sailfish sailboat plans

A couple of amateur ice-boat builders in Connecticut started building small boats that used the same lateen sailing rig that their ice-boats used. They called it a Sailfish. A photographer saw people having fun with their Sailfish and did a story on the boat. After Alcort made it into the 1949 LIFE Magazine, a boom was born. Click here to see photos of an original 1954 Sailfish .

The Sailfish has a thin pancake-type hull that you can sit on to sail. Modern windsurfers still use this concept, but the sailor stands on these. A growing fan club of the Sailfish wanted a small cockpit that you could sit in, so the company condescended and built the Sunfish. Another story has it that the pregnant wife one of the Alcort founders insisted on it. The Sailfish and Sunfish were built for many years of both wood and fiberglass, but demand for the Sailfish waned and the Sunfish gained in popularity. Alcort decided to stop production of the Sailfish in 1962 but the Super Sailfish MK II was built until 1975. If anyone is interested in an original, one-owner 1954 wood Sailfish, click here for pictures and more information.

Volkswagen capitalized on the popularity of the sailfish to sell its 25-window samba bus. i have had the privilege of owning both. i have had two sailfish, three sunfish and nine vw busses.

In July, 2006, I found an Alcort "Sailfish" for $125. It was over 40 years old and dirty from years of storage, but still in great condition. In the following pictures, you can follow the process of restoration.

A lot of scrubbing was necessary to get the mold and dirt off.

The rudder and daggerboard were in good shape. the sail had a few scarcely noticeable holes, which were patched with special sunfish sail patches..

The Sailfish deck got a new coat of paint and the rails were sanded and refinished with marine varnish. The gray area has non-skid paint, so it was left alone.

The brass hardware was in excellent condition

Although the hull showed only minor scratches, it was sanded and given a new gel-coat.

The Sailfish sold for $405 on eBay

The new owner loading his Sailfish on May 21, 2007 and after arriving home in Canada the next day.

I also restored a second (donated) Sailfish which I sold for enough to cover material costs!

Following are photos of the restoration after brushing off the debris and giving it a good power wash, the hull looked pretty good with no cracks or breaks. (still wet in picture below) i repaired many light scratches and painted the lower hull with two coats of interlux polyurethane. the sailfish looked pretty good after the first coat of paint after the second coat i allow it to cure well before turning it over. i painted the deck light blue with a white seating area. i tried to sell it for $500 but sold it for $350 before winter set in. click here for sunfish.

Article Tag: super sailfish

Super sailfish.

S eventy years ago, LIFE put the Alcort company on the map when the magazine featured the Sailfish sailboat in an article titled “ World’s Wettest, Sportiest Boat ,” published in the August 15, 1949 issue. Two years earlier, Alcort had expanded their market from iceboats to the little Sailfish, a lateen-rigged wooden hull that measured just under 12′. The boat was easy to handle, affordable, and offered a sporty, splashy ride to America’s post-war market of recreational sailors.

In 1946, Alex Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger had combined bits of their first names to create Alcort, Inc., and the first sailboat that they designed, in 1947, was the 11′ 7″ Sailfish, built in Waterbury, Connecticut. The Sailfish had a beam of 31-1/2″, a crew capacity of 300 lbs, and weighed 82 lbs. The volume of air enclosed by the hull and deck made the boat virtually unsinkable. A 65-square-foot lateen sail provided ample power.

The authors’ Super Sailfish, ZSA ZSA, is their restoration of a wooden boat built in the 1950s. Here, the varnished daggerboard rests just aft of its slot.

The boat gained immediate popularity after the LIFE article, and within a few years the original design was lengthened to 13′ 7″ and widened a bit to 35-1/2″. The larger Sailfish flew a 75-square-foot sail, weighed 102 lbs, and had a crew capacity of 400 lbs. The original Sailfish was then labeled the Standard Sailfish and the big sister named the Super Sailfish. Production of the two models of Sailfish was brisk, and in 1960 Alcort added a fiberglass version, the Super Sailfish MK II. The MK II hull was the same size as the Super Sailfish, had the same capacity of 400 lbs, and used the same rig, but weighed 98 lbs. Alcort was also producing the wooden Sunfish, which used the same sail rig, daggerboard, and rudder as the Super Sailfish line, and a fiberglass Sunfish with a longer daggerboard and taller transom.

