1974 restoration finally complete

xflyer95

New Member
I bought this 1974 for $400 7 or 8 yrs ago to restore....although I had never sailed one. It sat in a field covered with a tarp. Luckly!...I found this forum and so many of you that were willing to share endless help and advise. Here are some of the before and after pics. The rest of the after pics will follow. Thanks Eric
 

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Here are some after pics . The hull no. is 12716 even though the used sail shows a much more current no. George, Patrick and Kyle at West Coast Sailing helped me gather every posible upgrade and replacement part that I could get my hands on and put up with me on the phone for months. Thanks Gouv, Kaiser, BjMoose, Marvin Miller Alan D and others for your contributions to the posts that helped me sort this out. Eric
 

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I wanted a combination of gunwale and hull support so I added "gate post" rods (wish they were stainless) covered with hose. Larger wheels required homemade "mud" flaps
 

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How did you get the texture on the deck to look so good?
Was it as rough looking as the hull when you started?

Mike
 
Very Impressive.

What did you use for paint? Also, how did you measure/mask etc. to get the two colored hull. I've always wanted to do that - with that color combination as well!

Keep up the good work
 
How did you get the texture on the deck to look so good?
Was it as rough looking as the hull when you started?

Mike
The choice to paint or not to paint the deck was tough. Time will tell if it was a good decision....you can see from the before pic that the deck was not the best. However during the clean-up prep, I was surprised how well it improved. There are posts that really helped on this.
I work with body shops in my line of work (painless dent repair) and I my hometown shop is one of the best...and they agreed to paint the whole boat for $500 if I helped with the prep etc. I believe the white (auto) paint was a single stage ..but I will call them this week and verify. It laid out nicer then I thought it would ...I was afraid of losing the texture from the factory. They may have added a flex agent, like they use with plastic items like bumper covers) to keep it flexible.
The question of the day is with all the painting and such that I did was whether I created a "cheater" boat in the process. My goal has always been to restore the old boat as an old boat that fuctions and looks like a STOCK newer boat.

Hope this helped! Good luck, E Guv
 

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Very Impressive.

What did you use for paint? Also, how did you measure/mask etc. to get the two colored hull. I've always wanted to do that - with that color combination as well!

Keep up the good work
Pete..Thanks for the kind words. I work with a great body shop in my home town ( I do paintless dent repair) and they agreed to paint the boat for $500 if I helped with some of the details (that I really wanted to do myself anyway). I research laser images everywhere in search of the best pics that showed the exact location of the waterline stripe on the newer boats. You can't get measurements but you can get "proportions" of the grey stripe vs the white at the two key points....the bow (approx 4/5 from the deck) and the stern..(what ever it is). By comparing the pics when it comes time to locate these most important points you can do well.
Note that the goal is to pass an imaginary plane thru the hull it the waterline...you must not be distracted by the placement of the deck with respect to this paintline...they are not parallel.
Here is what we did.
1. We painted the hull white and let is stand for the prescribed time.
2. Standing back from the side we compared the hull pics to my hull and located the point on the bow and stern where the paintline/waterline intersects and made marks in those locations.
3. Level the boat (still upside down) so that the marks at the bow and stern are level with respect to the shop floor. this is not super super critical but will reduce variables!
4. Note: Since the hull is such an irregular shape compared to most cars I did NOT use the same technique that one uses in striping a car...standing at the front looking back with the tape in outstreched hand ...trying to bring the tape in ....alligning it down the sides as you progress to the front. I came up with a way I call "pin the tail on the donkey".....stay with me
5. Attach the masking tape ( there is a specific masking tape product that is real elastic for this purpose ) to the mark on the stern.
6. move away from the stern with the tape streched taught to position 6-8 feet off the bow.
7. Squat down to a position so that your eye is level with the mark on the bow.
8. Raise the tape in front of your eye and allign your eye, the tape and the mark..exactly
9. Smoothly and deliberatly move forward and pin the tail on the donkey...just ease forward holding the tape the exact same distance from the floor until it rests against the mark on the bow. Do not look anywhere but at your target...the donkey...the tape between the stern and the bow will take care of itself!

If I had to do it all over I would sit in an office chair with nice smooth wheels and have someone push me towards the boat while I held the tape at the right height.

