Boats, Engines & Equipment Reviews

href="http://www.bannenbergandrowell.com" target="_blank">Bannenberg & Rowell …Read More

target="_blank" href="http://www.lathammarine.com/">Marine …Read More

Yamaha WaterCraft continues to push its mobile services initiative with the release of a mobile trivia promotion for the summer months. Participants are asked to answer trivia questions on their mobile devices for the chance to win weekly prizes, as well as a Grand Prize of a trip for two to the company's 2011 product launch in August. …Read More

Going strapless – it can be very liberating - for biminis that is.  Here’s a way to strengthen your bimini and get rid of those cumbersome straps at the same time. Gemini Systems has created a kit of folding spreader bars that will make your bimini more rigid and need no adjustment beyond the initial installation.  The conversion kit provides the following: • 4 sliding or split type side mounts • 4 eye ends • 2 assembled Gemini System folding struts with cast 316 stainless hinges in 3-ft or 6-ft lengths Of course there are sizing options – the mounts sell for $11-$22.  The struts are available in 3’ or 6’ lengths and 1” or 7/8” diameter and retail for $65-$75.  Finally there are the hinge kits in plastic or stainless that retail for $70-$85.  Your final price will depend on the sizes and components you choose.  The beauty is that you get rid of  your bimini straps that are usually a tripping hazard and tend to deteriorate in the sun.  In the process you will make the top tight and strong without further adjustment down the road.  You can order this kit through Sailrite or click here to visit Gemini Canvas. …Read More

href="http://www.optimumtime.co.uk" target="_blank">Optimum Time …Read More

Once in a while you will be called on to tow someone home, and karma dictates that you oblige. …Read More

Sailboat builders are getting smart and molding in sheet boxes as part of the deck mold. This eliminates the need for ugly sheet bags and usually keeps things a bit more organized in the cockpit.  I was on two boats at the Oakland boat show recently and was happy to see some innovations in deck design.  Two productions boats, the new Hunter 39 and the giant new Jeanneau 57, both now feature built-in boxes to store sheets and halyards to keep the cockpit tidy.  On the Jeanneau, the boxes are situated between the line clutches and the cabintop winches so the lines drop in from both sides.  The boxes are deep but also long so they’re very accessible and you’ll know what’s hiding in there.  I’m not a huge fan of sheet bags – not only because they’re ugly but because I know someone who used to store a big brass lock in his sheet bags and then promptly broke his own tooth as he gave the line a tug and had the lock shoot out of the bag and head for his face.  It’s tempting to hide stuff in sheet bags from locks to sunscreen to food.  But at least with these big boxes, you’ll know what’s in there. The Hunter 39 takes a slightly different approach with deeper boxes alongside the companionway.  Also close to the winches and clutches, these boxes should be enough to store quite a bit of line.  This is exactly the kind of detail that shows innovation even in the sometimes stodgy sailing world.  Keeping a cockpit organized makes it safer and that’s great for both racing and cruising.  …Read More

Stumbled across an interesting web page today at Field & Stream. It's a photo gallery, with some accompanying insight, of the situation with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It offers some interesting perspective on the situation, and it's worth checking out for those that are concerned about what's happening. Here's the link: A Slow-Motion Disaster: Photos From The Louisiana Oil Spill Another interesting site has been developed by a pair of local fishermen. Like Field & Stream, the site Drilled By BP offers an insider's perspective. The site promises frequent updates to separate the fact from fiction in this ever-expanding disaster. …Read More

PWC racer plays the Kia sock monkey in the latest commercials from the automaker. …Read More

First the APBA Watercross National Tour kicked off in Parker, Arizona on May 1-2. Now, Upstate Watercraft Promotions IJSBA National Tour gets underway this weekend in Panama City Beach, Florida. The UWP-IJSBA National Tour will feature six rounds, mostly centered around the eastern half of the United States. The tour's Panama City Beach opener is followed by the Toyota U.S. Open of Watercross in Syracuse, NY on May 29-30, the Grand Prix of Watercross in Racine, WI on June 19-20, the Toyota Water Jam scheduled for Rochester, NY on July 10-11, the Triple Crown of Watercross in Lake Hartwell, GA on August 14-15, and finally the Toyota Governor's Cup in Charleston, WV on August 20-22nd. All events will be broadcast on BSN (Beach Sports Network), available on select cable systems. …Read More