Boat Bits has this link to An interesting article about LED’s…:

Voiles et Voiliers, the French sailing magazine, really knows how to put sailboats and products through their paces (real tests with no concern about advertising revenue) and their recent testing of LED lighting is no exception…Check it out!

For those Boat Bits readers who don’t read French may I suggest you use Babel Fish…

Read more. And just to make sure Navagear is truly “adding value” on this repost, let me point out that if you don’t speak French, you should check out Foux Da Fa Fa by Flight of the Conchords.

Bob and Jane Salnick’s “Windborne in Puget Sound” blog has this useful tip:

Nothing outlasts Sunbrella.

Eventually, those vinyl windows in your hatch covers will die – turn yellow or brown and go opaque, long before the Sunbrella is finished. Hatch cover vinyl seem to be far worse at this than the vinyl in dodgers – perhaps because the sun strikes it more directly. Ours had gotten pretty bad. Here’s a piece of old vinyl next to a piece of new:

So Jane went to Seattle Fabrics and got some new vinyl. Now the $64 question is how to actually do the job, without losing the shape of the fabric? Once the old vinyl is removed, there will be nothing to hold things in place. The standard technique is to sew the new vinyl in behind the old vinyl, and then cut the old vinyl back to the inside edge of the opening. We did not like this because:

• Jane’s machine would never sew thru two thicknesses of vinyl
• Now the edge will twice as thick as it was before. Imagine doing this a third time, or even a forth.

So we needed a different process.

Read more

[It’s a press release, of course, but the concept makes sense to me. Any of our talented Navagear readers have experience with marine toilets that can use either fresh or seawater? —Tim]

While conserving freshwater is important, sea and lake water and the small organisms that come with it can cause heads to stink. SAIL magazine recently honored the Sea/Fresh Marine Elegance from Raritan with its annual Pittman Innovation Award. This revolutionary marine toilet is able to switch effortlessly between the two water sources using a patented water selection system. Owners can flush with seawater to conserve onboard water, as well as rinse the bowl with fresh before leaving the boat for a few days or when traveling in dirty water. It’s also now available in four new bowl styles: tall and standard with either a straight or angled back and color choices of white or bone.

Featuring Vortex-Vac Flush technology, the advanced Marine Elegance provides the quietest, most efficient flushing action of any comparable toilet on the market. Ensuring a sound night sleep for guests aboard, it performs at a noise level of less than 63 decibels.

Offering a sleek, one-piece vitreous china bowl and full-size toilet seat, Marine Elegance delivers a streamlined presentation and is easy to clean. Specially-designed holes under the bowl rim deliver superior rinsing capabilities with less water. An innovative discharge loop helps eliminate odors and permits the bowl to hold water similar to home toilets.

Employing a heavy-duty motor coated with epoxy paint, the powerful head can pump an amazing 10′ vertically and 100′ horizontally. A built-in shredder with stainless steel blades breaks waste up into small particles to reduce clogs. Making installations in tight spaces possible, the incredibly compact head has a simplified mounting system and choice of straight or angled back, ensuring a contoured fit.

An attractive, programmable Raritan Smart Flush Control provides four convenient flush options to conserve water and extend the useful capacity of the holding tank. The wall-mounted control enables the Marine Elegance to be flushed normally, with a low-water option or with an empty-only function. It also allows water to be added to the bowl before use.

Available in 12 and 24V versions, the suggested retail price of the Sea/Fresh Marine Elegance from Raritan starts at $1,360.

While at the Lake Union “Boats Afloat” portion of the Seattle Boat Show just now, I spotted a delightful little stove aboard a delightful, just-launched boat.

The little Sardine stove is fabricated on Orcas Island by Andrew Moore as part of his Navigator Stove Works line. So not only is it a delightful product, it’s also a local product, as well. Regular readers know how much I like to boosterize [is that a word?] this region’s rich maritime businesses, large and small.

At under 1 cubic foot, the Sardine weighs about 35 pounds, and requires a 4-inch chimney pipe. Believe it or not, this little wood (or hardwood charcoal) stove is rated as an 86%-efficient, non-catalytic “clean burning” stove, and carries U.S. EPA & State of Washington Emission Certifications.

The boat itself is worthy of some comment as well. I’ve been a “fan from afar” of Sam Devlin’s boats for some time. You can see all the designs at the Devlin Designing Boat Builders website.

This particular boat, homeported in Olympia, WA, has been christened Storm Petrel by new owner Cyndie Phelps. She was positively glowing this afternoon, showing off her pride and joy. Mr. Devlin was on hand as well, and confirmed that Ms. Phelps’ name for the boat would become the official name for the design, the Storm Petrel 33. Some additional information on the design is available here.

[It’s another MadMariner feature from a couple weeks back. —Tim]

When you write a gear and gadgets blog, it’s easy to focus all your attention on the new, the innovative, and the amazing. There’s sure plenty of that to go around when it comes to recreational boating.

Meanwhile, though, life goes on. If you sleep aboard your boat more than a couple nights a year, you may have discovered the same thing I noticed this summer: most of the things that really enhance the time I spend cruising are quite mundane! Lots of little storage tricks and "just right" gadgets help make storage and housekeeping easier, and that allows me to relax a bit and devote more attention to enjoying the destinations I visit.

