- Sunfish Sailboat
- Serial Number Lookup
- Alcort Sailfish Serial Number
- Alcort Sailboat Parts
- Alcort Sunfish Serial Number Table
You want to know what year that Sunfish was made, good idea as there were differences through the years. While the Sunfish is a strict one design, changes have been made through the years. The first thing to check is the serial number. Since 1973 it has been embossed on the stern, usually on the starboard side just below the rubrail. The last two numbers of the serial number is the year of manufacter. Sometimes the machine used to imprint the numbers made an impression that looks something like a 1 at the end of the number, so ignore that.
- Alcort Sunfish #4518. In the winter of 1958, as I was preparing to head off to college, my father and I assembled an Alcort Sunfish kit. The boat is made of wood and the large panels are a product called Harborite – a marine plywood with the outer layers made of Masonite.
- Alcort stopped selling kits in the mid-60s. By 1982 over 200,000 SUNFISH had been sold. Despite the numbers, producing a single Sunfish hull was a labor intensive task. All the layup in the female mold was done by hand. Chopper guns were never used. By 1969 Alcort was overwhelmed by the ever increasing demand and the company was sold to AMF.
1975 AMF Alcort Puffer Sailboat w/trailer - $650. Selling our Vintage 1975 AMF Alcort Puffer. According to the serial number it was manufactured in August of 1975. It is in excellent condition. We have had it for 4 years but have only sailed it 5 times. The rest of that time it has been lovingly stored in our garage. The previous 2 owners also.
This information was posted on the Sunfish website, but they have changed the site and this was no longer available, so I have stored it here for safekeeping.
Sunfish Sailboat
If the serial number is on a metal deck plate near the splashrail; there is no storage compartment at the aft end of cockpit; and the boat has (or had) the 'old style' rudder hardware (where the rudder attaches via 2 bronze fittings): the boat is pre-1971.
The cockpit was redesigned for the 1971 models, which started shipping after the end of August shutdown 1970. However the older cockpits (short) had a flanged top (where they intersected the deck, and the new ones added in September 1970 did not have this. This caused any boat with any nontrivial amount of traditional (deck up) trailering to be an immediate leaker, because the bottom of the cockpit would crack out the hull.
There was a known problem, but no one could figure it out. It was not really determined until the summer of 1972, when the cockpit was re-redesigned with a flanged top like the older shorter cockpit. Alcort replaced many boats, as the 1971/72 model year boats could not be repaired.
The difference in the cockpit is not apparent unless you put your head in the cockpit and see the joint where the upper end of the cockpit hit the deck. The 1971/72 model year boats have a very rough edge at the joint, whereas other years (before the cockpit became integrated into the deck) had a smooth transition.
If the boat has a storage compartment, 'new style' rudder hardware (where the rudder attaches via an aluminum bracket on the transom) and has a metal rail around the gunwale, it was built between 1972-1987.
If it has a storage compartment, the 'new style' rudder hardware, and rolled fiberglass gunwales, it is 1987 or later.
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If there is a serial number molded into the hull, it will be in the upper right corner of the transom. It can be deciphered to give you the manufacturer and model year. Examples:
Serial Number Lookup
- AMFxxxxxM73x : this boat was manufactured by AMF in 1973.
- SLIxxxxxG793 : this boat was manufactured by Sunfish-Laser Inc. in 1993.
AMF = AMF Alcort. These boats varied tremendously in quality and have to be looked at individually. They have a smaller cockpit than the later models.
P = Pearson Sailing Yachts. AVOID THESE BOATS LIKE THE PLAGUE UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
SLI = Sunfish Laser Inc. For the most part these boats were pretty well built.
OQT = Vanguard Sailboats, the current builder. These boats have continued to be very consistent in quality. Serial number to year
500-800.......1955
800-1200......1956
1200-1600......1957
1600-2000......1958
2000-2500......1959
2500-2900......1960
2900-3400......1961
3419-5692......1962
8432-13000.....1963
13000-20900.....1964
20900-29000.....1965
29300-38300.....1966
38300-48000.....1967
48000-59000.....1968
59000-70000.....1969
70000-79000.....1970
80000-91000.....1971
92000-103000....1972
Introduction of storage compartment in aft end of cockpit.
00100-01865.....1972
01865-14099.....1973
14100-28000.....1974
28000-37900.....1975
37900-51100.....1976
51100-61400.....1977
61400-71999.....1978
72000-82900.....1979
- Daniel Feldman, Wind Line Sails
- Al Barsa, Jr.
