Where Credit Is Due: February 2014

Gill

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MacENC

PS readers already know MacENC (PS, July 2013) is a good charting program. I recently experienced terrific customer service from the company. I used MacEnc (www.gpsnavx.com/macenc/) as my backup chartplotting software on a trip to Bermuda in 2007. A month ago, preparing for another offshore trip, I emailed their customer service, asking whether I could update the program and transfer it to a newer laptop. Within a few hours, I had responses with the download link and an activation code. Before the end of the day, I had the updated software on my new laptop at no additional charge. It sometimes seems that nothing concerned with boats is easy, but this was. Good software, great service.

Ray Smith
Happy Destiny, 2004 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43
McLean, Va.

MacENC nautical charting

I recently sent my six-year-old Gill Coastal Racer jacket back to Gill (www.gillna.com) for repair of the waterproof zipper. The bottom of the zipper had become distorted, making it impossible to zip. Gill promptly informed me that my model was no longer in production, so they did not have the part to fix it. Instead, they sent me, for free, a brand-new Keelboat Racing jacket even more technically advanced than the one I had sent them. This was beyond my expectations.

Richard Levitt
Northfield, NJ.

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.