Reversing Entropyvideo
Interview with sailor Werner Giorgio Buergi aboard his Sailboat.
11 December 2024 · 57 min · 2K views
What this video covers
Werner Giorgio Buergi, known as George, lost his steel boat to a fire in May 2023 — ignited by welding work he was doing himself, five days after his birthday — after four years of refit work and with a splash date already set.19:54 By the time he saw the flames, the fire was beyond control; four fire brigade trucks and 17–18 firefighters took roughly 30–45 minutes to extinguish it.22:41 He salvaged almost nothing, including a book co-authored by his former sailing partner Elios Etti Jr., which he kept as one of the few recovered items.38:37
George's sailing history spans decades: a 28-day Pacific crossing from the Galapagos to the Marquesas on a 54-foot catamaran using only a sextant, passages through the Pacific to Australia, and extensive travel overland through Asia.9:46 After the fire he acquired a new steel boat, spent a year fitting it out in Portugal, and plans to sail first to Portimão to meet Swedish friends, then onward to São Paulo, Brazil, to visit the Elio Setti Foundation.2:20
His practical advice covers safety habits — always wearing a life vest on night watches, clipping on before going forward, pouring hot liquids into the sink — and self-sufficiency: he installed an industrial-grade watermaker using standard parts sourced globally to avoid marina markup.46:51 He discusses Dyneema rigging as acceptable for coastal sailing but questions its UV resistance and vulnerability to cuts under tension for offshore use.29:01
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