Spars are loose....

[motomagik]

Hi! I'm a new Laser owner, and obviously new to the forum as well... I have a question, I just bought a '76 Laser that is in pretty good shape. I have read that the spars are supposed to fit together tightly, but mine are pretty loose.
Any advice? Is this a problem that needs fixing and if so, how? So far it has only affected me as I'm putting the sail on, the two pieces tend to come apart.... I'm not a good enough sailor to notice the performance aspect yet although I'm sure it is significant...
Thanks!

 

[0dylan]

This is a common problem with the spars; I think it makes them easier to put together. Are they so loose that when you turn downwind they bang forward as if you have no backstay? I have a wrap or two of packing tape (clear yellowish, loud tape.) around the top section. This gets it more secure. Performance; it will be straighter and a more 'flowing' connection betweeen top and bottom section; more of a sideways U than a L.

 

[gouvernail]

Buy yourself a roll of very god packing tape and neatly wrap it around the plastic parts. Keep track of exactly how many layers it takes to make the collar and tape just slip neatly inside.

Tape both the collar and the plug at the bottom.

The reason to count layers?? The tape only lasts for a few days or sometimes weeks. When you do it over, you will bea ble to just wrap on three layers ( or whateve) and make it fit perfectly on the first try.

I like the 3M Clear packing tape in the little red dispenser. It costs about $2 and one roll lasts me a couple years...and then I lost it or loan it. I ahve never used up an entire roll.

Note: If you are super picky and want to get a perfecyt fit, cheap off brand tape is thinner and that which would be 4.5 layers of the 3M can actually be made exact with eight layers of cheap stuff.
I am not that picky and prefer high dollar tape becuase it comes off with less glue residue annoyingly left behind.