The Alcort literature promised the Sailfish would deliver “thrilling speed, brilliant performance, perfect portability, and swamp-proof safety.” The hull, deck, and frames were made of marine plywood, with mahogany sides, transom, rudder, tiller, and daggerboard. Wilcox and Crittenden in nearby Middletown manufactured the bronze and brass fittings for all of the Alcort boats. The spars on the original Sailfish were cut from Sitka spruce, mid-generation masts were a hybrid aluminum base with wooden top, and spars from the late 1950s on were aluminum.

Alcort offered the Standard Sailfish, Super Sailfish, and Super Sailfish MK II as factory-built boats, and they sold precision-cut knockdown kits for a wooden Sailfish through the late ’50s through the mid-’60s. The Standard Sailfish was phased out in the mid-’60s and the Super Sailfish kit was last seen in the late ’60s. Along the way, a two-page set of plans was produced by Alcort with measurements and a materials list for the frames, hull, rudder, daggerboard, spars, and sail. Armed with the plans, an intrepid home builder could build the boat with locally sourced lumber and hardware. We had occasion recently to replace the bottom panels on a factory-built Super Sailfish, and while we had the panels off we validated the measurements in the plans, and all were within a 1/32″ with only one exception. The factory boat’s bow was swept up just under 1″, a design improvement that helped reduce submarining.

The handrails amidships have an important role as foot bracing to keep the sailor from sliding off the deck when the boat heels.

T he Sailfish kits came with all of the wood, hardware, sails, and line needed. Finishing kits with primer, putty, paint, and varnish could be purchased as well. Alcort provided eight pages of well-written instructions with 16 photos. The first two pages of the instructions contained a list of parts included in the kit with numbered photos. The hull was assembled upside down using the shipping crate as a strongback. The first step was to attach the 13′ 3-3/4″ deck longeron to the stem, the seven frames, maststep, daggerboard trunk, and transom. The parts were coated with a sealer, and then screwed together, and the deck was then temporarily attached to the skeleton frame and the solid-wood sides were screwed on, attached first to the stem and pulled into place on the transom with a rope windlass. The inner keel longeron was attached to the frames, and it and the sides were beveled to accept the plywood bottom panels. They were attached with glue and bronze ring-shank nails.

The assembly process was easy. Alcort advertised that it could be done over a weekend with a hammer, rasp, plane, screwdriver, handsaw, square, brace, drill, and bits. A jigsaw would be helpful for building a hull from plans.

The Sailfish delivers on Alcort’s promise of fun. We have sailed all of the models and have only capsized once when a sail caught a puff and the sheet pulled Skipper off the deck. The sheet had no fairlead or cleat, so it was either let go of the sheet or go for a short swim. One sailor joked that “the Sailfish was the boat that you learned to swim on.” The shallow-V hulls of the Super Sailfish and especially the Standard Sailfish with its 31-1/2″ beam, require more balance than the Sunfish. When sailing Sailfish, we tend to sit more amidships and hike out by laying backward at an angle, rather than perpendicular to the centerline. Handrails on the deck serve as foot braces to help maintain control of the boat while hands are busy with the sheet and tiller. Some of the models had a small toerail, which is also helpful for maintaining a grip on the flat, cockpitless deck. The sheet also works as a tether to help keep skippers aboard. Some of the Sailfish had nonskid on the deck, but it quickly wore out pants bottoms. One trick that we’ve come up for tacking is to lean backward instead of forward—while you’re wearing a PFD it is harder to bend forward on a Sailfish than on a Sunfish, which has a cockpit to tuck your legs and feet into.

The most recent versions of the spars and mast for the Sailfish were all aluminum.

The Sailfish 65-square-foot sail for the Standard and 75 for the Super are appropriately sized, neither too small to provide fun, even exciting sailing, nor so large as to be overpowering and leading to frequent capsizes. All of the models power up quickly. We’ve found that tacking is improved with a longer daggerboard, similar to the one found on the 1960s fiberglass Sunfish. The mast is easy to step and even kids as young as eight can raise the sail. Our Sailfish moves well even in the lightest of breeze; we enjoy the fingertip control on the tiller and setting coffee cups set on deck, without them sliding over the side. Once the breeze picks up to 5–8 knots, a little more activity is needed to balance the boat and get through tacks smoothly. At 10–12 knots we are moving quickly to stay on course and work the puffs, and above 12 knots we have sailed the Super Sailfish with two on board, one at the tiller and the other serving as movable ballast.

