Recent content by wabbit

If, like me, you like to fully rig your sail on the ground then try this: Rig your sail like you normally would, but DO NOT connect up the vang. Leave the vang off. No vang! Heave in your outhaul to keep the boom pulled up snuggly to the mast. Even if you have the new rigging systems you...

you might notice in the oicture, the cover is brand-spanking new..... and as much as I appreciated my birthday present, I would have preferred to put the spars under a cover..... cest la vie. wabbit

My wind indicator pictures: Hope these help.... wabbit

My pictures are now available.... Hope this helps.... wabbit P.S. Not long after these were made, I reduced the size from 6 spaces to 5...

I used some bonding cement to glue three sheets of 15" x 15" x 1" hard foam rubber together. One the glue had cured, used a saw to cut three bricks, 15"' x 5" x 3" then cut in slots to fit two mast and boom sets. I use two, and have a spare. Total cost = A$5 for the glue and 0.50 for a...

In my old laser, I used to have an adjustable hiking strap system that allowed to me to tighten the strap whilst hiking. It was a good system (I am not here to discuss the system) so I was disappointed when I bought my new boat and found the length of the new hiking strap was that long that I...

.... Just in http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1190063.htm

Once the time signal has been transmitted by the satellite, it is as accurate as its going to get. The only way it becomes inaccurate is for someone to interfere with the signal (jamming / spoofing) or for the signal not arrive 'cleanly' at your reciver antennae (multipath interference etc)...

Some time a go the USMO, removed the time error for the Coarse Acquisition mode of GPS. This meant the commercial time signals, and hence GPS precision was the same as the encrypted time signal used by the US military and other allied organisations. Your hand-held Garmin, Magnavox or other...

Why but when you can make your own for a fraction of the cost! I made mine from an old piece of PVC piping that is about the same diameter of my lower section of the mast, I have a piece about 3-4 inches long. Cut a slit along the length, and then another slit about 1/2 inch from the first...

I have tried a number of pants over the years, and have never been completely satisfied with any of them, so have decided to try making my own. So far the design is in its infancy, but my specs are something along the lines of: Pants must not fall down or stretch when wet! How many times...

One might argue that that using tape to repair the forward end of the centreboard case might be allowable under: From the Laser Class Rules: ...provided such repairs are made in such a way that the essential shape, characteristics or function of the original are not affected. I once...

Although there have been comments (speculation) that spars available in Australia are made differently than elsewhere in the world, they are still not perfect. I learned a expensive lesson some time ago, when I bought my new boat I could not get the brand new top section into the brand new...

To demonstrate the effect of the cunningham on the sail, a wise old friend of mine showed me this when I was just getting into my Laser some time ago. Next time you are rigging up on the beach, try this: On a day with a gentle breeze, turn your boat so in relation to the wind the angles...

Before I had my trailer and dolly made for my Laser I used to car top. The Laser is supposed to be a one-person boat, so often it does not make sense to have to drag she-who-must-be-obeyed down to the waters edge to help the boat on and off the car-top. I made up a set of roofracks for the...