gday from FNQ Australia

I bought my boat/ self a present. I have replaced the original deck main sheet block (no stand up spring) with a Ronstan Series 55 ratchet block (RF56100) and standup spring. The tip for compressing the spring using zip ties worked a treat for the installation, I think I ended up using 5 zip ties LOL.

The RF56100 has the options of automatic or manual mode. I will be keen to find out which mode I prefer.

D0D0BD4F-042D-4C7F-A577-3BAE5179F8FD.jpeg
 
I’ve currently got some down time so I made a wind indicator to clamp on to the mast base at gooseneck level.

The black base is PVC pipe, it basically snaps on with a moderate bit of pressure. We’ll see how long it retains its shape and elasticity.

The threads are fine crochet cotton and are fixed on using heatshrink over the top of a knot.
F5FD8D98-EFF1-48BC-B9AA-2365EBFA7EBD.jpeg
 
Ingenious design, I'd like to see a pic of that actually on the rig, if you don't mind. If you need even lighter tails, try using old cassette tapes.
 
Thanks ProATC, it is not my design. I copied the design used here

I will post a pic of it installed on the lower mast when the weather cooperates.

Good tip using cassette tape. I think I would use something by John Denver.
 
gday,
I am a 60 something 90 kilo something aussie male who has fond memories of regularly capsizing Moth back in the 1970’s. A recent foray into sailing was putting a couple of different sized Pacific Action sails on my 5.1m sea kayak, lots of fun but not exactly the sailing fix I was hoping for.

After the initial outing on the laser, ‘GT Capri’, I appreciated it was a far superior sailing experience to kayak sailing. I sold the kayak sails.

As far as I can learn, the laser never had a name. The name I chose honours the memory of a special friend and laser sailor. I didn’t know they sailed lasers until long after he died.
 
Everyone were so busy lusting after the scenery photo that no one noticed that I had the mainsheet routed incorrectly.
 
Last edited:
no one noticed that I had the mainsheet routed incorrectly.
Oh, I thought the sheet was just caught on something on the aft deck :D
Tried to figure out the interesting hull colour, too.
And noticed that you have a pretty nice trolley for a boat of that vintage. I'm not sure about the Australian sailing culture, but at the time when that boat was built, over here very few used trollies for Laser-sized boats... and would have probably dragged theirs over a beach like that, not thinking that there was anything wrong with it :confused:

_
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure about the Australian sailing culture, but at the time when that boat was built, over here very few used trollies for Laser-sized boats... and would have probably dragged theirs over a beach like that, not thinking that there was anything wrong with it
I think the opposite was probably true, in fact. My recollection of sailing at clubs and regattas in Australia the 70s and 80s was that great care was taken of all boats, not just Lasers, when launching and recovering. If you didn't have a trolley, then you probably trailed your boat and there were plenty of people around to help you on and off the water. I don't think I can recall ever seeing any boat dragged across the beach.
 
Boats on the whole in this island continent nation are pretty much respected. My experience from club sailing in the 70’s concurs with Horizon’s recollections. There was always someone to lend a hand and it was readily reciprocated. I saw plenty of cradles where I sailed but no trolleys.

My laser is a conundrum, a 70’s hull, spars and deck fittings but newer sails and trolley. The hull colour is slightly weathered and where it has been buffed is slightly darker blue. There was a strong class of Lasers at the local sailing club at one time so I suspect my Laser profited from hand me downs.

The restoration is not complete but I have checked over replaced or refixed all the critical fittings where they looked like they could have failed me out on the water.
 
now, if only the weather would cooperate… Wet Season here right now, South Easters blowing their t!ts off, on an off torrential rain, murky water full of debris plus deadly jellyfish, crocodiles and a reportedly 5m Tiger shark in the mix. Not a good time of the year to capsize aye!

In all honesty the Tiger shark is more likely to be 3m, it is easy enough to suit up against the jellyfish, crocodiles are usually just passing through open water and not hunting, just leaving us with the weather and water conditions. Australians love to amp up the stories of our killer wildlife but in reality the risks are manageable.
 
Last edited:
Wow! That makes Michigan's Great Lakes seem pretty tame.

I don’t know if tame is how I’d describe the water temps of the Great Lakes and the real risk of hypothermia. I grew up surfing and sailing in Tasmania where the water temps required wetsuits year round.

No need for wetsuits for sailing up here in tropical far northern Australia where the surface water temperature ranges between 22 and 32 Celsius (71 - 89 F).

I do wear a full piece lycra suit designed for protection from the jellyfish (aka stingers) which is also excellent protection from the sun.

Here’s a photo of me with all the gear on (minus gloves) before heading out for a paddle on my sea kayak.
FB90E520-C108-4750-86E7-B85381EDEBE6.jpeg
 
Big day sailing today, over 20 km traveled . Light airs and only the 4.7 rig. I am too heavy for the 4.7 rig in light airs. I learned a lot about points of sail and trim today. Shakedown completed, everything seems to be doing what they are meant to. I do need to shorten a few sheets but after that it will be time for the standard sail.
 
