Mast step impression on outside of laser hull - normal?

[Amateurchist]

I've inspected a handful of used Lasers recently.  The newest couple of boats both had a visible impression of the shape of the mast step on the outside of the hull (i.e. a roughly 5 inch square).  Both boats were built in the last 10 years.  No other references to this on the web - has anyone else seen this on boats - is it "normal"?

Obviously it would be better to buy a boat that was "perfect" but I don't want to be jumping at shadows if this is really no big deal...

 

[Foredeck Shuffle]

I have seen it on a lot of Laser's of various ages and will never call it normal.  I've seen the beginning of this print in new, not yet sailed Laser's.  The design and continued use of the original scantlings force the manufacturers to build the Laser in such a way that numerous old build problems appear.  Time and boat building have moved on but the Laser is still an early 1970's boat, including the new ones.  The membership likes it that way.

 

[Emilio Castelli]

Normal.

E

 

[Xeon]

Neither of my lasers had it . 

 

[Alan Crawford]

Some of my Lasers had it, some didn't. One of them eventually had a major impression on the deck around the mast step when the step failed.  :lol:  That's the impression I would be more concerned about eventually happening. Some people will say the problem with mast step failures has been corrected - I'm not sure as I have been out of Laser sailing for some time. 

 

[Gouvernail]

All Lasers are identical

 

[Martin T]

All Laser are made equal but some are more equal than others!

 

[Hero]

if they are equal how come some have cleats on the side? is that just older models or is it an 'option? 

 

[Xeon]

if they are equal how come some have cleats on the side? is that just older models or is it an 'option? 

Nope it’s just personal choice . Both the lasers I have owned came with cleats and because I sail small courses on a inland pond I removed them. If I sailed on large courses on the sea I would have kept them as they would have been needed. 

 

[Hero]

oh I see.

you know the sail numbers can you tell the sail numbers from the hull? I was thinking of buying and I thought the cleats were a 'tell' .. because you can just swap a sail or stuck numbers on it, I can see how I could be fleeced! 

i must try to cleat one day as my forearms feel like Popeye's after a windy day!!!

 

[huntsman]

you know the sail numbers can you tell the sail numbers from the hull?

The short answer is "Yes" - the sail number should be the same as the Hull number and every hull should have a number on it - where the number is and the format it takes, depends on where you are in the world and which manufacturer made the hull and when.

For North American made boats, this should help:

https://sailingforums.com/resources/laser-serial-hull-number-identification.15/

For UK made boats, up to the early to mid 80s(ish) the number was imprinted under the bow eye, then from around say 110,000 boats they had a sticker on the back wall of the cockpit with the hull number on it and a separate manufacturer code under the bow eye.

New Zealand and Australian made boats had the number on the transom.

This table should also help as a guide as to the age of any Laser from the hull number

http://www.laserinternational.org/about-the-laser/how-old-is-my-laser/