New boat curing time

T

TonyB

Member
Does anyone have any opinions how long a new Laser should be left to harden up before use?

Conventional wisdom is that you should keep a boat off the water for as long as possible, but my new boat may only be out of the mould for two or three weeks before I use it for some serious racing. Plus I would like to take it for a sail or two before that to make sure it's not a lemon.


Any suggestions?
 
Two scenarios:
1. You buy a new boat from the factory. It was gelcoated Wednesday morning. It was Laminated Wednesday afternoon. It was pulled from the mold Thursday and assembled into a boat. You pick it up Friday and take it to the San Francisco Bay and compete in a brutal regatta. You park the boat under the cover on a dolly for six months without sailing it and then perform laminate deflection tests.

2. Your twin rides with you and picks up a boat made the same week as yours but the twin does not sail the boat until six months later. The twin stores the boat next to yours with identical supports and cover. The twin then sails a regatta in San Francisco in the exact same conditions as you encountered. You perform deflection tests on that boat.

I seriously doubt there would be any measurable differences. If I were told there were differences and forced to choose, I would place my money on the second boat being the more damaged. ( I could write about why but this post is already nearly endless)

The answer to "shall I use it right away?" is better answered by considering your own plan. If you are for the most part "as practiced as you will ever be" and planning to go to a big important regatta this week....Use the new boat and know you are "playing your concert on a Steinway" and all the mistakes must be your own.

If your goal is to sail your very best at the nationals this summer and you have not sailed in a long time and your old boat is still pretty much OK, take the old one to the regatta this week and don't start beating up the new boat until the performance difference will give you the most personal benefit. Save the new sail and the pristine hull and blades for "the big one." You can take the boat and sail out for shake down runs but don't use it for gleefully riding the waves on the best windy day all spring.


Either way, the new boat starts to wear out whan you start using it and it is as ready to use as it will ever become about 3 to 20 hours after it is laminated.
 
To repeat gouv's post with less words:

Polyester cures fully within 16hours in about 20 degrees celcius. (there are some variances depending on the blend/additives of resin - but not much)

there are many strange myths surrounding laser sailing. this is one of them.
 
Thanks all - you've all backed up what I was thinking, against plenty of advice to the contrary. The boat is probably being laminated this week, will be delivered next week, will sail for the first time in ten days, and will race in the Masters Worlds ("the big one") starting on Feb the 17th. Should be fine. I'm more interested in the new spars and especially foils than the new hull, but it would have been a shame to leave a shiny new hull sitting at home, feeling all lonely.
 
Chainsaw said:
To repeat gouv's post with less words:

Polyester cures fully within 16hours in about 20 degrees celcius. (there are some variances depending on the blend/additives of resin - but not much)

there are many strange myths surrounding laser sailing. this is one of them.
Click to expand...


Geez sorry. I thought I was blabbering at a kid. As it turns out the question came from one of those old masters sailors ...you know who I mean. One foot in the grave and the other in quicksand but keeps going sailing anyway. He probably knew some of ancient creatures who composted to make the oil to make the resin for his new boat...

Sorry to consume such a huge percentage of your few remaining years with my longwinded replies.

Sign me>>

North America's youngest Grand Master
 
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