I'm up to 75 days of sailing this year. Until yesterday, I
hadn't sailed any of my own boats. I decided to fix that
by starting with some sailing my two Sunfishes, one of
which I picked up at the end of the season last year, and
hadn't even tried yet.

I dragged both of these boats, Patriot and Threat down
to the beach and launched them. My companion was
a very bright 13 year old boy, who did very well sailing
a keel boats the previous two days, but seemed to let
his attention wander when it came to sail trim. I decided
to fix that. Nothing like a dinghy to keep you sharp!

Thursday was fairly light. I found a few deficiencies with
the new boat (Threat). I decided to bob the tiller a few
inches, so I can sit on the back deck on light days. I plan
chuck the wooden hiking stick and replace it with a nice
hiking stick. The first things I plan to replace are the
main halyard and main sheet. Later on I'll install a couple
of carbo blocks (illegal for racing, but I like them) and a
stand-up ratchet block and swivel base with a cam cleat
like the other boat has. Most people don't like cam cleats
because if the main can't be eased in a hurry, over you go.
I set mine up on Patriot, to be easy to release. It's easy
to hold free of the cam cleat, and I can still use it when
I want to.

The sail on Threat is pretty, orange and red, and doesn't
have any holes, but is a bit blown out--fine for light air, but
a bit too full for heavier air. I will try tightening it up a bit to
see if it is worth keeping. I'll probably install a hiking strap
and a few other goodes also. I'm working on a double braid
eye splice for the new main sheet as I write this.

After yesterday's sail, I told Alex that if you haven't capsized
you haven't had fun. I was happy we had not capsized
yesterday, but I was hoping for more wind, because he was
ready for it.

Today's sailing started light, and kept building. Winds
backed from the South to the East, and the quickly to
the North. While the water was fairly flat except for
a few tidal standing waves, and yacht wakes, it was
gusty with clear foam trails on the water by the end of
the day.

My companion capsized, I think because his main was
cleated on a gybe. I decided to practice heavy air gybing
and demonstrating a few. I spent some time doing Man
overboard recoveries of sports bottles that floated away.
Later on I found myself in the water--somewhat relieved
that I could do a prop check (relieve my bladder).

Alex capsized twice more in the next half hour and at one
point I found myself upwind of him and decided to do a quick
gybe before he started moving again. I wasn't quick enough
and found myself on a collision course. My only option to
miss him was to sail by the lee, my main got a bit
too far out, and soon found oscillating. I started to roll over
and watched my boom slam down in a classic sailor's
death-roll. Four of my sail fasteners popped off.

After this we started tacking back up wind, which took a bit
of time as Alex had difficulty keeping the boat close to the
wind, with Threat's too full sail shape and his light weight to
keep the hull down. I was sorry to get out because hiking
out with my weight, I could really get the boat moving close
hauled.

The water was warm, it ws overcast, so the sun was not
strong, and the wind was great. I'll rate this the best day's
sailing I've had this year.

Does anyone else have any good death roll stories?

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:06:38 -0700, Bart
wrote this crap:


Thursday was fairly light. I found a few deficiencies with
the new boat (Threat). I decided to bob the tiller a few
inches, so I can sit on the back deck on light days. I plan
chuck the wooden hiking stick and replace it with a nice
hiking stick. The first things I plan to replace are the
main halyard and main sheet. Later on I'll install a couple
of carbo blocks (illegal for racing, but I like them)


Sunfishes don't race, dumbass. You have to move up to a Force Five if
you want to race.






I'm Horvath and I approve of this post.

On Aug 31, 11:20 pm, Horvath wrote:
On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:06:38 -0700, Bart
wrote this crap:



Thursday was fairly light. I found a few deficiencies with
the new boat (Threat). I decided to bob the tiller a few
inches, so I can sit on the back deck on light days. I plan
chuck the wooden hiking stick and replace it with a nice
hiking stick. The first things I plan to replace are the
main halyard and main sheet. Later on I'll install a couple
of carbo blocks (illegal for racing, but I like them)

Sunfishes don't race, dumbass. You have to move up to a Force Five if
you want to race.



I'm Horvath and I approve of this post.



Actually, they do. It is the largest sailboat class.

http://www.sunfishclass.org/

I can't remember how many boats are actively racing
It is a large number.

If I wanted to race in this sort of boat, I'd go for a Laser not a
Force Five.