With the sailing rig left ashore, or even stowed on deck, the Super Sunfish serves nicely as a stand-up paddle board.

A lcort made a lot of promises with the Sailfish and delivered on all of them. We’ve even come up with a few more uses for the boats. The Sailfish, with its deck unbroken by a cockpit, makes a respectable stand-up paddleboard, and with a 400-lb capacity, it is well suited for larger paddlers or for an adult taking little crew members out paddling. The deeper hull design has a greater capacity than a normal paddleboard and makes for a very stable platform. The small keel strip helps the boat track straight under paddle power. We can paddle our MK II out in flat calm, and set sail if the wind picks up. I took the hull out once with a low-slung beach chair lashed to the handrails, and it made a fine sit-on-top kayak, a very useful fishing platform or picnic boat. We have also seen folks add outriggers and take their pets out for a ride with plenty of room for the whole pack.

Kent and Audrey Lewis blog about and maintain a fleet of vintage Alcorts that include a Standard Sailfish , Super Sailfish , Catfish and a wooden Sunfish, along with several fiberglass Sunfish. They also maintain the Yahoo group Sunfish Sailor and publish The Sunfish Owners Manual .

Sailfish Particulars

Length/11′ 7″

Weight/82 lbs

Capacity/300 lbs

Sail Area/65 sq. ft.

Super Sailfish Particulars

Length/ 13′ 7″

Weight/102 lbs

Capacity/400 lbs

Sail Area/75 sq. ft.

Super Sailfish with offsets

Super Sailfish parts

The kit assembly instructions can be found in the Files section of the Sunfish Sailor Yahoo group (after joining the group) and are very helpful when repairing wooden Sailfish, or for building a new Sailfish from the plans, found in the same Files. Sunfish sails and spars to fit the Super Sailfish can be ordered from Sunfish Direct . The Sunfish is manufactured in fiberglass by Laser Performance .

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Magazine readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Online Home of the Australian Sailfish

Havachat About Sailfish

Plan Orders

This is the page to order a set of Australian Sailfish plans, plus a few other bits of information.

In November 2016 Jack Carroll gave his OK for plans for the Australian Sailfish to be made available online. In November 2019 a new Plan Set was made available consisting of a 76 page Building Instructions file and 4 larger format files covering frame templates, rudder and centreboard construction.

So if you’re disillusioned at the exorbitant cost of sailing then you have come to the right place, because that’s how we feel too. You CAN stay in the sport without spending a fortune. Here is an excellent way to start the next chapter in your sailing adventure, with a free set of Australian Sailfish plans.

Jack’s philosophy, and the philosophy of this website is simple – affordable excitement!

To order a full set of plans and building instructions fill in the online request form at the bottom of this page.

Note that we have had reports of some full-size printouts from the download not being accurate. The files have been cross checked and their accuracy confirmed, so if this does occur it is a problem with the printing process. When you have the plans printed be sure to double check the result. It might help to write down a key vertical and horizontal measurement from the PDF and then cross check the printout against these before you leave the printer. If they are not exact ask for the print to be done again.

When building from the downloaded plans  ALWAYS CHECK THE MEASUREMENTS;  if there is any doubt at all, use the measurements from the frame plan sheets and not the templates.

There have been requests for up to date Class Rules. In response, the Class Rules have been incorporated into the current edition of the Building Instructions. As far as is known, these were the class rules at the time of the dissolution of the class association in 1988.

From November 2019 the Plans and Building Instructions will be supplied as five files:

File 1 – Building Instructions (A4 paper size)

File 2 – Frame Sheet 1, frames 1 to 3 (A0 paper size)

File 3 – Frame Sheet 2, frames 4 to 6 (A0 paper size)

File 4 – Rudder (A1 paper size)

File 5 – Centreboard (A0 paper size)

To download a set of plans please register below, this will then generate a message to the site administrator who will then email you a set of plans.

In July 2017, to assist with construction, Ian Urban prepared a 3D model PDF of the Australian Sailfish. To view this as a rotatable model you will need to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for either Windows or Mac. The link for the Mac install is here:

Acrobat Reader DC install

Note that there is also a link to the Windows install at the top of the page.

