Just checking on traveller fairlead repair...

GeoffS

GeoffS

Member
After 17 years of hard use, one of the blue plastic traveler fairleads broke while I was sailing yesterday.

Three questions:
  1. I assume the Aluminum fairleads are the best choice.
  2. The inboard screw seems a bit loose/wobbly. I was thinking of filling the hole with epoxy and re-drilling for the new screw.
  3. Is there a better screw choice than the ones APS sells on the Laser "Deck and Hull" parts page?

Cheers,

Geoff S.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "better choice".

I use an oval head screw (or flathead) instead of the factory installed round head, as the aluminum fittings have countersink holes, not flat-surfaced holes.

Does that answer your question?
 
GeoffS said:
After 17 years of hard use, one of the blue plastic traveler fairleads broke while I was sailing yesterday.


Three questions:
  1. I assume the Aluminum fairleads are the best choice.
  2. The inboard screw seems a bit loose/wobbly. I was thinking of filling the hole with epoxy and re-drilling for the new screw.
  3. Is there a better screw choice than the ones APS sells on the Laser "Deck and Hull" parts page?
Cheers,

Geoff S.
Click to expand...

1. Yes - they won't break (however you may need to sand off the casting marks on the inside so it doesn't chafe your trav )
2. Sounds right, hopefully the plywood backer isn't rotted..
 
Scott B said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "better choice".

I use an oval head screw (or flathead) instead of the factory installed round head, as the aluminum fittings have countersink holes, not flat-surfaced holes.

Does that answer your question?
Click to expand...

Just what I was looking for!
Many thanks.
 
And, as 49208 said, make sure you sand the inside of the aluminum fairleads - they are quite rough as cast.

(A little 400 grit will make them smooth as a baby's butt!)
 
Scott B said:
And, as 49208 said, make sure you sand the inside of the aluminum fairleads - they are quite rough as cast.
Click to expand...

Is that a legal modification?

No addition or alteration may be made to the hull
form, construction, equipment, type of equipment,
placing of equipment, fittings, ... supplied by the
builder except when such an alteration or change
is specifically authorised by Parts 2 or 3 of these
Rules.
Click to expand...

On a practical note, it doesn't matter to me (I will polish the fittings even if it's nominally illegal), I was just curious after reading the comments in the "Outhaul Fairlead" thread.

Cheers,

Geoff S.
 
Since I'm not an offical anything, my views/opinions mean zippo, but IIRC, Vanguard use to have printed instructions as part of the new boat package that recommended it. I know there is a post here from one of their employees at the time (Dave Kirkpatrick if someone wants to search for it) that says it should be done.

The casting marks will wear down one way or another until they are no longer "proud" Does this mean we have to be forced to lie and claim they wore down from use or can we count on the class to use some common sense ? Dunno the answer to that, they appeared to be headed towards common sense on some things and then you read a former measurer's opinion on a flat fitting on a round surface and an official measurer's ruling on a spliced handle and it makes you scratch your head again.

I think these are a few issues where class members have to speak up and get rules tweaked if these changes are indeed illegal.
 
GeoffS said:
Is that a legal modification?

On a practical note, it doesn't matter to me (I will polish the fittings even if it's nominally illegal), I was just curious after reading the comments in the "Outhaul Fairlead" thread.

Cheers,

Geoff S.
Click to expand...

While I don't know if there is an official rule on smoothing the fairlead as described in this thread, there is a big difference between this which is cleaning up roughness that will eventually be smoothed out anyway by rope wear and grinding a concave base into a fairlead so that it sits flush on the boom. The former is probably permitted under Maintenance and Repairs, but it's not something anyone worries about doing in this region (it might even be an item which PSA does when supplying the parts/boats. The latter is a significant change of shape.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AlanD said:
While I don't know if there is an official rule on smoothing the fairlead as described in this thread, there is a big difference between this which is cleaning up roughness that will eventually be smoothed out anyway by rope wear and grinding a concave base into a fairlead so that it sits flush on the boom. ...
Click to expand...

Alan: many thanks for the reply!

I thought there probably was a reasonable interpretation, and your differentiation of the two "modifications" seems to fit that expectation. I realize there are many "slippery slope" situations and the class has to tread carefully to make sure there aren't any unintended consequences.

Thanks again!
 
I recently purchased replacement traveler fairleads (aluminum) for my laser full rig. To my surprise the fairleads I received have holes spaced 7/8 inches, whereas the previous fairleads (also aluminum) had holes were about 1 and 1/16 inches. Does anyone know if the vendor sent me the incorrect part or did the fairlead size for the laser class change since 2004 (the year my boat was manufactured)?

Also, any recommendations on what epoxy to use to fill in the old hole and what sealant to use when screwing on the new fairleads?

Thanks!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top