Another Noob: deck quality

posaune

New Member
I'm looking to replace an old Sunfish with a Laser. I have found one locally for sale (supposedly a '79 Canadian built) for $1100 and it seems to be in good shape overall but it has two soft spots on the deck - one on each rear corner of the cockpit, no more than a foot or so in diameter.

For recreational use, will this cause problems? Am I better off continuing my search (and possibly not having a Laser again this season)?

thanks for any help
 
For rec use, soft decks around the cockpit are not an issue. They are also easy enough to fix
 
I bought a 1978 Laser a few months ago for 700 bucks. The decks are soft in pretty much every spot and she's pretty flexy. However, the mast step doesn't leak at all and not a drop of water gets in. In fact, when removing the drainplug there's a nice hiss of air escaping so I suppose the boat is airtight also. I suspect this boat sat out in the sun, probably for a number of years. The hull and hardware is basically perfect.

I point all of this out to say that as another relative newb who bought a boat with soft decks, this is not a kiss of death and in fact I expect this boat to keep on sailing if or until I replace her with something more race-worthy.
 
Thanks for the great replies. I couldn't get away with really checking the mast step by pouring water in it, but the owner *said* it didn't leak. There was also some water in the bottom presumably from an earlier rain, FWIW.

I found a '90 near me too, but it looks like it has its own issues. We'll see...

Does anyone have a good boat for sale cheap in Western NY?
 
hdco1313 said:
... In fact, when removing the drainplug there's a nice hiss of air escaping so I suppose the boat is airtight also...
Hi,
although, to one side of the view, it is a good sign to "hear" by that "zzzschsch", the hull might be "airtight". For real, it is not good that this "zzzschsch" happens.
Why?
Well, it is important for a longer lifetime of the hull, that there is no air pressure inside of the hull. Therefore, the orignial-"out-of-the-box-boat-builders" (like Vanguard Inc. or Performance Sailcraft Europe Ltd.) drilled a small hole into the front wall of the cockpit and you usually find it there somewhere under the hikingstrap.
Keep A L W A Y S clear, that this hole is "open" for that no air pressure (f.e. in reason of warming up of the hull in the sun) is initiated inside of the hull. This air pressure can damage several fixings inside of the hull.

Ciao
LooserLu
 
Hi again
I just have found a photo to that what I´m talking about above :)

Ciao
LooserLu
 

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  • Breather hole for the hull of the Laser.jpg
    Breather hole for the hull of the Laser.jpg
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hey lu.....my boat is a 78 hull in great shape and it does the same thing, it hisses air after a sail, but i pull the plug when it's stored on the trailer. i checked and mine dosn't have the breather hole in the cockpit. would it be a good idea to drill a small hole in that location? i would think that airpressure in the hull while sailing would be a good thing ie keeping positive pressure would help to keep the hull stiff.what fitting could be damaged by air pressure?.......:confused:
 
Hi `calicosine´,
I would say it would be better to drill a small hole just there (see the photo I already posted) where the orignial-"out-of-the-box-boat-builders" did it also.
Imagine`calicosine´, the answer to your question logically only can be: the hole is there, because the orignial-"out-of-the-box-boat-builders" recognized a problem with that air-pressure inside of the hull and the hole is the solution for this problem. ;)
My old Laser is perhaps a sister of yours, she is built in 1978, too. I can't remeber, if I did drilled that diameter 2,5 mm hole or a former owner or "PSE"-Ltd., but this breathing hole is still there at that old lady. Be carefull with drilling, you perhaps "find" the centreboard trunk, if the driller goes in to deep. The cockpit wall is thin, but there is some stuff (old resin or old fibreglas from joining the centerboard trunk to the deck, during the Laser-hull has been constructed) behind that wall exact where you wanna drill that hole. Perhaps you have an inspection port nearby the centreboard trunk and are able, to feel with your hands if there is something (I have such an inspection port there and it helped me to "re-fix" the screws for the hinking strap etc.).

Ciao
LooserLu
 

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