Hope this helps...I'll find out what paint we used this week. Eric
 
That's got to be one of the nicest (and cleanest) boats I've seen - beautiful work and it's very inspiring (I need to fix my '82 up like that!). I think you're going to start a trend of boat restoration threads, and rightly so, with results like that why buy a new boat?

The pics look good - way to go ! :D
My trailer is a bit different, I used two straps to hold the boat. While it works well the problem is that I sailed a lot on remote lakes that required travel on logging roads to get to.

The problem with that is rocks and dust. By using straps the boat has some flex on the trailer to it so it's better, in some ways, for support. But, if the straps have dust all over them (as happens after a few hours on a dirt road) and then it rains - basically the straps wet sand the hull ! :eek:

I put PVC pipes under the trailer to hold the mast and booms in place. I'll be needing to re-do my bottom shortly - good thing I now know where to go for answers! :D;)
 

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Thanks Marvin for tudoring me over the last week or two on how to upload pics from this #%@&*$ computor!
One of the reasons that I added the steel rod gunnel/gunwale (whatever) supports to the trailer was that the shop painter suggested that the new hull paint be allowed to cure for around 6 weeks with no contact. So I extended the up 2" each to hold the hull off the hull supports for the duration. One of the problems of my design was since the back rods were not verticle, the distance between them changed drastically when extended.....and I had to remount them to accomodate the boat width. Eric
 

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Shazam! That's a gorgeous restoration. You really set the curve. I am just getting started on my '73 project, and you are right about the wealth of knowledge to be had here on this forum. Couple of questions:

1) The mast step repair/reinforcement pic appears very well lit. Were you working from more than just the one inspection port visible on the fore deck (ie. did you cut a larger hole and glass it back in)?

2) How far down did you sand the hull before you started painting, and did you have to make any repairs to the fiberglass and/or gelcoat?

Ditto Marvin on the restoration thread.

Thanks all.
 
Shhweet! Looks really nice. A labor of love for sure.

One question - knowing now how much work it would be, would you do it again?
 
Shazam! That's a gorgeous restoration. You really set the curve. I am just getting started on my '73 project, and you are right about the wealth of knowledge to be had here on this forum. Couple of questions:

1) The mast step repair/reinforcement pic appears very well lit. Were you working from more than just the one inspection port visible on the fore deck (ie. did you cut a larger hole and glass it back in)?

2) How far down did you sand the hull before you started painting, and did you have to make any repairs to the fiberglass and/or gelcoat?

Ditto Marvin on the restoration thread.

Thanks all.
It's crazy how bright the pictures came out...the camera used for the "after" pic self adjusts to the light really well! ...and that is with just the one "standard" inspection hole aft of the mast. I would get deep into the threads on the subject and take the time to get it right. Some of the posts from guys like Gouvernail address "big picture" issues such as laying glass in such a way that is allows the mast tube to structurally contribute to the bonding of the deck to the hull and so on...
I used the mast tube project to add to my tool collection...and bought a sweet dremmel set up with a 3ft flex cable to remove the "bad stuff" at the top and bottom of the step.

Same goes for the painting...I am NOT a painter but I did do some minor glass work on the stern gunnels. The previous owner had painted the hull with yellow spray paint from a hardware store over the blue gelcoat...and most of it "peeled" away with the help of a razor blade. I did some light sanding to prep for paint..( I think it was ppg single stage car paint) I'm going to find out exactly for the shop soon.

The question that you guys can answer is .....did I create or end up with a "cheater" boat??? Didn't intend to ...but would not be suprised to find out that the paint and such was a significant alteration from the original.
If so than that is actually proof that this is truly a pure one design class and that should be celebrated!...no whining.
Good luck with your project! Eric
 
Shhweet! Looks really nice. A labor of love for sure.

One question - knowing now how much work it would be, would you do it again?
Wow ...probably not. This forum ,and places like westcoast sailing, have very fair deals on "turn key" boats all the time...many with dollies, extra rigs and sails. The cost and time make a used boat a no brainer.

This boat was a gift to me from my wife... and we got it from a real cool girl that died a very tragic death soon after we bought it from her. She really loved it and was very glad that I was commited to restoring it. I plan to take it back by her parents to show them her beloved laser soon ....it will be a very tough visit.

