Completely New Laser Sailer

dclarke

New Member
Hi all. A couple of questions. Please be kind and patient, I admit I am very new. In fact, I've never sailed a Laser.

Although I did some sailing years ago, I recently rediscovered sailing in my late fathers old Snark...(go ahead and laugh) loads of fun whipping around the bay near my cottage, learning the basics. Last year, I found an old laser hull, neglected and starting to delaminate and am just about finished restoring it. I pulled the hull and deck apart and relaminated it all with 2 part epoxy and filler...(after buying all the C-Clamps in town). Lovingly sanded, primed....refinished the rudder and dagger board like new...flawless white spray job with the slightest silver fleck...I'm not worried about official, I just have a fondness for making things new again.

Just bought new rigging, deck fittings hiking strap....right down to the new drain plug and fitting...

Now, sorry, but I am not at all concerned with racing. I just want to jump on and take it out for the afternoon. So I'm wondering, can I just sail this thing...depower it by letting the sail out if it starts to heel over...or are these only made for going like hell. Seems like a lot of sail surface for the amount of hull. Am I gonna get pitched out the first time I jibe? It is a full rig and I am 165 lbs.
 
Well, for the depowering thing yes, easing the sail would be the easiest, instead of cranking on the vang and Cunningham ect....also a jibe can be trickey for any new sailor in almost any type of breeze, so yes you will wipe out, but it is not a problem.....so go out and figure this stuff out on your own because the odds are you wont get hurt..radial sail doesnt matter if your not going to be racing, full rig is just fine.
 
Ok, so...if I understand this, if I flatten the sail out too much by cranking on the vang and/or outhaul, the sail becomes let aerodynamic and has less power.

If I'm correct, wouldn't it be a good idea to set it like this while I play around, then loosen it off when I get the hang of it?
 
dclarke said:
Am I gonna get pitched out the first time I jibe? It is a full rig and I am 165 lbs.

Well, maybe. Just get back in and go like "H" "E" double hockey sticks again! :D My record is 8 capsizes, and I still finished the race. I'm 160 and usually sail with a full rig. (Note: I lost 5 of those 10 pounds!) But unless it's 15 mph and above, it shoud be pretty easy to sail. As said in the previous post, you can depower with putting on vang, cunningham and outhaul. Easing sail works very well in the gusts. Have fun with it.
 
160 and still sailing? Good for you...I know lots of people younger than you who wouldn't sail any more.
 
As a relative newbie, here are the things I have found to be key to learn in order to fully enjoy my sailing and not be limited in my manouvers. Many of these topics are covered on ther threads, so use the search function to find more.
Tacking-don't let the top of your pfd catch on the mainsheet along the boom. Duck under and keep the main firm in hand.
Gybing-sometimes you have to. LOL Learn to quickly snap the mainsheet between the deck block and boom block when the boom swings across as you duck under so the traveler part doesn't lasso around the transom corner.
Centerboard-raise it some off wind, and use it to cut an angle to latch onto waves. Raising it some also helps in rollers.
By the lea-my best friend. Learn to sail by the lea and you can get more mileage out of each tack.
Tie a stopper knot about 6" from the end of your mainsheet.
Use a windindicator attached to the mast in front and below the boom.
Learn to ease-hike-trim to keep the boat flat, and use your shoulders when hiking to steer the boat.
Death rolling-the famous Laser bane! Avoid dead downwind and know the windshift direction and have a blast sailing by the lea and surfing waves to leeward. Playing the tiller into the roll helps impede the roll and regain control.
THat's all I can think of for now, and I am sure other's have their own "Laser skills" lists they'll share with you. Most important is to have fun with a really cool boat, and in your case having so fully restored a Laser, one that you should be very proud to sail.
 
Thanks all for your feedback. I've met some great folks since getting this boat.

Ok, here's another dumb one. I often take to the lake when the winds are very lite. I usually have a paddle along with me and the odd time the wind dies on me, I can easily push my small boat around. There' really isn't much room on the laser...does anyone carry a paddle on one??
 
Congrats on saving the old boat. 165 is perfect for the full. Get a book or video for the basics, then find another sailor to tune with, even if it means driving to another Lake. Better dress assuming you will be swimming a bit!

The Laser will go, even when you can't see any breeze on the water, otherwise just rock it in. Or lay on the bow and surf board style paddle it back.

Better do a search re. upgrades. There are hundreds of posts on this topic.

Al Russell 182797
 
hello and welcome, good luck. i'm in the same boat as you are, still learning to sail the laser and i still take a small paddle with me out onto the lake. i take it and use velcro straps and put it in front of the mast. havent had to use it yet but its nice to have just in case.where are you located at?i,m in seattle.even if you dont race you can have a ball in a laser.there is a real good book for us beginners called " the complete book of laser sailing" by dick tillman. full of great info for the laser.all the upgrades make it nice for adjusting the sail on the "go" but you don't need them to just sail and have fun.i totally refurbished a 1978 hull and did all the upgrades and it can be a little expensive doing it piece by piece, but worth it in the end.good luck and have fun thats the main thing..............terry aka ........calicosine
 
Hey Terry. I'm in Hamilton Ontario.

Thanks for the tip on the book, I;ll try it. I've been reading everything I can find.

I'm flipping back and forth between trading it in on something more comforatble and less racey, like a CL 14, but I may end up just looking for something else neglected and keep them both.

Fixing this boat up was lots of fun, I might get into buying/fixing/selling as a hobby.
 
LOL...for some reason, dlclarke I THOUGHT you were from Canada. My dad had an old snark as well, and we would sail it in Lake Winnipeg, or in Kenora...."cottage' seemed to give it away too!!
 
Its a great little boat. I sanded it down, covered it in epoxy and painted it...I've been sailing every sunny day since...and a few not so sunny days...

Its so light you can push it around with a bailing bucket when the wind abandons you.

I'm really looking forward to the laser though. As soon as I get it in the water I'll start looking for my next project.
 
if you are looking for a CL14 I have one that i am going to try to sell this summer, I'm in Belleville (near Kingston on the 401)
 
Hi dclarke,
Have a blast in it.... Nothing finer then being up on a plane, screaming fast reaches in high winds. At 165 you've got enough weight to manage the full rig after you get your boat handling skills down. Expect to swim, repeatedly as you learn what not to do. The boat will teach you....
Fishingmickey
181157/151187
 

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