The Sunfish has its roots planted firmly in 1947 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Friends Alexander 'Al' Bryan and Cortlandt 'Cort' Heyniger (the Al and Cort in Alcort) pondered, 'How to put a sail on a surfboard?' The answer involved a rejected design for American Red Cross waterfront rescue surfboards, leading to the Sailfish – a lateen rigged, flat-decked, plywood marvel. In 1951, Bryan's pregnant wife found its flat deck somewhat uncomfortable. The addition of a cockpit and widening of the hull created the Sunfish. The logo was created by Heyniger, who traced a nickel and added fins, the tail and an eye. Early wood Sailfish and Sunfish were available assembled or as kits.
In 1959 the introduction of fiberglass and the low cost and ease of production led to the proliferation of Sunfish everywhere. Other improvements included aluminum spars replacing spruce, Dacron sails replacing cotton, ash replacing mahogany for tillers, resulting in increased speed, performance and reliability. Sunfish racing started almost as quickly as two or three boats came together – the first North American Championship was 1963, the first Midwinters was 1965. Bryan and Heyniger sold 'Alcort Sailboats' to American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF) in 1969.
AMF/Alcort Division hired Steve Baker, and later Lee Parks, to organize events and racing leading to establishment of a Class Association. For almost 20 years Sunfish racing and AMF/Alcort were synonymous. In 1971 the original brass rudder fittings were replaced by the spring-loaded kickup system developed for the Minifish. Two daggerboard shapes were introduced in the 1970′s: the 'new' style, which was swept back, had less area, and proved unpopular with racers, and the 'Barrington' style, developed by the frostbite fleet, which proved equally popular as the original 'round' style. As the Class matured, it applied to the then – International Yacht Racing Union and gained International Class status on January 1, 1984.
Alcort Sailfish Serial Number
In mid-1985, Irwin Jacobs of Minstar Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota, bought AMF, intending to spin Alcort off, and saw no benefit in continuing to support the Class organization. On July 18, 1985 the International Sunfish Class Association assumed Class management from the manufacturer. On Febrruary 14, 1986 David Loveless and Jerry DeGarmo purchased the business, naming it Alcort Sailboats, Inc.
Alcort Sailboat Parts
In October, 1986, Alcort Sailboats, Inc., agreed to work with Hans Fogh, then with North Sails, to develop a consistent and ultimate sail shape. At the same time, ultimate daggerboard and rudder shape development was launched. In 1988 Loveless and Degarmo sold the company to Pearson Yachts of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, led by J. Gordon Clayton. Pearson acquired rights to the Laser separately.
On September 19, 1988, Pearson introduced the current hull design, featuring: a 3-1/2″ wider and 1/4″ longer cockpit; a rolled flange replacing riveted aluminum rails; non-skid on the deck on either side of the cockpit; and a standard hiking strap. By January 1989, today's aerodynamic Racing sail was approved. It is approximately 10% larger in area with shaping fullness, has a 20% bigger window, a Cunningham cringle, is made of longer-lived and more evenly stretching cloth, and reduced equipment differences. the daggerboard had further design attention in 1989. In 1991, Pearson filed for bankruptcy protection. SunfishLaser, Inc., led by Peter Johnstone, was formed in 1991 from the small boats assets of Pearson, with primary funding from North Marine Group, parent company of North Sails.
Production control implemented by 'SLI' resulted in hull weight consistency of 128-130 pounds. On January 1, 1994, today's 3-3/4″ longer and foil shaped daggerboard debuted. It is liked for being forgiving to bad tacks, quicker, with less side slipping, at a cost of the sailor having to work a little harder in a breeze. This saved racers from constant build up and refinishing of wooden boards to get them up to tolerances. Sail America inducted the Sunfish into The American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1995 in recognition of 'a boat that has earned lasting recognition by fostering new enjoyment and growth in the sport of sailing through excellent design and production ingenuity.' In March 1997, Sunfish Laser, Inc. sold the Sunfish to Vanguard Sailboats Inc., led by Chip Johns and Steve Clark. In 2007 Performance Sailcraft Europe and Vanguard merged to create Laser Performance. The boat continues to be manufactured by LP to this day.
Alcort Sunfish Serial Number Table
In 2001, with over 300,000 boats worldwide, the Sunfish's 50th birthday was celebrated at Newport, Rhode Island. An out-of-the-box Sunfish was sailed at the regatta to the win.
The International Class organization continues its development. Sunfish gained Pan American Games status in 1999 and has been in the Games since. This has caused significant development in Pan American countries. There are three continental and nine national championships regularly. Efforts are ongoing for events for cruisers and racers alike, including a continuing commitment to an annual World Championship. Sunfish sailors stay dedicated to the 'fun in the sun' mantra! – Gail M. Turluck
