Mast well question re new Laser

L

LaserBill

Member
I have a new Vanguard Laser Pro that I am eager to sail. To make sure all is well I rigged it in my yard today and discovered a problem. When I stepped the mast it was a very tight fit and did not want to go all the way to the bottom. It also did not want to turn in the well. I finished rigging and it seemed to slip into place, turning OK but needed some force to make it rotate. When I went to take it apart I could not get the mast out of the well. I had to have someone hold the bow while I stood on the deck and pulled with all my might just to remove it. This is very concerning so I am wondering if others have had the same problem. I have owned other Lasers, and the mast always dropped right in, rotated easily, and lifted out easily. I have never owned a new, never sailed Laser before this one. A few days ago I applied one layer of teflon tape to the lower mast in the usual fashion. I am having a hard time believing that the teflon tape is the problem. I would appreciate others experience and advice about this problem.
 
What's the weather like? It may not be this, but if it is cold, you might have a problem getting it in. You shouldn't but there's always that possibility.


Why do you need teflon tape? It's fine without it.
 
The weather is very warm here today, typical of a mid-summer day. I put on the teflon tape because I have used it on my other Lasers to eliminate slop and protect the inside of the mast well. I think my next step will be to remove the tape. The tape is not really thick enough to make much of a difference.
 
i always used teflon tape for the same reason, and i advise sailing without it!

take the boat back, or at least call
 
LaserBill said:
I am having a hard time believing that the teflon tape is the problem. I would appreciate others experience and advice about this problem.
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The teflon tape is the problem. I have a 2003 that I bought new. I put teflon tape on it because, well, just because, and I had to take half of it off to get the mast to rotate. I eventually took it all off.
 
My next step will be to remove the teflon tape, but I am having a hard time thinking that is the entire problem. I have seen so many Laser sailors with the teflon tape on their masts, and I have used it on other boats for years. Thanks for the info.
 
DONT SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN WHAT YOU WANT!!!

I have a 2002, and an 84, and they ahve always had teflon tape, I'm telling you, call the dealer you bought the boat from, and they can help you, possibly get you a new boat with no problems
 
The inside of the mast step is coated with gelcoat it could be there is an uneven build up near the bottom that needs to be "worked out" a little. Shine a bright light down the tube and see if it is smooth or not. Definately contact your dealer if it doesn't work out..
 
Here is the update: I took Merrily's advice and removed the Teflon tape at the base of the mast. It now slides in nicely and rotates as it should, and it comes right back out. It is a tighter fit than my other Lasers but it seems to be OK. So I will sail with it and see how I like it. I did send an email to Vanguard about it and one of their guys called me today. He was very nice and told me that if it didn't work they would make it right under the warranty, so I was pleased that Vanguard is willing to stick by their products. I am hoping that by removing the tape I will have no more problems. Thanks for the help Merrily, and to the others for your thoughts.
 
Excellent, I'm glad that taking the tape off did the job and that Vanguard is willing to stand by the product. Very encouraging. Hope that the new owners do that as well.
 
I want to let everyone know that Vanguard stepped up and provided a new hull to replace the hull with the mast step problem. They were easy to deal with, and other than some logistical problems in getting the new hull to me they were quite helpful. I am very pleased with how they responded to my issue.
 
I think that teflon tape is really only meant to be wrapped around the bottom section once, and in two places. Once at the bottom and once around where the rim of the mast well is. My teflon tape came off due to wear, i have more, but i don't bother putting more on, it's no big deal.
 
OK, just making sure. =0P its an easy fix if you were putting like 3 wraps on there. Hmm, I don't know why this happened.... OHHH heh sorry wasted post: I didn't read about the part where you said it's fixed. Silly me...
 
Merrily said:
Excellent, I'm glad that taking the tape off did the job and that Vanguard is willing to stand by the product. Very encouraging. Hope that the new owners do that as well.
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Who are the new owners? I heard a rumour that it was PSE, so if thats true I think the service shouldn't be a problem. They're excellent here!
 
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