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History of the Sunfish
Alcort first made the Sailfish (
see Sailfish page) but due to popular demand, a sister boat with a small cockpit, named Sunfish, was born.
Sailfish and Sunfish were built for many years of both wood and fiberglass, but it was the Sunfish which
gained the recognition of being the most popular sailboat of all time. Over half a million have been produced
and there are many clones, including the Scorpion pictured at the bottom of this page.
In 1969 Alcort was sold to AMF (American Machine & Foundry) but continued to use the name Alcort. AMF
succumbed to a hostile takeover in 1985 and the Alcort sailboat division was sold to Loveless & DeGarmo
(DBA Alcort Sailboats Inc.). In 1988, Pearson Yacht bought Sunfish and in 1991, Pearson established the
spin-off company Sunfish - Laser Inc.. Vanguard bought Sunfish-Laser in 1997.
Recycling Sunfish
(click here)
Here are photos of the Sunfish sporting the mast and sails from a Seawitch.
A SECOND SUNFISH
I bought this 1968 fiberglass Sunfish with a clear title for $150, repainted the bottom and varnished
the dagger, rudder and tiller. The sail was bleached from the sun, but was otherwise in good condition.
The boat had several upgrades like a Harkin pulley and two access covers. I sold it for $500.
SUNFISH CLONES
At least a dozen manufacturers have made clones of the Sunfish. Here are two
that I own(ed).
This is a Doodle. It has a tall mast and larger sail similar to the Laser
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