Skeleton Optics, in premiering a line of sunglasses for women, says demand is continuing to increase from female anglers. “Fishing historically has been perceived as a male-dominated sport,” says Eric Storey, the company’s CEO, who adds that “the millions of women who spend their lives outdoors need sunglasses made just for them.”

His company is far from alone in offering an increasingly broad array of styles not only for men and women alike, but also for specific types of on-the-water activities and face shapes. Costa launched King Tide less than a year ago, promising not only its most technical frame to date, but also a version for elite anglers. The new Rigolets line from Bajio is designed for boaters who have smaller, narrower faces, and who previously couldn’t find a comfortable fit. Hobie offers the Everglades Float, which is being marketed not just for general fishing, but in particular flats-fishing and sight-casting.

The one thing they all have in common: This eyewear is being designed by boating and fishing enthusiasts, for boating and fishing enthusiasts. “As avid anglers, we understand the frustration of losing sunglasses while on the water,” says Dylan Coates, marketing manager for Hobie Eyewear.

Bajio Rigolets

Skeleton Decoy

Costa King Tide

Hobie Everglades

Costa Catherine

Skeleton Outlaw

These manufacturers also understand key safety features, which include things like Costa’s venting, which is inspired by sharks, to help prevent lenses from fogging up when skippers are trying to run the boat. Scratch-resistant lenses, ultraviolet protection and more are usually part of the package too.

And as you can see in the examples above, the variety of frames, lenses and styles is pretty darn stunning—as beautiful as the colors of coral on the most vibrant reefs.

The post Marine-Friendly Sunglasses appeared first on Yachting.

Garmin isn’t trying to be Apple. Dave Dunn, senior director of marine and RV sales, is clear about that: “We’re trying to be the watch that you can beat up and use every day. Our customers are adventurous.”

Still, the Garmin team kept hearing customers talk about how much easier they found it to look at an Apple Watch. “Historically, our watches had a display that was not crisp, not bright,” Dunn says. “Our customers said they liked the Apple Watch display better.”

Hence the upgraded display on the recently unveiled Garmin quatix 7 Pro. Its 1.3-inch AMOLED display is brighter and crisper than the displays on previous models, with a scratch-resistant sapphire lens so boaters don’t have to worry about banging it up.

Also new is a flashlight that was on a prior quatix model, which is now standard on most models.

“Any of our users will tell you it’s our No. 1 feature,” Dunn says. “It sounds ridiculous until you see how bright it is. If you’re walking the dog at night or going to the restroom while you’re sleeping, it comes in handy. It’s a hands-free light.”

Two new apps are also loaded into this version of the quatix. The first is Trolling Motor Remote, which lets anglers control a compatible trolling motor. The second is Fish Forecast, which is intended to save anglers the effort of searching online for general information that can indicate better days to wet a line.

“Think about an almanac; it has moon phases, time of year, all of that. It gives you a prediction about the best times to fish,” Dunn says. “All of it is right there. You’re never guaranteed to catch fish, but it tells you when the better times might be.”

Garmin also updated apps that let the smartwatch act as a remote control for chart plotters, autopilots and Fusion stereos; notify boaters about anchor drag; and show integrated tide data.

“This is designed by boaters, for boaters,” Dunn says, adding that he personally enjoys controlling a boat’s stereo from his wrist. “If you’re on a sandbar at a party and you want to change the volume or the song, you can do that from your watch. I love that feature.”  

Boater-Friendly

The Garmin quatix 7 Pro is built to let users control their whole boating ecosystem from their wrist. This smartwatch can connect to compatible chart plotters, autopilots, Fusion stereos and trolling motors, all while it simultaneously tracks personal health information and serves as a hands-free flashlight. It also receives text messages and smart notifications.

Purchase your own here: Amazon, Garmin

The post Garmin Quatix Upgrade appeared first on Yachting.

