Thinking of buying 70s Laser that needs work

Marco Scott

New Member
I found a 70s vintage laser with a wooden center board and wooden pit rails that needs some work. The sail is decent. Seems like all the parts are there. I'm thinking of offering the guy $100 and fixing it up. I've run a Hobie Cat 16 beach fleet for 23 years, but have never sailed a laser. The boat has an amateur paint job and needs a hole fixed. Will I be able to fix this like I would a fiberglass Hobie? Any advice would be appreciated. Would it be crazy to tie a boat like this up in a dock slip and leave it in the water? I apologize in advance about my ignorance in regards to lasers.
 
Marco,
I just got a 1974 laser (No. 12074) from habitat For humanity for $125. It included a trailer, blades, extra spars but no sail. I will fix up and sail and sell to someone wanting a starter boat.
Laser is great boat and you can use it a a full rig, radial or 4.7 rigs. Smaller sails and shorter top sections. U can leave in the water and easily put the sail rig in when u want to go sailing. Lots of Lasers throughout the World and everywhere in the USA. Over 185,000 Lasers have been built since 1971.
$100 well worth it.
Good luck,
Newt Wattis
 
I bought an old laser a couple of years ago and fell that I got a fair deal. The only thing that I would do is put an inspection port in by the mast step and check the attachment of the mast step to the bottom of the boat. Do a search on this forum and you should find plenty of threads on inspection port placement and mast step repair and een pictures of what to look for.
 
As long as the hull is sound older hulls can be sailed competitively. I would get a new set of fiberglass blades, and a good crisp sail. Up grade the rigging and have a blast.
MB
 
If those Blades are in good shape use them.... refinish them and they look so much better then stock Laser blades and I've heard that the wooden blades give better lift (higher pointing angle) then the foam composite blade furnished with the younger Lasers. This is why I think it is illlegal to use them in the newer Lasers...
Fishingmickey
150087/181157
 

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