Interested in getting back into sailing. Local inland sailing club has a decent fleet and there are a number of regattas in the summer which include Lasers. It's the one-design we want. Will start with club races and see how it goes. Found a number of boats, one is a low cost entry boat. It is a 1979, original owner on a small inland lake, mast step holds water, standard and radial (for wife). For a 1979 it is in good shape with a couple minor deck dings and a few inches where the "sealant" between deck and hull along the transom needs repair. No trail or dolly are included but it comes with 2 sails radial and standard and 2 dagger boards. Price is $1100. We are trying to give Laser sailing a try and if we love it upgrade to newer boat. Is this a good approach and if so does this sound like a reasonable deal?
Advice on buying a Laser - which one?
- Thread starter JayH
- Start date
203
Very Senior Member
Checking out my avatar, you'll find I like old boats (c: .. and the $$ you are talking about is a good number for that boat. I'd gladly pay 1100 for a boat in that condition here in NC today for my other family members so we could have some family racing.
Look for softness in the deck where you sit while hiking. This can be a killer on older boats, but some in the late 70's / early 80's have very firm decks and little/no damage.
Check for weight if you can. Take bathroom scales and see if the boat's close to 130-140 pounds. If it's wet it'll be much more.
Look at the hull and make sure it's undersides are not caved in on one or both sides. I've seen older boats that were strapped to trailers.. the bunks pushed in the bottom to a horrible level of distortion. Since no trailer comes with this one, maybe it's avoided this torture.
After you're happy with the general inspection, get it, clean it up, and go sailing. (c:
Look for softness in the deck where you sit while hiking. This can be a killer on older boats, but some in the late 70's / early 80's have very firm decks and little/no damage.
Check for weight if you can. Take bathroom scales and see if the boat's close to 130-140 pounds. If it's wet it'll be much more.
Look at the hull and make sure it's undersides are not caved in on one or both sides. I've seen older boats that were strapped to trailers.. the bunks pushed in the bottom to a horrible level of distortion. Since no trailer comes with this one, maybe it's avoided this torture.
After you're happy with the general inspection, get it, clean it up, and go sailing. (c: