Why don’t I have a spotlight aboard Two Lucky Fish? Because I haven’t encountered one with all of the features I require:

• Forward-facing mount for moorage approaches at night.
• Handheld for spotting objects in the water regardless of their relative bearing; docks, mooring buoys, persons-in-water, etc.
• Removable for stowage inside the cabin or use in another vehicle.
• 12V cigarette lighter plug.

Until now! Seriously, this might be just the thing. Although I’m kind of fond of the new LED technology, which this doesn’t use. Plus it ain’t cheap. Still, I’m interested. Here’s the press release…

Among indispensible safety items for boating at night is a searchlight.  Whether used for emergencies or simply to find dropped items, the light should be powerful yet easy to control. Perko offers its Fig. 0440 Removable Hand Held Deck Control Searchlight to quickly shed light when, and where, it’s needed.

Various models feature 4-1/2" or 7" sealed beam bulbs powered through 12V or 32V cigarette lighter-style plugs.  The head and base are constructed from corrosion-resistant, chrome-plated brass.  A watertight deck connection helps keep the light securely in place for stationary use.  Added mobility for handheld operation comes from a push-button switch in the lamp’s head and an 8′ coiled cord.

This versatile searchlight is easy to pick up quickly to help locate a person or object in the water, scan the shoreline or even signal others.  The powerful beam penetrates fog, smoke, rain and haze.

Perko’s extensive line of searchlights range from handheld models such as the Fig. 0440 to commercial-use fixed units up to 19" with either incandescent or xenon bulbs.  Suggested retail prices of the CE-approved Removable Hand Held Deck Control Searchlight start around $260.

Capt. Nak has this useful item at his MV Independence blog:

Recently while on a trip down to check the MV Independence, a boat neighbor at the dock stopped me and asked about anchoring.  He said that many times he and his wife get into this shouting match because she’s up at the bow dropping the anchor and he’s running the boat.  She’s screaming at him to do something, but with her back turned, and the sounds of the engines, he only hears "Bob, mumph, blah, blah, @&#%!"  He said he watched us come in to a local anchorage once, and how without a word, you calmly walked to the bow, your wife took the helm, and viola’ you were anchored.  Never a word was heard between you two.  Of course my wife gave me a dirty look and said, "why can’t we do that!"  He went on to comment that even when you dock your boat, even in trying conditions, you seem to have everything arranged and nary a word is said, and when a word is said, it’s calm not shouting.

I offered him to come aboard, and share with me a finger of my favorite Canadian Rye.  I explained that after 22 years of successful boating and 32 years of successful marriage, we have come to develop some routines.  Otherwise, we would not be so successful in either boating or marriage.  There was a time when we too did the shouting routine, but found it just didn’t work.   We anchor out 90% of the time when we go boating, so we had to come up with something.  It had to be simple, clear, and effective.  The idea of anchoring hand signals was born.  We’ve been using them for over 15 years now and they work great.  Letting my wife work the helm also gives her some experience working the boat.  And by me doing the anchoring I sleep better at night.  I then demonstrated and discussed with him each of the anchoring hand signals that we had developed.

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Ah, the horn cleat…so useful…yet so misunderstood. Bob over at Boat Bits has linked to a brief video to show us how to tie a cleat hitch. For the record, this is how we tie cleat hitches on Two Lucky Fish.

That’s it… and when I say "That’s it", I really mean it! Extra wraps, cute knots and what I can only term as free form rope sculpture is not a needful part of the mix. The cleat will pull out of the dock or your rope will break before the cleat hitch shown will slip so you certainly don’t need more wraps…

One thing the video shows correctly but does not explain: Always take the line around the far horn first, not the near one. The standing part should make an acute angle with the cleat after that first wrap.

Click over to Boat Bits to read why you shouldn’t spend extra money on stronger cleats, too. In a nutshell, “The strength is in the bolts, not in the cleat. So, if you need something stronger, don’t buy a more expensive cleat, buy one that uses bigger bolts…” Right on, Bob!

[We’ve written about Rocna anchors before; quite a bit, in fact. Heck, I carry one on the bow of Two Lucky Fish. So nobody can accuse me of being “anti-Rocna”, although I have been quite critical of the questionable guerilla marketing tactics they employed a few years ago.

So it is with genuine relief that I present a bona fide Rocna press release from a legitimate marketing/PR firm.

On with the press release! —Tim]

Frequent re-anchoring is a pain, especially in difficult conditions.  Designed specifically for anglers, divers and others who anchor several times a day, the Rocna Fisherman sets firmly and is easily retrieved in all conditions, including rock, reef, sand and weed.

