New Products Feb 12
External Thruster
Fully sealed, externally mounted, water-cooled, and hand-crafted in Austria with German and Swiss components, Yacht Thruster’s series of simplex (pictured at right) and** duplex bow thrusters** and compact stern thrusters employ roughly half the amperage consumption of equivalent “tunnel” thrusters to generate equivalent turning power. Quickly and easily installed—with no need for invasive hull surgery—the units, for boats from 19 feet to 100 feet, are backed by a three-year motor-replacement warranty.
$4,000 to $6,000, (305) 667-5811, www.yachtthruster.com
Swing Blade
Have you forgone the simplicity and dependability of a Monitor servo-pendulum windvane because your boat is equipped with an integral swim platform or transom-hung ladder? Thanks to Scanmar International’s new Swing-Gate mount, that’s no longer a worry. With this custom-designed unit, which is offered by the company as an option, sailors can now install their windvanes on centerline for use while under way and still retain the use of their boarding ladders and platforms once the hook is down.
$2,200 to $2,400 (vane extra), (510) 215-2010, www.selfsteer.com
Make Aqua on Board
Designed by a cruising sailor seeking a desalination unit that was reliable and simple to maintain, the engine-driven, high-pressure watermaker from Sea Clear delivers 20 gallons of pure, fresh, great-tasting water per hour. The modular system is easily installed, even aboard boats on which space is at a premium; the control panel measures 16 by 9 inches; the pump dimensions are a compact 7.2 by 7.9 by 4.9 inches. All parts are off-the-shelf, which means that they’re readily obtainable worldwide.
$3,900, (401) 400-2226, www.seaclearwatermakers.com
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A Grillmeister’s Griddle
As Cruising World‘s editor attests, the outdoor grill is the liveaboard sailor’s best friend. With the handy series of grill-top griddles from Little Griddle, including the Sizzle-Q (pictured), it just got better. Available in a variety of sizes to accommodate any size of grill whether round or rectangular, it’s ideal for cooking everything from fresh fish filets to bacon and eggs. The high sidewalls keep food in place, the grease trough eliminates flare-ups, and the vented cross-braces provide even heating. You can even bake cookies or pizza.
$70 to $500, (586) 268-2100, www.littlegriddle.com
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** ****Anchoring in Spades**
Though not technically a “new” product, Spade’s High-Performance Anchor is a timely one. Available in stainless steel, galvanized steel, or aluminum (the latter two are painted yellow to help identify how well they’ve set once deployed), the eco-friendly, concave-shaped Spade is designed, unlike anchors that plow or dredge the seabed, to dig deeply into the ocean floor. It fits snugly on most bow rollers, and for storage or transport, the shank and body are simply dismantled.
$280 to $10,350, (321) 409-5714, www.spadeanchorusa.com
Watch This
The aptly named Genoa, Spinnaker, and Gennaker (pictured) models comprise the complete collection of Harbormaster Watches from the Stolas Watch Company. Especially designed for the demanding needs of sailors and divers, the handsome waterproof timepieces all sport unidirectional rotating bezels, anti-reflective sapphire crystals, screw-down crowns, and date functions. They are rated to depths of 200 meters. The oversized faces are particularly useful, as are the bright, luminous minute markers and hands, which are always clear and legible, even when you’re roused from a deep sleep in a dark cabin.
$580 to $1,200, (256) 886-4362, www.stolaswatch.com
Ocean-Specific Sunnies
Get more out of your eyeballs with the help of Revo’s two latest sunglasses for sailors. The Bearing (pictured) and Heading styles offer maximum visibility, via some of the best industry-tested polarized lenses, and wraparound frames to help block ambient light. Both are available with Revo’s Water Lens technology, which is tailor-made to prevent glare and adjust to the specific colors and light-absorbance profile of ocean water. The Bearing and Heading shades promise to help you see more accurately in any marine environment with comfort and style. Our friends over at Sailing World magazine tested this lens last summer and they were so impressed by the optics that they’ve been wearing them ever since.
$190, (888) 940-REVO, www.revo.com
