Where Credit is Due: May 2012

Sail RiteInland MarineTaylor Made

0

I recently purchased and completed a mainsail cover out of one of Sailrite’s kits (www.sailrite.com), and the online instructional videos and directions were a great help. The Sunbrella material came pre-patterned by their plotter for two different stack heights. The stack height along the mast fit fine, but was too tight to wrap around the rest of the flaked sail along the boom without being overly tight and pulling on the fasteners.

They could have easily claimed it was a kit, and I must have measured wrong etc. Instead, Matt, the owner, contacted me immediately and even offered to send a replacement kit. All of my dealings with them have been outstanding. I am a customer for life.

Bill Beglin

Past Behavin’, Beneteau 323

Kent’s Harbor Marina, Brookville, Ind.

I have always found Inland Marine of South Dartmouth, Mass. (www.mushroommooring.com), to be a great source for mooring gear. I replaced my entire mooring chain with them several years ago and have bought rope pendants, mooring balls, and winter sticks over the 10 years I have had my mooring. Their prices can’t be beat, and their shipping and service have been great, but they deserve special commendation for a recent transaction that they really didn’t have to do.

I had two Yale mooring pendants bought in 2010 that I put off using last season. I then downsized my boat and was unable to use them since they were too large and too long. Inland Marine traded them nearly two years later for double-braid pendants on a pear link, with no hesitation. Thanks and a hearty recommendation are due to them!

 

Robert Thuss

Atlantic Highlands, N.J.

I contacted Taylor Made regarding a dinghy cover I ordered. It was a good quality product, just shaped wrong for my dinghy. The company immediately arranged for FedEx pickup at no charge and a refund. I am a loyal customer forever.

Charlie Payne

Via e-mail

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.