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Which Radar Reflector?

A radar reflector is used to help make your vessel more identifiable by other boats and ships that use radar to scan for vessels as well as other obstructions. In the world of radar reflectors there are many, many options. For sailboats the options are narrowed down a bit, but there is still much controversy over…

Views from Aloft
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Views from Aloft

An absolutely GORGEOUS day on the bay. This trip aloft was to retrieve a skyed main halyard and conduct a basic visual safety inspection. This was our first ‘Views from Aloft’ this year, taken last month on the Magothy River in beautiful Arnold Maryland. I have to say the Island Packet 38 is one of…

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Cruisers Can Fly Spinnakers Too!

So are you sick of your jib flogging around when you turn the boat down wind? Do you dread heading down wind because you know the boat’s performance will drastically suffer? Somehow the thought of the spinnaker is always nice, but when it really comes down to it, MAN that’s a lot of work! Not…

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Tides Track and Lazy Jacks!

Can’t afford a Boom Furler? Looking for an easier way to hoist, douse, and stow your main or mizzen sails? Well there are two products that you may want to look at. They are called a Tides Marine Strong Track and our very own T.R.C. Lazy Jacks (pictured left). I do realize that many people cringe…

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Time to Burn

Team Donfeng Racing has made it to Itajaí! Incredibly the mast arrived all the way from Dubai around the same time. Since Ushuaia, most of the race team has been replaced by shore crew for the delivery to Brazil. This allowed the regular crew the opportunity for some much needed rest and the shore crew the opportunity…

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Which Sealant Should I Choose?

This is an often asked question which seems to have many different answers. Over time we have tried various sealants and have narrowed it down two primary products as our choice of sealant, 3M’s UV4000 and Boat Life Life Calk. Boat Life’s Life Calk provides a long lasting seal that stays flexible through out its lifespan….

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Rod Rigging

    In the world of sailboat standing rigging there are three common materials used, stainless steel wire, Nitronic 50 rod, and various types of synthetic fibers, which are becoming more and more popular. I want to talk today about Nitronic 50 stainless steel rod. This specific type of stainless steel is very strong and noble. Rod…

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Clear to Tack?

What are the options when considering a boat that tacks its own sails from one point-of-sail to another. Newer boats are being designed a bit more mast forward, with taller masts and bigger mainsails. These newer designs are predominately main driven and implement a smaller self-tending jib (shown below), which helps with pointing when going upwind. If you…