Older Lasers...what to look for and ?'s

M

mr2channel

New Member
I used to sail a mid 80's laser when I was a kid, dad bought it new, I had a blast in it, he got old, sold it (damn him) bought a tub (Catalina Capri)...and now I want to buy one for myself...I am looking @ a 1974-1978 series Laser and would like to know what specifically should I look for besides the usual structural things. Are the older Lasers capable of being outfitted with newer rigging/gear? Is buying an older Laser a good idea? I could care less about "the good old days"...I am looking for a go fast reliable Laser that I don't have to spend a fortune on to "get it up to speed". OK now that I have gone all over the map...what do you guys think (besides I need help).

TIA

Trey
 
let me get this straight, in 2008 you want to buy a boat older than the original boat you sailed 20 years ago. granted the cost of a 70's boat will be very cheap. the chances of finding a pristine hull, spars, and sail that will be suitable for "go fast" sailing/racing are pretty slim. it may be a better idea to spend a little more for a late 90's-early 2000's. the thought being that the upgrades will already be there. if not, the cost of purchasing all the necessary upgrades for the 70's boat will equal cost of late 90's anyway. there are alot of really good used boats on market right now. just my opinion.
 
go over the deck and make sure there are no soft spots if the boat leaks a lot it will make the wood in the deck get wet, soggy, rotten and weak creating soft spots if this has happened the boat is junk...... theres lots of things you can do to revive the a dull hull. like someone before said also make sure you dont buy a boat older than the one you had before lol, 90's and up are getting pretty cheap id try and find one around that year.... good luck with your search
 
FWIW:

I learned the hard way that late 70s lasers used a plastic through-hull fitting between the shell and the cockpit drain. For obvious reasons, these fittings are not as strong as the bronze ones used before and since. They can crack and break and if left unattended to, will cause the bond between the hull and liner to break. This will then lead to leaks and a separation between the two.

If you find a boat with this fitting and it is broken, I would seriously consider moving on, or making a very low offer. If you want to see how I repaired it, link below.

http://www.laserforum.org/just-bought-1979-laser-t6507.html?t=6507&highlight=1979+laser+separation
 
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