(Image: Isabelle Jackson; Abandoned Laser sailing dinghy hull disposal)
As a lapsed Laser sailor who edits a blog covering all things decrepit and old, I decided to find out what happened to abandoned Laser sailing dinghies that have reached the end of their rope. Google turned up no ‘Laser graveyards’, but Yachts and Yachting magazine has several lively threads (here and here) on how to dispose of a fibreglass boat that’s considered beyond repair.
Burning fibreglass obviously isn’t an option, nor can abandoned Laser hulls be recycled in the same manner as the metal leviathans featured previously on Urban Ghosts. The answer, it appears, is to cut the old hull up and dump it the landfill – or repurpose it as a planter! If you have a more innovative solution, please drop us a comment below.
As older, abandoned Laser hulls are chopped up for disposal, others are constantly manufactured at a number of factories around the world. The above video offers a glimpse into the process of creating one of the world’s most popular single-handed sailing dinghies.
The Laser’s one-design status has contributed to its enduring popularity, and means that brand new hulls are built to the same specifications as their much older brethren. As a result, many old fibreglass sailboats that have been well cared for are still on the water today.
This thread shows the revival of a decrepit 1979 Laser hull. The design dates to 1969, so this was likely to be one of the older hulls still in use at the time it was posted on the forum. With any luck, and some effort, this year could spell the return of my 1991 Accent Green Laser to the water, which is in great condition thanks to one renovation and far too little use…
(Image: Quinvo; Laser racing in 2005)
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