Soft bottom

[oztayls]

I have acquired an old 1981 Laser that is mostly in reasonable condition, to use for twilight racing at a different club to the one I usually race at.

Unfortunately, it has been stored on a road trailer with rather short rear bunks and the two areas that have taken the load either side of the aft cockpit floor have become soft and caved in. I think the stringers are broken. I was thinking of cutting out the cockpit floor to install new stringers in the aft section to stiffen up the hull, then reinstall the cockpit floor.

Is this a feasible repair and has anyone done something like this?

 

[mental floss]

My bottom was delivered in 1957 and it is a little soft as well.

I'd think the cost of time and money would be better spent on a different hull. I've done this on a Sunfish by installing a port in the aft end of the cockpit and putting fiberglass supports in spots between the hull and the cockpit. I think your soft spots are further aft and would need more material. You could cut a hole in the aft end and see how involved the repair is and close it with a port after deciding if the repair was worth the trouble.

 

[49208]

can you throw up a pic or two showing the areas - are there stress cracks in the gelcoat (hard to imagine there wouldn't be.)