Where Credit is Due: July 2012

BEP MarineSparcraft /TylaskaBalmarHunter Marine

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BEP TS1 Tank Sender

I’d like to thank the folks at BEP Marine (www.bepmarine.com) for their outstanding customer service. Recently, our TS1 tank sender failed. (See reviews in PS May 2008 and July 2009.) An email to BEP was rewarded with a quick response that a new sender was on the way. Even though it came from New Zealand, the new TS1 was in our hands within three days. No questions asked; we simply returned the defective unit for analysis. I really appreciate this level of support and certainly enjoy the way the TS1 integrated into our tank-monitoring system.

Cary Stotland

C-Lover

Via email

I live on San Juan Island in Puget Sound, Wash. I am “bringing back” an old IOR two-tonner, an Islander-Peterson 40 named Sabra. I had changed the rope/wire halyards to the high-tech stuff, but had hoped to retain the older Sparcraft (now Tylaska) snap shackles. I needed to replace the spring mechanisms and contacted Tylaska (www.tylaska.com) about it. Not only did they agree to supply the parts free of charge and shipping, but also offered to electro-polish the Sparcraft units if I wished to send them in.

It is comforting to know that I can still service old, but very dependable gear, and Tylaska deserves a thumbs-up for customer care and service. They are a quality outfit.

John Miller

Sabra, Islander-Peterson 40

San Juan Island, Wash.

When I suspected my 10-year-old Balmar ARS-III external regulator was malfunctioning (turned out to be a ground wiring problem), I purchased a replacement Balmar ARS-5 unit. After several frustrating trials, I discovered that the new regulator was not functioning. During this whole time, Balmar’s technical support (www.balmar.net) was fast and very helpful. They offered to test the regulator at no charge and discovered that it was indeed not working, and that it apparently had been sitting on the seller’s shelf for several years. Despite the age of the unit, the internal hour meter indicated very low usage hours and Balmar elected to replace the unit under warranty.

I had been very impressed with the performance of my Balmar alternator and regulator for many years, and now I have yet another reason to remain a satisfied Balmar customer.

Duane Ising

Via email

We recently purchased a 1997 Hunter 376 and needed the owner’s manual. I emailed Hunter Marine service department (www.huntermarine.com), and to my surprise, they emailed the manual and said that if I needed any help, to let them know. Thank you Hunter Marine for great service!

Gary McKinney

Val’s Diamond, Hunter 376

Marina Del Ray, Calif.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.