Designed for smaller, weight-sensitive boats, the galvanized anchor is available in 9 and 13 lb. models. The Fisherman features a shackle rail for easier recovery of a fouled anchor from the opposite direction.  A secure attachment point is designed for overnight anchoring.

The Rocna Fisherman’s design is based on the Rocna Original, which is classified by RINA to the highest level available, Super High Holding Power (SHHP). A Rocna possesses stopping power vastly superior to equivalent-weight plough or claw type anchors in soft sand or mud due to the large, concave blade.

Rocna’s roll-bar ensures the anchor will always turn itself to the correct attitude for setting.  Skid rails then direct the blade into the seabed and the chisel-like tip easily cuts through weeds or hard bottoms.  The anchors are not susceptible to sudden trip out and will remain embedded even when dragged under extreme loads.

The roll-bar also can be used as a handle.  If lost or fouled, the Rocna may be recovered from the surface by snaring the roll-bar with a grapnel or other hook.

On smaller boats, weight matters, and in a Fisherman, every ounce of metal is put to use.  The roll-bar avoids the need to weight the toe with extra lead or cast iron.  The lack of dedicated lead reduces the profile of the fluke, facilitating setting in undergrowth.  The absence of lead is better for the marine environment and eliminates complications when the anchor requires re-galvanizing.

A Rocna self-launches and locks home on most bow rollers.  A tight curve radius between the shank and blade gives a positive lock, preventing movement at sea.  The slotted shackle attachment point allows single-shackle fixing.  The Fisherman is rock-solid with no moving parts, eliminating complex adjustment systems and potentially dangerous failure points.  A hot-dip galvanized finish covers the Fisherman with protective zinc, including the interior of the hollow roll-bar.  Ecologically friendly, owners don’t have to worry about anchor drag in fragile environments. The Rocna Fisherman anchors have suggested retail prices starting at $159.99.

[This product has been on the market for years, and I’ve often wondered if it really works. I’d be interested in hearing from Navagear readers about their experiences with Davis’s Rocker Stoppers or other similar roll-dampening products. —Tim]

Boat roll while at anchor or drift fishing is at the least, uncomfortable and at the most, nausea-inducing.  Rocker Stoppers from Davis Instruments help dampen this annoying sensation with a simple, inexpensive device that is easily configured and installed.

Rope is strung through Rocker Stoppers at equal 18" intervals with a 5-10 lb. weight attached at the bottom.  Hanging amidships off each side of the boat, three Rocker Stoppers per side will steady boats up to 26′ long.  For larger craft, a graduated scale of 4 to 8 units per side help stabilize boats from 27′ up to 50′.  They are effective on both power and sailboats.

When used without a weight, Rocker Stoppers assist drift fishing by slowing movement substantially.  They also are great to hang below the end of a floating dock to reduce swaying.

Only 14" in diameter, Rocker Stoppers nest together neatly for inconspicuous storage.  Mushroom anchors make good weights for use with these devices, as they fit nicely inside the last Rocker Stopper on the string when the stabilizers aren’t in use.

Lightweight and molded of high-impact, virtually indestructible styrene Rocker Stoppers are impervious to saltwater.  They deploy and retrieve in seconds, and will not damage gunwales.

The suggested retail price of each Rocker Stopper is $12.99.

[Hey, look! Especially you, Bob from BoatBits! It’s yet another amazing, newfangled anchor. “One anchor to rule them all,” etc.

This one—the Quickline Ultra—comes with of American Bureau of Shipping “Superior Holding Power” certification, so that’s good. But when you poke around on the net a bit, it’s not clear that this certification is particularly exclusive; lots of anchor possess this certification. Which isn’t to say the certification is a bad thing; just that it doesn’t amount to an official endorsement that THIS, at long last, is FINALLY the BEST anchor design, EVER. It’s merely another good anchor design in the “concave spade” category, like the Spade, the Manson Supreme, the Rocna, and a host of others.

Some folks like these new anchors. Other folks have older designs and they know exactly what to expect with them, so there’s no reason to change. Can’t we all just get along?

I should be clear: I’m not quite as skeptical of new anchor designs as some. In fact, I own one of these spade-type anchors (a Rocna), and I’m happy with it. But I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t do nearly enough anchoring for my opinion to count here. I am NOT an anchoring expert.

