Boatworks

Go Microfiber

by Peter Nielsen, Posted March 23, 2010

I’ve become converted to microfiber cloth for polishing things like dodger windows, portlights and stainless steel. You can use them with just about any polishing compound and they’re resistant to most other chemicals. They seem to get rid of annoying little flaws better than cotton rag, and you can wash them and reuse them.Shurhold is now selling microfiber towels in 3-packs for $18.95 or

Kiwiprop Feathering Propeller

by Peter Nielsen, Posted March 23, 2010

The Kiwiprop feathering propeller is gradually gaining popularity in a competitive marketplace. It is set apart from its rivals by its construction—the blades are made of Zytel, a plastic composite made by Dupont, mounted on a 316 stainless-steel hub. This combination lessens the potential for galvanic corrosion, which was the main reason I decided to replace my bronze two-bladed folding

Drum Tight: Surefas' Q-snap for Canvas Covers

by Sail Staff, Posted March 10, 2010

For canvas covers and dodgers to work correctly they need to be tight. Unfortunately, getting a drum-tight fit often means trouble snapping down the fasteners. Surefas has solved this problem with its ingenious Q-Snap, a device that functions like a normal press fastener, except it comes equipped with an extra ring on the underside of the fastener and a small hook on the deck. Sliding the extra

Thin Film Solar Panels

by David Schmidt, Posted October 21, 2009

Looking for an innovative way of keeping your batteries trickle-charged, without adding a cumbersome and expensive fixed solar panel? SolarSail could be your solution.These rollable solar films attach to your boat's canvas via supplied fasteners (mounting instruction included), allowing you to easily stow them when you collapse your canvas. The monolithically integrated panels are made

Boat Cleaning Products

by Sail Staff, Posted September 23, 2009

WAX ON, WAX OFFTo make cleaning your boat a bit easier and a lot safer for the environment, Ecover recently introduced its eco-friendly Boat Wash Wax and Heavy Duty Boat Wash. These low-foaming cleaners and waxes clean and shine metal, fiberglass and painted marine surfaces, and are phosphate-free. The products are made from plant and mineral-based ingredients, including

LED Lights

by David Schmidt, Posted August 18, 2009

LED lights have revolutionized onboard lighting in recent years due to the featherweight draw they impose on house batteries. Initially LEDs were several times costlier than their incandescent brethren. Thankfully, this has changed recently, and Hella Marine’s line of NaviLED PRO navigation lights are a great example of affordable performance. These lights use a scant 10% of the power consumed by

Quick Nautical Equipment Aleph and Dylan

by David Schmidt, Posted August 18, 2009

If you’ve ever anchored in a really muddy bottom, or amidst blocky granite seafloors, you know firsthand that pulling an anchor up by hand is neither fun nor fast. Quick Nautical Equipment recently unveiled two new vertical windlasses, the Aleph and the Dylan. Each model comes in three sizes. The Aleph is for boats between 22 and 49 feet; the Dylan is for boats from 38 to 64 feet. The windlasses

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

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

Mess-Be-Gone

by David Schmidt, Posted May 15, 2009

One of the worst onboard messes I ever had to contend with was on a lumpy delivery from Stamford, Connecticut, to Marblehead, Massachusetts, when our engine blew an oil gasket, spray-painting the engine compartment and filling the bilge with petrochemical filth. Oil Dri could be the ideal solution for such nasty predicaments. These hydrophobic, oil-absorbing pads and bilge socks are ideal for