And a link to a YouTube “how to” for the model is here:

Australian Sailfish 3D model “how to”

To download the PDF Sailfish 3D model, please request it via the Contact page and we will send it on.

When the Australian Sailfish file is opened with Reader you should be able to click and grab the image and rotate it to change the view. If the page appears to be clear (no image) double click on the page.

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Affordable Sailboats You Can Build at Home

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

September 13, 2023

‍ Key Takeaways

• There are many sailboats that anyone can build from home depending on tastes
• Budget will be the biggest deciding factor on a majority of the process
• Consider kits that come with most of what you need or choose ones that are all-inclusive
• Design complexities and new materials may make the building time process longer
• Plan the best you can ahead of time to save money and your working hours

‍ Buying a sailboat can be expensive, but building your own can save you money. So what are sailboats you can build from home?

Sailboats that you can build from home will likely be a small boat under 20 feet. These could be from many different boat suppliers such as B&B Yachts, Brooks Boat Designs, and Chase Small Craft. Boat plans will vary based on your budget and how much time you have on your hands.

Based on my previous experience, building your own boat will take much longer than if a professional were to do it. You also have to be able to study plans, consider various sailboat designs, and have tons of supplies such as fiberglass tape or fiberglass cloth. On top of that, you will also have to be good with your hands.

Table of contents

‍ Top 10 Affordable Sailboats Anyone Can Build at Home

Building your own pocket cruiser or other styles from boat plans is an impressive feat, as this will need dedicated time and money to assure your boat sails safely. Boat building takes a lot of patience as well, especially since this will not be completed in a fast manner.

Finding boat plans and materials that fit your budget will be key to being able to complete the project. The time it takes to complete these projects will vary on your overall experience and needs. Below are 10 of the most affordable sailboats that you can build in the comfort of your home.

B&B Yachts

B&B Yachts have 14 different boat plans you can choose from to find the boat of your desires. Their shop is located along the Bay River in North Carolina where they construct all of the kits and have a 100 foot dock to show off your project once you complete it.

One popular model to check out is their Core Sound 15, as it is the perfect size for those wanting to build a modest size boat for a handful of people on board. Their website features some videos of completed projects and the plans or kits for purchase.

• 14 different models to choose from plus some dinghies
• Various monohull and multihull options
• Friendly customer service with attractive prices
• Might be too many options for some that are indecisive
• Not ideal for those wanting to have a motor sailer

Brooks Boat Designs

Brooks Boat Designs has a handful of options to consider for your next sailboat building project. They are located in Brookline, Maine and give the option to buy the kits or have them build one from scratch for you. They have plenty of knowledge, so do not be shy to ask about modifications or custom features you are looking for.

Depending on your specifics, they can attempt to accommodate some of their plans to help fit your desired outcome. By checking out their site, you can see many examples of their construction in progress and what the boats will look like when completed.

• Offers a variety of kits
• Plans vary around $50 and up, while materials will obviously add more costs
• Some plans can be rowing boats that can convert to sailboats
• Might take a while to hear back from them, as their contact section is a little outdated
• Their plans may not accommodate a ton of extras for your taste

Chase Small Craft

Chase Small Craft offers a simple process for building boats. Their kits are equipped with everything you need and will help save you time than just buying the materials outright and other parts you could need. This is arguably one of the best bang for buck instances if you want to save time and money searching for pieces to your boat.

They are located in Saco, Maine and will ship everything to your home from there. All the necessary materials are included and all you need are the proper tools and working space.

• All-inclusive kits with what you need
• Tons of knowledge on their site for boat building
• Easy process to order and customize
• Complete kits can range over $20,000 for larger boats
• Kits may take up to eight weeks to ship out

Chesapeake Light Craft

You can expect high-quality boat kits from Chesapeake Light Craft . They feature 18 different sailboat kits that vary from eight to 20 feet in length. This should be more than enough to find one for you if you are newer to boat building.

They also have a wide variety of other kits in addition to the sailboat, in the event that you wanted to order a small kayak or paddleboard in addition to your sailboat. The prices vary considerably when considering a small or larger boat, so check the complete list of options to in order to potentially fit your needs.

