Sails+Rigging

A Better Winch Handle

by Adam Cort, Posted November 15, 2011

The new Speedylock winch handle from antal may not look particularly revolutionary, but it works incredibly well under sail.

Top-Down Furlers

by Sail Staff, Posted September 29, 2011

Sailing hardware manufacturer Ronstan has expanded its continuous-line headsail furler range with a new Series 60 furler that can accommodate working loads up 1,430lb for use on sport boats and staysails on cruising boats up to 40 feet. Ronstan has also unveiled a “top down” furling attachment for its Series 100 and Series 130 furlers. Top-down furling is a new approach to headsail

Moorings Made Simple

by Adam Cort, Posted September 27, 2011

There’s nothing like the security of a mooring at the end of a long day afloat—once you’ve managed to grab hold of the thing. Unfortunately, doing so can be tough, especially when sailing shorthanded or on your own in heavy weather. The Mooring Mate solves this problem with an easy-to-connect temporary mooring attachment that lets you then secure the actual mooring pennant at your leisure. The

Trim Like a Megayacht

by Adam Cort, Posted August 23, 2011

Cruisers with boats in the 50-60ft range can now enjoy push-button mainsheet trimming, thanks to this Touch Trim system from Harken. With Touch Trim, the mainsheet is no longer in the cockpit, but is self-contained in the boom, where it is controlled by an electric motor turning a ball screw.Two different models are available to accommodate in-mast reefing or a standard mainsail. The

Don't Forget-Me-Knots

by Adam Cort, Posted July 28, 2011

A knowledge of knots, bends and hatches is central to good seamanship, and while it’s true that in the vast majority of cases a limited number of them will suffice, we could all probably stand to know a few more. For me, the kicker is the anchor bend. It’s a great way to attach a line to a shackle, but I rarely use it and can never seem to retrieve it correctly from my cerebral database on those

Wheel Extension

by Adam Cort, Posted July 28, 2011

From the office of “Why didn’t I think of that?” comes Forespar’s new quick-release Steering Control Arm, which is basically a tiller extension for a wheel. The arm has a twist-lock extension, like those found on many boathooks, and a quick-release clamp, so it can be attached or detached from a wheel in seconds. As with a tiller extension, the Steering Control Arm allows you to steer from

Glowfast Luminous Sail Tape

by Adam Cort, Posted April 6, 2011

Glowfast Marine has expanded its line of glow-in-the-dark sail tape so that cruisers can now keep tabs on sail shape during night watches, the same as racers. According to Glowfast, its luminous draft stripes can improve sail handling and performance as much as 20 percent after the sun goes down. Coupled with the company’s wide range of clutch labels, safety labels and even glow-in-the-dark

Getting Your Bearings

by Sail Staff, Posted April 5, 2011

Ronstan’s Core Blocks feature a two-stage bearing system for improved performance in sheet and halyard applications aboard both cruisers and racers. Stage one provides “ultra-low friction” when handling moderate loads. The second stage engages when the wind pipes up and loads increase. Together the two stages cut overall friction by almost half. Other features include a “flare” design to reduce

User-Friendly Furling

by Adam Cort, Posted November 23, 2010

The new NEX continuous-line Code O furler features a bright green "I-Connect" sail attachment system in both the base and swivel unit to facilitate quick sail changes using a captive pin system. The I-Connect can be operated with one hand and has no protruding parts to snag errant lines. A "Quick Fit" line-fitting system provides easy access to the furling drum so the furling line can be left on

Strong Line

by Adam Cort, Posted November 5, 2010

To manufacturer its new Ph.D. line, Yale Cordage entwines individual bundles of load-bearing, pre-stretched Honeywell Spectra S1000 strands with proprietary iGrip-treated, easy-to-grip polyester fibers. The encapsulated Spectra strands are then woven into a 12-strand, single-braid line that provides the same, or better strength than a standard double-braid, without a double-braid’s bulk and