Engines & Parts Reviews

I know a guy who ripped his windlass off his catamaran because his anchor got caught on the bottom.  That’s a bad day.   Maybe a fluke anchor from Revolution Anchors may have helped.  These newly introduced anchors feature a double shank with the chain running from the crown to the chain between the shanks and through a machined stainless box that houses a release mechanism.  This mechanism at the end of the shank is designed to let go once you drive over the anchor (at 90 degrees).  The chain pops off the shank end and is then only connected to the crown and the anchor is lifted free of the obstruction be it a rock, kelp or underwater cable. The three models in the Revolution Anchors line are designed for boat from 16-36 feet and even the company makes sure you know that these are best used as lunch hooks, not overnight situations in a blow.  Sure, the snag release mechanism can be overridden by adding a bolt to the box but it strikes me that small fishing craft that anchor for a short time in the afternoon are better targets for these anchors than a cruising sailboat.  The three models retail from $285-434 and weigh between 12 and 18 pounds.  They can be used with most rollers.  Shanks are replaceable and the anchors are made of 316 stainless steel.  Use with caution until you get the hang of it.   …Read More

HD Theater “World’s Most Expensive Rides” Sunday, March 7th at 9 p.m. EST (check your local listings for other times). Last winter Reuben Trane, owner of Island Pilot was contacted by the producers of Discovery Channel’s HD Theater who were interested in featuringhis DSe Hybrid 12m in an episode about the world’s most expensive rides. The [...] …Read More

BRP recently announced that the company's Benton, Illinois sport boat plant had produced its 75,000th unit, a 21' 210 Challenger SE that rolled off the assembly line on February 11, 2010. According to Sea-Doo reps, that means that BRP is now the second-largest volume boat-builder in the world. …Read More

Ice equals civilization, no wait, hot showers equal civilization.  No, I think conventional wisdom would say it’s ice.  And if you’ve gone a while without ice or refrigeration, you’ll be able to relate. What to do if you’re on a small boat and you don’t want tear it up and spend thousands installing a reefer?  What do you do if you’re living in the Florida Keys in August and some category 5 hurricane marches through your backyard and all your steaks thaw?  Well, use what you’re likely to have in Florida and on a boat – the sun –  for solar generated refrigeration.  Frigid Rigid, a Florida company, has combined solar panels and their fridge/freezer boxes and voila, you can be cool without leaving a major carbon footprint.  Their solution comes in 4 flavors with offerings differing in box size (3.5 or 5.1 cubic feet), fridge only or a freezer combo, and one or two solar panels.  Refrigerators run on one 55W solar panel and freezers run on two panels.  The boxes include an internal battery and charger, and an amp meter.  There is also an auxiliary 120 V AC plug in, an illuminated on/off switch and a digital thermostat.  Auxiliary batteries can also be connected to the unit to supplement the internal battery. Any other source of 120 V AC or 12 V DC, such as a wind generator or traditional genset, can also be used to power these units. Frigid Rigid boxes are made of fiberglass with a gelcoat finish and come with a 1 year warranty on the components and 5 years on the fiberglass box itself.  The fridge comes preset at 35-40 degrees F and the freezer at 10-20 degrees F.  But you can change these settings on the thermostat.  The units draw anywhere from .75 to 2.0 amps depending on whether you’re running the fridge only or the freezer too and the ambient temperature around the box.  The units weigh from 140 -160 pounds.  You can use these on your boat, your dock, your remote cabin or in your own backyard as a backup.  Of course, these boxes aren’t cheap but if you need a margarita on the rocks, how much is too much? 3.5 Refrigerator - $3295.003.5 Refrigerator/Freezer - $3495.005.1 Refrigerator - $3795.005.1 Refrigerator/Freezer - $3995.00 …Read More

KVH Industries said today that current TracVision satellite TV customers can upgrade to the latest HD7 system and get a rebate of up to $2,000, depending on which system they are upgrading. The promotion runs through June 30, 2010. The deal requires the customer to return to KVH the old system’s circuit boards via an [...] …Read More

Just got off the phone with Ross Champion, one of the absolute best freeride pilots in the business, and he confirms that he's involved with a new electric watercraft project, along with partner Steve Webster. These guys are taking it slow and not rushing into any big claims as of yet, but just the idea that someone of Champion's caliber and reputation would be working on a legitimate electric watercraft has me excited. …Read More

David Marlow has a reputation in the industry for being. . . well, let’s say. . . outspoken. He believes strongly in the superiority of the boats he builds and isn’t afraid to name the names of competitors whom he feels don’t live up to their own marketing claims.  To say the least, he can [...] …Read More

Here’s a very low tech but innovative way to increase your party space.  Check out Box Tops 4 Docks by JDS Marine.  The Illinois company came up with a great idea to turn your dock box into a party platform by providing a dedicated space for plates, glasses, cans and bottles.  The topper will even improve the look of your old dock box.  There are three models - Freeboard, Starboard and Overboard.  The basic platform remains the same but elevated glass and bottle holders can be added to increase the topper’s functionality.    The Box Tops are made to fit triangular dock boxes and are made of ½ inch Starboard.  Since that is basically cutting board material, you can even cut meat or clean fish on it.  But you wouldn’t want to do that because these things are quite fancy and they won’t discolor, warp or mildew.   Box Tops are made to be installed onto a dock box lid and they come with 5 stainless fasteners.  All you need to do is drill 5 holes and screw in the fasteners.  Better make sure your marina is OK with that first though.  Otherwise, you can just place them on top but don’t lean against one or your whole party is going in the drink.  Today, you can buy one from JDS Marine from $325-495 depending on options.  And if you’re on an old dock like me with abysmal dock boxes and marina that’s too embarrassed about the state of the docks to tell you that you can’t add something, a topper will even improve the look of the neighborhood.  The Overoboard If you need a rectangular one, call JDS, they say they’re working on additional shapes and sizes.    …Read More

The first E-TEC troller may look familiar, but don't expect to carry it down the dock by yourself. …Read More

Parker Hannifin has a remarkable new fuel polishing system that has been designed specifically to run nonstop, using extremely small amounts of electricity and with a design that makes it seem nearly immortal when compared to conventional pumps. The new FPM-050 Fuel Polishing Module (click on the photo above for a larger view) consists of a [...] …Read More