“If a man points at the moon, a fool will look at the finger.” - Sufi wisdom

Focusing all our attention on the ROS is like the fool looking at the finger.

The sandpaper grit makes all the difference.

Make yourself (not you Jay, someone else) a test strip panel, clean the surface with a scraper and draw squiggly lines over the surface with a pencil. Put some 80 grit sandpaper on your ROS and see how long it takes to remove the pencil marks.

Flip the panel over and repeat, this time using 60 grit sandpaper. It will cut a lot faster. See how fast the cutting action is with less pressure instead of more pressure. 60 grit will not clog or wear out as fast as 80 grit.

Yes, 60 grit will make bigger scratches. Wet the wood to raise the grain and go over that surface with 120 grit. You DO have to look carefully to ensure you remove all the scratches. Wet the surface again and circle any remaining scratches and repeat.

On your boat use the variable speed control to reduce cutting aggressiveness near edges and the bilge. Or if you're afraid of how aggressive 60 grit will be start at a slower speed to begin with.

Disk grit and speed are more important than power and pressure in a ROS used on stripper canoes and kayaks.

I know some people (is this still you Jay?) like to use a block plane on a hull.

The common complaint is it's noisy, dusty and slow.

Wear ear protectors, wear a dust mask, and use 60 grit.

Without the right gear novice paddlers might say, paddling is wet, cold, and slow.

But we know if you wear a spray skirt, a dry suit, and have a good paddle and boat, it makes all the difference in the world.

Rob