Grinders

The workhorse tool when I'm doing fiberglass repairs is a DeWalt DW402 4-1/2 inch angle grinder With a 36-grit sanding disc on a rubber backing pad, I can quickly grind away fiberglass to replace deck coring or make other repairs. I've mostly used this tool for such repairs and, in spite of the coating of abrasive fiberglass dust, it's still running fine.

I have used it with a diamond blade to cut a freezer in half, lenthwise, to get it out of the basement. (The door had been added after this International Harvestor freezer had been moved in, and the freezer was bigger than the doorway.) It made a bit of smoke and noise, but it made short work of that old heavy steel freezer.

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Offshore Sailing by Bill Seifert with Daniel Spurr

We went to a Windjammers lecture to hear Bill Seifert and I was impressed enough to buy the book on the spot. I've heard a lot of people talk about ways to improve a boat, but I've never heard one person suggest so many good ideas that I hadn't considered. Part of the charm is the specificity of the suggestions. Everyone says you should secure your floorboards, hatchboards and batteries. Bill shows good suggestions on how to do so.

The suggestions are very practical for the do-it-yourselfer, too. Many show how to make or adapt inexpensive solutions. Tip #12 on closing the deck blower vents is one that will pay off for me without ever going offshore. I'll implement that one to stop the wintertime storms from finding their way belowdecks.

Besides modifications, the book also includes advice for operating offshore, cooking, boat selection, dealing with bureaucracy, and more.

Bill Seifert has worked at Tartan, TPI, and Alden Yachts. He's a veteran of many Marion-Bermuda races and now runs his own yacht management company. His tips are born of experience--not of book-learning--and it shows. He obviously knows his stuff.

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Page last modified: Friday 03-Feb-2023