Video

Check your sizes. If still too small, try the 9/64 bit

@@kentblairl "Check your sizes" was very good advice. I was mistakenly using a 7/64" drill bit! The rivets fit fine with an actual 1/8" drill bit.

Possible short lived prototype. What is the length and beam? And does it have bronze Alcort rudder hardware?

No, but that's a good idea. Thanks for the info

Hold button down to turn on, then when it come on, press button again. Each press chooses another mode.

@@kentblairl​​⁠ Thanks very much for replying. Unfortunately, when I follow your suggestion (that is, turn on then press again), the only thing that happens is the light gets brighter. There are actually four levels of brightness. It does not change from solid to flashing light. I suppose this could indicate that my light does not flash, but it’s supposed to. It’s supposed to have four solid and two flashing modes.

Thank you for the support and we look forward to learning more about how to transition from the epoxy based repair to a polyester based gelcoat finish. It can be done if the proper primer bridge is applied after fairing, and the primer has plenty of time to be dry dry dry...

@@kentblairl Our primer, TotalProtect, is a great bridge product between epoxy and gelcoat!

The THIXO that is in the screw on mixing tube will harden towards the tip, creating a nice seal for the reast of the unmixed resin and hardener in the caulk tube. We just leave the tip in place until it is time for another project, then we take the old tip off and put on a new tip. Or the shipping cap could be put back on. The THIXO tube is usually shipped with several mixing tips, or call the JD Tech Team to get more.

@@kentblairl Sounds like a great product. Can’t wait to try it out on my next project.

Tidewater Virginia now. Before was NW Florida

Thanks for the idea we'll look into it. In the meantime if you visit our blog and look on the right side, all of our boats have their own page. Those pages have links to these videos. Here's the Nutshell page: smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/nutshell-pram.html

Astral Camino and I think they still make a variation. More info on our blog: smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/2018/04/personal-flotation-device-tips.html

@@kentblairl Thanks!

@@abgates56 You're welcome.

That Sunfish Direct part will work. I'm not sure who sells the brass snap shackle, maybe check The Dinghy Shop or Intensity Sails. You can find them on ebay from time to time. If we come across a spare we'll let you know.

Yes Sir, Aileen Shields Bryan, daughter of Cornelius Shields and married to ALex Bryan of AlCort, was a champion yachtswoman of her own and suggested the widening of the Sailfish and addition of the cockpit to make the "Sunfish." Carl Meinelt drew it up on the shop floor and 20 prototypes were built for family and friends in 1953, along with the Patented rudder releasing mechanism making its debut. Our boat ZIP is number 13 of those first 20. FMI: smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/alcort-sunfish.html

@@kentblairl that is super cool. wow! thanks for sharing all that with me!

Yes via paypal: www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/E35DKQ6UEHREL

Great, we love our dollies, we have 7. For hard surface and hard pack sand we run 30 psi. For soft sand going uphill we deflate down to 15 or so. The dolly rolls easily, so park it sideways vs downhill if needed. If you plan to trailer the assembled dolly, we recommend replacing the wingnuts on the tongue/axle bracket with appropriate size marine stainless nylon lock nuts, because the wingnuts can vibrate loose. Or check the wing nuts periodically, and have a spare or two. Have fun, Clark and Skipper

@@kentblairlWe got the boat to the lake today with no problems. It will stay there on the dolly until Fall. I'll be sure the wing nuts are tight and get some spares. Great idea. Thank you!

@@abgates56 Huzzah! You're welcome and Send us some photos to lewis dot kent gmail

Ours are usually too stiff to raise with the tiller without a lot of exertion. You can check tiller bolt nut tension. And there is supposed to be a plastic washer between the wood and the metal cheek, on both sides of the rudder

Thanks, we have fun sharing knowledge with folks.

We're going to make SMEDLEY a "total boat" again, with your team's generous assistance :)

Either way works. It is a tight fit on the 10 foot trailer, we now have a 12 foot for some of our boats and also a dedicated small boat trailer for one Sunfish and a kayak/canoe. The 6x12 we have now is made by Carry On and the Microsport trailer is sold by Malone Auto Racks. The Dynamic Dolly is the key, whether you leave the boat on it or carry the dolly along, it makes getting the boat from trailer to water very easy, and opens up access to a lot of launch spots that do not have ramps. The dolly breaks down into five pieces that will fit in the trunk of a compact car.

