art of sailing, so in that please do some side by side sailing with somebody who can show you what to do. Do not go alone!!!
Sailing is not something one can learn from a book. Same as riding a bike: it has to be learned. I will advise: learn how to sail upwind as any landlubber who does not know how to sail will be blown downwind. The class and size of yacht is of no importance, they will all go downwind and any yotty will always go upwind first on leaving shore.
If you can; join a sailing club. The fraternity is there to help. Any club commodore will help. As advised by other writers do a sailing course too.
Paul
I would like to have a larger boat but space/tow vehicle/$$$ don't permit it. I was lucky to get what I did. I knew the boat could flip,...that did not scare me. But not being able to turn it over easily like the you tube videos claim kinda did. But I am going to try it again this weekend but hopefully in a more protected area in case things go wrong again.
I bet the more you used that boat the better you got at not flipping it though!
+1 to Scott Tbird and also your reply, Sail101e. These are great and fun boat sizes if you are willing to get wet. I have also taken a Butterfly over to near 90, walked on the centerboard, and righted it while hardly getting wet, as one other commenter mentioned doing. The only other comment I have not seen about righting it again after a capsize is that the sail can fill with water if the boat is at that 90+ degree position and the sail is under water. With the bow to the wind and your leverage heavy on the very end of the centerboard, that water will pour off the sail's leech, slowly and then faster. That can take a little time, and then the wind can also help as it begins to fill under the sail. That's what I've found sometimes. Welcome to the sport!
good point Jeff. The time to right the boat, is really to the time for the sail to rotate under water, allowing the sail to exit. With the mainsheet cleated, the sail cannot rotate, and acts like a sea anchor then, preventing it from lifting out of the water.
The sunfish or dinghy sailing is the best way to learn to sail as others mentioned. You get a better connection to what the boat is doing under different points of sail, different wind conditions, etc. Have fun, but keep yourself close to shore, with PFD (this type of boat demands wearing one at all times) and have someone around for emergencies.
I might even suggest going out in no wind and practice tipping over and righting. wind will cause the sail to flog once righted, which just adds to the chaos unitl you know what to expect.
The sunfish or dinghy sailing is the best way to learn to sail as others mentioned. You get a better connection to what the boat is doing under different points of sail, different wind conditions, etc. Have fun, but keep yourself close to shore, with PFD (this type of boat demands wearing one at all times) and have someone around for emergencies.
I might even suggest going out in no wind and practice tipping over and righting. wind will cause the sail to flog once righted, which just adds to the chaos unitl you know what to expect.
A known problem with older Sunfish in need of repair is water logged foam floatation.
Water gets into the hull and saturates the styrofoam billets that support the deck and provide floatation. Sunfish should weigh about 100 lbs, when wet they can weigh upwards of 200lbs
The typical places that water enters is the mast step and the daggerboard trunk.
The weight of a water logged boat would make it more difficult to get upright and water in the hull will work against you as you try to right the boat.
Otherwise the advice you have received about righting a boat is spot on. Release the mainsheet, stand on the dagger board and lean back.
If the boat turtles, i.e., it is completely inverted, it is more difficult to right. The goal is to prevent it from turtling.
That's what my plan is for this weekend..to try and stay close to shore and if so, turn it over and see if it gets stuck again. I have cut a hole in the dagger board and in the process of mounting a string so it doesn't try to float away again.
I think I lucked out as far as water logging goes. Seller said that was one thing going for it and showed me the mask full of water. It will hold water there for days. The only damage of concern was a small slit/loss of gelcoat across the keel about 1 inch long 1/8 wide. Fiberglass was ok and it was easy to fix with West system epoxy and gel paste. The rest was gelcoat chips and scratches, just tons of them and I still have not fixed all of them by no means but the boat still looks a heck of a lot better than when I bought it. I am taking off work tommorow to get the boat ready for Saturday. I know a calm beach with shallow water we are planning to go to if we can get access and there I should be test righting the boat and not get into trouble should it get stuck again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwokzjlcjvk&list=PLKyzNgntlEGZ-YfPREqAebFmPJP_Oh8hm
youtube, sometimes it is easier if you see it
youtube, sometimes it is easier if you see it