March 2005
PS Advisor: 03/05
Map Seal
Subscribers Only
Rechargeable Spotlight Test
Subscribers Only The Optronics QR 2001 comes out on top, followed by models from Brinkmann and LSI. And the Garrity is bright, lightweight option.
Weather Receivers
Subscribers Only Garmin's GDL series requires a subscription fee, but offers a wider range of marine weather information than Furuno's Fax 30—and it's in color.
Discount Options for Sails
Subscribers Only We web-surfed our way to some real bargains on working sails. It takes time, persistence, and a little self-education, but there are good deals out there.
Bottom Paint 2005
Subscribers Only The top paints from previous years, like Micron 66, get split decisions this year. Interlux's Trilux II comes in as the surprise top performer—too bad it's only available in Canada. Pettit's Hydrocoat and a paint from Blue Water did well in both Florida and Connecticut waters.
Headings: Designers' Conference—Part II
Subscribers Only Glenn Henderson (Hunter Marine), Tim Jackett (Fairport Marine; C&C and Tartan Yachts), Tony Smith (Performance Cruising), Jim Taylor (Sabre Yachts), and Robert Perry, share insights regarding the deck layouts, accommodations, and construction methods they favor.
Seldén's In-Mast Furling System
Subscribers Only There's not much new about in-mast furling, except for those spars that now accommodate sails with full-length vertical battens.
Portable Gas Generators
Subscribers Only Excellent voltage stability gives the Yamaha top honors among the inverter-type gas generators. For a less expensive, but louder, option we'd take the Briggs & Stratton.
Mailport: 03/05
Trend or Just Trendy?
Inside Practical Sailor Blog
Eco-friendly Bottom Paints 2012
February 01, 2012
There are very few times when the door to my office is closed. Bottom paint rating tabulation time is one of them. For the past week I’ve been poring over bottom paint data collected earlier this month – three Excel tables representing more than 300 data points. Although mammoth data tables are not what drew me into this business, the bottom paint program is still one of my favorite projects. I’ve spent enough time scrubbing and scraping and painting to appreciate the importance of what we do.
