Maintenance and DIY

Final Thoughts: A Better America’s CupIt isn’t often that an opportunity comes along to make something significantly better and save billions of dollars in the process. But that’s situation we have with the America’s Cup. The answer is simple: Sail identical boats. This year people commented that the racing had become much more exciting because the boats were

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

For the owner who thinks he has everything, here is another toy. Enjoying drinks aboard at night—or better, going for a night sail—takes on a decidedly new twist with Imtra’s new IML Underwater Hull Light. The unit features a 150-watt high-output lamp that illuminates under and around the hull, but purportedly maintains a low operating temperature. The light’s underwater bezel is designed to

Aronowitsch and Lyth AB’s Bungy device provides a simple way to moor and anchor your boat safely and can help tame gybes, too. Simply snap a few Bungys onto your anchor gear and you’re done. When storms hit, Bungys add shock-absorbing stretch to your mooring pennant or anchor rode; each Bungy is designed to regain its shape, without loss of strength, once the force on the lines subsides. Bungys

Boat Bunkers’s recently introduced line of inflatable bumpers offer your boat protection without taking up valuable stowage space. The bumpers purportedly inflate and deflate quickly (a separate hand pump is available), are built of sturdy materials, fold down small, and come with a built-in strap and adjustable boat-attachment buckle. They’re available in five colors and four sizes, for boats up

Working on a pitching foredeck is hard enough, but when the deck’s antiskid wears down it can be downright dangerous. Pachena’s new KiwiGrip coating breathes new life onto an aging deck. Simply roll on KiwiGrip with Pachena’s proprietary roller and allow it to dry (24 hours). KiwiGrip can be applied to fiberglass, wood, metal (with the use of primers), epoxy, and concrete for a durable finish;

Edited by David SchmidtSafe HavenIt’s not easy to find the right sea bag. If it’s too big, you’ll inevitably fill it; if it’s too small for all your gear, you can look forward to cold, miserable night watches. Harken’s new Waterproof Duffel bag can hold everything you need for a multiday trip and is small enough to double as a daysailing tote. The fabric is

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.

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

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