Gear

Handy Chafe Guards

Peter Nielsen
May 09, 2013

Chafe isn’t just a problem aloft. It can also be an issue where docklines or sheets rub up against, say, a cockpit coaming, a gunwale or the edge of your cabintrunk.

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Whale Watermaster Pressure Pump

Peter Nielsen
May 08, 2013

The Whale Watermaster automatic pressure pump is quiet running, provides high flow rates, is easy to retrofit and is self-priming up to 10ft.

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Clean and Green Holding Tanks

Peter Nielsen
May 07, 2013

Help your holding tank work better and keep it from stinking up the boat by tossing in some Free & Clear Holding Tank Liquid Deodorant from Thetford.

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Compact Cooling

by Sail Staff, Posted July 9, 2006

This new air conditioner from Dometic won’t cool your entire boat down—unless it’s a rather small boat—but it’s ideal for a sleeping cabin or a small saloon. The self-contained 3,500-Btu unit measures 91/4" @ 15" @ 8" and will fit in a locker or under a V-berth. It’s powered from the boat’s house batteries via an integral inverter that also lets you connect other 115-volt appliances to it. It
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Snag-Free Main Sails

by Sail Staff, Posted July 9, 2006

Sometimes you see an idea that’s so elegant in its simplicity that all you can say is, “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” Seldn’s $155 Backstay Flicker is just such an item. It’s a fiberglass rod that bolts to the masthead crane on a fractionally rigged boat with a heavily roached main—the kind that always hangs up on the backstay. At its outer end is a small block through which the backstay is
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Pate Protector

by Sail Staff, Posted July 9, 2006

The follically challenged sailor has a pretty hard time of it. Out on the water the sun’s rays always feel twice as powerful as they do on shore, and they show no mercy to a balding cranium. Ordinary sunscreens tend to melt off and run into your eyes, but according to the makers of Bald Guyz, their SPF 30 sunscreen will stay in place atop your crown instead of making your eyes sting. They also
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Roll It Onboard

by Sail Staff, Posted July 9, 2006

For many years I’ve carted my sailing gear around in a Gill cargo bag. Now Gill’s luggage line has been updated and expanded. A prime example is this extra-large bag with wheels. The $139.99 Rolling Jumbo Bag is made from PU-coated polyester, and among its many useful features are a waterproof compartment for wet clothing and separate pockets for footwear. How nice to be able to keep your stinky
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Marine Communications Special: 2006

by Sail Staff, Posted June 28, 2006

By Ben Ellison

On the one hand, I’m sorry to report that the U.S. Coast Guard has made little visible progress toward implementing Rescue 21, the new search-and-rescue communications system that will, eventually, unleash the potential of DSC-VHF radios. On the other hand (this comes as a real surprise), the reappearance of coastal marine VHF operators just may induce a lot of sailors to

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