russhauser
New Member
Hi there. Been lurking for a while - this site is an amazing resource
I bought a used Laser for my teenage son who took a sailing course last year and loved it. We're picking the boat up a good 500 miles away and need some advice on a trailer retrofit, and a hull cover.
I have searched the archives but can't find current answers to a couple questions I have.
I've seen a few destroyed Lasers on a hunt for a good one, and I'm trying to keep the beauty we bought in good condition by trailering it properly and by keeping a cover on it.
We have a good highway-rated utility trailer and I'd rather use it than buy something else. Plan is to add three removable gunwale supports to the trailer - then it can be used as utility trailer too. I'm going to make or have metal supports made that are similar to the Kitty Hawk design - I think it's the best I've seen. But one boat we saw with a homemade gunwale support trailer had both gunwales destroyed by the cockpit, and most of the front part of the bow lip was mashed. I assume it wasn't strapped down properly and likely vibrated and wrecked the fibreglass. But in any case it was toast...
I saw the utility trailer in past postings that was retrofitted, and am going to use some of those ideas. But I don't like the idea of trailering the boat on the deck. Seen or heard of way too many delaminated decks from upside down storage, or from transporting them upside down.
So to avoid this, I'm wondering if there's anything around that I can use that will support but also protect the gunwales when on the trailer? I need to find something to go between the metal support beam on the trailer and the fibreglass gunwale. Metal + fibreglass + vibrations from driving = a wrecked gunwale and bow lip. Things like rubber bumpers (used for speed boat trailers), water pipe insultation, etc come to mind but I can't find anything I'm really happy with or that's made for the job. Ideas, suggestions???
Finally I'm looking for a deck cover for road travel and storage. I saw the cover from SLO Sail and Canvas on eBay but didn't find anyone who had used one in past postings. Anyone have experience with these covers? They look good on the website. Others are too expensive or cost too much to ship to Canada.
Finally, I did cobble together a document on buying a Laser by pulling together stuff from the archives and a bunch of other resources. I plan to send it to someone to look at first. Anyone interested in taking a look at it? My way of giving back!
I don't sail and up until a month ago I didn't even know what a gunwale or a mast step was. So the document is really put together for someone buying a used Laser who knows only the basics about a boat and sailing.
Thanks in advance,
Russ
I bought a used Laser for my teenage son who took a sailing course last year and loved it. We're picking the boat up a good 500 miles away and need some advice on a trailer retrofit, and a hull cover.
I have searched the archives but can't find current answers to a couple questions I have.
I've seen a few destroyed Lasers on a hunt for a good one, and I'm trying to keep the beauty we bought in good condition by trailering it properly and by keeping a cover on it.
We have a good highway-rated utility trailer and I'd rather use it than buy something else. Plan is to add three removable gunwale supports to the trailer - then it can be used as utility trailer too. I'm going to make or have metal supports made that are similar to the Kitty Hawk design - I think it's the best I've seen. But one boat we saw with a homemade gunwale support trailer had both gunwales destroyed by the cockpit, and most of the front part of the bow lip was mashed. I assume it wasn't strapped down properly and likely vibrated and wrecked the fibreglass. But in any case it was toast...
I saw the utility trailer in past postings that was retrofitted, and am going to use some of those ideas. But I don't like the idea of trailering the boat on the deck. Seen or heard of way too many delaminated decks from upside down storage, or from transporting them upside down.
So to avoid this, I'm wondering if there's anything around that I can use that will support but also protect the gunwales when on the trailer? I need to find something to go between the metal support beam on the trailer and the fibreglass gunwale. Metal + fibreglass + vibrations from driving = a wrecked gunwale and bow lip. Things like rubber bumpers (used for speed boat trailers), water pipe insultation, etc come to mind but I can't find anything I'm really happy with or that's made for the job. Ideas, suggestions???
Finally I'm looking for a deck cover for road travel and storage. I saw the cover from SLO Sail and Canvas on eBay but didn't find anyone who had used one in past postings. Anyone have experience with these covers? They look good on the website. Others are too expensive or cost too much to ship to Canada.
Finally, I did cobble together a document on buying a Laser by pulling together stuff from the archives and a bunch of other resources. I plan to send it to someone to look at first. Anyone interested in taking a look at it? My way of giving back!
I don't sail and up until a month ago I didn't even know what a gunwale or a mast step was. So the document is really put together for someone buying a used Laser who knows only the basics about a boat and sailing.
Thanks in advance,
Russ