Help determining sail number

mpickering

New Member
Hi all,

I'm a new Laser sailor and recently acquired an old Laser to get started on. I have no illusions about the boat's competitiveness. Just something to get me started.

I am trying to determine my sail number. Alas, the boat is so old that the serial number is worn down on the transom. I've tried carefully scraping away the old paint that hasn't helped. What I do have of the serial number is PFSx12701173. Based on what I can make out the impressions of the missing digit appear to be a "5".

I need to figure this out so I can have the proper sail number put on new sails.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Matt
 
Hola.

I got this from the internet sometime ago to check on mine...hope it helps

1. Sail Number: Check the transom of your boat for the serial number,
it'll look something like this:

a. PFS 80000 L879 or SLI F1234 F494 or PSC D4444 L586
b. On older Lasers the last four digits of the serial number may be
missing.
c. On very old Lasers, 1971 to 1973 approximately, the sail number
only will be found on the deck under the bow eye.
4. The remaining characters indicate when the boat was built and the model
year.
2. The first three characters indicate the builder.
a. PSC Performance Sailcraft
b. PSB Pearson Small Boats,
c. SLI Sunfish Laser Inc,
d. PSL ??? Performance Sailcraft Laser (U.K.)???
e. ZID Performance Sailcraft in Canada (original builders of the
Laser)
3. The next five characters are the sail number.
a. Your sail number is the 4 digits in your serial number that
preceeds the date.
b. Boats with sail number 100,000 and above will have a letter to
indicate the first two digits of the sail number.
1. A = 10, B = 11, C = 12 D = 13, E =14 etc..
4. The last four characters, 1-letter followed by 3 numbers is the
month/date of manufacture/model year.
a. The letter preeceding the last 3 numbers is hte month the boat
was built.
1. A=Aug, B=Sept, C=Nov, D=Dec, E=Jan, F=Feb, G=mar,
H=April, I=May, K=June, L=July. (This is from the guys at Sunfish/Laser,Inc.
b. The single number immediately following the letter is the year
the boat was built.
c. The last two numbers are the model year of the boat.
d. Example:
1. Ex. D494
2. built in December (D)of 94 (4) for the model year 94
(94). 3. A697: built in August (A) 96, but a 97 Model,
4. similar to cars VIN numbers.
5. EXAMPLES: (Use your secret decoder ring for these): For example if the
serial number is:
a. SLI F1234 F494
1. The manufacturer is "Sunfish/Laser, inc." (SLI)
2. The sail number is 151234. The first two digits "15"
being indicated by the character "F"
3. The boat was manufactuered in June, 1994 and was a 1994
model.
a. F = Febrary
b. 4 = 1994
c. 94 = 1994 model year
b. PSC D4444 L686
1. PSC = Pearson Small Boats
2. The Sail # is 134444, (D = 13)
3. L686 = manufactuered in July of 1986 as a 1986 model
 
Thanks for the info. Based on some Googling, I think I've narrowed down my probable serial number as PFS102701173. This is based on three other PFS serial numbers I've found of:

PFS 05797 0273
PFS 08005 0573
PFS 08813 0773

Engaging in a little off-the-cuff analysis, this separation indicates a build rate of between 400-500 boats per month. Using the latest number of 08813 and a rate of 500 boats per month, a serial number of 108131173 would be a tail-end possibility for my build period. Assuming a slightly lower bounds of 400 boats per month, we arrive at 10413. So it would be reasonable to assume that 10270 would be the likely value of my serial number.

And just for confirmation, I've sent an e-mail to the previous owner and Performance Sailcraft in Canada to see if either have records or notes on the boat. Given the location of the missing number right under the pintle, I suspect it was simply worn away with time. Probably from the rudder downhaul.

I just need to be able to provide a valid number so I can get the correct sail number. I'm probably going to opt for 10270.

Matt
 
a. The letter preeceding the last 3 numbers is hte month the boat
was built.
1. A=Aug, B=Sept, C=Nov, D=Dec, E=Jan, F=Feb, G=mar,
H=April, I=May, K=June, L=July. (This is from the guys at Sunfish/Laser,Inc.

From August 1, 1984 onwards it is A=January, B=February, C=March, and so on. Prior to then it's as you said, A=August, etc. It's an international standard for boat HIN numbers, not unique to Laser. I currently have a boat (not a Laser) in build and the last 4 digits of its HIN are E011 which means the hull was moulded in May 2010 (which i know is true - I saw it at the factory) and 2011 model year (which is correct- the contract says it is 2011 m/year and it will be delivered to me January 2011)

Mpickering's boat has a post-1972 style HIN in the "certtification date" style, one of two optional styles, the other being "model year" style. These two options existed until the August 1984 change in HIN format. The 1173 simply means November 1973. I agree that mpickering's sail number is likely 10270 for the reasons he says (I recall reading that production slows in the fall/winter months, which explains why 10270 is a bit lower than 10414)
 

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