Where Credit is Due: West Marine, Forespar, and More!

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West Marine Third Reef foulies

West Marine

I purchased West Marine Third Reef foul-weather gear in 2008 at the Miami Beach boat show. The jackets inner liner started shedding, leaving white snowflakes everywhere. Ive been putting up with this for quite a few years as I havent been using the foul-weather gear regularly. But this past April, I departed for French Polynesia and started using the gear regularly. After almost six months of cruising, I sent West Marine corporate (www.westmarine.com) an email about my issue, fully expecting the too old, too long ago, too whatever response. To my very pleasant surprise, I received a reply from Glenna in customer service, who had found my receipt in their computer; she gave me instructions to take the foul-weather gear to the local store for replacement or credit. The Honolulu store manager was super nice and helpful. I now have a new set of Third Reef foul-weather gear! Thanks and kudos to West Marine!

Richard Hacker
Via email

Forespar

Thanks to Randall Risvold at Forespar (www.forespar.com). For an old-boat restoration, I chose Forespar Series93 Marelon seacocks that come equipped with the appropriate through-hull. Post-installation, I carried out pre-launch testing of all five seacocks by back-flooding the internal hose; the 3/4-inch head intake showed a leak under the backing pad (Series93 come with a neat plug that is used the block the through-hull). After removing the skin fitting with judicious use of a Forsner bit, and removing the remnants of the thread from the valve body, I found that I had indeed neglected to seal the thread. As the through-hull is a special thread, to match that of the Series93, I contacted Forespar with my tale of woe. Randall didnt hesitate to send me a replacement through-hull at no cost. Many thanks for excellent support for an excellent product.

Paul Peachey
Snowbird / project-boater in Florida

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.