Everything Else

Map Lover’s Delight

by Sail Staff, Posted August 16, 2007

Charts and maps are one of sailing’s great legacies, as most exploring expeditions brought back charts of previously unknown waters as part of the trip’s bounty. Now, Latitude Kinsale of Ireland makes handmade, custom, three-dimensional to-scale maps, allowing sailors of a different era to share in this same tradition. Below-water topography is clearly discernable, and frame-lighting options make

Deck Key for Any Deck

by Sail Staff, Posted July 10, 2007

Have you ever arrived at a busy fuel dock, waited in line, tied up at the dock and prepared to fill up with fuel or water—and then realized that the only deck key you can locate doesn’t fit all of your deck caps? Sailor’s Solutions’s universal deck key can be easily adjusted to fit any common-sized deck cap, and it will accept a 3/8-inch drive ratchet to tackle deck caps that are hard to budge.

Weatherly

by Sail Staff, Posted June 16, 2007

If you love historic boats and like to keep an eye on the weather, Majestic Weathervanes’s line of high-end rooftop accoutrements is worth a look. Built of aluminum and steel, each weathervane is an exact replica of a historic vessel, built to its original blueprints. These models-cum-vanes are designed to withstand anything short of an asteroid hit; one vane dropped from a height of 20 feet, was

Chill Zone

by Sail Staff, Posted June 16, 2007

One of the great pleasures of cruising is enjoying a glass of fine wine aboard. Keeping the bottles at a constant temperature and humidity level and protecting them from damaging UV rays and bottle-breaking vibrations isn’t easy. U-Line Corporation’s 1115WC Wine Captain provides a triple-temperature-zone system that keeps red, white, and sparkling wines at their various optimum temperatures via a

Aerobucks

by Sail Staff, Posted April 10, 2007

In 2003 Erin Hemmings used an Aerobie Pro Ring to set the Guinness World Record for the longest throw of an object without any velocity-adding propulsion. Now Aerobie has launched a hand-held espresso maker. The connection? Both devices help you go the distance. Simply insert a filter, set the AeroPress over a coffee mug, add coffee and hot water, stir, and depress the plunger. The durable

Serve Chilled

by Sail Staff, Posted February 16, 2007

If there’s anything better than enjoying a glass of bubbly on the water, it’s enjoying a cold glass of bubbly. Veuve Clicquot’s Ice Jacket makes it easy to keep a prechilled 750-ml bottle of Veuve Clicquot (or other similarly bottled spirits) cold for up to two hours, without ice or refrigeration. Featuring a neoprene-lined skin, leather trimmings, a zipper enclosure, and a button closure around

LED Light

by Sail Staff, Posted October 10, 2006

Nite Ize’s new LED bulb replaces original AA-battery Mini Mag-Lite bulbs and comes in four colors, including night-vision-preserving red; the white LED bulb is also available in an upgrade kit ($9.99) that creates push-button control. Nite Ize reports that its bulb increases battery life to 20 hours (up from 5 hours for the incandescent bulb); using LEDs with C- and D-cell Mag-Lites produces even

Wish for Fish

by Sail Staff, Posted August 9, 2006

Nothing tastes as good as a fish you’ve caught yourself. Trouble is, fishing from a sailboat can be a hit-or-miss affair—in my case, usually miss. Lure maker Darrell Primrose says that’s because sailboats typically don’t go fast enough to make big lures work properly. He reckons his $59 Sailboaters Combo Rig, which includes some handy hints on techniques along with a “Teaser Bird” lure intended

Compact Binos

by Sail Staff, Posted August 9, 2006

Some of the crews on the Volvo Ocean Race boats were seen brandishing Steiner’s new 7@30 Navigator Pro compass binoculars during the U.S. stopovers. These lightweight (18-ounce) waterproof binos have a field of view of 300 feet at 100 yards. The light-gathering ability of the lenses is claimed to be similar to that of the bigger, heavier 7@50 binoculars usually recommended for marine use. $399

Kayak to Go

by Sail Staff, Posted August 9, 2006

Here’s another worthy addition to the long list of Cool Stuff to Have On Your Boat. Part inflatable, part folding boat, the Yakka 120 kayak can carry 265 pounds of prime sailing beef. From its packed-down dimensions of 59 inches by 30 inches, the Yakka extends to a 9-foot, 5-inch kayak. It won’t replace a proper tender, but it’s ideal for early-morning stealth runs around the harbor. $599. BIC