DaySailer.org Forum

I inherited what I believe to be a 1992 DSI made by Sunfish Laser. I'd gotten some help under the DSII forum before I knew what I had. Now I'm in need of a gooseneck connection that's missing. I was told to try to find out what mast I have to know what gooseneck I need.

Here are a couple of pics of my mast and step.



I'd also would like to find a new spreader(s) as one is bent, here's a mediocre photo of that:


One person suggested D&R but Rudy there told me they don't do Sunfish Laser parts.

Someone else suggested Layline, I sent an e-mail, haven't heard back yet.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Hey MJ,

It looks like you have a standard DS gooseneck on your boom, but it is just missing some pieces. If you could take a photo of the slot in your mast where the gooseneck goes in, that could help. I broke one of the "bunny ears" that holds a pin that goes in the forward corner of the sail in my gooseneck casting last year. I drilled out the old pop-rivets and got a new casting from Rudy at D&R and it is good as new. Yours appears to be attached with screws which could make the job easier. There is a photo of the complete gooseneck assembly on the D&R website here: http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DR116
As for the mast, does the mast go through the cuddy or step on top of it with a tabernacle? The "floorplan" of your cockpit looks like a DSI with the wood thwarts to the centerboard trunk. The DSII's don' t have them.

Sean McGuire

A place I have had success with, in getting parts, is Annapolis Performance Sailing. Their website is www.apsltd.com. They sell parts for both the Sunfish, and the Laser, so hopefully they can help you out with your S/L Daysailer. I don't know who made your mast, but Dwyer Masts has a large parts selection too.

I have a Cape Cod DaySailer and have the same kind of step and similar but not identical spreaders. Try contacting them.
You are missing a second pin in the piece attached to your boat. You adjust the rake of the mast by moving the two pins back and forth, always keeping them separated by the with of the aluminum step on your mast. Cape Cod manufactures Zephyr spars. Perhaps that is what you have. They have an online parts list and have always been helpful by e-mail or phone.

I’ve included a few new pictures of my mast. Its got a part attached to it (the mast side of the gooseneck attachment) that says Dwyer on it. No labels on the mast itself. My mom says part of the gooseneck was replaced previously after getting bent but she doesn’t know which part. I suppose it could have been the part attached to the mast that says Dwyer and that my mast may not be made by Dwyer. I understand the step on the hull now but I don't think anyone has recognized the fitting on the bottom of the mast as yet. The mast goes through the cutty and steps on the hull, no tabernacle on top. I’ve read the pros and cons on that one. I’ll try it this way for a while to see how hard it is to live with.

The Dwyer fitting (the boom is laying parallel if the picture is confusing):



And the slot:

The slot is to insert the bolt rope on the lading edge of the sail (called the luff) as you raise it up the mast.

I note you are in Vista. I spend 4 months in San Diego but am writing from MI. Where are you planning to sail your boat?

I bought a DS made by LSI - apparently a racing version. The boat had always been trailered but, living lakeside had to make it a water moored boat. First an over-the-boom cover so I changed the gooseneck to a unit manufactured by Selden. Now the boom doesn't fall off when the sail is lowered. Am waiting for the cover made locally.

If this helps reply and I can give details of what I used for parts.

Dave

Regarding the gooseneck - On the boom there should be the other half of the goodneck fitting - looks like a universal joint.

Here's some pictures at Dwyer's website(see link below).

You could call them and try to get any parts you think are missing.
I'd recommend replacing the part of the U joint that connects to both the pins that looks like two folded U's at 90 degrees from each other.
Replace it with a box shaped piece. Dwyer should have it. It's far more sturdy, and won't buckle under high vang loads.

Good luck. You've got a nice boat there.

http://www.dwyermast.com/items.asp?cat1ID=40&cat1Name=Hardware&familyID=17&familyName=Goosenecks

Thanks to all for the input. I was able to get a replacement universal from Dwyer and I'm in business. Mostly. I went for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride a couple of weekends ago after getting everything rigged properly.

When we were first set to sail the wind stopped completely. Then when it started to pick up it went from nothing to whitecaps in the amount of time it took to get into the boat and out from shore. We nearly capsized in our first turn. Just as the wind caught the opposite side of the sail it gusted and the main sheet got locked up in the cleat on centerboard and I couldn't let it out quickly enough as the boat keeled over and took on quite a bit of water over the side.

In hind site I had no business being out in those conditions as a rusty sailor but I'd gone through so many trials and errors in the rigging and missing parts etc. that I didn't want to make the 5 hour drive back home without having sailed it yet again.

After bailing, and another harrowing turn in the second loop around the lake we got better at preparing for turns and had a successful third loop. Then we quit while we were ahead.

So now that I've got the thing rigged I'm considering a sailing lesson or two.

Melanie

I have had very similar experiences learning to sail on my DS2, and am very thankful that it is such a forgiving boat. As someone said on this forum, it's amazing how scared you can get going six miles per hour.

I just keep repeating the four cardinal safety rules - 1) always wear a life vest, 2) always check weather, tide and water conditions forecasts prior to sailing, 3) let someone know you're going sailing, and 4) if in trouble, don't leave the boat.

Good luck sailing and enjoy your boat.