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Subject: [worldcruising] Re: Your Basic .357 Magnum Test
lewhodgett@XXX.XXX
Date: Sat Jul 21 2001 - 01:08:27 EDT
Have begun trimming the stern and intermediate bulkheads to establish the
poop deck camber line.
Some of the drop offs from the stern are about 4"-5" wide x 12" long,
consisting of exterior glass with epoxy, Airex foam, and interior glass
with epoxy.
Stopped at the shooting range, home of my ballast resource, this
afternoon to see just how good my lamination was.
The range owner took one look, said, "How about a .357 Mag"?
"Works for me", says I.
Hang the sandwich about 20 ft from the firing line, and the range owner
hands me a fully loaded revolver with copper jacketed ammo, and says,
"Let's see what you can do."
There was a time in my life when I was VERY good with a weapon, but that
was long ago, and this is now.
Haven't fired a hand gun in over 40 years, would I be able to do it
today?
Squeezed off that first round, the hull piece went flying back into the
range.
Well, at least I hit the damn thing.
Cleared the range, then the owner entered to retrieve the hull piece.
There was a look of shock on his face.
"We'll I'll be damned, it didn't go thru", he said.
Looked at the sandwich, you could clearly see where the projectile had
entered the sandwich, but there was no exit hole.
Repeated the test 3-4 more times, trying to shoot a copper jacketed .357
Magnum load thru from first one side, then the other, but without
success.
Maybe I'll frame this piece, hang it in the salon with a sign underneath
that reads,
"You are on board a sailboat that has been tested and found to be .357
Magnum proof."
Next time somebody starts claiming how good steel boats are, might want
to ask them for their .357 Magnum test results.
Yes, YBYSA I will savor this moment for awhile.
All those miserable days, standing on various ladders with a 16 grit,
right angle grinder, the sun beating down, the fiberglass dusk
encapsulating you.
All those years of fairing.
The list goes on, but they all get dim in the memory after a day like
this.
You know the old "Atta Boy" v "Ah Shit" scenario, but the inverse of it.
Maybe I should change the name to "The 357 Yacht"? <B/G>
Meanwhile, back at the range, gave them another cutoff that they will
take to an outdoor range in the desert this weekend and test with either
a 30-06 or an 8mm Mauser, both very serious loads.
This hull sandwich has given the shooting range crew a challenge.
Lew
S/A: Challenge (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit <http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett> for pictures
There are no problems, only varying degrees of challenging opportunity.
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