So let’s see what the folks at Quickline are saying…On with the press release! —Tim]

Marine Importer’s Fastest-Setting, Highest-Holding Anchor Meets The American Bureau Of Shipping’s Independent Testing Standard

Huntington Beach, Calif. – Quickline, a world-class importer and distributor of quality marine gear and accessory products, announced today that its Ultra Anchor meets the highest level of holding power as defined by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and has been awarded the prestigious certification of design assessment for Stainless Steel Superior Holding Power (SHP) for restricted service to a maximum anchor weight of 1500 kg (3306 lbs). SHP for restricted service is given to anchors with superior holding power of at least four times that of ordinary anchors. Using tests that conform to the ABS Anchor Sea Test Procedure performed in sand, mud and gravel at average sea depths of 32.5 feet (10 meters), the Ultra Anchor exceeds ABS requirements. Reinforcing Ultra Anchor’s quick, deep-set and strong hold, this new certification provides third-party confirmation that Ultra Anchors from Quickline are ideal for all conditions, and provide boaters the ultimate in performance, safety and the peace-of-mind they deserve.

The ABS anchor sea test was conducted on a tugboat using a 45 kg (99 lbs) Ultra Anchor connected to a 22-meter (48-foot) 18 mm chain and secured by a 30-meter (approximately 100-feet) 50 mm rope. Recording pull values of 3,750 to 3,950 kgf in sandy seabeds, 3,850 to 4,000 kgf in muddy seabeds and 3,800 to 4,500 kgf in gravel seabeds, the Ultra Anchor from Quickline outperformed hold standards set by the ABS of 2,133, 2,760 and 3,700 kgf for holding power in different seabeds. As a result of its impressive performance, the Ultra Anchor from Quickline was awarded the highest holding power distinction given by ABS, the Superior Holding Power classification.

“We are proud to have the Ultra Anchor receive the prestigious ABS Superior Holding Power for restricted service certification which is equal to or greater than the SHHP Super High Holding Power certification provided by other classification societies,” said Randy Boelsems, president of Quickline. “Our customers have long known that the design and manufacture of the Ultra Anchor provides superior quick and deep sets, and better hold than other anchors on the market. This well deserved certification provides independent third-party confirmation of its incredible performance properties.”

The Quickline Ultra Anchor’s innovative dipper-styled concave fluke body provides superior holding power and resists the tendency to extricate from a set position. Its swivel/shackle attachment eye is reinforced for extra strength and ergonomically positioned to place the Ultra Anchor’s weight on its curved tip for the ultimate setting and grip. While many anchors on the market excel in only one type of sea bottom, the Ultra Anchor sets in the greatest variety of seabeds including sand, unconsolidated soils, mud, sea grass and kelp, providing complete versatility that is particularly useful for extended voyages. In the event of a wind direction or tidal changes, the Ultra Anchor will remain set and rotate below the sea floor or immediately reset to keep a vessel and its cargo secure. For seamless retrieval, the anchor’s wide flat underside pivot base allows the Ultra Anchor to be easily extracted from being buried under the seafloor. In addition, its low center of gravity aids in proper alignment of the anchor when retrieved into the bow roller.

Constructed of 316L extra low carbon grade stainless steel, the Quickline Ultra Anchor delivers the ultimate in strength and rust resistance. Its fully enclosed lead base eliminates any electrolysis issues and environmental concerns. The Ultra Anchor’s contemporary shank design fits a wide variety of yacht bow rollers as well as its own Ultra Anchor Roller design, and delivers seamless launching and stowage of the anchor without touching other parts of the boat or the need for manual assistance. The Ultra Anchor does not require a roll bar to attain its position or chain weight to penetration the bottom. The anchor’s anti-foul bar ensures that the anchor rode will not tangle on the shank or dislodge the anchor from its set position. The harder the rode pulls, the more deeply the anchor digs in. The Ultra Anchor is also an eco-friendly solution; typically setting within its own length, it reduces bottom environment impact, and its high polished surface resists mud and debris sticking. The Quickline Ultra Anchor comes complete with a satisfaction guarantee program, a progressive upgrade policy and is protected by a lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials.

Pricing and Availability:
The Quickline Ultra Anchor is available in fourteen sizes ranging from 11 to 440 lbs (5 to 200 kg) and has a retail price range of US $648.00 to $16,000.00. Additional sizes are manufactured to order. Quickline Ultra Anchors are available for purchase on special order from marine hardware dealers, leading boat yards throughout the United States and Canada, and directly from Quickline. For more information on the Ultra Anchor, its ABS certification, Quickline or its entire marine product line, please contact 714-843-6964 or visit www.quickline.us.

