Apr 25 2012 in Gear locker by Marty McOmber
As Deborah mentioned in today’s post about our new Passport, we need to replace the stove. Although most of my cooking takes place where it should — outside and on a grill — I do recognize the need for a quality stove, if for no other reason than it allows me to make coffee out of the [...]
by Deborah Bach
Apr 6 2012 in Currents, Gear locker by Deborah Bach
Captain Richard Rodriguez was delivering a yacht from Seattle to San Diego last year when the boat’s electrical system shut down during a nasty blow at night about 35 miles offshore. His crew members had a laptop and two cell phones between them, but only Rodriguez’s iPhone was working. By using several of his favorite [...]
by Deborah Bach
Feb 7 2012 in Boat Show 2012, Gear locker by Deborah Bach
One of the more interesting products we saw at the Seattle Boat Show was the flexible, super-thin, lightweight solar panels made by Italian company Solbian. The Solbianflex Solar Panels, which were at the show for the first time this year, are about as thin as a flexible cutting board and weigh between 1.76 and 5.17 pounds, [...]
Nov 23 2011 in Environment, Gear locker by Marty McOmber
BoatUS recently sent out the following release about the effects of ultra-low-sulfur diesel on marine engines. The upshot — there are a few problems, but not as many as initially feared. Here’s what the researchers found: As a way to reduce particulate matter, ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD), with only 15 ppm or less of sulfur, was mandated for [...]
Nov 5 2011 in Gear locker by Craig Spencer
The bow eased away from the Friday Harbor dock as I uncleated the stern line and climbed aboard to sheet in the jib flogging to port. A southwesterly breeze filled the mainsail as we bore away toward the lee of Brown Island and hove to while the ferry passed astern, its passengers waving from the [...]
Oct 7 2011 in Gear locker, On Watch by Marty McOmber
I have no idea if Steve Jobs ever stepped foot on a boat (and if he did, whether he liked it). But I do know that Apple’s iPhone, and increasingly the iPad, are fast becoming indispensible tools aboard boats here in the Northwest and around the world. Just hours before news of Job’s untimely death [...]
by Tim
Sep 8 2011 in Gear locker, Guest Dock by Tim
In his enduring quest for a perfect AIS system, Navagears’ Tim Flanagan takes a trip to a Ballard company that makes antennas for the commercial fishing industry and uncovers a local gem that all of us recreational boaters should consider.
Join the conversation