• Plenty of sailboat offerings to choose from
• Different beautiful hull form options to consider
• Easy to build and perfect for sailing
• Only has basic materials needed for kit, so you may need to purchase other items
• Has epoxy shipping fee no matter if you pick up item

Dudley Dix Yacht Design

Dudley Dix Yacht Design has an extensive list of plywood and single skin sailing boat options. They have plenty of sail plans and kits to consider depending on your goals. These follow a classic look for sailboats, which are aesthetically pleasing.

If you are wanting one to accommodate a small family, they have more than plenty to look through. The cost is not as bad compared to others, but keep in mind that you may need to throw in your own supplies or specific tools to get the job done.

• Plans start at $30 and range up to $7,500 or more for kits
• More than enough of options to consider
• Affordable variety of sailboat offerings
• Might be too many options for those new to sailing
• Most are wood without the use of aluminum or steel

Farrier Marine

If you are in search of a multihull to build, then Farrier Marine is what you need. They offer a unique folding catamaran that is trailerable and give you the option to build it yourself. This not only makes it an appealing option, but anyone can take this multihull boat wherever they want with ease.

It features a thorough construction guide once you receive all of the materials. These also come with stainless steel fasteners and an aluminum mast for high-quality materials. Pricing will vary since you must request which model type you are considering.

• Ability to build a unique catamaran
• In-depth construction guide to help
• Easily handled and trailerable
• Price may be too high
• Limited offerings since only a few multihull options

Glen-L Marine Designs

Building a boat from Glen-L Marine Designs can save you time and money. They feature an easy system to order and receive the kits, as well as an in-depth guide to building them. This is an appealing option compared to most boat kit sellers.

The beauty about Glen-L is that anyone can build these from scratch, so you do not have to be the best boat builder in the world to get it done. They offer guides and helpful insights from their team to point you in the right direction. Plans vary around $15, while kits can range well over $1,000 depending on boat size.

• Nearly 50 designs to choose from
• Complete guide to help anyone build it
• Plenty of price points depending on size
• Might be overwhelming with the amount of options
• Could take a while to get parts since they are popular

John Welsford Boat Designs

John Welsford Boat Designs invites new and veteran boat builders that want a taste of quality small wooden boats. The boat plans are designed to meet your specifications and are catered to your desires.

There are seven sailboat designs to choose from so you do not feel overwhelmed in the process. However, they do not sell kits all the time, so you would need to have the materials or be on the lookout for the best prices when they are available.

• Seven sailboat plans with different sizes
• Quality boat builder and supporting community
• In-depth knowledge provided to you when you order
• Might be too small of boat size
• Kits are not always available

Iain Oughtred

There are plenty of options on the wooden boat store, but you should narrow down your search for Iain Oughtred’s line of sailboat kits and plans. There are 25 different plans to choose from, which should accommodate most everyone looking to build their own boat.

While they do offer some kits, they do not routinely offer sailboat kits. You would need to purchase all of the materials if you are considering one of their sail plans. Keep this in mind if you are considering, as you would need to hunt down the parts yourself.

• 25 different sailboat plans to look through
• Various sizes to contemplate for you sailing needs
• Prices will vary but are not bad compared to market
• No sailboat kits, only plans
• Newer boat builders might find too many options unappealing

Paul Gartside Boat Builder and Designer

Gartside Boats is a boat builder company based in Long Island, New York that showcases a variety of boats from traditional and newer methods of boat building. Within that variety, they have boat plans meant for six to 50 feet in length.

With an abundance of options, you will need to contact them regarding prices and any customizable options. Kits may vary as well, as they typically design in-house and build for you.

• Experienced boat designer that can accommodate with custom plans
• Many options are trailerable
• Can have plans for up to a 50 foot boat
• You will need to contact them for prices
• Customized options may make process more complicated for new boat builders

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Sailboat at Home?

As you have likely already done so, the math between building your own boat and buying one may be a huge difference. Likewise, you may even enjoy the challenge of taking an older boat that is gutted and restoring with parts from a kit to build one new again.

But how much does it cost exactly to build a boat from the comfort of your own garage or workshop? The prices are going to vary dramatically depending on your situation and material needed to get the job done. In addition, the time that it takes to complete this will also vary.

Sail plans are rather inexpensive if you are aiming to build a small boat. These plans allow you to see the workings of the boat design and what you need to build the boat.

