Convert Laser to Contender???

[BobBill]

Yes, but no outrigger...there is boat in UK I think beats the Laser. Might be called the Streaker. Looks good and spendy...got to be better hull.

[Sharkbait42]

I hate to brag, but here in NC, it's 18 degrees this morning

That's a pretty cool video of the Laser with racks. I wonder how they attach to the boat??? The guy is pretty vague when he explains it... He said "There is a composite claw/channel that grabs the rail and is fixed in place by a single bolt that goes through the pipe" (mark7denzer). So there are no holes in the boat at all. Now, I totally am going to be obsessed with making one of those rack things New project for if I ever finish the Fireball??? Yep I think so.

[BobBill]

Yep, noticed that also. Few pics, expect the rig to be simple. Wait, finish F-ball and see what happens. Laser hull is not so sturdy as say a Force 5, so we may see this sort of thing blossom among non racing enthusiasts.

[CutOnce]

Originally Posted by Sharkbait42

I hate to brag, but here in NC, it's 18 degrees this morning

That's a pretty cool video of the Laser with racks. I wonder how they attach to the boat??? The guy is pretty vague when he explains it... He said "There is a composite claw/channel that grabs the rail and is fixed in place by a single bolt that goes through the pipe" (mark7denzer). So there are no holes in the boat at all. Now, I totally am going to be obsessed with making one of those rack things New project for if I ever finish the Fireball??? Yep I think so.

-24C before wind chill today. -32C with the wind. In Fahrenheit that is -11F without the wind and -25F with. Vraiment froid icit.

The Laser cockpit has grab rails with a finger channel along each cockpit side, so much like good roof racks grab the "gutter" of the car, this rack system just catches the grip channel. I could make this work in a second without drilling holes, providing the grip rails are well attached. Since you are loading one side upward, and the other is using the deck, this probably works okay.

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CutOnce

[MalSmith]

Originally Posted by CutOnce

The Laser cockpit has grab rails with a finger channel along each cockpit side, so much like good roof racks grab the "gutter" of the car, this rack system just catches the grip channel. I could make this work in a second without drilling holes, providing the grip rails are well attached. Since you are loading one side upward, and the other is using the deck, this probably works okay.

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CutOnce

The grab rails are bolted to the cockpit sides and are made of a plastic which I have seen fail due possibly to UV degredation. I'd be more inclined to make something that clamped around the gunwhale. Using the gunwhales would also reduce the loading due to the wider spacing between support points.

[tspeer]

Originally Posted by Sharkbait42

I was just wondering if anybody has attempted to convert a standard Laser into a Contender-type boat (meaning with a trapeze, etc) or if anybody has put wing seats on a Laser (hiking wings, whatever they are called). Just curious.

How good are you at deck repair? The mast step on a Laser is molded with the deck and bonded to the bottom with foam. When the bond breaks loose, the mast levers up and twists the deck, resulting in a lot of cracking and mayhem. Been there, done that.

Adding more righting moment will put more stress on the mast step - stress it was never designed to take.

[BobBill]

Good observation, Mr. Speer, I was going to mention "flimsy" but really no longer qualified, as I sold my Laser when I noted it was a bit squishy...I know, lots of them sailed, but you do point out inherent features that need to be considered.

I am sure the info is appreciated.

[surfnsailor]

Hi. I am the one who made the racks. If you have any questions, you could email me at: mdenzer@hawaii.rr.com.
I just stumbled onto your thread. I have been chopping up Lasers for a couple of years with the idea of sailing one from Oahu to Molokai. So this is just a prototype of an interim step. I also need to figure out where to put the cooler for when I catch fish. Go to my youtube channel mark7denzer, or just visit me here and go for a sail. I attached a picture of my rail claw. You rotate it up onto the rail and then bolt on the rack which holds it in place. Thanks for checking out my video.

[surfnsailor]

...and regarding boat and rig damage: for a crew of about 160 pounds, this rack stays within the engineering and performance tolerances of the boat. It is designed to achieve normal sailing performance, but without the ridiculous ritual of hours of continuous hiking. I use a radial sail, with a FULL RIG bottom section, and a chopped top section, and use this setup in over 15 knots true.

[BobBill]

With all the fine production boats available, and many older ones, why would you bother with a Laser hull? For all the work, why not simply build a proa, a Malibu Outrigger or convert a more substantial older hull?

Am curious as to your motivation to use a decidedly non ocean boat hull for a most definite proa application, at minimum?

[surfnsailor]

Haha. That is a funny question. At one point I sailed an El Toro 130 miles around the island of Oahu:

http://hyccruisingsociety.com/Denzer.html

That took four days.
So sailing a Laser across a channel seemed like the next step. When I want a bit more comfort, I can go on my Sonoma 30.

[Doug Lord]

Originally Posted by surfnsailor

Haha. That is a funny question. At one point I sailed an El Toro 130 miles around the island of Oahu:

http://hyccruisingsociety.com/Denzer.html

That took four days.
So sailing a Laser across a channel seemed like the next step. When I want a bit more comfort, I can go on my Sonoma 30.

=====
Mark, your mods are very interesting both to the Laser and El Toro ! There is a thread here you might find interesting: Minuet Yachts: a 2m fun boat-can the design be improved?
I'd be interested in your comments and ideas on boats like the Minuet and the developing idea on the L60 there.
Thanks for your contributions and ideas-your website is great!

[BobBill]

Originally Posted by surfnsailor

Haha. That is a funny question. At one point I sailed an El Toro 130 miles around the island of Oahu:

http://hyccruisingsociety.com/Denzer.html

That took four days.
So sailing a Laser across a channel seemed like the next step. When I want a bit more comfort, I can go on my Sonoma 30.

I see. So you, like most of the rest of us, are mad. Makes good sense to me. Keep it up.

[surfnsailor]

Thanks for checking out my stuff. Please keep my up to date on the Minuet and the L60. Both look interesting and it would be great to get more details.
aloha,
Mark