New Laser owner

T

Tony R

New Member
Hello all,

Just wanted to introduce myself.

I joined a sailing club four months ago where I received RYA 1 & 2 & have recently bought a Laser 1.

I was initially looking to spend about 3k on a Laser with all the trimmings but club members advised me to buy something cheaper which could be 'run-in'.

I spent £750.00 which included a trolley but overall it's in good condition though dated & faded. Is there a whitening product I can purchase?

The bottom colour of the boat is a tasty 60's blue...badly faded. Is it worth painting this or does it go into a boat yard? I suppose the question is, is it worth the expense?

It came with a carbon tiller & the chap selling to me tied a line around the tiller as an additonal safety measure. My question is how likely is the tiller to come loose from the rudder?

I have been on several sites searching for the correct knot & found its an underhand knot but looking at the Rooster sailing website it looks more complicated than a simple underhand knot.

Is there a place I can find to do the correct knot?

I read one of your forum pieces on using a pin & the general consensus was line vs pin.

Only purchased this last week so haven't even sailed this boat as all ive sailed was the club Pico......looking to rig & de-rig this w/end as this type is new to me (similar to rigging a pico).

I hope you can answer some of my noob questions :eek:
 
I don't use a pin. My line is wrapped from where it comes out of the rudder around the back of the rudder head just below where the tiller sticks in. (you have to put tape on the rudder head or the line to keep the rudder head from cutting the line). It then goes to the cleat on the tiller. I add a purchase to the line by running it through a hole in the cleat, back to a loop I make in the line, and then through the jam. The rudder will definitely fall out if you don't have a line or a pin to hold it in.

There are no "noob" questions. We were all beginners once.

Never "paint" a glass hull. If the hull is stiff, and the gelcoat is not wildly cracked or scratched, polish it and leave it. It may not look pretty, but it will be faster than a boat with a paint job.
 
completly insert your tiller into the rudder head, then carefully drill a hole into the tiller, take a small pin and attach it to a piece of string. your tiller will never come out..... find a small detailing polisher/buffer(not a grinder or anything with a lot of power!!!!!!) and buff the hull down... it should become smoother, next give it a nice wax job then take the polisher over it again lightly to work the wax in(just like a snowboard lol)..... i used to have a hull that was in REALLY bad shape after doing this a few times it came out really nice...it didnt have much gel coat left when i started but it was fast when i was done lol...
 
Hi Tony,
You sound like you are in the same position as I was 6 months ago.
I had done a level 3 RYA course and spent the next season sailing wayfarers and picos.
I wanted something single handed and competative to race with so bought a 1979 laser one for £600 with a full rig and the xd cunningham and outhaul.
Since then I have fallen in love with laser sailing.
I have done a few things to improve the boat since I got it.
I am only 62kg so I got a new rooster radial rig, and I got the xd kicker as well.
Learning how to change the shape of the sail using the cunningham, outhaul and kicker never came up on my RYA course, so I have had fun finding out for myself!
When the wind is blowing, sail shape can be the difference between heeling like mad ,hanging on for your life, and sailing super fast in complete control.
I recommend getting a book about lasers. I got the Dick Tillman one, and think it was well worth it. Lots of basic advice about rigging, maintenance and racing, plus more advanced techniques and interiews with the 'experts'.
There is some great info on this site and everyone seems very friendly and willing to help out even with simple questions. But I am sure you will realise, there is no substitution for getting out on the water and sailing to gain experience.
I wouldn't paint your boat, just give it a good scrub and give the hull a T-cut. I found sorting out little leaks and organising the rigging how I wanted it soon became more important than cosmetics.


Cheers
Nicko
 
I don't use a pin in the to keep the tiller in. One came with the boat but I was told that the main sheet can catch on it and the rudder down haul line serves the same function (i.e. it keeps the tiller in the rudder stock).

Also I don't like holes in the carbon tiller (might allow water to get in and it is hard to drain - so you start drilling drain holes, etc.)

Ian
 
Many thanks for all your helpful comments :)

Im really keen to freshen up my Laser & to remove the old blue from the lower hull.

Having read numerous posts it seems to be best to sand down using 40-100 grit.

Wash off dust or use a product (not sure which).

Use 2 coats of International LPU.

Buff by using a Marine Polish.

This is the first part of my Master Plan. :eek:

Have I missed anything?
 
Tony R said:
Having read numerous posts it seems to be best to sand down using 40-100 grit.

Have I missed anything?
Click to expand...

Don't go below 100 grit or you will have deep grooves that create a great deal of unnecessary labor to sand out. In fact, I'd start with something like 200 and see if that does the job. Gel coat is surprisingly soft.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top