Mast Step Reinforcement Needed?

[Eric Cordis]

I just bought an older laser which sat upright on a trailer for 8 years.

Well, you guessed it, the cockpit drained plugged up with stuff, the cockpit fills to the breather hole in the hull, and about 25 gallons of water was resting comfortably within the hull over the years.

Good news, the centerboard joint doesn't leak at all!!

Sould I cut a hole for an inspection port and add glass around the mast step to prevent an untimely demise. I thought the bottom of the mast step was a block of wood (plywood?) which allowed the mast step to bond to the bottom of the hull. On my 77 you can see the square outline of the block, this new hull is an 84 and was built in Canada.

The bottom of the mast step was in water all these years, and in the northeast, it was in a freeze thaw area, so additional damage is possible.

Eric

 

[49208]

Yes, you will need to install a port to get access to the bottom of the step - it is plywood, with mat over it bonding it to the hull - the mast tube rests in a cutout in the plywood with a "doughnut" of resin/filler around it (if you have ever seen a toilet wax seal, thats what it reminds me of)

A couple of things could have happened - the freeze/thaw could have cracked and lifted the doughnut and the plywood may have rotted - you can easily check both - I'm sure there is all the info you need over on drLaser.org to fix it, I had to repair mine (also a '77) with a couple of layers of mat, has held fine for the last 15 years... If you need any pictures of port location or what to expect on the inside, I can get some for you