Posts

A Sailing Rockstar - Fugoo Bluetooth Speaker Review

Image
"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." - Bob Marley Do you listen to music while you sail? Or perhaps you play tunes in the cockpit during sundowners. Maybe you like to kick some beats at the beach when you go ashore. No matter the circumstance, having a small portable Bluetooth speaker opens the possibilities for more time spent enjoying the music you like. I can hear some of you asking, "Why do I need a Bluetooth speaker when I've already got a perfectly good stereo and fixed-mount speakers on my boat?"  I can think of many advantages of a portable Bluetooth speaker for sailing. To name a few, try these: Beach music - You can bring a Bluetooth speaker with you when you go to shore. Dinghy music - Ditto. Now your dinghy has a sound system too. Dock music - Ever want to have tunes on the dock or up at the marina grill? Digital music library - Does your boat stereo have a connection for your phone or iPod? If not, a Bluetooth

Picture This: Getting to the Point

Image
Getting to the Point by K. Walters

I've seen the light - Imtra Gibraltar PowerLED

Image
For a sailboat from the late 1980's, we think s/v Bearly-A-Wake still shows and performs very well. This is partly due to the builder ( Catalina Yachts ) choosing mostly quality fittings, and largely due to regular maintenance and upgrades. One of the original fittings that still functions just fine, but actually is showing some age is the plastic light fixture in the head. The plastic casing is turning yellow and the incandescent bulbs inside are the last remaining non-LEDs in the cabin. Time for an upgrade! Out with the old... I recently removed the old plastic fixture and replaced it with Imtra's Gilbraltar PowerLED dome light. I chose the warm white with red bi-color model, so it has an on/off toggle that can switch between white light and red for times when we'll want to keep our night vision intact. Also note, this fixture has double gaskets for splash protection, so you could potentially install one in the cockpit too. Hopefully those gaskets will never get

From Dream to Reality - The BEST Sailing Locations

Image
"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." - Walt Disney I've been pondering favorite sailing locations and am finding it difficult to narrow the list to a reasonable number. I'm beginning to realize that the problem isn't necessarily that the Great Lakes are an amazing cruising ground (they are!) full of "best locations", but rather that my true favorites are usually the last place we visited or the next place we're planning to sail to. The reality is that the memories of quality family time spent  getting there  and being there make just about any place we've sailed part of my "best" list. Old Walt had it right when he singled out people as the key ingredient. Still, I'll give it a shot to identify just one location in response to LOOK's quest to find the world's best/most exotic sailing locations (see here ) based solely on places

Deck Shoes or Dive Boots? Zhik ZK Boatshoe Review

Image
If you're at all familiar with footwear for sailing from Zhik , their line of boots probably comes to mind first. But they also make a couple styles of deck shoes. I've recently been trying out the Zhik ZK Boatshoe and have to say, so far I'm impressed. The look of the ZK Boatshoe is fairly traditional (think Sperry Topsider/Sebago Docksides), but the build and materials are unique. Instead of canvas or leather, Zhik uses perforated neoprene for the uppers. The neoprene gives a snug and spongey feel and holds your foot firmly in place over the sole, but the upper stretches and contorts to your movements. I know that sounds strange, but it's actually really comfortable. The "ZK sole" uses a proprietary rubber formula to give excellent grip in wet conditions. It's a sticky sort of feel and is really reassuring on fiberglass and smooth surfaces. I'm not sure how long they'll stay sticky, particularly if I continue wearing them on the dock and o