Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

The triangular mainsail of a Marconi rig has never been the most aerodynamic shape. The narrow tip produces wasteful tip vortices and little lift. Developmental...

I recently had an experience with the service department at Steiner Optics that deserves mention in your Where Credit is Due, feature.

Polyester sailcloth is amazingly strong and durable stuff, often completing trips around the world or decades of weekend sailing. Its Achilles heel is the sun. After just 2-3 years in the sun, depending on the latitude, it becomes so rotted by UV that its little stronger than a cotton bed sheet. Mainsails are safely bundled under a Sunbrella cover. Nylon Spinnakers are bagged and stored below. Genoas, on the other hand, remain furled on the headstay, often year round, with the last 12 inches of the leach and foot continuously exposed.

It would be useful for PS to list which manufacturers use iron encapsulated in their keel. I am surprised to learn that many old sailboats have iron instead of lead as encapsulated ballast.Edward Addeo via PS Online

Several products caught our eye at the Newport Boat Show in Newport, Rhode Island in September, along with some updates to past tests.

Most times when I need a third hand, I can secure whatever I'm working on by jamming it in the groove between dock boards, or against a piling and placing a knee on it, or some combination. Work surfaces can incorporate cleats or holes for this purpose, but sometimes more specific clamping measures are required.

Our plunge into chain-free rode takes a new twist. How do we protect against bottom chafe?

The bulk of the past years testing focused on maintenance products, safety essentials, and do-it-yourself substitutes for higher priced marine gear. This was a deliberate move as the staff here at Practical Sailor tries to buck the trend toward high-priced, budget-busting marine-grade gear that is out of reach of many sailors.

One of the quickest ways to lose your floating investment is to chafe through a dock line or mooring pendant, sending your boat smashing into the neighboring slip or a rock jetty. It has been a while since we tested chafe gear (see PS October 2012), so when a new product came across our radar, we jumped on the chance to test it.

Using the wrong rope for the job is a recipe for failure. Fortunately, with a trained eye and a little knowledge of physical properties, making a rough identification is simple enough.