Bill Karmis knew one thing for sure when Dockmate’s team talked about adding dynamic positioning to its remote controls for boats: “When companies offer up dynamic positioning, the largest point of performance failure is the electric bow thrusters. They only run for so long.”

One boater Karmis knew had spent a shiny penny adding a joystick and more to a boat with lousy thrusters, only to be frustrated when the dynamic-positioning feature failed. “It would only work for four or five minutes,” Karmis says. The system would still be trying to position the boat, but the thrusters would give out.

This is why the new Dockmate Positioning System ($17,500 plus installation; main system sold separately) has two modes. Open-water mode uses only the engines to hold the boat in place—rotating the boat into the current or wind, pretty much all day long—while close-quarters mode uses engines and thrusters for scenarios such as docking.

“We now have the only wireless-activated DPS that can be easily added to an existing boat,” says Karmis, who is national sales manager for the brand. “And our installation is like getting your teeth cleaned. Everybody else is like a root canal.”

Dynamic positioning is just the latest advancement Dockmate has made since the company came to the United States in 2018. CEO Marc Curreri says today’s boaters feel so much more confident with the ability to steer from anywhere on board that they are now considering Dockmate compatibility when deciding which boats to buy.

“We’re starting to see people coming to us and saying, ‘We’re looking at boat A and boat B. Which one do you guys interface with? Because I need a remote control,’” Curreri says. “It’s not the deciding factor, but it’s becoming a deciding factor.”

Dynamic positioning is far from the last feature the company intends to build into its remote controls. “Dockmate came to the market with more technology than what was available at the time, and it’s still advancing,” Karmis says. “We’re moving with technology and embracing everything that new technology has to offer.”

The post Dockmate’s Dynamic Positioning Upgrade appeared first on Yachting.

Garmin Quatix7

The Garmin Quatix7 Marine GPS Smartwatch lets dad manage his day on the water with connectivity to Garmin chartplotters, easy autopilot boat control, a variety of GPS mapping features and more. This GPS Smartwatch comes in three versions: Standard Edition, Pro with a crisp AMOLED display and a Solar Edition featuring solar charging for those long summer days in the sun.

Garmin inREach Mini 2 Marine Bundle

The Garmin inREach Mini 2 Marine Bundle helps keep you in touch with pop while he’s off the grid on a boating adventure. The compact satellite communicator maintains signal on the water where cell phones won’t, includes an emergency SOS messaging system to Garmin’s coordination center and boasts a battery life of up to 14 days in 10-minute tracking mode. It also offers location sharing with loved-ones at home.

Helly Hansen Men’s HP Foil HT Sailing Shorts

If he’s got the need for speed, the Helly Hansen Men’s HP Foil HT Sailing Shorts are for him. These waterproof sailing shorts are designed for inshore racing in extremely wet conditions. They include a reinforced seat and are mesh-lined for comfort. These shorts are available in sporty navy, gray fog and black styles.

Helly Hansen Men’s Crew Hooded Midlayer Jacket 2.0

For fathers with a sailor’s soul, there’s the Helly Hansen Men’s Crew Hooded Midlayer Jacket 2.0. Originally developed as a waterproof insulation layer for sailors, this jacket is waterproof, windproof and breathable. The zipper withstands corrosion and is saltwater-resistant. The jacket is available in sleek white, gray fog, cobalt 20, red, black and navy colors.

Costa Saltbreak Sunglasses

You just can’t go wrong with a cool pair of polarized shades as a gift for dad, and these Costa Saltbreak Sunglasses are no exception. These sporty shades are available in silver, tortoise, matte black and wetlands frames, each with customizable polarized glass or polarized polycarbonate lenses.

Costa Tuna Alley Sunglasses

Named after the deep-blue Bahamian waters where the Bluefin tuna migrate north, Costa’s Tuna Alley Sunglasses combine practicality and style with plenty of customization options. These shades can be personalized to match dad’s style while he’s out on the water, from solid- white frames with blue polarized lenses to blackout frames with gray polarized lenses.

