Laser Maintenance
Diana Chen
The great thing about sailing an ILCA/Laser is they are pretty simple with relatively few issues and with proper maintenance you can competitively sail a boat that is 10 or so years old.
Here are some simple tips:
Always wash your boat with fresh water after a day of sailing
This will prevent any electrolysis or corrosion forming at parts where two different metals meet, ie vang tang, gooseneck, boom fittings, older aluminium top sections and around rivets etc. Corrosion will erode the aluminium mast or boom (as it is the softer metal) causing it to weaken and be prone to failure when placed under load. Many masts have broken around the vang because of corrosion at this point. Another areas to focus on when washing your boat are the cleats for the control lines (Cunningham, outhaul and vang) and also the main sheet pulley. A quick rinse will flush any salt residue away and ensure problem free use.
Replace your ropes periodically
There is nothing worse than a rope breaking mid-way through a race. What might seem like a little bit of wear and tear can be catastrophic. There are a number of suppliers (and supporters of DBSC) who can provide control lines, and sheets specific to an ILCA/Laser. Many of these are pre-cut to length or even pre-spliced for a stronger connection, and cleaner looking attachment to a fitting.
Check your boat
When rigging your boat, cast an eye over the simple things. Check shackles to make sure they are still tight, make sure the clew strap is properly attached as you don’t want it coming loose whilst sailing. If the Velcro is not attaching properly, these are easy to source and replace (DBSC part store stock these as a regular item). Similarly, if a block or pulley is looking dubious, simply swap it out. Check the fittings on your mast and boom for signs of stress or cracking. If something doesn’t look right, ask around the club. Somebody will be able to offer advice or assistance.
Bailer repairs
Nobody wants a cockpit full of water from a leaking bailer, but luckily this is just simple repair with just a screwdriver, marine silicone and a bailer repair kit. Normally it is just a simple fix of replacing the existing O-rings or springs (depending on your preference) which should take about 5 minutes and is nothing that you should be daunted by. Just make sure that you add a dab or marine silicone to the screw when reinserting to maintain a watertight seal.
Fixing that annoying leak
Whilst ILCA/Lasers have a high build quality (generally), it is always annoying when you pull your boat up after sailing and find that water has made its way inside. This usually occurs at the join between deck and inside the centreboard case, or at the outside edge when the hull and deck meet. To locate the leaking spot, you will need a bucket and sponge with soapy water and some tape. Before turning the boat over, cover the breather hole located next to your main sheet block, and under the hiking strap, with some tape. With the boat upside down, blow 4 or 5 breaths into the rear bung and reinsert before the pressurised air escapes. Using the sponge with soapy water wet down the upturned hull/centreboard case area. You should see air escaping from the crack as bubbles in the soapy water. Depending on where the leak is, will determine the cause of action to fix here on in.