Old Laser question

filmmaker1225

New Member
I'm an experienced recreational sailor,, looking to sail local lakes in Central Oregon. I've located an old laser, made in 1975. Boat has been garaged for over 20 years and appears to be in good shape, including the mast well. A 3.2 sail is included with the boat. Can it still be sailed, and are necessary parts available? Boat serial number is 29228

I'd appreciate any and all advice.

Filmmaker1225
 
First of all, thanks for your fast response.
This is an older boat, that's been in a barn for over 20 years.
I've sailed a number of small boats over many years; lasers a few times in the Caribbean, but that was also 20 years ago. I don't know what's missing on this boat, if anything. I need to take a ride down to Eugene to take a good look at it, but the owner, an older man, seems to know boats and claims that this one is fairly clean. Hard to tell from photos. And I'm curious about the condition of the mast step, whether it takes water or not.
What I want to do is sail either Elk or Cultus lake this summer. Cultus probably gets more wind than Elk, but they can both get steady breezes mid afternoon. Nothing like a big bay, but both lakes are a couple miles long. I'll probably want to leave the boat on one of those beaches and sail whenever it's breezy. I'm 6'3", 190 lbs. Most of the time I'll be sailing solo, but may want to show a friend or my wife how to sail. I can't recall how these boats handle, but can it handle two in 8-10 knots?

My other choices are a capri 14.2 or a capri 13, which may be too small for two.

Any more advice for me? And thanks, again
Dan
 
A Laser isn't suitable for two adults.
With respect to the older Laser you are considering, one can always upgrade to the newer systems (vang especially). Structural issues are harder to fix, but generally doable. And this forum has a lot of prior threads related to those kinds of repairs.
 
Personally, I think a Laser is fine for two adults up to 10 or maybe 12 knots. After that it gets hard to control with someone else on board. I’ve sailed with two on board a number of times and we've had a lot of fun. It’s hardly a leisurely ride with two and it can be a bit cramped, but it is doable.
 
Thanks for the response. My old sunfish was like that.
I need to be able to teach novices a little about sailing. They used to put two on lasers at Club Med, so I'll be ok in these Central Oregon lakes, where it's mostly pretty tame. But around 2PM the wind can come up and gust to 12 or so on a couple of them.
In addition to the Laser, I'm looking at a Capri 14.2 There are a couple of them around. The Laser that's available is a very old one.
Thanks again.
 
I'm going to take a serious look at this old laser. The owner claims that it's been sitting in a barn for over twenty years. I'll inspect the hull, deck and the mast step. Would anyone like to give me more advice on what to look at? I'll inspect the sail, (of course) and the lines, although they're easily replaced. Remember, I'm strictly a recreational, lake sailor at this point.

Thanks for any more advice or references to other sites.

Dan in Oregon
 
If you can: check of there are no gaps or holes (that allow water to get into the hull).

Block the small hole in the cockpit, apply some air pressure through the grommit in the transom, keep the pressure up. Ask someone else to spray a soapy solution on all seams etc.

Prone to leaking: where the hull is attached to the deck and the bailor area.

Awkward to ask the seller? Well... perhaps. But a good seller will be interested in knowing himself that he’s selling a good boat.
 
First time I've seen this thread... if the price is right, bag the boat. No worries about sailing with two adults aboard, unless each weighs about 400 pounds, aye? I used to take friends sailing all the time aboard Laser #2069, and she handled fine, especially if the passengers were experienced and knew how to help keep the boat trimmed correctly with small positional shifts, leaning inboard or outboard at the appropriate time, etc. When the breeze picks up and ya hit small craft warning, the additional live ballast is often welcome to help tame the boat down, LOL. I'm referring to recreational sailing, of course, not racing... my friends & I liked to par-tay on the water back in the day, so we doubled up all the time. When ya first do this, deck space will seem a bit cramped, but soon enough you'll both learn how to shift position during maneuvers, where to sit depending upon which point of sail you're on at the moment, how not to spill beers in sudden gusts, etc., etc. A tip as far as coolers are concerned: buy a soft cooler if ya don't already have one, even if ya don't drink alcohol it will come in handy for packing lunch and other beverages, and ya won't be knockin' yer knees and barkin' yer shins on a solid cooler. Don't ask me how I know this, LOL... :confused:

Only drawback to having crew or company aboard is decreased performance and boat speed in light airs, you'll really have to work the boat in such conditions, best thing to do is position your crew in one location on deck and do all the shifting yourself, leaning this way and that as necessary. Positive side: under all other conditions, you'll have company to share scenic views, wildlife sightings & whatnot. My best memories include solo voyages and voyages with crew or passengers, including dates... not the kind that grow on trees, LOL. In Dago, friends & I shared close-up views of historic vessels, warships, freighters, and other marine traffic, not to mention dolphin & whale sightings, interaction with curious seals & sea lions, beautiful scenes with rafts of sea birds offshore, dramatic action sailing just outside the impact zone of large waves while patrolling the beach, close views of submarines making their way up or down the channel, you name it, every voyage was an adventure of one sort or another. So don't sweat the additional live ballast, the boat can handle it... I'd often let friends take the tiller too, once I knew they were sufficiently experienced or understood enough to do so safely in the nautical world. Remember, MARINE SAFETY should always be your primary concern, so be sure all aboard have life vests (available) and know the "Rules of the Road." :cool:

THAT'S MY SPIEL FOR THE MOMENT, HOPE YA SCORE THE BOAT AND GET ON OUT THERE... CAMPING TRIPS TO THE SEASHORE IN FINE WEATHER MIGHT ALSO BE IN ORDER, LOL. CHEERS!!! :rolleyes:

Edit: Get a good close-up look at the mast step, using a flashlight if necessary. If spars are bent, they can be replaced. Oh, yeah, don't sweat any fittings that are MIA, any good boatyard or machine shop can fabricate fittings, if ya don't know how to do so yourself and you can't find any on the Interwebs. Any and all glass damage can be repaired, so don't sweat that either unless the damage is major, and even then it can be repaired, though it'll cost ya more time & money, aye? If the sail is thrashed, you should be able to pick up a replacement no problem, even if you have to order one from a sail loft (or sailmaker). Line and most fittings are readily available online through companies like West Marine, and that class of boat is popular enough for many secondhand parts, fittings, etc., to be available from private parties... just check C/L or Flea-Bay. GOOD LUCK!!! :D
 
Last edited:

Back
Top