Rolex Submariner

What could be a better gift than the king of watches for a king in your life? The Rolex Submariner Date is an 18 kt. white-gold statement of deep confidence. The rotatable bezel is designed for a diver to accurately and safely monitor diving time and decompression stops.The dial’s luminescent Chromalight display allows for visibility in dark environments.

Rolex Deepsea

For gift buyers wanting to go the extra nautical mile, the Rolex Deepsea is 18 karats of bright, flashy and practical yellow gold with a Cerachrom bezel insert in blue ceramic and an oyster bracelet. This is the legendary divers’ watch, filled with luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow for excellent legibility in dark conditions.

Penn Squall Lever Drag Conventional Rod & Reel Combo

The Penn Squall Lever Drag Rod & Reel is lightweight, ergonomic and corrosion-resistant. With stainless- steel gears and a high-speed gear ratio, this lever-drag is outstanding for nearshore trolling for kings and dolphins. This rod comes in medium and heavy power levels, 6- and 7-foot rod lengths as well as 15- to 30-pound and 30- to 80-pound line ratings.

YETI Tundra® 65 Marine Cooler

Help him keep his drinks cold on the water with the YETI Tundra 65 Marine Cooler. This spacious cooler can easily handle a day’s provisions for a family of four. It fits up to 77 cans or 58 pounds of ice, and the YETI Fatwall design provides 2’ of seamless insulation on the walls and bottom with 3’ of insulation on the lid.

YETI 30 oz. Rambler® Travel Mug

The YETI 30 oz Rambler Travel Mug will keep his adventure going longer. This is YETI’s biggest travel mug, providing a trip-proof grip thanks to its elevated handle. In the case of bumpy waves, its leak-resistant Stronghold lid includes dual-slider magnet technology to prevent spills.

Mustang Survival HIT Automatic Inflatable Life Jackets with Harness

The Mustang Survival HIT Automatic Inflatable Life Jacket with Harness is a boating essential and an excellent gift. This life jacket is designed for serious sailors to use in severe weather with exclusive technology that enhances safety and minimizes maintenance. Reliable automatic inflation even in severe conditions adds peace of mind to this life-saving device.

Noco Boost Pro GB150 Ultrasafe Lithium Jump Starter, 3000 Amp, 12V

The Noco Boost Pro GB150 Ultrasafe Lithium Jump Starter delivers 3,000 amps for jump starting a dead battery in seconds. It’s a powerful battery booster that doubles as a portable power source for charging USB devices or powering 12-volt devices. Perfect for dad’s car, boat, RV or truck! On top of that, the jump starter includes an ultra-bright 500 lumen LED flashlight with seven light modes, including SOS and an emergency strobe.

Fusion Marine MS-RA210 Stereo and XS Classic Speaker Kit

The Fusion Marine MS-RA210 Stereo and XS Classic Speaker Kit is a gift that will keep dad jamming while washing down the boat. Remember the Garmin Quatix7 from earlier? Advanced connectivity options give you the freedom to control this stereo from a compatible Garmin MFD, smart device or watch, making this a great gift to pair with!

Amberjack – The Loafer

It just wouldn’t be a complete father’s day gift list without mentioning some slick kicks. The Loafers by Amberjack are made with A-grade full-grain leather and sheepskin lining, and they come in a variety of colors and sizes. They are comfortable, stylish and they feature an athletic outsole with a heat-activated insole. And, after a day of cruising, they just look great when heading ashore to your favorite waterfront eatery.

The post Best Father’s Day Gifts For Boaters 2024 appeared first on Yachting.

The way Ed Kearney sees things, a new era of foiling technology has arrived. He hopes to lead it as CEO of the California startup Boundary Layer Technologies.

Military applications were the first era, in the 1970s, with foiling torpedo boats. The second era started about a decade ago, when America’s Cup teams invested heavily in foil engineering. Today, the idea is to make the technology accessible to everyone—with products like the Valo Hyperfoil, a personal watercraft that combines electric propulsion with foils for speeds approaching 35 knots.

