That's not a bad plan, but I would do something simpler by just covering the exposed fiberglass. I am assuming the tube does not leak.I did - yes, I know it goes back a little (and so does this one) but the mast tubes are still wearing out, even after all this time...
See pic for what mine looks like, mostly worn gelcoat on the inside and some surface chips/cracking but all still sound:
For the tube I'm thinking to lay up a couple of layers of CSM on the areas worn completely through and then a few coats of gelcoat on the whole tube as the new wear layer.
What are your thoughts if you don't mind Wavedancer?
Also is there anywhere that gives the tube dimensions that you or anyone there is aware of please?
View attachment 45586
Update: I was assuming "Definitely diameter 64 millimeterThis thread What Is The Diameter Of The Mast Pocket On The Laser? and LooserLu discuss the diameter of the mast:
Definitely diameter 64 millimeter (about 2.5 US") will work.
Just to mention: At the Laser, the mast-tube is an oval hole -> means: the smaller diameter (thats to the sides, aka starboard/portside) is as said before: ~64 mm (+/- 1 mm tolerance).
But still the question remained unanswered... If the mast is standard 2.5inches/63.5mm diameter, the top of the tube at the minor axis will be something like 65mm and the major axis will be something like 75mm. Furthermore it looks to me like the tube then tapers to a circle. Ie the mast sits quite snugly at the base of the tube with almost no play. Can anyone give a categorical please??
At the club right now, and measured on my own (PSE 1990) boat the top end of the mast step is 74.7 mm long and 66.0 mm wide. The radius that the opening is rounded to is about 3 mm. The original lower (Standard/ILCA 7) mast is 63.5 thick, and there’s maybe two mm of play at the bottom.
If your numbers don’t differ much from those and the step doesn’t leak, I wouldn’t do anything to it. It may look bad with so much of the gelcoat gone, but I don’t think it’s going to break down anytime soon. Even if it were to, I’d rather fix it from the inside.
But how did it get that way? This is the same view of my boat that is 14 years older (and sailed in nine Masters Nationals among countless other regattas):
View attachment 45597
Thanks LaLi for the hard data and advice, much appreciated.
You pose a good question "But how did it get that way?"... Got me thinking and got out the digital caliper and it seems that the radial mast diameter is 61.2mm diameter vs the standard mast diameter 63.7mm. Given that the boat has probably done 90% of it's work as a radial, I'm thinking the extreme wear maybe due to the additional ~2.5mm of "room" that the mast can slosh around in the tube. What % did you sail as standard vs radial please?
I have both rigs but have never raced with the Radial. Way more than 90 % of the sailing time has been with the Standard.Given that the boat has probably done 90% of it's work as a radial, I'm thinking the extreme wear maybe due to the additional ~2.5mm of "room" that the mast can slosh around in the tube. What % did you sail as standard vs radial please?
Thanks again Wavedancer,That's not a bad plan, but I would do something simpler by just covering the exposed fiberglass. I am assuming the tube does not leak.
Here is some recent advice from the Sunfish forum:
(1) Mast cup issue | SailingForums.com
Please note that Signal Charlie has a LOT of experience; I don't!
Just got some great info back from Performance Sailcraft Pty Ltd (Australia). Home of the ILCA / Laser dinghy since 1964. www.psasailing.com.au... categorically.At the club right now, and measured on my own (PSE 1990) boat the top end of the mast step is 74.7 mm long and 66.0 mm wide. The radius that the opening is rounded to is about 3 mm. The original lower (Standard/ILCA 7) mast is 63.5 thick, and there’s maybe two mm of play at the bottom.
If your numbers don’t differ much from those and the step doesn’t leak, I wouldn’t do anything to it. It may look bad with so much of the gelcoat gone, but I don’t think it’s going to break down anytime soon. Even if it were to, I’d rather fix it from the inside.
But how did it get that way? This is the same view of my boat that is 14 years older (and sailed in nine Masters Nationals among countless other regattas):
View attachment 45597
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That's not a bad plan, but I would do something simpler by just covering the exposed fiberglass. I am assuming the tube does not leak.
Here is some recent advice from the Sunfish forum:
(1) Mast cup issue | SailingForums.com
Please note that Signal Charlie has a LOT of experience; I don't!
Hi LaLi - the radial mast section is perhaps 0.5mm worn as per pics. The standard section hardly has a mark, confirming the % use as earlier. What do you think of the ware in the radial section?I have both rigs but have never raced with the Radial. Way more than 90 % of the sailing time has been with the Standard.
I don't think it matters which section one uses, though. In fact, I'm not sure that either should even touch most of the area where your gelcoat has worn off. The wear on my (and many other) masts indicate that there's significant abrasive contact only at the aft edge at deck level and at the forward edge at the bottom. Neither area extends much more than about 5 cm vertically. What do your masts look like?
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