Wind, Speed & Depth Instruments

A decade ago, Practical Sailor editors began scouring boat shows for the perfect emergency tiller and an ideal stowage system for it. Little more than a simple lever arm that attaches to the head of the rudder stock, the emergency tiller is the device a sailor relies on in the event a steering cable parts or theres some other steering system failure. Our seemingly simple search turned out to be a nearly fruitless enterprise. Boat after boat fell far short of delivering even an average emergency tiller. Heres a look at our favorites and favorite offenders as well as our criteria for a good emergency tiller and where to keep it.

Every boat owner sooner or later becomes familiar with the degrading effects of the marine environment. Whether theyre barnacles along the waterline, metal fittings rusting on deck, or galvanic corrosion beneath the water, ultimately, we all learn to contend with such realities. But one damaging element in the marine environment often overlooked is the destructive power of bird feces. Guano, bird poop, white death-whatever you call it-is a strong corrosive. Bird feces naturally contain some of the most acidic substances: ammonia, uric, phosphoric, oxalic, and carbonic acids, as well as salt. Fecal matter from birds can cause crazing in Lexan hatches, accelerate the degradation of stitching in awnings, and break down the protective properties of wax. And yes, its also unsightly and unhealthy. The good news is that there are numerous devices on the market intended to dissuade birds from roosting on and fouling your decks or spars. This group comprises a broad range of sizes and styles from the ubiquitous plastic owl to the antenna-like, spider-style Daddy Long Legs.

Over the last year, weve reviewed everything from thermo-electric coolers to snatch blocks, navigation software, PBO rigging, and even sunscreens. The 2007 Practical Sailor Gear of the Year winners list is no less varied. The general gear winners include the Superwind 350 wind generator, the Fujinon TS 1040 Techno-Stabi and Bushnell Stableview image-stabilized binoculars, the Mercury Big Foot 9.9-horsepower outboard engine, the Force 10 propane galley stove, Digital Antennas 3-dB VHF antenna, Harkens 1609 snatch block, the Kestrel 4000 and Speedtech Skymaster handheld weather instruments, the Norcold 60-quart and Engel 35-quart thermoelectric coolers, and both the Lewmar and Dax Onetouch winch handles. The marine safety gear standouts included the Elliot SOLAS-6 life raft, Mustangs automatic inflatable PFD/harness combo (MD 3184), West Marines Basic harness, the Mustang Integrity float coat, and the Mustang Ocean Commander survival suit. The marine maintenance products that topped our list include Interluxs Micron 66 bottom paint, West Marines CorrosionPro Lube metal protectant, the TC-11 corrosion-inhibiting spray, and the Star brite One-Step Cleaner Wax.

The last few years, weve used a neat, 12-volt battery-powered "snuba" rig-a snorkeling-scuba hybrid-to inspect our test boats hull. We first reported on this rig, the SurfaceDive Deck Snorkel, in the Aug. 15, 2004 issue. A Canadian company, Scu-Buoy Products Inc., recently sent us a very similar product called the Sea Breathe Electric Snorkel. Both use similar components: a 12-volt compressor mounted inside a plastic container. The compressor pumps air through a hose to a floating air reservoir. A second hose connects the reservoir to a scuba regulator attached via a belt (Sea Breathe) or chest harness (SurfaceDive).

For this test of hand-held weather stations, Practical Sailor had three principal objectives. First, we wanted to determine which weather instruments gave cruising sailors the information they need in the most accessible format. The second quality we were interested in was ease of use. Third, we wanted to test for consistency of readings among the various instruments. The models we tested include the Skywatch Eole, Skywatch Meteos, Skywatch Atmos, Skywatch Xplorer2, Skywatch Xplorer4, Skywatch Geos11, Kestrel 1000, Kestrel 3500, Kestrel 4000, Speedtech Skymate, Speedtech Skymaster, Speedtech Eco Edge. One thing is clear: fiddling with them in the store doesn't nearly give you the full picture.

Fast and easy two words rarely used to describe sailing or sailing gear. But Lewmar’s new OneTouch locking winch handle makes sheet tweaking just that.The OneTouch’s unique quick-release button, which runs the length of the handle arm, allows users to grab anywhere on the arm to release or set the locking mechanism.

Options for securing water at sea during emergency situations have traditionally been limited to solar stills, catchment systems, portable reverse osmosis units, or pre-staging water jugs and jerry cans.

Circumnavigators Evans Starzinger gives Practical Sailor his unvarnished assessment of what sailing equipment holds up to the real-world tests of serious offshore cruising. Evans evaluates autopilots, winches, rope clutches, boom vangs, mainsail slides, sailing instruments, safety equipment, marine electronics, and more. His conclusion? A lot of equipment that is marketed for recreational sailors doesn't offer good value when compared to products designed for commercial, industrial, or non-marine purposes. Some of it plain doesn't work.

MARINE INSURANCE REDUXI have been reading with much interest your articles about marine insurance this year (April and May 2006).

It was mid-July 1990 on the Caicos Banks, a stretch of shallow, gin-clear water extending for about 70 miles east to west in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Along with a dozen other cruisers whod chosen to thumb our noses at hurricane season (ah, those were simpler times), we were pausing in Providenciales before heading south. …