“The silence is bizarre and exciting,” Kearney says. “You don’t even hear the water sloshing. It’s a very quiet hum of the electric motor, and then there’s the wind and the birds chirping.”

Boundary Layer Technologies was founded in 2019 and has worked on a few marine-specific concepts, including a micro container ship that could replace air freight, and a 150-passenger ferry. The costs for those prototypes were quite high for a startup, so in late 2022, the company pivoted to the recreational product. It built a prototype of the personal watercraft, then used lessons learned to create the updated design that was unveiled at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October 2023.

“Most people we spoke to—whether they were boatbuilders or yacht crew—said: ‘I think I’ve seen that thing. That’s cool,’” Kearney says.

The price point for the Valo Hyperfoil ($59,000) is more than double most traditional PWCs, but Kearney says that the company already has about 60 orders. A limited production run is expected to begin this year, with the main production run starting in 2025.

“We’ve had people ask us the dimensions to see if they will fit in the garage of their yacht,” he says. “We have customers who live on lakes. We have customers out here on San Francisco Bay. All of them like technology and want to be part of this new era in boating.”

Projected range for the Valo Hyperfoil is more than 60 nautical miles at an average speed of 27 knots. Put another way, it should run for close to two and a half hours at about 21 knots. A three-hour charging session brings the battery back to full.

And the Valo Hyperfoil can be towed or stowed in traditional ways. “You can put it in a garage or on the deck of a yacht,” Kearney says. “The foils fully retract, and the back one has a tilt system like an outboard engine.”

Keeping Balance

Ask any America’s Cup skipper, and they’ll tell you that a foiling craft can be hard to balance. That’s why the Valo Hyperfoil has a control system called Skyride that uses advanced algorithms to adjust the foils hundreds of times every second. “The control system is very hard to build, and that’s one thing we are really good at as a company,” says Ed Kearney, CEO of Boundary Layer Technologies.

The post Valo’s Foiling PWC appeared first on Yachting.

Do you know how to swing a compass on a boat? Most boaters don’t, because we’ve become so accustomed to navigating via our chart plotters and GPS that a compass these days almost seems like an afterthought. But much as we modern mariners love our electronic navigational gear, we all know darn well that one day it might not work. Software glitches, electric gremlins and hardware mishaps all happen on boats. And when they happen to your vessel’s electronics, unless you have a lot of familiar landmarks within sight, you’d better know how to use that compass. Just as importantly, you’d better know how to swing a compass on a boat so you know it will give you an accurate reading when you need it most.

What is Swinging a Compass?

All compasses are subject to deviation as the result of interference caused by metal items and/or electrical fields generated by accessory equipment and the wires that feed them. This interference can cause a compass’s reading to be off by a few degrees, or in some cases a lot more. So, all compasses are equipped for small adjustments that can compensate for this interference. Adjusting this compensation is called “swinging” the compass.

How to Swing a Compass

Swinging the compass requires a bit of very simple preparation. First, you’ll first need to choose an area where you have visible landmarks like fixed markers, lighthouses or points to steer for on headings within 10 degrees of north/south and east/west. You also need to be in an area with relatively calm waters without too much current, so your boat’s course over ground is as close as possible to the boat’s actual heading. Then, you’ll need to figure out how your specific compass is adjusted. Most of the time there will be two visible compensators that look like set-screws or visible rods with slotted screw heads, one on the front of the compass and another on the side. If it’s not obvious, refer to your owner’s manual. (If you don’t have the manual handy, a quick Google search can usually provide the answer). You’ll also need a non-magnetic screwdriver or key to turn the screws.

Once underway, take a north-south course, observe your GPS course, and compare it to your compass heading. Note: Always remember to make sure your GPS is set to magnetic north, not true north, because your compass always reads to magnetic headings. If you’re unsure how to do so, refer to your GPS’s owner’s manual.

