Sailing is all about pulling and securing strings. For infrequent securing, a horn cleat works fine. Others are constantly tweaked and require something more responsive. Cam cleats have become the go-to tool when we need easy adjustment or instant release. But for the cam cleat to work as intended, an often overlooked component comes into the picture—the fairlead. Before you replace or add new cam cleats, consider the following fairlead options
Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear
On the 4th of September 2015, Andrew Ashman was killed during an accidental jibe, when the boom delivered a fatal injury to the base of his neck. The boat, CV21 Ichor Coal, had been running in strong conditions, and yawing allowed the wind to get on the wrong side of the mainsail,...
Belowdecks & Amenities
No one really wants just practical gifts, so we’ve tried to locate a few items that go beyond pure utility for this holiday season.
Safety & Seamanship
Recent fatalities involving racing sailors raised a long-simmering concern we’ve had regarding the harness and tether design, and the shortcomings of current design when used aboard boats that cruise at double-digit speeds. Although these harness and tethers might keep a...
by Darrell Nicholson on December 05, 2018
In recent years it seems as if not a fall sailing season goes by without at least one presumably sound vessel and experienced crew running into trouble off Cape Hatteras. It is almost as if today’s sailors are suffering a severe case of amnesia, causing them to forget that this stretch of water has rightly earned the moniker “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Or perhaps this is just another example of how improved weather forecasting and state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems (not to mention distress signaling) has led us to become complacent?
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