Without these plans, you will not know the exact details of the design and it can cause major issues with the boat’s hull or other areas of the boat. Think of these as the backbone or instructions of the boat’s infancy before being built.

Price Per Square Foot

You should assume to pay anywhere between $300 to $600 per square foot if you are interested in building a boat. Buying a kit outright can be a good way to save time, but oftentimes these do not come with everything you need.

Instead, you should try to source as much of the materials at the best price as possible. Thinking ahead is part of the process and you might be able to score a deal at a lumber yard or hardware store for parts.

Boat Designs Matter

The design of the boat will be much different from one boat to the next, regardless if they are the same size in length. If you are pondering boats that range anywhere between 16 and 20 feet, you should factor in the shape of the hull, any rigging, and various appendages.

Prices tend to increase when there are more complexities within the designs. If you are considering a kit with more details than others, you will also have to pay more for the designs on that as well.

Kits Can Differ

It is important to understand that all kits are not going to be the same. As you gander at sailboat kits online to stitch together, you need to thoroughly look over to see if you have everything you need before buying.

It would also be at your advantage to ask the seller if any additional parts or supplies are needed. This may change your dynamic on the kit buying process and you may pass up one for another if it has everything you need. An all-inclusive kit may cost several hundred, if not thousands, of dollars more to have the convenience of everything in the bundle.

Construction Approaches

Some boat plans may require you to have certain tools to get the job done. This means special saws or planers, which the average person simply does not have.

Purchasing specialty tools might be expensive upfront and hard to find depending on what it is. Your best bet would be to check locally for others trying to sell their tools or consider a boat plan that does not require extensive tools to finish the job.

How Long Does it Take to Build a Sailboat?

An easy to build sailboat could take a while to build from scratch. Many different variances come into play that are difficult to pinpoint for everyone. But how long is that exactly and how will your experience play into this?

A fun project to sail in the wind could take you several months to well over a year depending on the boat plan and how big your boat is going to be. In addition, the materials all need to be accounted for prior to starting in the event a hardware store does not have them in stock.

Time Varies

The time that passes for simple boat designs on small sailing vessels can be done in a few weeks. This is assuming you have everything you need and work non-stop around the clock.

Certain complex situations may make the process long, such as the difficulty of working with some materials. If you are a skilled laborer, it may take you half the time compared to a novice. The amount of time it can take will vary on your availability and skill level.

Planning ahead will undoubtedly offer the most time-saving features. It also helps if you can tackle parts of the project at your own pace.

Complexity of Design

The design of the boat may make the construction process longer. For example, it may take you longer to build a catamaran compared to a similar lengthed monohull.

More complex designs might require more materials, therefore making the process a bit longer to complete. Furthermore, you will also need more experience working with difficult designs and that will affect you more as a newbie.

Be sure to manage your expectations well and do not allow yourself to become too stressed over this fun project. If you can, seek expert boat building advice from a local builder or the company you purchased sail plans through.

Quality Materials

The quality of the materials will matter significantly when building a boat and will greatly affect the time it takes to construct it. Handling fiberglass or carbon fiber might require specialty tools, while wood also demands a certain level of craftsmanship.

If you are not skilled at working with the material at hand, it might affect the quality of the build and you may have to go back to fix mistakes. This will definitely add more time to your project, because mistakes are bound to happen with your first project.

To save time, consider adding the tools and materials throughout the year or as often as your budget allows. You may want to try testing your skills on fiberglass or other materials to get a feel for how to work with it.

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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• Sailboat Guide

Super Sailfish MKII

Super Sailfish MKII is a 13 ′ 6 ″ / 4.1 m monohull sailboat designed by Alex Bryan/Cortland Heyniger and built by AMF Corp. and Alcort between 1959 and 1975.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

The successor to the original SAILFISH (first introduced in 1948). The SAILFISH was originally built of plywood and many were sold as kits. The fiberglass SUPER SAILFISH MKII was introduced in 1959 and the original was discontinued shortly afterward. ALCORT produced several hundred SUPER SAILFISH a year but it was soon eclipsed in popularity by the hugely successful SUNFISH, which was first produced in fiberglass at about the same time.