On Sep 1, 12:36 am, Bart wrote:
On Aug 31, 11:20 pm, Horvath wrote:



On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:06:38 -0700, Bart
wrote this crap:

Thursday was fairly light. I found a few deficiencies with
the new boat (Threat). I decided to bob the tiller a few
inches, so I can sit on the back deck on light days. I plan
chuck the wooden hiking stick and replace it with a nice
hiking stick. The first things I plan to replace are the
main halyard and main sheet. Later on I'll install a couple
of carbo blocks (illegal for racing, but I like them)

Sunfishes don't race, dumbass. You have to move up to a Force Five if
you want to race.



I'm Horvath and I approve of this post.

Actually, they do. It is the largest sailboat class.

http://www.sunfishclass.org/

I can't remember how many boats are actively racing
It is a large number.

If I wanted to race in this sort of boat, I'd go for a Laser not a
Force Five.

500,000 or more of these boats produced.

Bart wrote:
Thursday was fairly light. I found a few deficiencies with
the new boat (Threat). I decided to bob the tiller a few
inches, so I can sit on the back deck on light days. I plan
chuck the wooden hiking stick and replace it with a nice
hiking stick. The first things I plan to replace are the
main halyard and main sheet. Later on I'll install a couple
of carbo blocks (illegal for racing, but I like them)


Horvath wrote:
Sunfishes don't race, dumbass. You have to move up to a Force Five if
you want to race.


Wrong. Sunfish very definitely race.
http://www.bbyc.net/SunfishWorlds/Results/Overall.htm
http://www.bbyc.net/SunfishWorlds/PhotoAlbum/index.htm



Actually, they do. It is the largest sailboat class.

http://www.sunfishclass.org/

I can't remember how many boats are actively racing
It is a large number.


They used to pull in a couple hundred for the Worlds, now they
apparently limit it to the top 100.


If I wanted to race in this sort of boat, I'd go for a Laser not a
Force Five.

In many ways the Force 5 is a better boat than a Laser, the deck & the
controls are much better. I also happen to like the F5's 3-piece mast,
many prefer the two-piece like a Laser. But the Laser class grew and
the F5 class did not. The Banshee is a better boat than either IMHO.

Lasers and F5s will death-roll in a heartbeat. I've never death-rolled
in a Sunfish but have submarined. They are a lot of fun in big wind
because they are very predictable & easy to muscle around. In 15+ the
Laser tends to shoot out from under you (or it does me, anyway).

Match racing Sunfish sounds like a lot of fun Bart

Doug

On Sep 1, 3:16 pm, wrote:
Bart wrote:
Thursday was fairly light. I found a few deficiencies with
the new boat (Threat). I decided to bob the tiller a few
inches, so I can sit on the back deck on light days. I plan
chuck the wooden hiking stick and replace it with a nice
hiking stick. The first things I plan to replace are the
main halyard and main sheet. Later on I'll install a couple
of carbo blocks (illegal for racing, but I like them)
Horvath wrote:
Sunfishes don't race, dumbass. You have to move up to a Force Five if
you want to race.

Wrong. Sunfish very definitely race.http://www.bbyc.net/SunfishWorlds/Re...lbum/index.htm

Actually, they do. It is the largest sailboat class.

http://www.sunfishclass.org/

I can't remember how many boats are actively racing
It is a large number.

They used to pull in a couple hundred for the Worlds, now they
apparently limit it to the top 100.

If I wanted to race in this sort of boat, I'd go for a Laser not a
Force Five.

In many ways the Force 5 is a better boat than a Laser, the deck & the
controls are much better. I also happen to like the F5's 3-piece mast,
many prefer the two-piece like a Laser. But the Laser class grew and
the F5 class did not. The Banshee is a better boat than either IMHO.

Lasers and F5s will death-roll in a heartbeat. I've never death-rolled
in a Sunfish but have submarined. They are a lot of fun in big wind
because they are very predictable & easy to muscle around. In 15+ the
Laser tends to shoot out from under you (or it does me, anyway).

Match racing Sunfish sounds like a lot of fun Bart

Doug

Come on over. I have a free place to launch and two boats.
I'm going work over an old landscape trailer into a small boat
hauler. I plan to build it to carry six Sunfishes. It probably
won't carry more than four. I have two serviceable and one
old one for a winter project boat/spares boat, and I store one
for my friend Dawson. It will be very nice to haul down more
than two to knock around at the beach. Two sailing together
is much more fun than sailing alone. Three or four should be
a real blast!