Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

Having had our propane supply run bone-dry at the worst possible time, we were drawn to the translucent composite liquid propane gas (LPG) tanks, which recently gained the approval of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The new tanks do not corrode and allow the user to see remaining fuel. We found two types: Ragasco one-piece blow-molded tanks made in Norway, and two-piece molded tanks (with a seam joining the top and bottom) made by Lite Cylinder Co. in Franklin, Tenn. We obtained a 9-kilogram Ragasco tank from distributor Trident Marine (www.tridentmarine.com) for testing and noted that its dimensions (12.5 inches in diameter by 18 inches high) differed slightly from that of its 20-pound aluminum or steel equivalent. The tank may not fit in some propane lockers. The dimensions for the composite tank are actually smaller, but it is broader at the top and bottom.

First contested in 1978, the Singlehanded TransPac (SHTP) offshore race crosses 2,120 miles of Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay to Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Though the singlehanded race has been dubbed a bug light for weirdos, world-class navigators and sailors often throw their lot in with the pack. Longtime singlehanded racer and cruiser Skip Allan took time out from his TransPac preparations to outline the equipment he keeps onboard Wildflower, his 27.5-foot Thomas Wylie-designed sloop/cutter. From his Sail-O-Mat windvane to boom vangs to tiller pilots, Allan discusses a range of gear helpful to all singlehanded sailors and small boat sailors. He outlines his sail inventory and storm tactics, along with his approach to provisioning and eating at sea. A second installment of the Singlehanded Sailors Notebook will take a look at onboard electronics and safety gear for the solo sailor.

Getting air flow inside a sailboats cabin can be critical to everyones comfort onboard. Practical Sailor tested 11 different 12-volt fans from seven Caframo, Fan-Tastic Vent, Hella, HotWire, MarinePro, SeaBowld, and West Marine. We measured current draw and wind and noise output, and considered price. All of those we tested run on 12-volt DC power and are sized to accommodate the small spaces of a sailboats cabin. Your choice of fan will be determined by your intended use, the space you have available, and your budget. Although its pricey, Caframos Kona was among our Recommended picks. Also recommend were the Hella Turbo, the Port Fan from HotWire, the Fan-Tastic Vent Endless Breeze, and the Caframo Sirocco. The Sea Bowld oscillating fan is rated the Practical Sailor Budget Buy. The top performers in this test will move on to Round 2, where we will test their durability.

After some experimenting with design and materials, the Steer-iT was born. The Steer-iT looks like a tillerpilot without the motor. In fact, it connects to the boat (stainless steel pin slipping into bronze socket) and tiller (socket snapping onto a male pin on tiller) using the same size fittings as standard tillerpilots. The key element is the tensioner, a steel donut with an adjustment knob threaded across a slit at the top. The donut pivots vertically on a yoke, and since the yoke also rotates horizontally in its female socket, it functions as a universal joint. The steering arm is a slippery, UV-resistant acetal plastic rod that slides through the yoke. One of three holes can be used to fit the rod over the male pin on the tiller. A twist of the knob on the tensioner adjusts the amount of friction that keeps the tiller in place. We found it easy to dial in enough friction so that the skipper can still make minor course corrections without loosening the knob.

Roller furling has pushed headsail piston-hanking headsails to the brink of extinction. But it also results in a significant loss in light-air efficiency. Meanwhile, genoas, drifters and reachers have become orphans without a stay on which to hank. A new generation of light-air roller-furling sails aims to resolve these issues. They require no fixed stay and, on a properly equipped boat, they can be set, furled, doused, and dropped with relative ease. Practical Sailor reviews seven roller-furling systems for light-air sails, including models from Bamar, CDI, Colligo, Facnor, Harken, Karver and Schaefer.

Knowing how full your holding tank is can mean more than simple peace-of-mind. Whether setting out for a Sunday sail or taking off for a week-long cruise, no one wants to discover an empty water tank or full black water tank, after you¹ve already cast off the dock lines. Practical Sailor tested five external tank sensors with displays: Raritan Tank Monitor, Scad Solo Profile Tank Monitor, SensaTank Marine 100, Snake River Acu-Gage Smart Mini, and Snake River Acu-Gage Three-Tank. We compared the accuracy of all five gauges, along with ease of installation, display dimensions, tech support, and price.

More often than not, boat buyers these days are looking for bigger boats with mainsails to match—and the larger the mainsail, the bigger the chore of flaking it. That’s where sail-flaking aids like lazy jacks, cover/lazy jack combos, and the innovative Dutchman systems come into play in the battle to tame the main. Practical Sailor’s close comparison of these options provides valuable insight into what is the best sail-flaking device for you and your boat. Find out what you need to take the gymnastics out of mainsail- handling. Mainsails up to about 250 to 300 square feet are easy enough to handle that flaking aids are optional rather than essential. However, if you have a boat with a 300- to 500-square-foot mainsail, take a look at what PS testers have to say about the Dutchman, lazy jacks (E-Z Jax, Harken jacks, etc.) and StackPack-type of systems (Mack Sails, Schaefer, and Doyle Sails, etc.).

Anyone who’s ever owned a trailer sailer knows that one of the most frustrating aspects or trailering a boat can be getting the coupler to meet the trailer hitch. One trailer accessory that can make this effort easier is the trailer jack. Our favorite is the stow-away trailer jack with castering wheel. We recently tested seven: the Road Warrior Mighty Wheel and Big Wheel from SeaSense; the 6800 Dual Wheel and the Swivel Series (6850 and 6851) from Dutton Lainson, and the Swing-away XP15L and dual wheel XPD15L from Fulton. We found jacks with independent wheels like the Dutton-Lainson 6851 and those with two wheels to be the best trailer jacks.

Anyone who’s ever owned a trailer sailer knows that one of the most frustrating aspects or trailering a boat can be getting the coupler to meet the trailer hitch. One trailer accessory that can make this effort easier is the trailer jack. Our favorite is the stow-away trailer jack with castering wheel. We recently tested seven: the Road Warrior Mighty Wheel and Big Wheel from SeaSense; the 6800 Dual Wheel and the Swivel Series (6850 and 6851) from Dutton Lainson, and the Swing-away XP15L and dual wheel XPD15L from Fulton. We found jacks with independent wheels like the Dutton-Lainson 6851 and those with two wheels to be the best trailer jacks.

Practical Sailor adds three anchors to our test lineup: the Quickline Ultra and two updated versions of the XYZ Extreme anchor, the original of which we reviewed in the April 2006 issue. The three anchors were attached to rode and tested in shallow, muddy water along the Florida coastline. The anchors were rated for how well they set and how well they fared under load. Sustained holding power was recorded for all three anchors. Price, weight, warranty, and stowability were also considered in the final ratings. The shiny stainless-steel anchors were easy on the eye, but weighing the pros and cons of stainless anchors versus galvanized anchors left testers more inclined to purchase a galvanized anchor. Galvanized steel is more likely to show corrosion and so has a good warning system for metal failure.