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The designs where there is a YELLOW BACKGROUND are the designs for which CUTTING FILES are available.              Several versions.         Several versions in one set of BOAT PLANS. or     or              or - WOOD EPOXY             or     NEW TOTALLY REVISED      ALUMINUM     Fast cruising         -  BOAT PLANS & CUTTING FILES if you are interested in this design. or     or         or   or or   STEEL OR ALUMINUM        or Several versions. or               RETURN TO  HOME PAGE 429 IMAGES Super Sailfish Earwigoagin: Australian Sailfish: updated plans Small Boat Restoration: Alcort Super Sailfish Lines Earwigoagin: Australian Sailfish Sailfish 18 Wooden SUNFISH Plans? VIDEO Sailfish almost jumps in small boat! Sailfish 2360 Sailing Video From The Weekender DVD Set Sailing, life goals 36' Sailboat Wrapped in a Mooring Ball Yellowtail From a Kayak COMMENTS Super Sailfish The Sailfish had a beam of 31-1/2″, a crew capacity of 300 lbs, and weighed 82 lbs. The volume of air enclosed by the hull and deck made the boat virtually unsinkable. A 65-square-foot lateen sail provided ample power. Photographs by the authors. The authors' Super Sailfish, ZSA ZSA, is their restoration of a wooden boat built in the 1950s. Australian Sailfish As promised, here are the plans for a sit-on-top sailing dinghy, the Australian Sailfish. The Australian Sailfish is a scow version of the American Sailfish, designed in 1958 by Bruce Scott and Jack Carroll. Designed for home construction, 780 plans of the Australian Sailfish were sold. I've chunked images from the original plans into a PDF ... I want to build a Super Sailfish. Advice wanted! The Super Sailfish is 0-6-4 (+), or 6 1/2 inches (+) aka 6 9/16 inches. The interesting part is that the keel height is the same amidships, 9 inches when including the 1/4 inch keel strip and the 1/4 inch thicknesses of the deck and the hull. So that extra V bottom in the Standard helps her float a lot higher. Alcort At this time, the hulls were still made of wood. In 1959 Joe Schmit of Naugatuck Chemical Company convinced Alcort to try fiberglass. The SUPER SAILFISH was produced in fiberglass in 1959 and the SUNFISH manufacturing process was changed over to fiberglass in 1960. The SAILFISH was phased out in 1962, and the SUPER SAILFISH a few years later. Full page fax print Full page fax print. Foreword This set of prints outline the construction of most everything needed to build a Sailfish from raw materials. They even include dimensions for constructing fittings such as the mainsheet blocks and rudder hardware from raw stock. Knowledge of metal forming, welding, sail making, and woodworking are implicit skills ... Sailfish Plans 11-18-2003, 03:18 PM. A couple of other options: Dave Goodchild has inexpensive reprints of old plans from magazines, including several board boats here, and there are free plans for bunch of boats, also from old magazines, including at least one of the Sailfish type here. Stevenson Projects (the Weekender people) have a couple of boats I think ... Sailfish (sailboat) Alcort Sailfish depicting the sit-upon sailing posture, the shallow draft hull, and the characteristic lateen rigged sail, c1963. The Sailfish sailboat is a small, hollow body, board-boat style sailing dinghy.The design is a shallow draft, sit-upon hull carrying a lateen rigged sail mounted to an un-stayed mast.This style sailboat is sometimes referred to as a "wet boat" because, with its ... Alcort Sailfish Alcort Sailfish is a 11′ 7″ / 3.5 m monohull sailboat designed by Alexander Bryan/Cortland Heyniger and built by Alcort between 1945 and 1962. Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. ... The SAILFISH is the first boat built by Alcort Inc. Plywood construction, wood spars, and available as a kit. SUPER SAILFISH MKII The SAILFISH was originally built of plywood and many were sold as kits. The fiberglass SUPER SAILFISH MKII was introduced in 1959 and the original was discontinued shortly afterward. ALCORT produced several hundred SUPER SAILFISH a year but it was soon eclipsed in popularity by the hugely successful SUNFISH, which was first produced in ... SUPER SIZE ME Paul Flynn loves his supersized Sailfish. His new rig is the first of the 3200 Platinum Sports range and features a beefed-up 3m beam and extended waterline length. It's a dead-calm winter's morning and The Captain's crew is rugged up for a Sydney Harbour session. A low fog is reluctantly lifting off the harbour. Sunfish The Sunfish, a direct descendant of the 1945 Sailfish, was the creation of ALCORT Sailboats, founded by Alex Bryan and Cortlandt Heniger. A hollow-bodied wooden "sit-on" sailboat, the Sailfish was featured in LIFE magazine's 1949 article "World's Wettest, Sportiest Boat." It went through various iterations and in 1952, the designers at ALCORT, with considerable input from Aileen ... Wooden "Sunfish" Plans Tweet. #1. Wooden "Sunfish" Plans. 