Bob Salnick has this post at the Windborne in Puget Sound blog:

No, not the kind that stick on your refrigerator, holding up the kids drawings or the grocery list.

I am talking here about magnetic drive pumps for the refrigerator.  Wait, what?

Let me back up a step.  Your household refrigerator discharges the heat it pulls from its interior into the surrounding air.  If you are old enough, you’ll remember the "coils" on the back of the refrigerator, but now virtually all refrigerators have those coils concealed in the base.  Nevertheless, they are there, busy heating air with the heat removed from your food.

Here on Eolian, the refrigerator is water-cooled.  Other than the hassle of dealing with circulating seawater, this makes a lot of sense – the seawater is 48° right now, so it serves wonderfully to carry away the heat.  But there is still that circulating seawater thing.

Originally, Eolian had a very small Johnson brand conventional centrifugal pump for the refrigerator.  But not long after I moved aboard, that pump failed the way most such pumps fail:  the seal gave out and seawater dribbled along the shaft into the pump motor interior, destroying it.  That seal is the weak link in a pump.

There is an alternative, however:  the magnetic drive pump.  In these pumps, the rotor (the thing that impels the water into motion) has an embedded magnet, and is totally sealed off from the motor.  The motor drive shaft has a magnet on its end, and drives the impeller thru magnetic coupling alone.  There is *no* possibility of leakage at the seal – because there is no seal.

Read more

Bob at BoatBits mentioned a few different stoves suitable for boat interiors, and one that I fear may not be suitable at all. I’ll excerpt his post here and add my comments:

Part of the problem with solid fuel heaters and stoves on boats is that, for the most part, they are more decorative than functional and somewhat pricey… Dickinson and SIG both make a bulkhead heater that is OK and produces some needful heat but falls short on the stove side but will keep a coffee cup warm…

I agree with this. If you’re going to burn wood, charcoal, or other biomass for heat, it’s a shame not to be able to COOK with that heat, too! At least boil water for tea or heat up a can of soup.

Which brings us to the Shipmate small cast iron sort that you can really use as a stove as well as produce a hellacious amount of dry heat which is no bad thing on a boat.

I like it! Although, were I in the market for such a thing, I might favor the little Sardine stove fabricated on Orcas Island by Andrew Moore as part of his Navigator Stove Works line. I like supporting local producers whenever possible.

The downside of the "Skippy" and other cast iron stove/heaters is that they have a rather large footprint and can be problematic space wise on a small boat as well as being a seriously heavy hit on the pocket book.

I noticed that. These things aren’t inexpensive!

But they sure look "shippy" and inspire all sorts of confidence… Don’t they?

Very much so.

I’ve mentioned before that maybe the best option would be to build a "rocket" stove and cobble together some sort of "shippy" means of mounting it within a boat  along the lines of a bulkhead or floor mounted heater.

The Stovetec solid fuel stoves developed for the third world seem to be just the thing and, truth be told, not entirely un-shippy looking when you take a moment to look at it…

Being a rocket type stove it will produce much more heat using less fuel and that makes all kinds of sense on a boat where solid fuel storage is somewhat problematic. Better yet it is inexpensive and buying one helps a good cause… Kinda works for me!

[Warning: I’m straying a bit off topic here: It ain’t about boating for two paragraphs or so. Then I get back to boating gear farther down the page. —Tim] Thanks to you, Bob, I spent about two hours last night online learning about rocket stoves, and I’m utterly fascinated. Smitten, even. I want one, and I want to help provide them for people who cook with wood and charcoal. Watch this video to get an idea why this is important:

This is one of those simple products that makes so much sense for so many people all over the world, particular in the so-called “developing world”, it’s a wonder it isn’t already ubiquitous.

BUT, I have serious reservations about installing the amazing StoveTec stove aboard a boat. Here’s why:

• It’s going to rust. I just don’t see any way around it. Even stainless steel sheet metal, when subjected to repeated heating and cooling cycles, tends to rust in a marine environment. And this stove isn’t fabricated with stainless steel. Installed inside the cabin, away from direct contact with saltwater, it’ll probably last a few years before rust becomes a serious problem.
• However, it’s not at all appropriate for an interior installation aboard a boat, unless one also installed some sort of cooking hood like in a real kitchen to pull exhaust out of the boat. Therefore, it’s not really going to help heat the boat. So back to the original idea (“a solid-fuel stove for heat AND cooking”), this isn’t really an attractive option, as far as I can tell.

