the past meets the future

Below, you see the rivet gun of the past. Sears Craftsman. Perfectly good, if you don't have to use it. But when you call the Sears Craftsman rivet gun into service, it works about half the time if you're lucky. If you're unlucky, the dead end of the rivet jams inside and you have to take it apart, which isn't pleasant, as there's a spring inside that goes flying off into space when you remove the pin.

This is not good in the middle of the summer. In the middle of the winter, when you're trying to put the boat back together again before the first gun, it is maddening.

Above, is the future. This is the Big Daddy Rivet gun. It's not cheap, but it's worth it. Saw a range of prices online, from $170 at Jamestown Distributors down to $60 at sketchy online retailers. Went with a middle price of $125 and the purchase was a good one.

After sailing in numerous blows in Newport, I bent the lower section of the Laser. Veteran sailor Scott Milnes told me to suck it up and buy a new one, which I did. I drilled the fittings out of the old one, spun the spar 180 degrees, and remounted the fittings. Filled the old holes with rivets so the spar will be less likely to fill with water in the event of a capsize.

The bent bottom, which is now raked forward, will probably bend back some, and eventually, break. It's going to be relegated to practice sessions in low risk waters. Swimming the boat in with a brokens spar would be no fun whatsoever.

Regards to all,



JWB