Gori Folding Propellers

Gori Folding Propellers



The sailboat show in Annapolis in early October attracted exhibitors and attendees from all over the world. In Part 1 we noted some of the new boats that were on display. Here we'll take a brief look at some of the new gear we found that might be of interest to cruising sailors.

Gori Folding Prop - A&B marine, which distributes the Autoprop in North America, recently became the NA distributor for the Danish-built line of Gori propellers. Gori builds elegant two and three-bladed folding props that are machines to extremely fine tolerances. For cruising sailors, the three-bladed version has a lot going for it - offering both a lot of power in the water in both forward and reverse and very low drag while under sail. These are the props that were chosen by offshore marathon sailors like Can Lewis (team Adventure), Steve Fossett (Playstation) and Ellen MacArthur (kingfisher).

Simple Lightning Protection - Our friends at Everfair Marine, who sell the Four Winds wind generator and other useful products, introduced a new lightning protector for cruising boats at the show. The device is a copper tube, with chafe protection at each end that is hung from the shrouds into the water amidships while at anchor and off the stern while underway. Providing a large ground plane, the lightning protector will entice lightning that strikes the mast to exit safely overboard instead of blasting through the hull.

Schaefer In-boom Mainsail Furling - Although not entirely new, the final form of the new in-boom mainsail furler from Schafer Marine was on display in Annapolis. The new unit - reviewed in the September issue of Blue Water Sailing, with the other models on the market - has several features that make it attractive for cruisers. The boom is one of the simplest to retro-fit to existing masts, a job that the Schaefer expects say will take an eager amateur about a day. Also, Schaefer has included in the system an articulated mast slide and a unique luff guide, both of which make the system easy to and reliable to use.

Seafrost - Simple, low cost refer unit - Seafrost has long been known for manufacturing high quality cold-plate refrigeration ands freezer units that have been accepted worldwide by both the cruising fleet and many charter operations. To meet the demand in the market for a slightly lower end system, Seafrost has introduced (although not at the show) a new thin-plate system that is powered by the latest Danfoss compressor. Boat owners who are looking for an 12-volt electric system to retrofit into an existing ice box at moderate cost should take a close look at the new unit.

Frigobot Refrigeration - This Italian made unit has earned high praise from European sailors for years and is now available in the US Coastal Clime Control. Using thin-plate technology and Danfoss compressors, the units' most unique feature is how heat extracted by the compressor (cold being the absence of heat) is dissipated through a below-the-water plate. If you have ever seen the heat exchangers on the bottom of a fishing boat equipped with freezers, you understand the concept. Even in tropical waters, an underwater heat exchanger is one of the most efficient ways to pull heat out of the system.

Phasor 12-Volt generator - The appeal of carrying a separate 12-volt DC diesel generator aboard a cruising boat has really caught on in the past few years. Several good models are available and the new unit from Phasor, which we saw for the first time at the show, looks to be an excellent example of the type. With the capacity to produce 150 amps of DC current for battery charging while using only a cup or two of diesel per hour means that it is possible to keep all onboard systems running at very low cost. Moreover, by saving the main engine for true powering, you can save the big ,more expensive motor a lot of wear and tear. Nothing is worse for a auxiliary engine than running a low speeds and low loads while at anchor or at the dock.

Solomon Technology's Electric Propulsion motor - This new electric motor, designed to be a boats primary engine, first made an appearance at last year's show but was in prototype form. This year, after a year of beta testing, the motor was on display for real and for sale to the public. Driven by battery power which is turn comes from both a diesel generator and from the power supplied to the system when the motor is free wheeling under sail, this is a truly innovative hybrid device. For catamaran owners and those seeking the latest innovations in energy saving engines, this is something to take a close look at.

Jeantex Sailing Apparel - This line of foul weather gear and sailing clothing has been popular in Europe for thirty years but is new to the US market. Coming from Germany, the foul weather gear is based on T3000 breathable fabric that has many of the same qualities as Goretex - in other words, T3000 is waterproof and breathable. The foul weather gear comes in a rage of weights suitable for every type of sailing from day trips to voyages to the high latitudes. The company also offers a wide range of clothing and sailing gear, such as life harnesses, that are look of very top quality. Jeantex is imported from Europe by OHS marketing in Northridge, CA.