@@kentblairl Thanks for the quick reply. Do you think a 5'2" 125 lady could get a Sunfish down a concrete boat ramp and back up using the dolly? Or would it make more sense for someone my size to use a boat trailer on my car? I've read it's kind of tricky to maneuver a Sunfish trailer down a boat ramp with and without the boat.

@@abgates56 That all depends on your fitness level, and if you are fit enough to sail a Sunfish then you should be good. We want a system where we have to lift the boat as little as possible, and for us that involves using a dolly. FWIW we have never launched a Sunfish from a trailer in the water, we have used the trailer to get the boat close to a launch spot, then either carried (when we were younger) or dollied the boat the rest of the way in and out of the water.

@@kentblairl Thanks again. I'm fit, just not very big. My utility trailer has higher sides than yours. I think my sides are 24" tall. So the dolly front and Sunfish bow would be propped up higher in the front. Do you think this would be a problem? Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it so much!

@@abgates56 You'll have to figure out the fit, but possibly the bow goes under the side rail.

And car roofs that were made of steel, or station wagons big enough to carry a boat inside :)

Wonderful!

Check out our other video. The halyard ties to the upper boom about 60 inches from the top of the boom. And we set the gooseneck about 21 inches back from the forward end of the lower boom. The main difference from the Sunfish is that the Sunfish has a halyard block and halyard cleat, while the Sailfish only has the halyard cleat. If you were to take a properly rigged Sunfish sail and booms off of a Sunfish it would fit properly onto a Super Sailfish MKII (Fiberglass), they have the exact same size sail, booms and mast. Video: czcams.com/video/U9z8xYzHkEs/video.htmlsi=W8rL6ym7DDJaeaFr

Thanks for your help. !

@@leftycut1 You're welcome. Keep an eye on this page, we are taking the boat out over the Summer and we'll post a video on the set up. And if you have questions in the meantime, just ask them here. Cheers, Kent and Skipper

Whoooeeee it got warm! When they say exothermic they aint kidding :)

Hi, all of the info we currently have is on our blog. Take a look and see if that is helpful, and we can also answer specific questions when they arise. Our blog: smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/o.html

Yes, that should work. Good Luck.

3/16" closed end aluminum from Laser Performance dealer or The Rivet Factory

Thanks Paul, She's a sweet ride. More Info on our blog: smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/sorg-15-runabout-willow.html

You can look though our blog, maybe some photos there can help. The sprit rig is not a high performance system, but it will get you there with simplicity. Don't overthink it, or overcomplicate. You could send us photos to lewis dot kent gmail so we can see what issues you might be having.

You're welcome!

Hello, the paint company you want is George Kirby out of New Bedfoed Mass. They've been mixing paint since 1856, and if anyone knows if that yellow is an Old Town color... FMI: kirbypaint.com/

Hello, as far as we knew that hose drained back to the "self bailing" cockpit.

You'll probably have to remove the entire housing/plug and put in a new one if the head is stripped. And we have a lot of repair videos on our channel, use the search function first to find "Air Leak Test" or post a question on specific repair areas

@@kentblairl thank you. If I put a new one in, won’t the hole that I cut to get the old one out be too big to hold the new one? I’m just wondering if I’m going to have to cut it out, repair the fiberglass, and then put the plug in a different spot.

@@blippityblop2012 No. Buy a new nylon drain plug with housing, Ronstan makes one and there are many brands. Some Sunfish dealers have them. Get good marine sealant. As for the old plug housing, it is usually held with 2 small pins and you can gently pry out the entire housing. Then the remaining hole can be filed a little larger to accept the new plug/housing. Secure it with marine sealant/adhesive and 2 marine stainless sheet metal screws. Drill a small pilot hole for the screws.

@@kentblairl thank you!!

@@blippityblop2012 You're welcome

You're welcome.

That ring got squished years ago by something, so it is more oval than round. It looks worse than it is, comes off easily, which Skipper should keep in mind :)

You're welcome

Gaff rig with boom. You might consider a gunter rig, which is basically a high peaked gaff. We like the sprit because this boat's main purpose is rowing, and if there is a nice beam wind or aft, the sprit rig is very easy to rig and enjoy a nice run. Every rig performs better, but none is simpler than a boomless sprit, which has been used for centuries.

@@kentblairl thank you for answering so quickly and so thoroughly. My main reason for wanting to change it to a gaff with boom, as immature as it may be, is that I love the visual effect of hoisting a gaff with a topsail. But I definitely agree that simplicity has its own value. ☺️.

@@Verradonairun That is understandable and sounds very picturesque. Send us some photos at lewis dot kent gmail when she's ready!

As long as they don't hit me...I'm moving slow.