Mast Wear Plate

Should mast wear plate be added?

  • Plate is installed by Vanguard, under the gel coat, and another one is not needed

    Votes: 6 42.9%

  • Plate is installed by Vanguard, under the gel coat, and another one should be added

    Votes: 2 14.3%

  • Plate is not installed by Vanguard, not under the gel coat, and is not needed

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Plate is not installed by Vanguard, not under the gel coat, and one should be added

    Votes: 6 42.9%
  • Total voters
    14
J

JohnK

Member
I have a 2000 Laser and my friend has a brand new/never used (been in storage) 2001 Laser. It appears that my boat has a metal mast wear plate in the bottom of the mast step. My friend's new boat does not have this wear plate or if it does, it is covered over with gel coat. Maybe my boat's gel coat weared off the base of the mast step??

Aren't all of the newer Lasers built with this mast wear plate?? Is it under the gel coat?? Should my friend add a mast wear plate to protect the mast step gel coat??

http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d3000/e1277.asp
 
there is a stainless steel plate under the gelcoat of the mast step and after a little use you can start seeing the rim of it and eventually the paint/gelcoat wears off and falls out (mine did this year/2002 laser).

Not a big deal the stainless is sealed well to the mast step, and no water will get through, your not going to burn through the stainless obviously with plastic, but i added a 1/8'' teflon disk on the bottom for more pivoting ability. You can do that if your getting paranoid about it.
 
it is pretty easy to install, get a stick 1"x1" or 2"x1" put some double sided tape and stick the SS plate to the bottom. on the bottom of the disk apply some silicon sealant and press into possition. get a second stick to put in and hold the disk and pop out the one with the tape attached. continue to work around the disk with the new stick pressing the disk in hard.
 
Our drLaser has a full description to the aspect of installing a mast-wear-plate:
Goto this following website:

http://www.drlaser.org/frm/plfMACf.html

and scroll down in the section-menue to the site "How to prevent wear in the maststep(FAQ)".
I went to a local steel-stoole and they cut me some of this disc´s. (diameter 64 mm) in thickness 1 mm. I took a stainless-steelplate (30cmx30cm) in quality "AISI 317" (which is the best for saltwater and also sweetwater / "AISI 316" will also work, if you don´t get type 317) which I got from a local-store that sells stuff for creating architectural-models.
Good work
LooserLu
 
All Vanguard (and I assume other builders) have been installing a wear plate for at least 10 years. Technically if you add another you are probably not in compliance with the rules as the thickness of 2 plates would be too much. I would say anybody with a 1991 or older boat should add a plate. Scott
 
TheBoathouse said:
All Vanguard (and I assume other builders) have been installing a wear plate for at least 10 years. Technically if you add another you are probably not in compliance with the rules as the thickness of 2 plates would be too much. I would say anybody with a 1991 or older boat should add a plate. Scott
Click to expand...
Scott, do you probably know, if the newer PSE Lasers from UK do also have already such a plate inside the Maststep? I think you are right. If there is already "a" disc (made there during the production-process of the Laserhull) is is not classlegal to put another one inside (steel or teflon that makes no mater).
Ciao
LooserLu
 
LooserLu said:
Scott, do you probably know, if the newer PSE Lasers from UK do also have already such a plate inside the Maststep? I think you are right. If there is already "a" disc (made there during the production-process of the Laserhull) is is not classlegal to put another one inside (steel or teflon that makes no mater).Ciao LooserLu
Click to expand...

A few years ago when Vanguard started putting a thin layer of gelcoat over the disk people couldn't see it so they started freaking out that it wasn't there. When I asked the question to Vanguard, the NA builder, I was told it is a requirement of the "official construction manual" (which all licensed builders must follow) and all Lasers must have them installed. So I would say if PSE is following the "official construction manual" then it is there. Scott
 
TheBoathouse said:
... So I would say if PSE is following the "official construction manual" then it is there. Scott
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot, Scott :) That´s exact the way of discussion the Laserforum is really not to beat. I believe, not a few comphetive (and also recreational) European Laserites glued "an" additional stainless-steel-disc into the maststep of their new(!!) Laserhull, to be so intelligent, to prevent wear in that maststep. The question about legality of this second "wear-prevent"-disc, I try to ask our national Laserclass-Secretary in the next weeks (he is also a very big one in the ILCA-governemet, so I think, he is able to give us a sufficient answer (if he gives...) to this problem that now came up.)
Yesterday, I found in a comment in our yearly national Laserclass-newsmagazine, that they (our national-class-office) permit "an" additional Teflon-(Trademark of DuPont Inc.)-Disc to reduce the friction in the masttep. Meanwhile, in my hibernation, I have also a deep look into the classrules and think/dream about, if maybe there is a way out of this problem.... Here is a quotation of the rule (Part 3, No.19):
"19. MAST
(a) To prevent abrasion of the mast step, a tube or collar of uniform thickness not exceeding 1 mm may be placed around the entire circumference of the lower mast or the mast step cavity. The tube or collar shall not extend more than 10 mm above deck level.
In addition, a disc of uniform thickness not exceeding 1mm in thickness may be placed in the bottom of the mast step.
(b) The mast or mast cavity may be lubricated.
(c) Tape or other bushing material may be applied to both the plastic end cap, the collar of the upper mast and the upper mast to ensure a snug fit. The tape or bushing material may only be used on that portion of the plastic parts that actually slide into the lower section and / or between the upper mast and the collar and it shall be a uniform thickness around the circumference. Taping or bushing material above the collar to fair the collar into the mast is prohibited.
..."

Ciao
LooserLu
 
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