12-09-2013, 04:05 PM. In the March 1964 issue, Mechanix Illustrated published plans for something they called a "Funfish". As far as I can tell without measuring, it's essentially identical to the original wooden Sunfish they made before switching to that unmentionable substance. How to Rig Your Boat for Sailfishing Rig each sinker to several inches of 12-pound mono with a snap swivel at its opposite end. This snap swivel hangs on a short Bimini twist in your fishing line and remains open. When the sinker comes within reach, the open swivel is simply lifted from the Bimini twist, enabling the angler to wind their fish to the boat. Alcort Sailfish THE ALCORT SAILFISH and SUNFISH. A couple of amateur ice-boat builders in Connecticut started building small boats that used the same lateen sailing rig that their ice-boats used. They called it a Sailfish. A photographer saw people having fun with their Sailfish and did a story on the boat. After Alcort made it into the 1949 LIFE Magazine, a ... Sunfish Plans The original Sunfish was designed and built between 1952 and 1954. Even the guys (Al &Cort of "Alcort") who designed and built it couldn't remember exactly when. The first fiberglass Sunfish came out in 1960. Up until that time, they were plywood with spruce spars and originally, ten-panelled cotton sails. super sailfish Archives In 1946, Alex Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger had combined bits of their first names to create Alcort, Inc., and the first sailboat that they designed, in 1947, was the 11′ 7″ Sailfish, built in Waterbury, Connecticut. The Sailfish had a beam of 31-1/2″, a crew capacity of 300 lbs, and weighed 82 lbs. The volume of air enclosed by the hull ... Plan Orders This is the page to order a set of Australian Sailfish plans, plus a few other bits of information.. In November 2016 Jack Carroll gave his OK for plans for the Australian Sailfish to be made available online. In November 2019 a new Plan Set was made available consisting of a 76 page Building Instructions file and 4 larger format files covering frame templates, rudder and centreboard construction. Sailfish I also recall the many different plan sets available from various boat designers advertising in the back pages of Boys Life and "Popular" periodicals back a few years. I wanted to see if you had a set of brand name Alcort plans. The set I discovered is for the 13' 7" Super Sailfish. There was also a 11' 7" Standard model at the time. Affordable Sailboats You Can Build at Home Sailboats that you can build from home will likely be a small boat under 20 feet. These could be from many different boat suppliers such as B&B Yachts, Brooks Boat Designs, and Chase Small Craft. Boat plans will vary based on your budget and how much time you have on your hands. Based on my previous experience, building your own boat will take ... Super Sailfish MKII Super Sailfish MKII is a 13′ 6″ / 4.1 m monohull sailboat designed by Alex Bryan/Cortland Heyniger and built by AMF Corp. and Alcort between 1959 and 1975. ... the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or ... Scroll Down for 100 Sailboat Plans & Kits BOAT PLANS & FULL SIZE PATTERNS - Package Includes latest sail boat plans, SAILBOAT building plan updates & revisions, PLUS direct contact with the designer. This design is for those that want a fast cruising sailboat and one that can accommodate the family or a racing crew and is a joy to sail as well as being easy to build in a variety of ... Looking for wooden Sunfish plans There really aren't that many pieces in the wooden sunfish, according to the kit instructions. I would remove the top and measure the dimension of each piece: hull top, two bottom pieces, two sides, and keelson. Bulkhead width and height at centerline and the sheerline. That's all you need to replicate it. Nov 9, 2016. Sailboat Plans Our newest sailboat plans are rendered with all parts shown full-size on long scrolls of paper. Choosing the Right Small Craft. PocketShip "PocketShip" is a small cruising sailboat of refined model, meant to sail well on all points, provide dry camping accommodations for two adults, and tow behind a four-cylinder car. More than 60 are sailing ... catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht