Fixing up an older boat

[soak]

Hi Everyone,

I have recently acquired a 14000 series boat that had the unfortunate experience of riding out a hurricane. For the most part, the boat seems to be in good condition except for two small problems.

1. There are some well defined spider cracks where the centerboard trunk meets the hull. I am fortunate enough to have an inspection port right next to the trunk, and it appears that these cracks are only in the gellcoat. I can fill the cracks easily, but I am concerned that they are indicators of a bigger problem.

2. The boat has a crack right where the hull meets the deck. I am not sure the best way to fix this, and I was hoping someone had an idea on how to do it.

Also, I have been told that boats of this year (91) can have lots of problems. Mostly to do with the mast rake. Is there anything I should check on the boat or any preventive maintenance I should do as well?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[stick]

i hope others from the forum will chime in with the actual solutions, i'm not super handy on the west/epoxy world. in my opinion, the hull doesn't look that bad. the hull/deck crack should be a relatively easy fix. the inner glass appears dry and after you get it back in line it should be a fill, patch, and sand job. right?

the other spider cracks near the centerboard appear to be normal wear and tear and mainly cosmetic. some sanding should work on those. if you acquired this boat on the cheap, it could turn into a great deal. you should investigate the mast step, hopefully from the existing port. if not, you may need to install another one. the step can also be reinforced. after you remove the hardware, rebed, upgrade, and add new backing plates - good to go.

is the rest of the hull in good shape? do you feel that the hull is dry and does not leak?

 

[soak]

Thanks for your reply.

I have not had the boat in the water yet, so I am not sure how dry it is. I have attached a pic of the mast step taken from the existing inspection port. I don't know lasers very well, so I am unsure if it is worth installing another port to get a better look, or if everything seems in order.

 

[Kratos]

5200

 

[torrid]

Wouldn't worry about the spider cracks around the centerboard. Gelcoat and fiberglass have different expansion characteristics, so some cracking is not unusual. As stick said, it's mostly cosmetic.

Where is the deck/hull crack? I'd be a little concerned if it's right where you sit. The repair would have to be pretty rugged.

The mast step looks to be in very good shape. It should be fine.

 

[Bungo Pete]

By this time you should have availed yourself of the used Laser buying guide on this site as well as the wealth of knowledge contained in a number of fixer upper threads. If you haven't I would read some of that before making any major decisions.

IMHO, the big question with any used Laser is "is she watertight?" You will want to confirm that there is no leakage in the mast step, cockpit drain/hull joint and the hull/deck joint. We already know about the last item because of the damage, so lets move on. Search the threads and you will find a procedure for determining if the mast tube leaks. If it doesn't then you are over a big hurdle. You may also wish to check to determine how much of the gelcoat is gone from the bottom front of the tube. Check this by making a probe out of a wire coat hanger. Straighten out the wire so it is at least 20" long. Make a 90 degree bend 1/2" from the end. Put the wire down the tube and try to find an indentation at the forward half of the tube at the bottom. if you can put the 1/2" part of the wire into the indentation, you should be able to get and idea of how deep it is. My 1979 boat had about 1/4" groove worn into the bottom of the tube which is why I am re-glassing it this spring. If you can't find a groove then there is some gelcoat left and you are probably OK.

Next, you may want to put the hull in the water and check if there is any leakage around the CB trunk. If it is tight, then you're good to go and the cosmetic reapirs mentioned above are all that is necessary. If you see evidence of water coming somewhere other than the trunk, it may be coming from the cockpit drain/hull joint. In new boats this is far less likely, but if there are cracks around the bronze thru-hull bushing, then there may be separation and the two are working themselves apart.

You have not mentioned how much you paid for this boat, but that will determine what is justifiable in terms of cash to get her back in shape.

Hope this helps.

 

[scars_scrapes]

looks like a good project and the price was right.

pour a glass of water down your mast step, if it leaks into the hull, fix the mast step, also pull on the fitting closest to the tube while doing so to see if it is separated at the bottom of the tube. If all is well, your good for now, it looks pretty good in the pic.

the cracks around the trunk, I would grind them out and re glass, then you will never wonder and its an easy job.

the big crack or hole, not a big deal but needs to be fixed. cut out the frays and chucks and re glass with west system and a fairly heavy piece of matting. fill/fair and paint.