Boatworks

Black & Decker Mouse Sander

by David Schmidt, Posted October 18, 2007

Sanding and polishing bright work is never easy, especially if there are details in the woodwork itself. Black & Decker’s new Zone-Touch Mouse makes sanding and polishing easier, as this innovative product can accept multiple finger detail attachments via the unit’s Velcro bottom. Simply select the attachment that best fits the bit of detail work that you need to sand or polish, attach the

Nano What?

by Sail Staff, Posted November 12, 2007

For most Americans, “nano” entered their lexicon when Apple first introduced its tiny iPod. Now “nano” has entered the sailing vocabulary, as in “nano-tube-enhanced carbon-fiber spars.” It’s a technology that could eventually be used to build better hulls, rudders, and keels. Conventional carbon-fiber masts are constructed by laying up individual layers of carbon fiber with epoxy resin and

Slick Rig: DeWal Dynaglide MT Rigging Tape

by Sail Staff, Posted March 13, 2008

By David SchmidtUnsightly is the rig with massive wads of rigging tape glommed onto the spreader tips; worse are sails that have been “punctuated” by uncovered spreaders. DeWAL Industries’s pressure-sensitive Dynaglide MT rigging tape, which is made from pure Teflon to yield an extremely low friction coefficient, easily adheres to spreader tips, turnbuckles, lifelines, deck

Cool, Quiet, and Convenient

by Sail Staff, Posted August 15, 2011

Vetus NLPH waterlocks and mufflers cool exhaust gasses, minimize engine noise, protect your engine from the backflow of water up the exhaust when the engine is off and are easy to install in confined spaces. Each waterlock/muffler comprises two separate components that can be rotated to accommodate a particular hull shape and exhaust arrangement. Hose connections also rotate to help with

Maximize Regulator Performance

by Sail Staff, Posted September 27, 2011

A smart regulator can boost your alternator’s charging performance, which means you don’t need to run your engine as long to keep your batteries happy. Sterling Marine Power’s ProRegD digital alternator regulator can be tailored to your battery type—flooded, gel or AGM—to ensure the most efficient four-step charging schedule. It assesses battery bank size, state of charge, and current

Low-Profile Bilge Pump

by Sail Staff, Posted September 27, 2011

In addition to being damp and often grimy, the bilges on many of today’s boats are surprisingly small. To help keep such bilges dry, Whale has created its new Supersub Smart 1100 high-capacity, low-profile automatic bilge pump, which features a narrow body ideal for tight spaces. The Supersub includes an integrated sensor switch and a multi-position outlet port that can be rotated either

Smooth Operator

by Sail Staff, Posted September 27, 2011

Forespar’s new Marelube line of lubricants is formulated with long-lasting PTFE (Teflon) for use in a wide range of marine applications. Standard Marelube gel, for example, can be used to lubricate valves and seacocks at the start of the season, while Marelube Liquid can be poured directly into those valves and seacocks to keep them working smoothly between overhauls. Marelube EXTRA

Ensure Waterproof Cable Connections

by Sail Staff, Posted September 27, 2011

Protect the power supply to your boat’s electronic equipment with this new “fit and forget” junction box from Scanstrut Ltd. Made of fiberglass, the boxes carry an IP66 rating to ensure secure watertight connections for marine electrical cables and are configured to fit on any mounting surface. A “standard” version of the box includes five screw-down terminals, while the “deluxe” model

Bilge Bypass

by Sail Staff, Posted June 19, 2009

Being able to convert your engine’s raw-water intake into an emergency bilge pump is an important safety feature. A discussion on the subject that appeared in SAIL (March 2009) suggested closing the raw-water seacock first, disconnecting the intake hose from the seacock, and attaching an extension hose long enough to reach the bilge. This may work, but in my experience, when

Ronstan's Battlesticks

by David Schmidt, Posted August 5, 2009

For years, sailors have relied on Ronstan’s alloy Battlesticks to help steer their way through tough starting lines and packed gate roundings. Now Ronstan has unveiled the 2.0 version of the Battlestick, which is built of carbon to shave weight and add strength and stiffness. Each carbon Battlestick is specifically designed and tapered for its length, ensuring maximum