new old boat - 1977 radial

J

jjconcepts

New Member
I finally found the time to get back on the water, as a kid i ran a sailfish around long island sound. Long story short, I just picked up a 1977 laser - appears to be in good shape. some rusted screws. what looks like a fer bubbles - nickel size - on the deck and a patch under the mast step.
I am sure rigging questions will come up, but I think the general info available on the web is enough to get this baby to move..

The question.. is there anything to look for or do that may not be obvious when putting a 30 year old boat of unknown history of usage or owners? I would like to get it on the water Sunday the 4th to see if we leak and stretch the lines a little.
-joe-
 
the bubbles just sound like a bit of osmosis (or however it is spelt) but you can do an easy check on the mast step by just pouring water down it.

However you have to much spare time on your hands like myself you could take all the fittings off and put them back on while re-sealing them with "sikaflex" or some other sealer to stop any water getting back in on your first sail.
 
The water is a good idea. only some of the screws for the - i guess they might be called drain covers - are rusted.. most likely off season when i attempt to remove them, my luck with these things dictates that they will need to be drilled out.. is it a simple operation to drill them out and epoxy in a helicoil or some threaded plug? and do i worry about the bubbles.. is trying to take them out worth the effort in a not so good with the details kinda guy? ( I will build the house - but you have to paint it.)
 
not to sure about the screws....but the bubbles, are they just like bubbles/blisters in the paint or in the atchual hard, epoxy resin/gellcoat bit.... if your boat has been painted before,witch could be the case as it is a 1977 boat, they are just in the paint and it is were the water has got through the paint and then started to peel it off from the inside.....

if so you just need to sand it down and re-paint it...
 
i have only had it a few days, the bubbles are pretty hard, it does not appear to be painted as you can see all the epoxy spots and the patch and the boat has a sun-bleached yellow look to it.. i am assuming it is blistering gel - i will look into it. I have gel coated a powerboat for dings from lobster flags, is it a matter of sanding down and either repainting or gel coating? or do I need to go deeper? to make sure the gel adheres. and how do i make it match the textured deck?
 
not to sure about the gel coat, as i am not an expert although i do think that what you are suggesting probably what you will have to do.

As to the deck texture when i filled a small patch in mine a realized that i wouldn't get the same effect but. i repaired deck always looks better than a broken one :)
i suppose you could try scoring it if you wanted to get it to look a bit like what it was in the first place.

i'm sorry if this post isn't much use to you but it is the best i can do.
 
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