Hull help?

Sara M

New Member
About 5 years ago I bought my first laser. Since it was my first laser I bought a 1969 really old and beat up one (the hull is bad but all the rigging is new). I sail it during the summers and have a newer one for year round sailing. However, the deck is yellowish green (im pretty sure it used to be white)... does anyone know how to get the deck back to its normal colour? I bought marine spray nine and im going to try it tomorrow...i think.
 
No Lasers were built until 1971, so your boat can't be older than that... what's the number under the bow eye, or on the transom?

I believe the stuff you bought is essentially alcohol; try it and see what happens. You might want to use a brush with fairly fine bristles, moving it fore and aft, to get the non-skid areas clean.

The deck colour of the 1970s Lasers wasn't white but ivory. Somewhat like this:

light_ivory.it-256.jpg


Gelcoat pigmentation will definitely change with forty years of UV radiation, so you may not get the original shade back, but again, see what happens. Take "before and after" pictures and post them here!
 
There are a couple of things, but nothing will restore it completely to the original colour, that was quite possibly a cream colour, rather than white. Some of the issue will be UV light has degraded the fibreglass and to bring it back to the original colour you need to pentrate well below the surface pattern, however the below will assist to some extent.

Use a cream cleanser that you'd use in the kitchen and a scrubbing brush to remove the built up gunk that may be causing some of the superficial discolouration. Then try a fibreglass restorer which will also help with the deeper discolouration.
 
Although pretty obvious, don't put anythingh on your deck that will make it slippy like polishes / waxes.
 
No Lasers were built until 1971, so your boat can't be older than that... what's the number under the bow eye, or on the transom?

I believe the stuff you bought is essentially alcohol; try it and see what happens. You might want to use a brush with fairly fine bristles, moving it fore and aft, to get the non-skid areas clean.

The deck colour of the 1970s Lasers wasn't white but ivory. Somewhat like this:

light_ivory.it-256.jpg


Gelcoat pigmentation will definitely change with forty years of UV radiation, so you may not get the original shade back, but again, see what happens. Take "before and after" pictures and post them here!
 
Ok, when i bought it i was told it was 1969 so the person I bought it from must be mistaken. The original colour of my deck probably would be the ivory colour however it is greenish yellow (from the build up of salt even though i do rinse every couple of days). Also, today was extremely windy and I participated in a regatta... My bottom section mast snapped and I was wondering how I would attempt to repair the crack in the mast step? I was thinking fiberglass strips and a ton of epoxy???
 
Ok, when i bought it i was told it was 1969 so the person I bought it from must be mistaken. The original colour of my deck probably would be the ivory colour however it is greenish yellow (from the build up of salt even though i do rinse every couple of days). Also, today was extremely windy and I participated in a regatta... My bottom section mast snapped and I was wondering how I would attempt to repair the crack in the mast step? I was thinking fiberglass strips and a ton of epoxy???
There is no number anywhere because the hull was re painted multiple times...
 
Sorry to read that. . But I am not clear; did both the lower mast AND the mast tube (or step) break?
Whatever, painting the deck will now be secondary...:eek:
 
Sorry to read that. . But I am not clear; did both the lower mast AND the mast tube (or step) break?
Whatever, painting the deck will now be secondary...:eek:
yes i went from 5th to 10th in the regatta becuse i got a dnf... Only the bottom mast snapped (it was like 30-40 knots today and i am too light for a radial... i turtled and the mast got stuck in the mud at the bottom of the location in which i was racing, apparently the mud was sucking the mast down or something and when i un turtled it the bottom mast broke a little and cracked the step? i bet i can saw the boom a little so it can still work however its not legal for racing and will be a total pain to roll tack with the boom an extra 2-4 inches shorter...
 
yes i went from 5th to 10th in the regatta becuse i got a dnf... Only the bottom mast snapped (it was like 30-40 knots today and i am too light for a radial... i turtled and the mast got stuck in the mud at the bottom of the location in which i was racing, apparently the mud was sucking the mast down or something and when i un turtled it the bottom mast broke a little and cracked the step? i bet i can saw the boom a little so it can still work however its not legal for racing and will be a total pain to roll tack with the boom an extra 2-4 inches shorter...
I will send pictures tomorrow...
 

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