Sweet Chaos
Although they might be essential safety items, those old-school PFDs have always been a bit of a drag for the fashion-conscious. After all, it’s difficult to look cool when you’ve got a foam-heavy Mae West hanging around your neck. Well, now it’s possible to remain both buoyant and stylish with Stearns’ new neoprene watersports vests, the Silent Chaos (men’s) and the Sweet Poison (women’s). These Coast Guard-approved PFDs have been designed with an internal belt construction, a stretchable Glideskin V-Flex back panel, and an innovative Exo-Skeleton neoprene chassis that provides increased mobility and a leaner, custom-fit appearance. The cool, graffiti-like graphics are even likely to turn heads and get you some attention down at the waterfront. Stearns’ Silent Chaos and Sweet Poison watersports vests sell for $89.99. (320) 252-4425, www.stearnsrec.com.
Silent Chaos and Sweet Poison PFDs
Thief Repellant
Let’s face
it. To the average fuel thief, your boat more closely resembles a giant, gas-filled piggy bank than
it does the buoyant thing of beauty to which you pay homage. With this in mind, Vetus has designed
the Fuel Safe — a simple device that foils potential petrol pilferers by preventing siphon hoses
from being inserted into the deck filler and down into your boat’s tank. Fuel Safe’s simple but
clever design allows it to be inserted quickly and easily into the fuel filler hose, and ensures
that it can’t be subsequently removed. Suitable
for both diesel and gasoline, there’s reputedly no noticeable reduction in fuel flow
when filling the tank. The Vetus Fuel Safe retails for $34.50. (410) 712-0740,
www.vetus.com.
Fishin' Fool
Why,
you might ask, upon seeing me down
by the lake, would a grown man be playing with
a remote-controlled toy boat? Especially with the feverish devotion one usually
reserves only for his own trusty rod and reel? No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke (it’s a
month
too late for one of those things, anyways) — it’s the Aviva Fishin’ Buddy ($59.95),
a remote controlled boat designed to catch fish weighing up to 2 pounds.
After inserting the Ni-MH rechargeable battery into the battery slot — which is located under the rear “seat” of the boat — I simply clip one of the two provided fishing lines onto the boat’s stern eyelet and place the antenna wire in its clear plastic sleeve. Then, I bait the hook, press the activation button on the bow, and gently set the RC boat into the water. The Fishin’ Buddy springs to life when I press the trigger-like throttle, making turns from left to right as it zips around the lake via a knob located on the remote control unit’s side. Were I to hook a fish, the 27 MHz dual-prop motor would be more than enough power to battle it back to the edge of the lake, where I’d be able to easily retrieve both boat and fish with the 41-inch telescoping retrieval hook. Of course, before I do that, I’ll probably want to be sure my fishing license is up to date. www.aviva-fishinbuddy.com, (800) 590-7600. — Edwin Childs
Hella Bright
Stop squinting and
straining your eyes while trying to read navigational charts, and instead use one of Hella Marine’s
LED Interior Lamps. These pre-wired interior lamps are ideal for your chart table, as general berth
lighting, or for some casual nighttime reading. Also available in red to better preserve your night
vision, these LED lights provide excellent lighting and increased energy efficiency with a total
current draw
of less than 2 watts. An interior lamp that’s both “hella” bright and energy
efficient — who
could ask for anything more? The Hella LED Interior Lamp costs $175. (770) 631-7560,www.hellamarine.com.
Purely H 2O
If your boat lacks a freshwater system and you don’t want to haul gallons of
water around with you, then MSR’s MIOX Water Purifier might be an ideal alternative.
Field-tested by U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, this ultralight (3.5-ounce)
handheld water purifier is roughly the
size of a magic marker, and it only requires common batteries and a small amount of
salt to run. It uses electrolysis and mixed-oxidant technology to eliminate such waterborne
pathogens as E.coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Anthrax. Not only is it safer and more effective
than using iodine or chlorine tablets to purify your water, but it’s likely to taste a lot better
too. The MSR MIOX Water Purifier sells for $139.95. (205) 505-9500,
www.msrgear.com.
Fully Wired
Tired of being
honked at by other motorists, or pulled over and fined by the police because your trailer’s
electrical system is incompatible with your tow vehicle’s lighting, braking and signaling system?
Save yourself a lot of trouble, and check out the Conntek Coiled Trailer Cord. This water- and
abrasion-resistant 16AGW/4C, four-way cable has been designed for use in the harshest of
conditions, and its two rigidly molded PVC connectors allow for secure connections compatible with
both four- and six-way plugs. Available in 8-, 10- or 12-foot lengths, prices for the Conntek
Coiled Trailer Cord start at $53. (414) 482-0800,
www.conntek.com.
Hybridized Footwear
Be rid of those
old tractionless shoes that leave you slipping and sliding all over your boat’s deck. OTB Footwear’s
The Keeper combines a traditional boat shoe’s structure and function with a sneaker’s styling and
versatility. Featuring OTB’s military-issued performance outsole, these hybridized boat shoes are
made from an oiled nubuck/ synthetic trim with full mesh vamps, tongues and collars. This pair of
shoes might be the perfect thing to keep you upright while underway. A pair of OTB’s Keepers
retails for $89.95. (866) 990-8280,
www.otbboots.com.
Compound Interest
Is your
boat’s gelcoat looking as dull as one of Ben Bernanke’s lectures on the effects of deflation in
aggregate supply and demand? Then just apply a coat of Meguiar’s M91 Power Cut Compound, which uses
diminishing abrasive technology to cut through heavily-oxidized surfaces and gelcoat defects. This
fast-acting compound removes 1000-grit sanding marks, blemishes and deep scratches — creating an
even and swirl-free finish, with a significantly reduced buffing time. And it should prove far more
entertaining than a drawn-out dissertation on macroeconomics, to be sure. A 32-ounce bottle of
Meguiar’s M91 Power Cut Compound costs $29.99. (800) 347-5700,
www.meguiars.com.
Green Screen
No
doubt about it, “ green” is the way of the future. With AMSOIL’s Propylene Glycol Antifreeze and
Engine Coolant, you can forget about ethylene glycol antifreeze and use its less-toxic propylene
cousin. This innovative formulation provides maximum protection for your engine, even in extreme
temperatures and operating conditions. Most importantly, though, it’s biodegradable and can be
disposed without any special costs or procedures. A gallon bottle of AMSOIL’s Propylene Glycol
Antifreeze and Engine Coolant costs $28. (715) 392-7101,
www.amsoil.com.