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I have been messing around with control lines, every one is now a different colour. Lots of splices and loops too. Why spliced connectors? I rig up from the beach, I live in fear of losing a shackle or a pin in the loose sand. The more splices and loops used, the lower the risk of losing...

I set up a bungee luggage web on the foredeck for carrying food and drinks for when I stop off at the nearby offshore islands. I haven’t finished tying down the bungee but you’ll get the idea.

I made up this simple (not class legal) outhaul rig today, it does not involve shackles. The large loop goes through the fairlead and then down around the end of the boom. The small loop attaches to the clew end of the sail luggage tag style.

I made up this simple (not class legal) outhaul rig today, it does not involve shackles. The large loop goes through the fairlead and then down around the end of the boom. The small loop attaches to the clew end of the sail luggage tag style.

I am a recreational sailor. I am not interested in racing. That means I can use modifications that are not legal for racing in the Laser class. One illegal mod I use is the block at the traveler end of the boom (like you suggest) instead of passing the outhaul through the fairlead, works great!

Here’s a photo of the mainsheet that come with my Laser and the one I am replacing it with. The old one was way too thick, the new one is 8mm diameter to suit my 3XL hands

gday DDG, Second hand market of old Lasers in Oz is great isn’t it? The deal I did for mine was even cheaper than yours. The thing I have learned in the restoration process is to save money where you can by doing whatever work you can BUT be prepared to spend money on sorting those things that...

check out kayak hatch bags!

Wow, great tip thanks. I know what to buy when I have to repair/ upgrade the rudder!

Thanks, I am not racing at all. It might be possible to run some deck lines between the bow eye and the cam cleats for the mainsheet without having to add any extra attachment points. I won’t know until I receive the deck bag and test that idea.

What are rec/ day-sailors using to tote their food, drinks and sunscreen? It’s an 8km sail one way from my launch area to a nearby island. It is cool to take a break on the island and sit and check out the scenery, but it is hungry thirsty business. I have been curtailing my stops on the island...

Confessions of a lazy day-sailor. I have about 95kg in a 1.8m frame to throw around. Hiking out the last outing was much of a case of “if I really have to (or I think someone may be watching) LOL. The rest of the time I was pretty content to let it heel somewhat. This can only lead to a dunking...

Messing around with ideas for attaching the outhaul and avoiding the illegal use of a shackle. I came up the the idea of an endless loop of single braid dyneema threaded through the fairlead in figure eight fashion. Why figure eight? I wanted the loop to be captive so it is one less thing I...

thanks for the explanation!

I opted for a shackle to make disassembly of the rigging easy for my XXL-sized hands

I am going to try replacing the mast end clevis pin on the swivel for the boom vang with a bow shackle. Hopefully I can tie the lines from the cunningham to the shackle? Legality? Current arrangement

Rough track of yesterday’s sail. The wind swung slightly more to the west on the return leg.

I didn’t push the Laser on my first outing with the Standard sail all that hard for most of the time. I was the only sailboat out yesterday and for the whole time I only saw two powerboats. When I returned to the shore on the mainland, I met a guy who came to check out my rig because they are...

Great response thanks! As you’ve probably gathered, I’ve been using this thread to chart the story on my adventures on and off the water with my ‘70’s Australia-made Laser. The exercise video you shared looks great, and fun too. I am feeling remarkably well the next day with little stiffness...

Jeez it is a bit of a handful in the shallows with no centreboard or rudder. Any pressure at all on the mainsheet and the sailboat is blown over. With no one on the shore to assist I have to be quick to untie any knots in the mainsheet and pull it out through the traveller and boom blocks.