The expense was probably more than a sane person would spend...but it was 7 or 8 years before I got it together. If it were not for this forum and the ease of "shopping" for stuff with westcoast it would still be sittin there waitin for me.

But I really love the outcome. Good luck Eric
 
The question that you guys can answer is .....did I create or end up with a "cheater" boat???

I don't know what the 'rules' are but I would suspect there's nothing wrong with your boat as you didn't change it structurally.

Maybe I'm a little cynical but it seems to me that the rules also result in protectionism by keeping us buying all our Laser parts from one place - at an inflated price.Mind you, I don't do any class racing either - to me there's a LOT more to Laser sailing then racing against identical boats.
 
To answer your question about whether it's a cheater boat or not, you could email up all your restoration photos, along with more detailed descriptions of what was done, to one or more of the fleet measurers.

Just from what you've posted here, it's not obvious one way or the other.
 
Thanks..I have some additonal before and after pics that I can't seem to get off my iphone....(because i'm a computor idiot)...Marvin M has been kind enough to help me but he really has no clue of what kind of nut case I am when it comes to this stuff!:confused:
 
I found a few more pics that show before paint and just before installing the grab rails and new rigging
 

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Thanks..I have some additonal before and after pics that I can't seem to get off my iphone....(because i'm a computor idiot)...Marvin M has been kind enough to help me but he really has no clue of what kind of nut case I am when it comes to this stuff!:confused:

Hahaha - I've seen some nuts - you're not that bad :D Besides, it's pretty clear now that you've become a pro in a very short period :cool:

I'm amazed with your restoration - that boat really needed some serious work :eek: But that's the thing with fiberglass - you can do anything with it. I know little about it but I've seen some miracles...

Many years ago I was trailering my boat back from a remote lake with a buddy. We'd spent the better part of the day sailing in +20 knots and, wherever possible, trying to run over windsurfers that were tacking back and forth across the lake :D (there were hundreds of them and we were the only sailboat, so the pickin's were easy :))

As part of the excursion we were, of course, drinking some beer.... Anyway, to make a long story short, as we were coming back on this logging road the boat got loose and actually ended up being dragged on the transom down the road a ways (it's a horror story, I know) and it ground off a pretty good portion of the bottom rear of the transom.

Anyway, the damage was pretty scary. It had ground off enough fiberglass that you could see inside the boat - and even put your hand in there! Fortunately, my father's good friend was a master ship builder (he designed and built all the Fraser and Endurance series of sailboats).

So I took it by his place, I figured it was the end of the boat, but in literally 10 minutes, while I was standing there, he ground off the back of the boat (basically cut it open) and laid in fiberglass matt. He said it was no big deal and sure enough, he had it fixed in no time flat. You literally can't tell anything ever happened - and if anything it's stronger then it was.

Granted, this guy was a master shipbuilder, he'd been fiberglassing all his life and had built hundreds of sailboats. But what really blew me away was how fast a major disaster like that could be fixed. I really thought it was the end of the boat but he just smiled. I'm still amazed by it and it causes me to wonder, does a fiberglass sailboat ever really wear out? Is there any amount of damage that can't be repaired?

Of course, that's not a restoration like your boat but it really impressed me that a person can, with the right skill, make it like new again. Your boat is a testimony to that and I think mine will be too. Compared to yours all I have to do is complete the mast step repair and clean up the bottom - so I got it easy :D

The question has been raised about whether it's cost-effective when compared to buying a newer boat - certainly that makes sense, but in my case the better part of my childhood was spent on my laser and many, many friends went sailing with me on it. Some of the best times of my life were spent on that boat and given that it seems to be infinately repairable - I'd rather keep the memories - and the boat that made 'em :D

My sailing is pretty different though, we always sailed in BIG winds. It was never raced - it was beat repeatedly in the hardest, biggest winds we could find. For me, class rules are irrelevant other then that I like to keep it basically stock. To me, it's always been about reaching the outter limits of my endurance so form really follows function. Granted, it's been 10 years now since I sailed so it's entirely possible that I can't even do any of the things I used to when I was in my twenties. :(

Time will tell but I bet my old Laser can still remove that 'new' belly I've gotten over the years in short order :D
 
great restoration, looks brand new. in the middle of one my self, started with a 1979 ugly yellow hull and am in the paint stages, chose yellow and white this time.

where did you find the Laser sticker for the hull? also since you painted the deck, is it slippery?

thanks,


Matt
 
You can get the laser stickers from westcoast sailing....there are several colors to choose from.