I like to thoroughly check over things before a shakedown sail. Take today for example. I did a dry land setup with the standard mast and sail. Happy to see the cunningham lines are suitable for this setup too. Anyway I set up the boom vang and tightened it down when twang the rivets on the mast base vang tang sheared off!

I’ll go and get some more SS 316 M5 machine screws and nuts and through-bolt the vang tang and might as well do the gooseneck at the same time!
 
The DIY wind indicators worked great! The red crochet cotton was light enough to be moved by the breeze until they got wrapped around the wire arms, temporarily.
 
Through-bolting on a standard mast base via the top end is a test of my patience. Luckily the hot glue gun and string method seems to be working for drawing the thread end up through the hole 75% of the time, the other 25% is for swearing practise.
 
I ended up deciding to through bolt the vang tang on the boom as well. That meant I replaced 14 aluminium rivets with 3/8” or M5 SS 316 bolts, talk about a severe test of my patience!
 
Never mind that cute little tri.... I like the squall looming in on the right side of the photo.
 
Never mind that cute little tri.... I like the squall looming in on the right side of the photo.

Glad you liked the photo, it took a bit of juggling to capture the thunderhead and the yacht in the scene. It was a convective late summer electrical storm moving to the right of the scene. We watched all the action on the mainland from the island. The storm was done in twenty minutes and no persisting wind
 
No sailing for me until the replacement plug end for the boom (gooseneck end) arrives. My stupidity is limitless.
"Stupidity" and "inexperience" aren't the same thing... Had I happened to check in here a little earlier I would have asked if you already have THE new plug at hand :rolleyes:

But now that the front end of your boom is open, it's easy to check if there's an inner sleeve there (as it's a pretty old boom, I think that there isn't). Looks like PSA doesn't have them available right now, but your Queensland dealer does. Their reasoning for, and history of it are far from accurate, but of course it's still a good thing to have against complete boom section failure.

_
 
Is there any risk/ issue if I temporarily use a SS pad eye like this one
46C468FE-63DD-4194-9D61-4D5D27F580FF.jpeg

in place of the plastic outhaul fairlead on the boom? The plastic replacement part will take 10-14 days to be delivered.
Rec sailer not a racer.
 
If you have no end cap, recr sailing, you can use screws and nuts. Only problem, the metal wears out the line. But for recr sailing, you dont need to fiddle to much with the outhaul. A 3,8 sail (Old MK1 standard) is a little bit longer and is closer to the fairlead than the mk2. On the mk2 there is room for a small block attached to the sail. If you have MK2, you can attach the block to the fairlead. Illegal according to the rules.
 
Helge, Kim already has that (illegal) block there, so any type of eyestrap should work as a temporary solution. The cast-aluminium version of the original Allen fairlead would be best in the long run (the same applies to the traveller; the cunningham is a slightly different story).

_
 
Two blocks and MK1 is not working. You dont get enough tension. But try, and try again, smaller blocks, sheet the block in the sail directly in the eye. Here in Norway, plastic fairlead is 15NOK and aluminium 67NOK.
 
Last edited:
Thanks HelgeS and LaLi for the info. All good! The SS pad eye I re-tasked was being used for the traveler!

I had noticed there was little room between the end cap and the clew with the Mk1 sail. I guess I’ll gain a few mm by using the pad eye and not the plastic fairlead.

True, I won’t need to worry about wear on sheets with the pad eye because I use shackles. I should be able to reduce the number of shackles used and gain some control room as you suggest.

Cost of parts here in Australia is not as great an issue compared with the shipping cost and time it takes to get them delivered. Hoping the gooseneck end boom plug arrives so that I can sail this weekend.
 
Last edited:
Make boom plug in wood. Should be easy.

I’d love to do that one day. I have a good friend who is a woodturner. The replacement parts arrived today and have been installed. I am keen to go for a first sail tomorrow using the Standard rig and sail but seeing as it will be offshore will make the call once I see the actionable conditions.

Up until this point, I have only been using the 4.7 rig, pretty underpowered when you consider my 95kg weight.
 
Modified but still illegal outhaul setup with a Mk1 Standard sail. I am using a tiny SS pad eye to replace the plastic fairlead that I broke.
70135CE1-2E53-414A-84DB-8D59BD021F43.jpeg
 
First outing with a Mk 1 standard sail. That’s more like it after the 4.7! 10-15 kts wind on a confused chop and a 1m swell. I got to hike out some, even managed a shoulder dip. At one stage I was looking down at the blades of the rudder and centreboard, it’s been a long time since I last saw that. No capsizes. We’ll see tomorrow morning how my 62 year old body recovers from the hiking out.
 
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.
 
First outing with a Mk 1 standard sail. That’s more like it after the 4.7! 10-15 kts wind on a confused chop and a 1m swell. I got to hike out some, even managed a shoulder dip. At one stage I was looking down at the blades of the rudder and centreboard, it’s been a long time since I last saw that. No capsizes. We’ll see tomorrow morning how my 62 year old body recovers from the hiking out.
Training is a must. Not only sailing;
 

Back
Top