Repair Outhall Friction

dothedew

New Member
So I'm slowly upgrading a laser from the mid 80s and one of the issues I've run into is that my clew strap won't slide smoothly and that has made it impossible to trim my out hall on the water. I saw that Mclube could help put I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issues and found a solution?
 
A lot of people use a bungee. Attach one end to the clew strap and the other to the gooseneck/mast. I have seen people attach their bungee to the mid-boom outhaul clam cleat as well, but that is most likely illegal. Attaching the bungee to the clew strap and mast is best because it help keeps the boom snug against the gooseneck in lighter winds.
 
dothedew: lubrication certainly helps, as well as a fresh inhaul elastic.

bclark: it’s better to pass the inhaul through the cringle on the sail, so it doesn’t twist the strap. At the other end it may be attached anywhere, including the boom Clamcleat - in fact, before 2018 that was the only legal place, and is still the one which most everyone uses.

If your vang is correctly rigged, it keeps the boom tight against the gooseneck. You don’t need the inhaul for that.

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I agree that McLube is a great help for all friction points on the Laser. Here is my main solution, though. Beadwork.... I know this is not legal but I don't race.
 

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Beadwork.... I know this is not legal but I don't race.
Eyeper, as I’ve noted before, the beads are specifically allowed in the class rules :rolleyes:
It’s just that nobody has (yet!) bothered to develop a system that includes them and still gets the clew all the way down to the boom.

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Hi, Lali, and forgive my 74 year old memory - I now recall we did discuss this before. If I wanted to fiddle with it more I think I could get the clew down more, but - just curious, is that going to be better shape or performance, or maybe just aesthetics?
 
... forgive my 74 year old memory - I now recall we did discuss this before.
No worries :D
... I think I could get the clew down more, but - just curious, is that going to be better shape or performance, or maybe just aesthetics?
It’s about maximizing the range of adjustment. You want to get as much leech tension as possible, and racers are very determined to utilize those last few millimetres! (And it looks cooler, too :D )
The Harken 433 hook should be a good base for rigging a nice bead system.

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Hmm, now that I'm reminded, I think I'll try that again. I do have a Harken 433 hook on hand. I quit using it years ago after it came unhooked once while I was out on the water. Must've been operator error! Not only leech tension, but I like all the other tension my Laser provides me.
 

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The hook can be undone on shore by bouncing on the boom. Not sure if sailing in big waves will have this effect.
It is rather easy not to fully engage the hook into the clew of the sail. The hook should really point down as far as possible. Definitely something to pay attention to.
 

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