If the GPS and compass don’t match up, turn the compensator on the side of the compass (generally called the port/starboard compensator) until the compass and the GPS agree. Then turn your boat to an east-west course. Again, match up the GPS to the compass, and if they disagree, this time turn the compensator on the front of the compass (generally called the fore/aft compensator) until the courses match up.

When you’ve performed both port/starboard and fore/aft compensations, turn the boat around and run reciprocal courses to double-check the heading accuracy.

Additional Things to Know to Swing a Compass

If you don’t have GPS, you can still swing the compass using a quality hand-bearing compass held far from any metals or accessories. You can also refer to paper charts with recorded course lines between north/south and east/west landmarks, although this will likely result in a less-accurate adjustment.

Keep in mind that what we’ve covered so far is for swinging a boat compass that has already been installed in a boat. If you’re installing a new one from scratch, you may need to rotate the compass itself, in its mounting position, before affixing it in place to get readings that are close to accurate before following this process. In this case, it’s wise to carefully select the mounting location to keep the compass as far as possible from large metal items or electrical accessories. Also remember that some electrical accessories can affect the compass intermittently, depending on when they’re in use. Windshield wiper motors, for example, are notorious for unexpectedly throwing boat compasses out of kilter.

Finally, note that compass compensators have their limits. It may differ by brand, but a 20-degree limit is common and if your compass is off by more than that, it will need to be partially rotated or mounted in a different spot.

In this age of GPS and electronic navigation, swinging a boat compass may seem quaint. But remember, when those electronics fail you, you’ll need that compass to get back to port. And an error of five degrees might not sound like too much, but if you run for 10 miles you’ll be close to a mile off from your destination. So be prepared for those software glitches, electrical gremlins and hardware mishaps, and swing your boat’s compass before you cast off the lines on your next big adventure.

The post How to Swing a Compass on a Boat appeared first on Yachting.

Eberhard Vieg, the CEO of Prebit lighting near Bonn, Germany, is blunt when describing himself and the company’s founder, Michael Woita. “We are really nerds about light,” Vieg says. “Everything on the boat can be high-end materials, but if the lighting is off, it will not appear to be nice. If you change the lighting, it makes a difference.”

Woita learned this lesson after working in the lighting industry and then buying a sailboat, Vieg says: “He found out that lighting was awful on the boat, and he decided to do something.” Woita founded Prebit about 20 years ago. “He created reading lights, and then the company developed and developed and grew.”

Its newest product is the Thoa lamp, which is a portable, rechargeable light that can be positioned anywhere on board. It’s rated IP54, which means it can handle some light spray. Prebit makes the lamp with LED, but in a way that allows it to dim like an incandescent bulb. “If you dim with an incandescent light, it gets red; it gets warmer and warmer, like candlelight,” Vieg says. “Physically, you cannot do this with a single LED. That’s the trick.”

A series of LED colors are used inside the Thoa lamp to mimic the warm fade, with an algorithm making the change seem natural. The Thoa lamp doesn’t just get lighter or darker; it creates mood lighting, including dancing, diamond-type shadows on surfaces when it’s in dimmed mode.

The team at Prebit got the idea for the Thoa lamp about three years ago, Vieg says, after a yacht owner told them what kind of mood he wanted on board. “We thought it was too important to keep it just for that, so we made a series with a complete range,” Vieg says.

Each charge lasts about eight hours, and the light recharges on an inductive pad (like a wireless charger for a smartphone). The lights can be dimmed by touching them, similar to a kitchen faucet with a sensor in it, and they can be controlled via an app. A stowable case that holds and simultaneously charges four lights is also available.

“We’re seeing the owners of big yachts coming in for this,” Vieg says, “and then they’re also buying it for their homes, to use on the terrace.”

Take the next step: Prebit Lighting

The post Onboard Ambience with Prebit’s Thoa Lamp appeared first on Yachting.

