laser mast how do i know what diameter it is?

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m503aws

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inside diameter aswell as the outside? or in other words, how thick is the metal? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I bought myself a laser one hull off ebay and need to get all the bits and pieces, i bought a boom already but nothing else /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

in southampton there is a metal supermarket that sells aluminium tube, suitable for masts, but i need to know dimensions.

thanks

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Ordinary tube won't work very well. All sorts of problems with corrosion, bending, too stiff, you name it.

Look on eBay or a boat jumble for secondhand masts. They go from £5 upwards, will be the right length, etc, and will have all the attachments you need.

Hope you have fun putting it all together, and get some sailing in due course.
 
I can measure mine at the weekend if you really need to know. Remember they are not one piece or parallel sided. New ones cost an arm & a leg, used on e-bay can cost around £100. But, if you just want to potter, then go for it, it won't be suitable for racing, but you will still have a helluva lorra fun.

You need to be damn lively to sail lasers, but they are very rewarding. They are designed for a 13st pilot, if much less you will have trouble keeping her upright and if more you will probably get wedged under the boom! I know, I have had both problems over the years!
 
Lasers here in oz started intially with the full sized sail. Later the radial rig became more popular and later still an even smaller sail rig. Each rig uses a different mast piece. i can'rt remember if it is bottom or top piece that is changed to accomadate the shorter luff main.
As Searush says a full original laser is not easy to amnage in any sort of wind. We get consistent 18 to 22 knots in the summer and even for a heavy skilled person they are a handfull. My son 95kilos and very fit used to lomm9it himself to 12 capsizes. He reckoned he would pull out of a race after 12. (a full rig) . other firends had the smaller rigs and managed a lot better.

So get the sail first (preferably a smaller one than the original full size. My gut feeling is that any ordinary bit of Al tubing will dissapoint you. You need to consider temper (harness) as well as dimensions as there is a lot of strain on an unstayed mast.

(actually I reckon they are a b*****r of a boat) but them I am 60yo. I only ever sailed on my son's twice and capsized both times so discretion became the better part of valour. olewill
 
I'll measure mine this morning as its sat outside the office! It might just work,

They are parallel, two pieces top piece thinner than the bottom section. I'm sure of this as on old boats the mast fittings get worn, so you simply end for end each section and bolt the fittings on a new piece of metal.

For the bottom section you might find the cost of the gooseneck, kicker and also the plastic joint will cost you as much as a well used complete mast.

Whilst people are thinking Lasers, if you're in travelling distance of Plymouth the winter series usually has more than 50 boats entered of all abilities and ages of boat. There were still boats racing with original wooden dagger board and rudder last year, and doing OK!
 
I found when rebuilding a dinghy that finding out where they are raced and asking about will always find people with a garage full of old bits. You could get the parts you need and some useful advice.

On the same tack (get it, nautical) when I rebuilt my mini I came across a guy who had an brand new, unused Limited Slip Diff (£600 new) for £90 and a newly modified cylinder head (£800 new) for £180. So ask about. It pays dividends.
 
I have the broken end of a Laser I top mast section in my garage! I believe it has the collar and the end plug. They may be quite worn. I'll check tonight. PM me if you're interested.

You won't find many complete top mast sections about. It's a known weak point on full rig Laser ones. Mine bizarrely snapped in an almost total calm. Landed on my head I seem to remember. Might explain a lot. Examination of the break showed that it had been cracked some time.

New masts have a sticker on them telling you to put the pop rivet at the side when rigging the boat. An acceptable solution for a cheap dinghy - a bit crap if you're buying a new boat at 4.5k!

BTW when the mast breaks it ruins the sail. So get the mast section right! The price of sails are also a rip-off - or at least they were.
 
thanks every one for responding to my question much appreciated. With the sizes i checked out the cost and found that it was about £40 just for the top section, by the time you've addeed all the fittings it wont be much different to the laser mast.

on the lookout second hand mast.
 
There will be plenty about at boat jumbles at the moment. Netley Sailing Club's dinghy park was turned over a few nights ago and all the Laser and Topper masts were nicked (and I believe some bigger dinghy masts). All the other clubs in the area have been notified but I'm not sure what we are supposed to do about it.
 
I tried this a few years back. By the time i had a complete boat I had spent a lot of money. This was before the days of ebay so I had to work harder to find the bits but they didnt cost as much. If you find someone who is racing at a high level they will be replacing things on a regular basis and may be a good source.
I suspect that people are now splitting up lasers to sell on ebay because the sum of the parts is worth more than the whole boat.
 
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