Maintenance and DIY

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

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

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

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

Tired of huddling belowdecks or behind a dodger whenever the weather turns nasty? Try the new Habitent, a compact adjustable cockpit enclosure from UK-based Hamilton Innovation. The Habitent fits most boats from 21ft to 31ft LOA and takes just 15 minutes to install using a system of webbing straps and a lightweight collapsible frame made of steel tubing and fiberglass. Its large plastic windows

The Hatch Hoodie, a combination wind scoop and awning that keeps the forepeak dry while funneling fresh air belowdecks, resolves the frequent summer conundrum of whether and when you should leave a hatch open. Constructed from 8oz. waterproof WeatherMax material, the Hatch Hoodie has a three-point attachment system that allows it to be raised or lowered to keep out the rain by simply sliding it

Newly arrived from Australia, the Palm line of unbreakable polycarbonate “glasses” makes it possible to enjoy a drink aboard with a touch of class—and no worries about something breaking. Each glass—whether it’s a champagne flute or a high ball—has a soft, sticky nonskid base, which also helps lower the center of gravity. Stems are available in white or blue, and the glasses are both stackable

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

Here’s incontrovertible proof that today’s sailors have it easier than their forebears. The TugTub is a portable floating hot tub that takes just five minutes to deploy and an hour to heat to 104 degrees, providing even the lowliest weekend cruiser with an amenity worthy of a megayacht. Larry Ellison, eat your heart out! The tubs can be used in fresh and salt water, and employ an 88,000BTU LPG

This isn’t a piece of communications gear per se, but with fossil fuel prices soaring it’s a good time for sailors to think of energy alternatives. These flexible PowerFilm Solar products offer some interesting options. All it takes is a modest-sized Rollable Charger (available in four sizes) to keep the batteries of a moored vessel topped off and ready to go. Depending on the size of the battery