The weather is warming up and it’s time to pull that cover off your boat and celebrate the arrival of a new season, which means it’s also time to run through the boat’s spring-commissioning checklist, ensuring the boat is ready for action asap. Naturally, you want your boat to run perfectly from day one. So be sure to check all of these pre-launch boxes and ensure that your new round of boating adventures is problem-free.

Remove and Stow the Boat Cover

If you had the boat shrink-wrapped, be sure to dispose of the plastic where it will be recycled. Some marinas and marine associations have recycling programs, but it differs from one place to the next. With a little help from your good friend Google, however, you can find out where to take the shrink wrap to have it disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner in most states.

If you have a reusable boat cover, pack it into a large box or canvass bag (if possible) before stowing it away. If you just pile it into the corner of a shed or garage, there’s a good chance mice or some other critters will find it an appealing place to nest, or delightful to chew on and make holes.

Give the Boat a Quick Wash

It’s not the boat’s hull we’re concerned with at this point, but the topsides. Over the winter, an accumulation of dust and dirt is sure to have collected, and if you do all your spring commissioning on a dirty boat you’ll be grinding that grime into the deck, seats and other surfaces as you tread back and forth. So before getting to work, a brief rinse-down is in order.

Make a Thorough Visual Inspection

Go through the boat from stem to stern and look at everything. We mean e verything —open every locker and hatch, and shine some light into the darkest depths of the bilge. Even a well-covered boat is subject to winter damage from water intrusion, wildlife and insect invasions, and other unforeseen events. Now’s the time to locate and identify any damage and get the repairs underway. Also eyeball all of your vessel’s safety gear and make sure the flares and fire extinguishers are primed and are up to date. Check your boat’s fuel tanks, make sure they’re healthy and not leaking. However, if you discover an issue, here’s how to replace your boat’s fuel tanks.

De-winterize the Engines

Just how you perform this task will depend on the type and model engine(s) your boat has, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions. That said, this is usually just a matter of reversing the winterization process you followed last fall with inboard. If you have outboards, then winterization looks like this. Also, be sure to change out the oil and oil filters.

De-winterize the Boat’s Plumbing Systems

Antifreeze needs to be flushed out and replaced with fresh water, drained systems need to be refilled, and certain pumps may need to be primed. As you go through this process, also remember to open any seacocks and/or valves that may have been closed. If they are stuck or frozen, it’s time to repair or replace them.

Review the Electrical Systems

Hopefully, you had the boat’s batteries on a trickle-charger all winter, but if not, now’s the time to top them off. Then fire up the power and test every system on the boat. Flip each switch and make sure the lights are coming on, the pumps are running, the fans are blowing and the actuators are actuating. If you need to update the boat’s switching panel, you can learn how to do that here.

Paint the Hull Bottom

If you paint your boat’s hull bottom, it’s time to sand and scrape it to ensure your paint gets a solid bond to the hull. Follow these steps to prepare your boat’s hull bottom for paint. Pick the antifouling paint of your choice to avoid excessive growth during the season. There are several options and you can read about how to choose the correct bottom paint for your boating environment here.

Best Antifouling Bottom Paints

• Interlux ACT – Shop Now
• Interlux Aqua-One – Shop Now
• Interlux Micron CSC – Shop Now
• Interlux Micron Extra – Shop Now
• Interlux Trilux33 – Shop Now
  • Also available in spray can – Shop Now
• Pettit Odyssey HD – Shop Now
• Pettit Odyssey Triton – Shop Now
• Pettit Trinidad HD – Shop Now
• Pettit Vivid – Shop Now
• Pettit Hydrocoat – Shop Now
• Seahawk Biocop – Shop Now
• Seahawk Islands 44TF – Shop Now
• Seahawk ColorKote – Shop Now

Give the Boat a Thorough Wash and Wax Job

Remember, how thick and thorough a wax job you do now will determine how easy it is to keep that boat’s shiny gelcoat gleaming all summer long. And be sure to use a thick, protective paste wax. Paste wax will last a lot longer than other varieties so it should always be used for this initial base coat. Now’s not the time to cut corners with a quick-and-easy liquid wax or a combination cleaner/wax. When you’re done, it’s time to start all over again because one coat of wax is never enough, you really need two to ensure complete protection.

