Gear

New Award-Winning All-Purpose Tool from Davis Instruments

By Peter Janssen on February 8, 2017 Gear

It isn’t pretty, but this new all-purpose tool from Davis Instruments is certainly something that almost everybody could use on board. And it’s a prize-winner too. In fact, the Snap Tool Multi-Key was the Grand Prize winner at the recent Fisheries Supply Company innovations award ceremony; it also won the top maintenance award, beating out more than 100 other products. The Snap Tool Multi-Key is made with hardened steel and it manages to pack a lot of must-have tools into one package. It comes with a shackle and two deck-plate keys, a button snapper and un-snapper (save your fingernails), and…

A New Compact Fiberglass V-Bottom RIB that Folds Up

By Peter Janssen on January 23, 2017 Gear

It’s hardly news that space in most cruising boats is tight, and room to store a dinghy is at a premium. And then, where do you keep it? On deck, on the swim platform, on an upper boat deck with a crane, towed behind the boat? The new F-RIBs from Foldablerib in Southampton, England, solve all that. They make five models of folding RIBS, all with fiberglass deep-V bottoms, from nine to 15 feet. The nine-foot F-RIB 275, shown above, weighs just 79 pounds and packs away in a bag that measures 2’10” x 3’ x 1’6.” Just stow…

Head Problems: How To Fix Them; How To Prevent Them

By Peter Janssen on January 12, 2017 Gear

Almost all older boats, and many boats on the brokerage market, have manual heads. It’s every boat owner’s nightmare, of course, to have a problem with the head, particularly when you’re on a cruise. We’ve all probably tried to fix a clogged or broken head, often with mixed results. Here’s about the best and easiest-to-follow instruction about how to fix a problem with your head: http://blog.boattrader.com/2017/01/troubleshooting-manual-marine-head.html

More Great Boating Gift Ideas for Christmas – and Beyond

By Peter Janssen on December 7, 2016 Cruising Life, Gear

Now here’s an appealing Christmas gift guide that I really like. It has just about everything a cruising boat owner could want, including multifunction tools, hand warmers, foul-weather gear, wooden charts (these are very cool), SPOT Satellite Messenger (a great safety device), a drone, and even information on booking a charter if you really want to get away from it all. And if Santa doesn’t bring you everything on this list, save it and keep it for next spring when you make your first trip down to the chandlery. Take a look: http://blog.dockwa.com/christmas-gift-guide-for-sailors-and-boaters?utm_campaign=Blog+Subscribers&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=38810354&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–KK9ScHXEmuZFs7mtbDSw-4L6a4x328OYmweH3riQybuFomHwIqZXEji9BjUwW1snaUftG-bsrQ68575YEviouxXKEmA&_hsmi=38810354

A New Entry: Williams Minijet Tender Off to a Good Start

By Peter Janssen on November 29, 2016 Gear

If you’re looking for a new tender or RIB or just another boat to zip around in, the new Williams Minijet 280 may be just the thing. Designed for cruising boats under 45 feet, the new, compact Minijet 280 is only 9’2″ long, with a beam of 5’1′. It’s relatively light, weighing only 460 pounds. The real distinction, of course is that it is powered by a 45-hp BRP Rotax Ace 900 jet engine. There’s no outboard to put on and take off every time you launch it; no prop to worry about, a major safety advantage. The Minijet 280…

Can This Buoyant Glow-in-the-Dark Rope Save Your Life?

By Peter Janssen on November 25, 2016 Gear

Now here’s something truly new: Buoyant rope that glows in the dark. A man overboard at night? With this rope, which comes in yellow, orange, pink and green, at least you – and the man overboard – will be able to see the lifebuoy or whatever else you’re throwing his way. Called Night Saver Rope, it’s supposed to be 10 times stronger than standard buoyant rope. Certainly worth a second look: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/glow-in-the-dark-rope-a-lifesaver-at-sea-halifax-maker-says/article33022968/

SEABOB: Swim Like a Fish, Over and Under the Water

By Peter Janssen on November 22, 2016 Gear

Take a look at the new SEABOB, which I just saw in action at the Fort Lauderdale show. It’s not complicated, it’s not salty, it’s simply fun. SEABOB basically is an electric-powered, jet-propelled water sled or scooter that lets you glide on top of the waves at up to nine mph or dive underwater like a fish. The basic SEABOB, the F5, is easy to handle; you steer by shifting your weight. It has two control grips and you just squeeze the trigger to keep going. This SEABOB weighs only 64 pounds and you pick it up with a…

Newest Life-Saving Device: BottleBuoy

By Peter Janssen on November 10, 2016 Gear

Why didn’t somebody think of this before? In a high-tech, digital world, the newest answer to a man overboard emergency is the BottleBuoy, a definitely low-tech invention consisting of three empty plastic bottles screwed into a central core. The Royal Navy has already tested the BottleBuoy off the coast of Bangladesh and now will test it off Norfolk, England. The trapped air in the three bottles seems to offer enough floatation to keep an adult afloat, while the entire contraption is easy for anyone to throw accurately. Stay tuned. http://www.ybw.com/news-from-yachting-boating-world/rnli-trials-ingenious-bottlebuoy-flotation-device-44251

How to Install a Diesel Heater in your Boat

By Peter Janssen on November 9, 2016 Gear

Winter’s coming. Those of us in the north can extend our boating season by staying warm, and by installing a heater if our boat doesn’t have one already. Even in the south, a heater can take the chill out of the air and make winter boating more enjoyable for all on board. Here’s a great how-to article about how to install a heater. Even though the example is on a sailboat, the installation (and benefits) are exactly the same as on a cruising powerboat. Read on: http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/gear/installing-a-boat-heater-33132

Fill Those Cracks and Gaps with Pettit’s New Epoxy Compound and Glue

By Peter Janssen on November 1, 2016 Gear, Maintenance

Who doesn’t need this? Pettit has just created two new products to help you take care of your boat, one called EZ-Tex epoxy repair compound, and the other EZ-Bond thickened epoxy glue. EZ-Tex is a two-part epoxy repair compound for when you want a permanent, high-strength waterproof repair. It bonds to most surfaces above and below the waterline, and won’t sag or shrink. Pettit says it’s great for filling cracks, gouges and voids. Once it’s cured, it can be sanded, drilled, tapped and painted. EZ-Bond is a two-part thickened epoxy glue for bonding wood, fiberglass, composites and metals, with a…

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