Let me put it another way: I love my Class B AIS transceiver, but if I had to choose between it and the $15 under-sink waste basket I rigged-up when nothing else quite fit, I think tidy, accessible trash management might win.

Every boat is different, of course, so many of my solutions won’t work for you. My goal is to help you think creatively about the little annoyances you experience when you stay aboard. The things your spouse or children complain about. Things you may ignore, because you’ve become accustomed to them even though they’re really not very convenient or pleasing. You might be amazed how satisfying it can be to discover or create simple, user-friendly solutions to routine housekeeping challenges.

With that as a background, here is a selection of "tiny breakthroughs" I’ve grown to appreciate aboard Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22.

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I don’t know much about this system, but I DO know how difficult it can be to get the last bit of pooled water out of a bilge. I’d be very interested in feedback on this product or its competitors. Please use the comments to share what you know with the rest of the class!

On with the press release:

Boaters would rather spend time enjoying the water than waste it cleaning out their bilge. Allowing moisture to collect down below can result in mildew infestations, unpleasant odors and costly damage. Arid Bilge Systems automatically removes water and keeps the area bone dry, leaving more moments for cruising. Ed Mahon of Sandy Hook Marine Services in New Jersey, recently installed Arid Bilge Systems’ Series 4 in his customer’s Sabre 32 Express, with tremendous results.

"These boats have fairly shallow bilges so water always pools," said Mahon. That can easily lead to problems down the road. "My customers trust me to take care of them and want to be able to just start their engine and go. This system better allows them to do that." Mahon installed the system, turned it on and returned the next day. "Literally, every drop of water was gone. I’m very impressed with the product and so is my client."

Creating a more pleasant onboard environment, Arid Bilge Systems’ Series 4 is a vacuum drying system that utilizes multiple pickups placed in the bilge compartments to remove moisture. It features single-point discharge and pumps a maximum of 10.2 gallons of water per hour.

"This was my first install, but the directions were clear and I received an accurate estimate of how long it would take from Arid Bilge Systems," continued Mahon. "I’ve worked with my customers for years and they trust me to take care of their boat like it was my own, which is why I recommend Arid Bilge Systems to them."

Eliminating wet vacs and bilge diapers, an Arid Bilge System measures 15" H x 6" W x 7.5" D and weighs only 16 lbs. Alkon push-lock fittings and Mazzer polyethylene tubing are used to attach the central unit to the remote pickups.

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner. This time, I talk about several little storage tricks and "just right" gadgets that help make storage and housekeeping easier.

It may not sound sexy, but that’s the point: Sometimes the most important breakthroughs are the ones you immediately forget about, because they make life a little bit better, and you never even consider going back to the old way.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Holidays!

[It’s a press release, of course. I keep warm in my little boat with a Wallas stove/heater, or just a plain old electric heater when I’m plugged into shore power. I wonder how this might work, though. Would the exhaust be a problem? —Tim]

As the temperature outside continues to drop, it’s important to stay warm. Perfect for winter activities, such as ice fishing and camping, the lightweight HeatMate 5200 Portable Alcohol Heater from Contoure offers an efficient, safe source of heat that doubles as a stove when the lid is removed.

Whether on a boat, RV or at home, the versatile HeatMate provides extra warmth where needed with 5,200 BTU of heat. When transformed into a cooktop, it has the capability to boil a quart of water in less than nine minutes.

The reliable HeatMate’s canister system employs a nonflammable wick material that absorbs approximately 1-1/4 quarts of environmentally-friendly alcohol. Even if it’s turned completely upside down, the unique design prevents fuel from leaking. Providing clean heating and cooking, alcohol fuel is easily extinguishable with water. The pressure-free canister system also eliminates pumping, priming, hoses and valves.

The compact HeatMate measures just 11-3/4" H x 11-1/2" in diameter and weighs only 5 lbs. 3 oz. Constructed of aluminum, it features a convenient carrying strap.

The innovative HeatMate 5200 Portable Alcohol Heater from Contoure International has a suggested retail price of just $169.95.

[It's another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back.

I don’t claim to be any sort of workshop prodigy, but I love being able to work up solutions on my own, and each project gives me a little more confidence for the next one. Well, each successful project, anyway! —Tim]

When it Comes to Custom Fabrication, the Best Person for the Job May Be You

In the old days, sailing ships carried carpenters, sailmakers, metalsmiths and riggers. If something broke, they repaired it or made a new piece from raw materials.

Times have changed. Modern recreational boaters don’t need to know how to make everything, of course. Frankly, it would be impossible, given the broad range of technologies and specialized tools involved. Even propeller-headed uber geeks (guys like Ben Ellison and Steve Roberts) can’t make everything they carry.

Nevertheless, and no matter what your level of do-it-yourself expertise, I think it’s always worthwhile to ask yourself, “Could I make that?” Often times, the answer is an unequivocal “No!” But once in a while you encounter an opportunity to transform a frustrating “shopping” project into a fulfilling “fabrication” project.

Sometimes, custom fabrication is the only choice.

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Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner! It discusses a few of the small custom fabrication projects I’ve recently dared to DIY, or should that be “DIM” (”do it myself”)?

I don’t claim to be any sort of workshop prodigy, but I love being able to work up solutions on my own, and each project gives me a little more confidence for the next one. Well, each successful project, anyway!