Best Boat Wash Soaps

• Meguiar’s M4364 Marine/RV Boat Wash – 64 Oz. Container – Shop Now
• Star Brite Concentrated Biodegradable Boat Wash – Shop Now
• Star Brite Super Orange Citrus Boat Wash & Wax – Shop Now
• Star Brite Power Pine Boat Wash Super Concentrate – Shop Now
• Orpine Boat Soap – Shop Now
• Orpine Wash & Wax 1-Gallon – Shop Now
• West Marine Heavy-Duty Boat Soap – Shop Now
• Woody Wax Boat Soap Ultra – Shop Now

Best Paste Waxes

• Collinite Heavy Duty Paste Wax – Shop Now
• West Marine Advanced Paste Wax – Shop Now
• Collinite Insulator Wax – Shop Now

Best Waxes

• Meguiar’s M6332 Marine Wax – Shop Now
• Collinite 925 Fiberglass Boat Wax – Shop Now
• 3M Marine Cleaner & Wax – Shop Now
• Star Brite One-Step Cleaner Wax – Shop Now
• Star Brite Premium Marine Polish – Shop Now
• Better Boat Marine Polish – Shop Now
• Flitz Metal, Plastic and Fiberglass Polish – Shop Now

Go for a Shakedown Cruise

Finally, it’s time for some real fun. But don’t plan for a party. You should do the shakedown cruise with a trusted companion, who knows boats and can lend a hand should any issues arise, not with a bunch of friends who are simply looking to take a boat ride. While we have our fingers crossed for you, we also need to remember that the initial spring shakedown cruise will often reveal unexpected issues. That’s why it’s always smart to take one in the first place. It’s also smart to perform a radio check before leaving the dock so you know your communications systems are in order, file a float plan with someone you trust, make sure your towing insurance is in place, stay relatively close to home, and if possible find another boater who’s ready for a shakedown and go in tandem.

Congratulations boater, you’ve made it through the winter. Now follow this spring commissioning regime, and you should be in for an awesome season out on the water.

The post Spring Commissioning Your Boat appeared first on Yachting.

The first new offering is the Seakeeper 10.5, which is for boats 50 to 62 feet long. Compared to the Seakeeper 9, it has 50 percent more gyroscopic power per cubic inch in 23 percent less volume, according to the company.

With a retail price of $124,900, the Seakeeper 10.5 has a new flywheel design that lets the motor be tucked inside the flywheel. That’s what reduces the unit’s overall height. The unit’s weight is 1,246 pounds.

The other new model is the Seakeeper 14, which is for boats 55 to 68 feet long and has a retail price of $149,900. The company says it is 43 percent smaller and 33 percent lighter than the Seakeeper 18. It, too, has the new flywheel design. Weight on this model is 1,650 pounds.

Both new models have ConnectBox integration, which means the system integrates with onboard multifunction displays (No need for yet another display at the helm.) Boat owners can control the Seakeeper either from the display or directly on the unit.

Also on both new models are field replaceable bearings. This helps with service needs.

News of these new models follows the August 2022 introduction of the Seakeeper Ride, which reduces pitch and roll on vessels 35 feet and smaller. With that product, too, company CEO Andrew Semprevivo said maximizing efficiency in a smaller package was a key goal for the brand.

“We’ve worked very hard to scale our technology down,” Semprevivo said at the time. “We needed a product that got down to 18-foot and 19-foot entry-level boats, at a price point that everyone can afford.”

