Lee came and raced at our club yesterday. What a great guy. He really helped to pump up our sailors and get everyone more psyched about Sunfish racing. Rock on!
Thank you Michael for having me…. You have helped me check off a bucket list item and it did not disappoint! The Manhattan YC is a gem of a club and the members were really a great group of people.
FYI: The 1969 Mustang came with many engine options that started with a lowly inline 6. Not too many of them came with the ultra high performance engines. Although the biggest engine that came in the Mustang II was only a 302, it was lighter and had much better handling. For spirited daily driving I think I might go with a 302 Mustang II here. And although the looks of the Mustang II were hated for so many years, people are beginning to come around on it.
A free method to dry out internal foam in the hull is to help the sun do the work for you, by opening any inspection ports you have, and tightly taping cut-up black plastic garbage bags to the deck, and letting the sun blaze down. Thermal-driven air circulation will carry the excess moisture out over time. Close it up at sunset and open it up again every morning. It's much slower than fans, but does work. The plastic sheeting has to be in tight, direct contact with the deck or hull (if the boat's inverted) to be effective at heating, and the weather makes a difference, obviously. If you have one of those automotive trouble lights with a safety cage, put a low-wattage incandescent (not LED or fluorescent) light bulb in it and stuff that down the inspection port, run it 24/7. Same principle as the Easy-Bake Oven, but you can't rush this by using a higher-wattage bulb; that could be dangerous and damage the boat. I would use a "rough service" ten to twenty-watt bulb, or one labeled as for use in ovens. The safety cage keeps the bulb from actually touching anything; that's ultra-important. Low-wattage light bulbs in boxes was how some people kept shoes dry and mold-free in damp closets, back in the 40's and 50's.
Thanks my guy!!! Hey if it's free it's for me!. Again if your ever near lake murry SC. they held the women's sunfish champion ship here. It's a fun lake! Again thanks for the tips!!!! Always listening!!
I suggest decreasing the weather helm. I maintain this is a design flaw in the Sunfish, mast should be further forward, 2"? As for tiller length, I reduce mine so it can be stored flat in the cockpit. Just my 2 cents .
Good idea, thanks Lee. I suggest spraying a good car cleaner polish onto the hull after cleaning. It helps slow scum adhesion and will make the boat faster. Avoid it on the deck though or you will slip off! 100% agree that sailing on the edge, just before capsizing, can result in better speed. I tried this last winter on a day with strong but steady winds, rare on our lake. I allowed the windward hull to rise out of the water and adjusted my position fore/aft to raise the stern. It was a fun balancing act on the leeward chine, but the boat was noticeably faster due to lower water friction on the hull. At least that is my theory.
The car polish works and depending on your direction. If you are going up wind. You dont want to be healing on the leeward chine as one will be slide slipping in moderate to heavy air.
Thanks for the tips Lee. Your timing seems to be impeccable w/ the issues im currently working on. lol I never knew about adjusting the gooseneck and halyard height. Right now, when I tack, i fear being decapitated by the mainsheet. When the boom swings and I duck, the sheet is slack and headed right under my chin. I can only imagine what the experience will be like if I lower my halyard. Thoughts?
Lee came and raced at our club yesterday. What a great guy. He really helped to pump up our sailors and get everyone more psyched about Sunfish racing. Rock on!
Thank you Michael for having me…. You have helped me check off a bucket list item and it did not disappoint! The Manhattan YC is a gem of a club and the members were really a great group of people.
FYI: The 1969 Mustang came with many engine options that started with a lowly inline 6. Not too many of them came with the ultra high performance engines. Although the biggest engine that came in the Mustang II was only a 302, it was lighter and had much better handling. For spirited daily driving I think I might go with a 302 Mustang II here. And although the looks of the Mustang II were hated for so many years, people are beginning to come around on it.
Thanks for the info!!
A free method to dry out internal foam in the hull is to help the sun do the work for you, by opening any inspection ports you have, and tightly taping cut-up black plastic garbage bags to the deck, and letting the sun blaze down. Thermal-driven air circulation will carry the excess moisture out over time. Close it up at sunset and open it up again every morning. It's much slower than fans, but does work. The plastic sheeting has to be in tight, direct contact with the deck or hull (if the boat's inverted) to be effective at heating, and the weather makes a difference, obviously.
If you have one of those automotive trouble lights with a safety cage, put a low-wattage incandescent (not LED or fluorescent) light bulb in it and stuff that down the inspection port, run it 24/7. Same principle as the Easy-Bake Oven, but you can't rush this by using a higher-wattage bulb; that could be dangerous and damage the boat. I would use a "rough service" ten to twenty-watt bulb, or one labeled as for use in ovens. The safety cage keeps the bulb from actually touching anything; that's ultra-important. Low-wattage light bulbs in boxes was how some people kept shoes dry and mold-free in damp closets, back in the 40's and 50's.
Thanks!
I made it into the lee video again!!!
When i see good examples of something i try to use them. Even if those somethings can be mistakes.lol
Your technique versus the full rig laser was a great juxtaposition. Had to use it in the video.
Hey thanks for the tip looking forward to put them in action on my boat
You’re welcome!
Another terrific video, Lee! Thanks!
Thank you
Great sailing tips! Thank you.
Thank you!
Really good video, Lee. Thank you! - Bob with Fleet 749 in Arizona
Thanks Bob!
Thanks my guy!!! Hey if it's free it's for me!. Again if your ever near lake murry SC. they held the women's sunfish champion ship here. It's a fun lake! Again thanks for the tips!!!! Always listening!!
Thanks Kevin! Appreciate the comments and the invite!
I suggest decreasing the weather helm. I maintain this is a design flaw in the Sunfish, mast should be further forward, 2"? As for tiller length, I reduce mine so it can be stored flat in the cockpit. Just my 2 cents
.
Thanks!! An adjustable gooseneck definitely helps balance the boat :)
Good idea, thanks Lee. I suggest spraying a good car cleaner polish onto the hull after cleaning. It helps slow scum adhesion and will make the boat faster. Avoid it on the deck though or you will slip off! 100% agree that sailing on the edge, just before capsizing, can result in better speed. I tried this last winter on a day with strong but steady winds, rare on our lake. I allowed the windward hull to rise out of the water and adjusted my position fore/aft to raise the stern. It was a fun balancing act on the leeward chine, but the boat was noticeably faster due to lower water friction on the hull. At least that is my theory.
The car polish works and depending on your direction. If you are going up wind. You dont want to be healing on the leeward chine as one will be slide slipping in moderate to heavy air.
Thanks for the tips Lee.
Your timing seems to be impeccable w/ the issues im currently working on. lol
I never knew about adjusting the gooseneck and halyard height.
Right now, when I tack, i fear being decapitated by the mainsheet.
When the boom swings and I duck, the sheet is slack and headed right under my chin.
I can only imagine what the experience will be like if I lower my halyard.
Thoughts?
Hi. You need mainsheet hangers!! Then you wont have the Decapitation issue. Check out my video on how to upgrade youre are used Sunfish.