Keven Talks Sails: Headstay Sag
Every boat with a jib attached to a stay has headstay sag. If every boat has it, what does it do, and how do you control it.
Indie Marine brings Team O lifejackets to Canada
Its first featured product line is the TeamO Marine Inflatable PFDs from the UK, equipped with a potential life saving technology called BackTow. Currently TeamO Inflatable PFDs are the only products in the world that has this ground-breaking technology, and the primary reason why Indie Marine has brought them to the Canadian boating and sailing community.
Books: Sea Over Bow – A North Atlantic Crossing
She never imagined herself on a sailboat, much less in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. “… a wave breaks right over us with a mighty crash. The boat shudders sickeningly, then is still for a moment, and water pours out through the scuppers. Then it all starts again…
Keven Talks Sails: Mast Bend explained
Everyone is always talking about mast bend; what is it, and what does it do? There are two types of mast bend. Fore and aft bend, and sideways bend. Sideways bend, in the below photo, is the least common type of bend that sailors talk about, unless they are in some particular racing classes where it can help tune the sails.
Keven talks sails: Sail Handling of Modern Asymmetric Spinnakers
Everyone who is ordering a new Asymmetric Spinnaker always ask about how they should handle it. What are the available methods these days? Nothing, Retrieval Lines, Snuffers, Bottom Up Furling, Top Down Furling, Luff Loaded Top Down Furling.
Want to be a better linesman? Know your ropes and where to use them.
On Port Credit YC’s regular Online Wednesday night speaker series, Morten Fogh and Cam Copeland from Fogh Marine shared some of the secrets from the Geek World of Ropes. Not to be selfish, I thought I would share some of their knowledge with you.
Making Sense of Modern Asymmetric Spinnakers
Modern asymmetric spinnakers are likely the sail with the most different available versions to choose from, and this makes them a bit confusing for most sailors. Let’s start with the names of the different asymmetric spinnakers.
Keven talks sails: The Racing In and Outs of Headsail Furling
This month I will discuss some tactical reasons for wanting to be able to roller furl or reef the headsail. Most modern furling systems are so reliable and easy to use, that you can furl or unfurl the headsail in seconds.
Keven talks sails: The Ins and Outs of Headsail Furling
Many of my club and distance racing customers show up at the loft asking for a full-hoist, deck-tacked genoa to fit on their headsail furler, but bypass the drum to get the clew low. I always ask; “Does the furling not work?”. “No it works, but the last sail we had cut for furling didn’t point very well and the UV cover on the sail was really heavy.”
Keven talks sails: The Ups and Downs of Mainsails
Many of my customers show up at the loft complaining that their main doesn’t hoist or douse very well. Here is my checklist for an easy hoisting mainsail…
Manson Supreme Anchor Holds Roberts 44 Through Hurricane Sally
PENSACOLA. FLORIDA (USA) – The owner of a Roberts DS440 credits his Manson Supreme Anchor with keeping his steel sailboat seaworthy when Category 2 Hurricane Sally struck the Florida panhandle on September 16.
Shurhold Brushes Take Abuse
Tasked with scrubbing non-skid and hardware during frequent routine maintenance, few tools take the abuse that a boat brush does. Many begin to lose bristles as soon as they’re put into use. Others are simply too coarse to clean delicate, easily scratched surfaces like gelcoat, paint and vinyl graphics.
Keven talks sails: The Main thing
CUST “I have a J/32, do weeknight JAM races and thinking about LOSHR and some club point to point events and a few weekend trips to NOTL and hopefully a Thousand Islands tour next year.”
Spinlock XTX Softgrip Clutches
Drawing on experience in both mechanical and textile product design the new XTX Soft Grip Clutch uses a combination of new materials to offer mid load rope holding in a lightweight, compact device.
Safety: Sailing Plan app for power or sail
The Sailing Plan is a Canadian small vessel safety app that is a fast and easy-to-use tool for creating, filing and sharing sailing plans before heading out on the water.
MagicEzy Hairline Fix
Developed in Australia available at marine dealers across Canada, MagicEzy fiberglass repair products allow even novice repairers to easily fix hairline cracks, chips, holes and other surface damage.