Recent content by dpearson

Yeah, I saw that idea with the shop vac on the forum. Good idea. I worked around the concern about getting the tape stuck by making sure to securely fasten it to the PVC and then weakly having it attached to the disk. I tried it out a head of time a couple of times next to the mast step...

You've got a lot of good feedback. Practicing in quieter conditions certainly is the key. A couple of refinements / other thoughts: (1) The tiller does attach with both a pin near the top of the rudder and the rudder pull down line that runs to the cleat up near the front of the tiller...

After repairing my mast step, one last thing I did was purchase one of those stainless steel disks to insert into the bottom of the mast step, providing a smooth surface for mast rotation. I wanted the disk glued down and didn't just want to drop it in the hole and hope it lands right-side up...

Here are some before / after pictures of the bottom of the mast step and a picture of the top of the mast step after some resin has been applied.

PS - Cutting the circle in the deck for the inspection port was easy if you use a Dremel tool with a cutting drill (almost looks like a normal drill). This setup is typically used for cutting holes in drywall. After all, you DO want a nice hole for your inspection port mounting.

Final note: I applied Bondo filler around the base of the mast step, sanded it down, and then did the fiberglass / resin thing. It certainly looks easier than it really is. There must be some trick to applying strips of fiberglass to the wetted mast step on the back side from the viewing port...

Hmmm... good point. You can tell when others have done this more often than me. I'll definitely do that. Also thinking of dropping one of those Laser disks in there after the resin hardens up, maybe with just a dab of resin on the lower side of the disk to glue it in. I saw some novel ways...

Thanks for the info. I'll work on it this weekend.

Yes, I've tried to research a bunch of mast step postings on the forum, but haven't found an answer to my problem. Perhaps this thread will succeed? I was given a Laser with a mast step that won't hold water, just pours right through. I put in an access port and have determined that the mast...

I definitely don't like the sail flapping. Agree that leaving the boom attached helps reduce flapping but it also encourages capsizing. Removing the mast is pretty complicated: gotta take off the downhaul, detach the vang, detach the outhaul, and pull the boom off. I don't like the idea of...

Intentional capsizing is an innovative thought. Where I sail, the lake is pretty shallow (5') with a very mucky bottom, so the mast will get stuck in the muck unless I tie a milk jug or something similar to the top prior to capsizing. I don't like the idea of a luffing sail flapping around...

OK, need a bit of help. If you sail on a lake and bring your Laser into a dock/pier, what do you do with it if you're not sailing it for and hour or two? Just release the outhaul and let the sail flap around? Doesn't sound good. No beach/launch area nearby. I don't really want to drop...

Everything is cold when one is used to living in Houston! Going to Auckland and then traveling around a bit. I know that sailing is big over there. Here, it's getting harder everyday to find some little place that rents dinghies by the hour or half day (or at all for that matter).

I'm sure it's gotta be a popular boat in New Zealand. I'm planning a trip there in a couple of months (hopefully). Can someone tell me what the local water temperatures are like in Auckland in Feb / March and whether or not there are places to rent Lasers or other dinghies for a few hours?

I just bought a Laser last year around my 54th birthday. It's been fun. Since the boat is essentially new, I tend to be gentle on it and not sail it in stronger winds. This summer, I hope to break that habit. I think that as long as you don't mind capsizing in the local waters and climbing...