Sailing Uma · video

What this video covers

The crew of the 45-ft sailboat Uma repairs delaminated fiberglass deck sections caused by a dry layup of balsa core.1:14 To fix existing voids, they drill holes at the top and bottom of the delaminated areas and inject resin with a syringe, allowing air to escape through the upper holes.5:31 For subsequent fiberglass work, they install a split-system air conditioner to lower the ambient temperature, which prevents the resin from kicking off too quickly and allows sufficient time to wet out the balsa core and remove air bubbles.17:51 The installation requires hiring local technicians to purge the refrigerant lines and charge the system.3:57 To protect against fiberglass dust and chemical fumes while preventing skin irritation, the crew adopts a full-face respirator mask paired with a Tyvek hood.13:44 The combination of pre-wetting the balsa core and maintaining a cooler workspace significantly improves the quality of the laminate, resulting in a stiffer cabin top.20:29

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