The Seakeeper Ride, which helps to minimize pitch and roll, can be installed in addition to the original Seakeeper, which works to minimize only roll. The company says the dual setup enhances the Ride’s performance by 10 to 20 percent.

Overall in the company’s lineup, there are now a dozen Seakeeper models for boats of various sizes, along with three versions of the Seakeeper Ride. The Seakeepers are available for boats as large as 110 feet length overall, while the Seakeeper Rides are for boats up to 35 feet long.

What’s the biggest Seakeeper model that’s available? The Seakeeper 40. It’s for boats from 85 feet and up, with a max-out of 115 tons. Its price is $337,000.

Take the next step: go to seakeeper.com

The post Seakeeper Unveils Two New Models appeared first on Yachting.

Hauling an anchor has been enjoyed by no one, anywhere, ever. It’s a back-breaking chore that can only be resolved with one thing: an anchor windlass. But, blessing though they may be, anchor windlasses are known for having numerous issues that can stop them cold. The good news is that it’s usually easy to troubleshoot and resolve the problem in short order. Here’s how to figure out what the windlass issue is, and hopefully, get it running again.

Slip Sliding Away

When the windlass appears to be operating properly, but the rode isn’t moving, the most likely issue is a simple clutch adjustment. Check your owner’s manual for how to adjust the clutch (some windlasses have a knob you can turn by hand and others require a winch handle), tighten it up, and give it another try. If the clutch is sufficiently tight, but the windlass still isn’t taking up line, there’s a possibility that the gears are stripped, and the problem will have to be addressed back at the marina.

No Signs of Life

If you flip the switch and nothing happens at all, it’s likely an electrical issue. Step number one is to check the circuit breaker. If the breaker is popped ,reset the breaker and try again. If not, you need to ascertain why and where there is a lack of power. Use a voltmeter to check both sides of the breaker and switch to make sure they’re working properly, then check the motor itself. If there’s no power, check the cables running to the motor. If it shows power, but voltage drops way off when you hit the switch, you have a battery problem and the motor isn’t getting sufficient juice. If there’s plenty of power, the next suspect is the solenoid switch. A clicking noise is a sign that the contacts are corroded or it’s given up the ghost and needs to be replaced. The solenoid is good, but still no luck? In that case, the problem may be more significant, likely in the motor itself, and you’ll need to get that anchor up manually and call in a pro who can disassemble it and diagnose the motor problem.

Deployment Denied

When you’re trying to let out the rode and the windlass keeps clunking, but nothing else seems to be happening, there’s a good chance you have a tangle below decks. You’ll have to access the rope locker from below and straighten out the rode. If you don’t see an obvious tangle, also look for snags, as the rode can become snarled around a bolt-end or a hatch frame in the anchor locker.

Starts and Fits

Does your windlass work fine for a bit, shut off, then work again a few minutes later? If so, chances are the problem is with the operator, not the windlass. This is a sign of overloading the unit and an automatic shut-down taking place to prevent overheating and further damage. Most of the time this is caused by people using the windlass to pull the boat forward to the anchor. Remember, these units are designed to lift the anchor up, not pull your boat along and wrench the anchor out of the bottom. Next time, use the boat’s engines to pull forward while the windlass takes up slack. When the rode is vertical, cleat the line then shift the boat’s engines in reverse to pull the anchor free. Then and only then, resume operating the windlass to haul up the anchor.

What Goes Up Must Go Down

Except for when it doesn’t. When a windlass operates in one direction only, it’s usually another solenoid issue and this time the switch is stuck. It may start working again if you rap the exterior of the switch, as sometimes that will jiggle it free. This is a temporary fix at best, however, and you should replace the switch before your next cruise.

Naturally, there are other problems that can arise with a windless. Stripped gears, broken teeth and worn brushes are all issues that you might encounter. Troubleshooting and fixing these problems, however, generally require the services of a boatyard and/or replacing the unit. Which, of course, you’ll want to have happen asap—unless you’re the one person who finds hauling the anchor manually fun exercise.

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