sunfish repair in Massachusetts

wsmtbskate · Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 124

hey all
sorry a bit off the windsurfing topic, but was wondering if anyone knows where I can get my sunfish repaired. It has a small water leak in the hill. I believe is coming from the mast insert where the fiberglass looks like it's degraded and "meshy" in places.
thanks much
Jeff

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Yellow Pages > boat repair shop?

prevett · Joined: 25 Jun 1997 Posts: 65

My weapon of choice for DIY Sunfish hull repair is Marinetex, in White. It's a two-part epoxy system, with filler already mixed in. Very easy to use. And with the white gelcoat on the Sunfish hull, just sand the repair; no need to paint. Repairing a leak inside the mast insert may be a bit tricky but should be doable if you can isolate the leak and leave enough room for the mast to insert after the repair.

BTW, my 1981 Sunfish is still going strong. Replaced the mast and spars over the years, but hull and sail are original. Lots of rocks where it is used in Massachusetts (Mattapoisett, Buzzards Bay), so plenty of Marinetex hull repairs, and they have held up for many years.

Bob

wsmtbskate · Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 124

thanks Bob. I might try DIY .

@ isobar - eh, thanks.

johngullotti · Joined: 15 May 2002 Posts: 24

West systems has an epoxy repair kit with premeasured epoxy and glass fabric. Sand heavily, mask where you don't want the resin to go, wet the squooshy area and fill the depression with glass and resin. Use wax paper on top of the repair and press on it with some kind of weight. (ziploc bags full of sand or gravel work great. The wax paper makes a good release agent. Sand the repair site and paint it. Better'n new.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Aren't those patch approaches like putting a Bandaid on a fractured leg or duct tape over a severed artery? Doesn't Jeff need to dig down and laterally to sound boundaries, discard the mush, rebuild back to surface levels, then recoat the repair? If he doesn't, isn't he just hiding a structural problem in what is probably the most-stressed spot in the entire craft? I can see it being a DIY fix, but hiding the structural damage to stop the leak seems short-sighted.

SeaDawg · Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 384

I have an older Laser that had a professional repair done, the mast step had been cut out and step repair kit had been glassed in that was about 20yrs a go

Maybe stick a baseball bat in the mast step and torqure it around and listen to telltail crunchy sounds if the sounds are crunchy the most likely is structural damage.

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

Jeff, check with Jim from Sailworld Cape Cod. IIRC, the guy who does board repairs for him is a boat builder. He did a pretty decent job on my WindSUP. Just make sure to ask how long it will take.