Converting broken Laser to Rowing Dinghy?

[Spoonie 66]

Slightly random thought...  

I have a laser dinghy that needs a mast step and gunwhale repair.  I've torqued it apart basically and deck has become separated from hull.  Cost of repair professionally is more than an equivalent replacement.  Even if I do it myself, it's never going to be the same boat.  Unlikely to sell it in current state or even repaired.

I'm Randomly wondering if it would make a nice rowing skull?  Cut the deck off, put in some seats, and whack on a set of oar locks...

Otherwise I'm contemplating taking it to the tip and paying to dispose of it.

 

Cheers
Craig

[Kenny Dumas 148]

Buddy put a 15 hp on one with HD tech (deck screws). Pretty fast till it turtled. Lost the motor. So, maybe don’t try that. 

[VWAP 755]

[Spoonie 66]

36 minutes ago, VWAP said:

Well... that's a bit ugly.

[Spoonie 66]

2 hours ago, Kenny Dumas said:

Buddy put a 15 hp on one with HD tech (deck screws). Pretty fast till it turtled. Lost the motor. So, maybe don’t try that. 

haha....  I do have a little 3 horse though...

[Major Tom 257]

You might need to put a skeg on the boat to give it some directional stability, otherwise a very small rudder fixed on the centreline could do the same thing.

[Spoonie 66]

38 minutes ago, Major Tom said:

You might need to put a skeg on the boat to give it some directional stability, otherwise a very small rudder fixed on the centreline could do the same thing.

Yeah I was thinking about that.  Just hang a little rudder off the existing pintles with a short tiller.

 

[Spoonie 66]

Can't find any other examples, but the bright work on this one is lovely:

https://angusrowboats.com/blogs/news/fixed-seat-rowing-geometry

[Trovão 357]

a fat-assed hull like the laser doesn't make a good rowing dinghy, imho.

[RobbieB 953]

Pretty sure back in the day someone designed and sold a rowing insert that fit a Laser cockpit.

[Spoonie 66]

4 hours ago, Trovão said:

a fat-assed hull like the laser doesn't make a good rowing dinghy, imho.

True,  however with a lowered CoG they're actually pretty stable, and seated/stowed gear position just slightly forward will have that stern out no problems. 

I'm thinking Something to take up the river/flat water with the wife and child and a picnic set.  175kg max load limit on a laser would do that (at a pinch) 

We'll see... looks like I'll be cutting her up anyway.

[Kenny Dumas 148]

An axe is pretty effective and more fun than ruining a saw. Slice the flats and a couple good smacks on the gunnels. Definitely not safe though.  

[Champlain Sailor 221]

As others have stated, the boat will have minimal directional stability.   Growing up in the 80s, a friend converted an old worn out laser into an outboard skiff.   I think he hung a 7.5 or 9.9 motor on it.  It got up and planed fine, but wouldn't turn for a damn.   The wide hull kept it from leaning into the turn, there was no chine for bite, and it would just skid sideways.   Pretty funny, and amusing for a few days, but in the end he put his motor back on his aluminum jon boat and the old laser went away.  

For rowing, I'm sure it would work, but would likely not be particularly fast, compared with a narrow rowing shell.

[nota 32]

had an older chrysler board boat hull that made a decent rowing dink

I don't remember any directional problems rowing it

and it was fairly fast longer is better for rowing

[JimC 622]

It would be rather draggy as a rowing hull. The wide stern would be a lot of wetted area. A purpose designed rowing/paddle craft will be a lot finer aft. Now if you were to cut two lasers at max beam and join the two front sections...

[JBOATTROUBLEMAKER 38]

On 9/3/2020 at 8:44 PM, Spoonie said:

Slightly random thought...  

I have a laser dinghy that needs a mast step and gunwhale repair.  I've torqued it apart basically and deck has become separated from hull.  Cost of repair professionally is more than an equivalent replacement.  Even if I do it myself, it's never going to be the same boat.  Unlikely to sell it in current state or even repaired.

I'm Randomly wondering if it would make a nice rowing skull?  Cut the deck off, put in some seats, and whack on a set of oar locks...

Otherwise I'm contemplating taking it to the tip and paying to dispose of it.

 

Cheers
Craig

I would part it out, you could get $300 or so of part value off of a hull (Rails, Outhauls, Blocks, Cleats ext).

[Spoonie 66]

4 hours ago, JBOATTROUBLEMAKER said:

I would part it out, you could get $300 or so of part value off of a hull (Rails, Outhauls, Blocks, Cleats ext).

That's a given, but $300 hardly seems worth it really.   And I still have a hull I need to cut up and dispose of.

[Trovão 357]

On 9/14/2020 at 2:33 PM, JimC said:

It would be rather draggy as a rowing hull. The wide stern would be a lot of wetted area. A purpose designed rowing/paddle craft will be a lot finer aft. Now if you were to cut two lasers at max beam and join the two front sections...

[Bill5 1,264]

Remember these?

• 

[knobblyoldjimbo 30]

Cut the dagger board so it sticks a few inches down , then you should have your directional stability.

[Major Tom 257]

8 hours ago, knobblyoldjimbo said:

Cut the dagger board so it sticks a few inches down , then you should have your directional stability.

That won’t help at all, it is almost in the centre of the boat, when rowing your bum will be almost above that point so everything  will pivot around a point not far from the centre of the case. Most decent rowing boats have full length or at least significant transom skegs to keep the glide path of the boat straight..

[Dex Sawash 398]

I went to a beach rental for week with my sunfish clone. Left the stupid mast at home. 'Spent the week paddling the canals. 'fish makes an ok SUP with tiller bungeed on center with rudder blade almost up/floating. Would just make a smaller blade if I was going to do it a lot.