Maintenance and DIY

After years of manufacturing orange liferafts, Viking Life-Saving Equipment is now making its rafts fluorescent yellow. Viking made the switch after extensive testing showed that yellow shows up better against the grays and blues of the ocean, as well as in fog. Viking has incorporated the color into its upgraded RescYou line of rafts, which also features a blue inner lining that is said to have

Whether it’s on a through-hull fitting or securing a hose on your diesel engine, a hose clamp is a critical piece of equipment, so it pays to use a good one that fits.With a Cruiser’s Pack stainless steel ABA hose clamp kit from Scandvik, you can be assured of having any and every hose clamp you’ll ever need.Each kit contains 56 clamps in six different sizes from 7/16in to 2 11/16in

The solar-powered RailLight Premium LED light comes with a QuickMount attachment “system” featuring multiple attachment options. These include a rail clamp that attaches to railings measuring 3/4in to 11/4in in diameter; a transom clamp that adjusts up to 2in, for use with cockpit coamings, toerails or the topsides of a dinghy and rowboat; and a post mount that attaches permanently to any deck,

Shakespeare’s Galaxy 5445 antenna and wind vane combination saves space at the top of the mast by combining multiple functions in a single piece of gear. The system is lightweight and minimizes windage aloft, while solderless connectors simplify installation and subsequent removal for storage. The antenna’s 3dB whip measures 3ft and a PL-259 connector and a 65ft RG-58 coax cable are included. The

My J/105 is more of a racer than a cruiser, but every once in a while I put in a few nights aboard with the family. I’m 6ft 3in, and the boat has about a foot less headroom than I need, so I’ve always paid close attention to the weather—being stuck below on a rainy day for more than an hour or so would put a big damper on the trip. Last year I was offered a ShadeTree awning to try, and what a

A BETTER BEACONThe GlobalFix PRO EPIRB transmits three different fully integrated signals—a GPS signal, a powerful 406 MHz signal and a 121.5 MHz homing beacon—to help attract rescuers as quickly and efficiently as possible in the event of an emergency offshore. The unit’s internal GPS can provide search-and-rescue teams with a position accurate to within a 100 yards in as little as three

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

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