Hull scratches

L

laser98706

New Member
Hello all..

I'm new to this list so i dont know if this topic has already been discussed. This past summer i bought an 85 laser (USA 98706). The bottom of the hull has quite a few hairline scratches, but these scratches seem to really be slowing me down. I wonder if anyone on this list has any recommendations for repairing these scratches. Is this somethign I should take on, or something i should pay a professional to do for me. I believe these are just scratches in the gelcoat, i dont think they are deep enough to be in the actual fiberglass.

Many thanks,

Corey Mitchell
"Sail fast, live slow."
 
well i used to sail a 24995 (4.7 rig) boat which had huge scratches in the hull but i still seemed to beat 17 boats but as soon as i got into my new 172256 boat it was alot better. My advice is too sand down (or sandblast) the underside of the boat till all the scratches are gone then paint with an airgun. I would pay a professional to do it but you have too be very careful when sanding or sandblasting down as to not deshape the hull.

Best of Luck

ps you could always buy a new boat ;)
 
If you're just sailing in some regattas for recreational purposes (i.e. you're not trying to qualify for athens). Then I wouldn't but much money into it. How you sail your boat will make a much bigger difference than having a few scratches on the bottom. What I would do/ have done, is get some different grades of wet sand paper, and just sand down the hull. Then get some nice marine polish and polish her down to a nice shine. Paying for a professional paintjob is not even close to being worth it, if you were going to put that much money into an '85 laser, you might have as well bought a new one.
 
Thank you for your replies. They are much appreciated. I am looking this summer to compete in serious races, because i am trying to talk my father into letting me go to Midwinters east next winter. So that being said, a professional repair is beneficial? Is there anyone on this list who lives in the Chesapeake Bay area who knows of anyone taht does this kind of work and for a reasonable price? What is a reasonable price for this kind of thing?
Many thanks,

Corey Mitchell
"Sail fast, Live slow."
 
Not having seen the scratches I can't really say. But I used to sail a good old '87 hull, its odd sailing in a boat the same age as you are :p. Make sure that you fix ALL the leaks, make it as bone dry as you can. But I would still stick with the wetsand/polish. I did this (with only a slightly illegal polish), and it was ridiculously smooth. If you really want to show your parents how good/ how serious you are, show them with your dedication, work on your own boat, and use the money you saved to spend on some go fast equipment, like a carbon fibre extension. Train really hard and your success will follow. I qualified for CORK Radial Gold Fleet with my old hull and was really proud. If your parents see that you are dedicated to the sport, they will hopefully support you in the future.
 
Sounds good. Any tips/tricks for the wetsanding/polishing? I'm a little nervous about doing it myself, as you can see. Knowing me, I'm afraid i'll screw something up.
 
Make sure you use the right grade of sandpaper, fine, very fine to extra fine and you could finish off the stem and the stern edges with rubbing compound if you wish. Make sure to really clean the Hull before and after and then use a good Fibreglass Polish. It may be the overall roughness and lack of sheen that is slowing the Boat more than the scratches. Fibreglass needs to be regularly polished to stop the surface becoming like the oxidised paint on a car. I polish my hull '98 about three times a year when I'm feeling energetic and I thnk it pays off, especially downwind.
 
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