Laser mast chock?

I'm off my board now as the winter is comming on and back on the ancient Laser with its standard rig.

Just for fun (not racing)and because I like making things, have a large block of Nylon and a band saw, does anyone think that the boat will go better if I chock the mast forwards, so reducing some of the weather helm and making it a little easier to get under the boom?

I measured mine up, it has 13.5mm of fore and aft play and a much newer one has about 11.5mm of play, doing the sums this translates into aprox  220 to 190mm of movement at the mast head. Assuming I loose a quarter of this in slop this gives about 142mm to 165mm or about 5.5" to 6.5" forward at the top.

What do you think?

Folk law states that in the early days hatches were installed to "repair" the mast foot leading to exactly what you are doing to gain more leech tension upwind ...

Never snapped any part of my Laser.....I could just sheet it in a littles less tight.

So the general concensus is hike harder......

Originally posted by Riv I'm off my board now as the winter is comming on and back on the ancient Laser with its standard rig. Just for fun (not racing)and because I like making things, have a large block of Nylon and a band saw, does anyone think that the boat will go better if I chock the mast forwards, so reducing some of the weather helm and making it a little easier to get under the boom? I measured mine up, it has 13.5mm of fore and aft play and a much newer one has about 11.5mm of play, doing the sums this translates into aprox  220 to 190mm of movement at the mast head. Assuming I loose a quarter of this in slop this gives about 142mm to 165mm or about 5.5" to 6.5" forward at the top. What do you think?

Edited by Chris 249 - 21 Oct 14 at 11:39pm