Product Reviews

January 2021

Halcyon Rugged Varnish

Water-based bright finish

Halcyon Rugged Varnish is not just a water-based alternative to traditional spar varnish, but a step up in ease of application, lack of sagging, recoating without sanding, and durability when cured.

January 2021

A Convenient Camping Grill

A dual-fuel camp grill from Gas One

Food cooked on a grill has a special flavor, but a charcoal grill is inconvenient and messy. Gas One’s portable camping grill, fueled by propane and butane, opens quick, appealing options for camp cruising fare. Burgers, pizza, and toast anyone?

December 2020

ResQFlare

A USCG-approved substitute for pyrotechnic flares

ACR recently introduced the ResQFlare, a floating, battery-powered, SOS-flashing distress signal that meets U.S. Coast Guard requirements, and, when paired with the distress-signal flag it’s sold with, replaces pyrotechnic flares.

December 2020

DeWalt’s Cordless Air Inflator

Quick, precise tire inflation

Kent and Audrey Lewis have a fleet of boats that requires a fleet of trailers and dollies to move them around. A digital rechargeable air inflator helps them keep all of the tires pumped to the proper pressure.

November 2020

The Tiller Comb Stop

A hinged version from Victory

If you’re looking for a way to hold the tiller in place while you tend to other duties or just relax, the stainless-steel Tiller Comb Stop from Victory Products is an elegantly simple device that is there when you need it and instantly out of the way when you don’t.

November 2020

Edge Hot Knife

Cutting and fusing synthetics

For sewing your own sails or boating and camping gear, a hot knife is an essential tool for heat-sealing synthetic fibers to keep them from unravelling. We take a look at the Edge Hotknife from Sailrite.

October 2020

Kestrel 2000

Measuring wind speed and temperature

If you sail, you need to pay close attention to the wind, and an anemometer takes the guesswork out of assessing wind speed. The Kestrel 2000 provides accurate readings of wind as well as air and water temperature.

October 2020

Sailrite’s Ultrafeed LSZ-1

A walking-foot sewing machine

Sewing sails and outdoor gear requires a sewing machine that can handle everything from slippery lightweight nylon to multiple layers of thick canvas or sailcloth. Sailrite’s walking-foot sewing machine can handle it all.

September 2020

Mudder Boots

Flexible wings for a big footprint

Some intertidal zones have deep, sticky mud that will pull your boots off if you try walking through it. Mudders, strapped to your boots, have wings that fan out to keep you from sinking and then fold back in so you can walk normally.

September 2020

WEST Special Clear Hardener

A 105 epoxy mix for finish work

If you’ve used WEST System epoxy, you may be familiar with the slow and fast hardeners, but might not have heard of the 207 Special Clear Hardener. It doesn’t blush, has a UV inhibitor mixed in, and can make a durable bright finish.

August 2020

Discovery View Dry Bags

Removing the mystery

Kent and Audrey Lewis row, paddle, and sail their fleet of boats in the warm waters of the Florida panhandle. While they don’t mind getting wet, the gear they take with them needs to stay dry. Their Discovery View dry bag does the job.

August 2020

Hook Scrapers

Inexpensive and versatile

Hook scrapers are inexpensive tools that make themselves useful in building and renovating boats, whether shaving wood, smoothing cured epoxy, or removing old paint.

July 2020

Impact Drivers

Power and finesse

Impact drivers may seem like tools for heavy work, but while they have a lot of screw-driving power, they can provide exceptional control and greatly reduce the number of screws that get damaged.

June 2020

Unscrew-Ums

Extracting broken screws

Boatbuilders tend to drive a lot of screws whether they’re using bronze wood screws for traditional construction, stainless-steel screws for contemporary projects, or drywall screws for temporary use with epoxy-glued joints. When screws break off inside the wood, the Unscrew-Um can come to the rescue.

June 2020

Screw Pilot Bits

Fuller, Bosch, and Carbide & Diamond

Driving wood screws is faster and easier when you use a pilot bit that simultaneously drills holes for the screw’s threads and shank and the countersink for the head. We test pilot drills from Fuller, Bosch, and Carbide & Diamond and take a look inside the holes they make.

May 2020

Verksted Apron

A workshop time saver from Best Coast Canvas

The Verksted apron from Best Coast Canvas is thoughtfully designed for woodworkers and boatbuilders and beautifully made of durable natural materials. It goes well beyond keeping dust off your clothes; by keeping the tools you use most often on you, it makes your shop time more productive.

May 2020

A 3″ Bevel Gauge

A tool for tight corners

A boat’s complex combinations of curves and straight lines provides no end of odd angles. Sliding bevel gauges are standard boatbuilding tools, but there are a lot of places that they can’t fit. The 3” bevel gauge, made of brass and aluminum, is easily adjusted and excels in tight spaces.

April 2020

Odyssey

A PFD with plenty of pockets

The Odyssey from Northwest River Supplies is a Type III PFD that’s comfortable to wear, even in hot weather, and equipped with lots of pockets and attachment points for keeping essential gear on your person.

April 2020

GasOne’s Mini

A dual-fuel camp stove

Stoves that use gas cannisters are convenient to use and well suited to meals that require careful cooking. The GasOne Mini is a good deal more compact than the standard stove of its type and takes both butane and propane cannisters.

March 2020

A Full-Featured VHF/GPS

Standard Horizon's HX890

The HX890 is a full-featured waterproof VHF that includes GPS navigation, Digital Selective Calling, FM radio, a rechargeable 1800mAh Li-Ion battery with an alkaline back-up, group monitoring, and a water-activated light. And it floats.

March 2020

Wen Band File

Detail work on wood and metal

We boatbuilders are by nature do-it-yourselfers, and when we finish a boat and it’s time to rig and outfit it, there are a lot of small parts we can make instead of buy. Wen’s compact ½” x 18” belt sander makes quick work of metal and wood fittings.

February 2020

Colonial’s Marlinspike Knife

United States Navy issue

The U.S. Navy introduced the Marlinspike Knife in the First World War and it has been used by sailors ever since then. Its stainless-steel sheepsfoot blade and locking marlinspike are as useful now as they were a century ago.

February 2020

Jackery Explorer 160

A portable power station

Electronic devices have become essential tools for our daily life and when our boats break us free from the grid, it’s handy to have a portable power station to recharge them. The Jackery 160 is a compact unit with lithium-ion batteries, several charging ports, and a built-in flashlight.

January 2020

Gaffer Tape

A duct-tape rival

Duct tape finds its way into almost every boater’s and camper’s repair kit but there are some jobs that are better left to gaffer tape, with its tidier adhesive and soft-cloth feel.

January 2020

Vintage 3-Strand from New England Ropes

Modern material, traditional look

In boats with a traditional vibe, multi-colored braided cordage looks out of place. Vintage 3-Strand from New England Ropes has not only the right look but also a soft feel and good flexibility and strength.