Once again, I claim no special expertise on this topic. I’m always interested in learning new things, and I never take offense at being corrected. So what’s the most sensible solid-fuel, interior, heating/cooking stove available?

In any case, thanks for inspiring today’s Navagear, Bob!

Huntington Beach, Calif. – Quickline, a world-class importer of quality marine gear and accessory products, announced today a total recall of Boyut Marine-manufactured UFS8 Ultra Flip Swivels designed for use with 1/4-inch and 5/16-inch anchor chains.

Produced between June 2009 and October 2010, the UFS8 is easy to identify. All recalled units have a molded eagle on the side of the swivel. Non-recalled units, produced prior to June 2009 and after October 2010 have a smooth body and finish. All other Ultra Flip Swivels, the UFS6, UFS10, UFS13 and larger sizes are not affected by the recall.

“Simply put, the UFS8 swivels do not meet Quickline’s high quality standards and strength requirements,” said Randy Boelsems, president, Quickline USA. “Thus, we are replacing every unit that we have sold to our customers, as their satisfaction and safety are paramount.”

Customers who own the UFS8 Ultra Flip Swivel should stop use immediately and contact Quickline to arrange a replacement unit. Once received, defective swivels should be returned to Quickline using the packaging and Federal Express label provided with the replacement unit.

For more information or to request a replacement swivel, please contact Quickline at 714-843-6964.

I took a little “retreat” this weekend, running my C-Dory 22—Two Lucky Fish—around Lake Washington a bit. During this mini-cruise, I got to make use of some of the products and technology I’ve written about here at Navagear, and I thought I would summarize my experience with one in particular: TideMinders

I don’t often have an opportunity to use these, because I tend to tie up to floats most everywhere I go. On Saturday night, though, I decided I wanted a bit more peace and quiet than I got the previous night at Kirkland’s public dock. I wrapped a mooring line equipped with the TideMinders “string of pearls” around a piling at Kenmore Logboom Park.

During the night, the boat pivoted easily and silently around this creosote-coated piling as the wind shifted. Pleasant, and reassuring. One of my concerns when tying up to a pile is that the rope may snag or chafe against a protruding, abrasive bit of wood or metal hardware. With the TideMinders deployed, though, I don’t worry about this at all.

When I brought the rig aboard the next morning, the rope itself was nearly clean, and the smooth TideMinder balls hadn’t picked up any creosote either. No unpleasant mess, no stains, and no splinters in the rope. Nice!

I’m happy with this product, and found it valuable even on a lake without any tide to mind.

HOWEVER, I really need to figure out a better way to rig them to my mooring line. Right now, I’ve got them rigged to the middle of a 50-foot length of 1/2-inch three-strand line. I took the loose ends of the line and cleated both to a horn cleat at the stern. The result of this is that I’ve only got an effective 20 feet of mooring line to work with. Fine so far, but what if I want to swing wider, or secure the other end of the boat up against a wharf or something?

I think the TideMinders ought to be secured near one end of the line instead, with a shackle or something to “close the loop” around the piling. That should leave me with 40 feet or so of usable mooring line.

My conundrum: How to “close the loop” without introducing a new point of failure or complicated bit of gear that won’t function reliably after it’s been soaked is saltwater periodically. I suspect the solution is a high quality stainless snap shackle or carabiner, like the Wichard units with an eye at one end. This requires further study.

OR, I could just follow the manufacturer’s instructions!

Set-up Instructions

1) Mark your line about 42" from the end.

2) String TideMinders® on to the line with the middle ball over that mark.

3) Tie Figure-Eight Knots against the balls.

4) Now tie a Bowline, keeping equal distance to each Figure-Eight Knot.

(Notice the Bowline Knot is aligned with the center "Pearl")

Slip the TideMinders® over the piling and secure the line(s) to a deck cleat.

Adjust all lines for the boat’s preferred position in the slip, and tension the lines holding the TideMinders® at about 30 degrees below horizontal. This will keep all lines at correct tension, with automatic shock absorption.

Note: Leave enough spare length on lines to the dock – so you have control when pulling the boat to the piling – where you hang the TideMinders® while away from your slip.

Actually, there’s a reason I’m still considering a snap-shackle: Around here, we almost never have access to the top of the piling; there’s no way to “slip the TideMinders over the piling”! I don’t relish the idea of leaning out over the side trying to tie a bowline at just the right spot while wind or wave action knocks the boat around. Stay tuned…I’ll figure this out!