Bahia is not a performance boat in that term so it is made of different kind of plastic, in fact it was made in a mould as a single piece. As a result, boat is rigid but twice as heavy. My friends 470 weighs roughly 120Kg and my Bahia is arround 200 maybe 220Kg. Once last summer we vent sailing on a lake not too far from where we live, it was two of us on a boat and since that was an artificial lake, water level was a bit higher so bank where we wanted to chill was flooded meadow. Since I did not want us to walk trough grass I charged to the shore with full sails on and beached us! You could never do this with plexy boat...Hi
I just got a new one. I have noticed the finish is pretty rough in places it's a bit like sand paper. I checked the other boats at Performance Laser and they were the same. I'm used to polished boats. Has anyone else noticed this?
Just rigging myself the gennaker sock seems to have changed the way it's attached.
Bahia is not a performance boat in that term so it is made of different kind of plastic, in fact it was made in a mould as a single piece. As a result, boat is rigid but twice as heavy. My friends 470 weighs roughly 120Kg and my Bahia is arround 200 maybe 220Kg. Once last summer we vent sailing on a lake not too far from where we live, it was two of us on a boat and since that was an artificial lake, water level was a bit higher so bank where we wanted to chill was flooded meadow. Since I did not want us to walk trough grass I charged to the shore with full sails on and beached us! You could never do this with plexy boat...
Bahia is supertough...
My bahia is "older model" and main difference from what I have seen are lower shrouds, older model has those and new one does not. I got it as demonstration boat and sock was already in place.How did you attach your gennaker sock?
Hi I am struggling to rig the Vang do you have any pictures. I have a yellow rope from the blocks on the boom that passes through the whole in the boom with nothing on the end. I have a block arrangement lick a laser kicker that does not seem to lend itself to attaching to anything????You are all welcome. Once again I had a lot of problems rigging and learning about my boat because of poor support by Laser. Construction of this boat has changed and they offer no explanation about it, not even an updated version of parts locator... So if anyone needs help of any kind don't hesitate to ask
Hi John
I have the Laser Bahia now for a few years and I really think it is a great boat.
Some characteristics I found out:
- For a boat with no keel it is a pretty stable boat. Great with kids to go fun sailing. The wife also likes it as it is a dray and easy sail (in moderate conditions).
- Very easy to set up however plenty of trimming possibilities
- I found it to take a bit of time to get the boat properly up to speed. I also use it for a neighbor for evening racing and it does take some learning and time to get proper speed out of the boat. However it is a lot of fun to learn what makes the boat go fast and there are plenty of trim options to get the max out of this boat
- Planning with Gennaker is a lot of fun and very easy. I even use the gennaker when sailing alone
- The boat can be sailed good alone. It's a shame the head sail is not easy to use when sailing alone, it's mounted to be operated by a second person. However I sail it alone up to 3 beaufort with no problems.
- The boat does not need a lot of wind to go fast but trim and position in the boat are critical to get proper speed out of the boat.
- Also very easy to launch. I have the boat moored on a dock in the backyard and it takes me minutes to get the boat sail ready
- The outboard bracket is cheap, flimsy and outdated.... However it works. The outboard is a pain to have on the back of the boat and if you tip over...well at least I am then swimming in leaking gasoline. I wrote Laser Performance an email suggesting to consider a solution that fits better the current technologies. Something like a build in electric engine system that is also used by the Hobby Cat Mirage kayaks. Laser just came back that I can put a standard electric engine on the back.....something I tried and is at least as miserable as the 2.5 HP suzuki engine I now use
- With my daughter, now 4.5 years old, I go sailing. She plays throughout the boat and often we beach the boat and go for some snacks. We also have a self made swim ladder to swim of the boat
- Boat quality is absolutely very good. I know polyethylene is not the prettiest material but given the material the boat looks pretty good.
- I have two mainsails. One for racing (mylar) and one for cruising. The mylar sail is looking very pretty and trims better then the dacron sail. It's a shame laser discontinued the mylar sail
Overall I would buy the boat right away again and it's being used a lot for different purposes.
Besides the Bahia I have a new Laser G-XD and a Dehler 29.
Hans
Yes, so I have used the Bahia now for about a year. Upwind it is a pretty fast boat and it can go very sharp upwind. I sail about 75% of the time alone. This is very do-able, however when it gets to 18 knots of wind or higher it is a lot of work that might include some swimming. Sailing alone with gennaker is absolutely a lot of fun. When the boat tips over it is easy to right it alone. Only issue I have, I have the storage box and the outboard engine mounted to the back....and there is no way to get back in the boat. I resolved this my putting a piece of rope in a loop on both sides around the beam. I can pull that into the water and step back into the boat. The outboard construction is not great and when you tip over, gas drips out of it and it is also not good for the engine. I also tried an electric engine, but that did not do it for me either. Best is to not have an engine.
It did take me some time to learn how to use the downhaul. The downhaul is really important to get the boat to sail fast.
I think the boat is a bit heavy, but that is related to the material it is build of. My boat lays outside on the dock year round (Dutch climate, ranging from sun to snow) and I have not seen anything change color. I do have the top cover on when I do not use the boat for longer then a month or so. I also made some steps to make sure the boat is not lying on the hull, but it is on two steps, like it is done with the official trailer (needed to keep the warranty)
Bottom line, a very good boat, easy to sail alone or with a family. I sometimes sail in it with the wife and a 3 year old daughter and it is perfect for that also. If you want something very sporty, there are better choices, but this is a good blend of sport, stable and fast
I am also new to Bahia, and I've had some problems figuring out the rigging. Does anyone have pictures of what the jib purchase system should look like? I also can't figure out the lower shrouds, so I'd appreciate any help with that as well.
Hello everyone!
I have a Bahia, second season now and chuffed with it! I live in Scotland, but the boat is used in Greece in the summer.
I think it's a fantastic boat. I never sail with an engine or oars, but the wind is pretty reliable in Greece in August and I know the local conditions well, so I am getting some amazing trips island-hopping.
Only issue I have is that I can't reliably recover from a capsize when sailing solo. I am quite heavy (100kg) and I am definitely doing the right thing, so I was pretty surprised. But it's not an issue usually, as I'm either with company, or sailing pretty conservatively when solo.
I noticed above that folk are recovering from solo capsizes without problems. What are you doing? I uncleat all sheets, stand on the capsized hull's edge and pull on the centreboard, then stand at the edge of the centreboard once at the 90deg. But I can't get it past that point! The manual gives a minimum crew weight for recovery: I think 150kg. Maybe a bit more tasty souvlaki?
You should be able to right the Bahia on your own on the centreboard. I actually right it and scoop someone inside the boat from the lower side and it sights easily. If you can only right it up with two people pulling on the centreboard something must be wrong. I would check if there is any water in the ballast tanks of the hull. When the hull is empty the capsized boat sits high on the surface and the righting is really easy. Another help could be holding on to a rope so that you can lean back further out when on centre board.