The painted deck is maybe a little more slippery but wet is wet and the none skid texture was not affected much at all. The paint is ppg single stage "shopline". The hull (white bottom) is also. The grey stripe is base coat clear coat "global" ppg

best of luck! Send pics. Eric
 
Your boat looks great! We have a member at our club that is racing a Laser with a 4 digit sail number (can't remember the year).

That is a wonderful resto job. The boat looks brand new.

If you ever find yourself in Arlington, feel free to come over and sail with us...

www.arlingtonyachtclub.org
 
Thanks for the invite! I've sailed at AYC years ago when I was active in the cat 22 fleet in Grapevine. We always enjoyed the sailing and the after sailing at the regattas there! I lived in Arlington in the late 80's and early 90's when I worked at Meacham Field and Addison Airport.

Lasers are still new to me and as one who always trimmed sheets and flew the spinaker,.... having a tiller in my hand should scare anyone who is within a few boat lengths of me! Recently I screwed up my patella tendon (at the front of my right knee cap) and I can't place ANY pressure (kneeling) even for a micro second....which makes it next to impossible to strap on a laser. I'm chomping at the bit to sail...but I'll have to let it get better.

Enough of that...I look forward to sailing lake Arlington again and Join us out here at Shreveport Yacht Club at one of our regattas if you get a chance.

Good Luck

Eric
 
It's been fun to hear about the process over the last year. The pictures though... WOW.

It looks like a laser that has been in storage for years - kept brand new - and just saw the light of day.

Congrats all around. Now, let's see pictures of it sailing :D
 
It's been fun to hear about the process over the last year. The pictures though... WOW.

It looks like a laser that has been in storage for years - kept brand new - and just saw the light of day.

Congrats all around. Now, let's see pictures of it sailing :D
George...thanks again for all your help. The UPS guy got tired of toting your shipments to my porch...over and over. I like the website "facelift" ..looks sharp!

I will get some pics of it sailing soon.

Eric :)
 
i restored my 82 laser just before the summer this year, it wasn't easy but i think that choosing the final coulour was the hardest part, i chose a light grey like your's and every one at my local club thought it was a brand new boat, i got a relaly good finish just using a roller and "itnerlux toplac" for the hull and then rollering the topside with "interlux brightside" it was really worth it but i did find the new paint a bit slippery. but solved the problem with a bit of surf wax
 
There are three "new" boats next to mine at the club that are sadly left to the elements. They are all less than 5 yrs old ....with covers full of water. My stainless steel gudgeons give me away as the old boat. :cool:
 
yes sadly xflyer, there is always something that gives your boat away,i think mine has to be the ancient ratchet block for the main sheet the although is nearly twice as old as me and has spent most of it's life ether emersed in salt water or in the baking sun show's now sign of giving up :D
 
yes sadly xflyer, there is always something that gives your boat away,i think mine has to be the ancient ratchet block for the main sheet the although is nearly twice as old as me and has spent most of it's life ether emersed in salt water or in the baking sun show's now sign of giving up :D
...time to drop some coin and replace it!! With the new brake coming out, it would be the perfect time to do it.
If you have pics of you project...before and after...post them. I've benefited greatly from pics posted on this forum...and I always seem to gravitate to the threads that have pics posted...first :D
 
...time to drop some coin and replace it!! With the new brake coming out, it would be the perfect time to do it.
If you have pics of you project...before and after...post them. I've benefited greatly from pics posted on this forum...and I always seem to gravitate to the threads that have pics posted...first

yes, i was planning to get the new brake and also the new traveler blocks when they come out. unfortunately i was stupid enough not to get any before pictures :mad: but i do have some pictures of it now shiny and finished....

...and yes, before you ask, believe it or not that is to what i have been told an original "old school" laser radial rig....not definitively sure though...
 

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Nice! The deck looks very clean! Check out the home crafted dolly. :) Big diameter tires make for smooth rolling!
 
thanks!, it's a partly hand crafted, partly original galvanized steel dolly, i keep meaning to buy a new one but it isn't at the top of my list.
 

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