Mainsheet cam cleat parts needed for 1975 Laser

I have a 1975 Laser (sail number 25955) that has been sheltered for several years due to other demands on my time and no reasonable access to freshwater lakes.

I am trying to rehab it for this summer sailing season.

I have found that the mainsheet cam cleat is deteriorating and have had difficulty finding replacements for just the two cam pieces.

The rest of the mainsheet control assembly is in great shape but I'd like to replace these two parts. These two pieces are spring loaded and sit on a SS plate that attaches to the mainsheet control block. If necessary I'll buy the plate and two cam pieces but haven't been able to find. The center-to-center screw hole spacing is right at 1.75".

I have provided 3 photos in the attachments showing the parts that are deteriorating.

Hopefully, someone has some guidance to help me resolve this situation.

thanks in advance.

Unfortunately you may be SOL. Lasers didn't ever come with anything like that (someone correct me if I'm wrong here) - so it's not going to be a standard part.

There are plenty of similar assemblies out there, but they are expensive.

Not only is a mainsheet swivel block not actually a laser-specific (or laser class allowed, not that it matters), but it's probably not a really good idea.

Those that do use mainsheet cleats have them mounted on the edge of the cockpit, there are plenty of pictures available on the internet. The downside of the swivel cleat as you have it mounted is the torque that you will generate on the arm when it is loaded up can pull hard on the fiberglass to the point of breaking it. Notice in the pictures, the two screws near the back are already pulling out of the deck.

However, if all you want to do is sail the boat the way you have it rigged, then you can simply pull the cleat off of the swivel and replace it with another cam cleat with the same size bolt spacing. Most any cleat will work.

I'm not sure about what might have been fitted to Lasers in the past but many people don't have any cleats fitted. Those that do have them use cleats fitted to the deck just by the cockpit. However, lots of people don't have any - myself included. Once you are used to not having them you don't miss them. I never fitted them to my boat and life is no problem without them.

So, either get a new block (if you need it) or just remove all the cleat arrangement from what you have. Being unsure about what might have been fitted originally I am not in a position to comment on the "class legal" aspects of what you have - but the importance of that depends on the level of competition you are with.

Ian

I can't testify as to whether or not this rigging is original but that is the same rigging my 73 Laser has. The clam cleats are not functioning evenly on mine either and it doesn't swivel easily. Time to replace it.

tashidad said:

I have a 1975 Laser (sail number 25955) that has been sheltered for several years due to other demands on my time and no reasonable access to freshwater lakes.

I am trying to rehab it for this summer sailing season.

I have found that the mainsheet cam cleat is deteriorating and have had difficulty finding replacements for just the two cam pieces.

The rest of the mainsheet control assembly is in great shape but I'd like to replace these two parts. These two pieces are spring loaded and sit on a SS plate that attaches to the mainsheet control block. If necessary I'll buy the plate and two cam pieces but haven't been able to find. The center-to-center screw hole spacing is right at 1.75".

I have provided 3 photos in the attachments showing the parts that are deteriorating.

Hopefully, someone has some guidance to help me resolve this situation.

thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

I have never seen parts of cam cleats available - you will have to purchase the entire cleat. Harken, Schaeffer, Ronstan (and probably others) make cleats that will work just fine.

Look at a Harken 150 - I do not know the model numbers from the other manufacturers.

FWIW, I believe your swivel cleat assembly is legal.

What a bunch of newbies!!!

Sheeeesh


The pctured block set was THE specifically allowed laser swivel mainsheet block system


Certainly it is legal for any racing except the world championships and it is only not legal there because the identically rigged boats are supplied and the mounting system for that particular set up demands four extra holes in the deck.

I have a few sitting in my office drawer.

I THINK>>>A set of Schaefffer cleats will fit as will the Harken, RWO or Holt Allen.

Unfortunatly I will not be able to look until get back from the Gulf Coasts.

But the correct advice is much simpler.

TAKE THAT BLOCK SYSTEM OFF!

it totally sucks. It is hard to use it is hard to cleat it is hard to get uncleated. the line does not run freely through it..

TAKE IT OFF!!!!!!

Replace teh cleat with a ratchet block and a couple cam cleats on teh deck.

There is a reason almopst zero fo teh 200,000 Lasers built ahve that block.

IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!!

TAKE IT OFF!!!


I don't feel inclined to help you actualy get the parts because it would be like helping you set up your IBM Selectric to use in your business.

But that would be a bad analogy. Your cleating system was NEVER considered to be a very good system by anybody successful.

Refurbishing your system is sorta like refurbishing an old orange kapok life vest.

If you just want to have one around to show people that which nobody in his right mind would use today...sure...fix it.

but if you want to go out and play.

RE RIG THE BOAT with the help of the millions of people who have studied and sailed lasers since your boat was ignorantly rigged that way.

umm.. yeah. what he said!

Actually, I think the first laser I sailed was rigged that way. It was summer of 1977. The boat was owned by a world class snipe, star, and lightning and IOR sailor and boat builder.

I was just a kid having fun in a boat... didn't much care about class rules and such. I do remember that cleating/uncleating the sheet was one of the hardest parts of sailing the boat.

Unrelated, now that I think about it, the other thing I remember is that the mast sections didn't always come apart at the end of the day sailing, and there were times when we just gave up and put the assembled mast in a corner at the yacht club. ...good times.

But I digress...

Fred's right. Lose the cleat

Hey uod100----Thanks for the heads up on the two screws....I didn't notice but it's probably been that way for quite a long time.

Now, some more information. I am the only owner of this boat...bought it from an authorized dealer in So. Carolina when I worked there. Everything on the boat is as it was when I picked it up...so I have to believe the hardware was legal/allowed.

I've looked at a number of cam cleats but none have the required spacing to fit on the mainsheet control assembly. The screw holes are 1.75" center to center on my rig.

I don't plan to race the boat....just sail and have some fun and possibly sell it later....but I'd like to replace these two plastic pieces---I'm just not familiar enough with what's out there that I could use to do the job.

any help would be appreciated.

~~~~~~

uid100 said:

Not only is a mainsheet swivel block not actually a laser-specific (or laser class allowed, not that it matters), but it's probably not a really good idea.

Those that do use mainsheet cleats have them mounted on the edge of the cockpit, there are plenty of pictures available on the internet. The downside of the swivel cleat as you have it mounted is the torque that you will generate on the arm when it is loaded up can pull hard on the fiberglass to the point of breaking it. Notice in the pictures, the two screws near the back are already pulling out of the deck.

However, if all you want to do is sail the boat the way you have it rigged, then you can simply pull the cleat off of the swivel and replace it with another cam cleat with the same size bolt spacing. Most any cleat will work.

Click to expand...

Thanks for schooling us Fred

Ok I give up. He wants to keep the boat authentic to his memory and I can't disagree with what makes another guy feel god. So, when I get his address I shall send a C.E.R.E package.

I suppose many of you younsters don't know who C.A.R.E. is or what it stands for.....newbies

Get your scroller wheel cleaned and Mc Lubed before you try to visit the bottom of the page>>> Way down at the bottom. There is a photo gallery on my rigging page with more of these pictures

Those pictures explain the odd and frankly annoying metal bracket that I have on my boat for the ratchet block. It must have had a mainsheet clamcleat on it that has been removed!

Very interesting.

most likely that is the case. The pic shows the ass'y that I'm looking for. It's a good thing some of us are hoarders... we come in handy sometimes.

The ILCA Measurement diagrams showed a location for the swivel cam cleat until 2005. The ILCA Handbook for 2006 was published without the diagram.

Here is the link to the hull measurement diagram on the ILCA site>>>