REFIT SPECIAL – Improve your boat (part one)

The boat, it is known, is home. And just as it happens in homes, where a renovation of furniture and appliances often rejuvenates the apartment, you will give new life to your “beloved” if you know how to choose the right accessories that are in step with the times. (photo Royal Huisman / Breed Media)

MANY SMART IDEAS
At boat shows, Like bloodhounds, we went hunting for the latest discovering that, especially in the world of onboard electronics, great strides have been made: handheld GPSs with which to control the autopilot and make satellite distress calls, VHFs that look like smartphones with which to monitor the boat even remotely, and much more.

So many new solutions were also seen in the field of on-board amenities: there are ultracompact desalinators that weigh very little and are so thin that you can hang them vertically as if they were pictures, or freshwater filters so powerful that you can forget about plastic bottles on board, happily drinking water from the tank. On deck, too, the watchword is “convenience”: electric whippers that mount on the bowsprit so that the asymmetrical furling masts are walled further out. And yet electric winches that have the motor partially recessed into the drum and thus take up very little space below deck, teak alternative linings that will make you forget its expensive maintenance but, to the eye, almost indistinguishable from real wood.

And then we touched on boat steering systems with “smart” joysticks, mooring dampers that produce power, propellers that champions mount on their ultratuned racing “monsters” but that you can mount on your cruising boat as well.
Turn the page to learn how to make your boat comfortable, functional, and modern.To make it easy for you, we have divided accessories into three sections: Comfort & Navigation, Deck, Propulsion & Mooring. In the next installment, however, you will find a further review on all the other good ideas for upgrading your boat and the right companies to turn to. Happy reading!

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COMFORT & NAVIGATION

What if you also like fishing? Raymarine’s new range of Element S displays (with 7-, 9-, and 12-inch screens) are offered at a great price (they start at around 600 euros), but that’s not the only reason to consider it for upgrading your instrument fleet: easy to use, these multifunctionals integrate High CHIRP sonar that allows you to track the seafloor to the fullest and, if, as is happening to more and more sailors you are into fishing, to locate fish down to 275 meters deep. You will only have to add the cost of the transducer. www.raymarine.it

Goodbye bacteria and mold below deck! Simple and ingenious this new air purifier for Webasto heaters designed by Bcool Engineering. “Astronautically” derived, the device, which converts water molecules into hydrogen peroxide molecules, is affordable and can be snapped onto your air heater in a snap. Goodbye bacteria, goodbye mold, goodbye bad smells below deck! www.bcoolengineering.com

More fresh water for all. How convenient the watermaker, but where do I put it on board? The problem of bulk no longer exists with Zen’s compact desalinators (models of 30 and 50 liters of fresh water per hour have been joined by one capable of producing 100 liters): their “slim” shape makes them suitable for horizontal and vertical installations. The Zen 30 weighs 19 kg, is only 10 cm thick and consumes 110 W; the 50 weighs 22 kg and is 13.3 cm thick (consumes 240 W). These two models are ideal for small to medium-sized boats. Beyond 60 feet, there is the Zen 100 that weighs 54 kg (19.6 cm thick, consumes 400 W). www.schenker.it

Pure water and zero plastic. The HP Genius water filter removes any trace of chlorine and intercepts a large number of pollutants that can contaminate fresh water on board along its journey. In addition, the bacteriostatic treatment system with silver ions sterilizes the water at the point of delivery by eliminating any bacteria that may be present in the boat’s tank. No more plastic bottles, you will have potable and mineralized water straight from the reservoir. www.shophpwatermaker.it

Much more than just a handheld GPS. Do you need a handheld GPS? Garmin’s all-new GPSMAP 86i is for you: in addition to a color screen where you can view your course and all the wireless data coming from your chartplotter (and check autopilot) it includes InReach technology that provides, via the Iridium global satellite network, sharing of your location, two-way messaging to and from any mobile device, and a 24-hour emergency service to call for help even where there is no cellular coverage. www.garmin.com/it-IT/

To get everything under control. VDO Marine, the historic brand now developed, manufactured and distributed by Swiss veratron, is back in the spotlight with instruments that are reliable, accurate and ideal for retrofit installation: Oceanlink and Acqualink are complete systems consisting of a high-visibility display with an aluminum “case” (which heats much less than plastic and lasts longer), a central sensor with fluxgate compass, GPS and three-axis accelerometer, wind sensor, and a watertight blackbox with NMEA 2000 output capable of converting any analog data (engine, levels, bilges, etc.) to digital and sending it to the chartplotter. www.veratron.com

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The super VHF that monitors your boat. It’s called Cortex the latest innovation from Vesper Marine that we recommend you consider if you’re thinking of changing your VHF: thanks to a compact waterproof black box that you install on board, you’ll have in a tool similar to a large smartphone: a very easy-to-use VHF, Class B AIS and a monitoring system for your boat, with all the relevant alarms (intrusions, movements at anchor, fumes, temperatures, batteries). The latter can, of course, also be viewed and managed remotely from your mobile device. www2.vespermarine.com

COVER

The electric whisk on the bowsprit. Do you have a bowsprit? Know that you can now arm your asymmetrics with electric blender. Bamar came up with BWS, a small motorized whisk (how convenient!) designed to be attached to the bowsprit, ideal for those who want to have the tack point of asymmetrics as far forward as possible without sacrificing the convenience of furling sails. Is designed to have the smallest possible footprint. www.bamar.it

Electric and compact. There is a lot of talk about easy sailing, but have you ever tried to caulk the sheet of a genoa on a cruising boat in 20 knots? Or hoisting the mainsail without anyone’s help when sailing with a small or inexperienced crew? Trust me, with a good electric winch you will not struggle. There is, however, the problem of winch motor encumbrances: Harken solves this with the Unipower, single gear model, which has the motor partially recessed in the drum to save space below deck. www.harken.it

Three solutions to say goodbye to teak. Teak, on boats, is no longer in fashion. Too much maintenance. If you’re thinking of giving your deck a makeover, it’s time to switch to alternative coatings that are lightweight and less susceptible to wear and tear.

Such as MarineCork(www.marinecork.com), which is a special totally “eco” cork with excellent grip that increases on wet surfaces.

Or Permateek(www.refitstyle.com), made of recyclable PVC available in many shades, featuring heat-sealed slats that block infiltration, excellent non-slip seal and UV resistance.

If, on the other hand, you want something with a more “sporty” look, you can jump on a performance anti-slip like the Seadek(www.seadek.com), made of UV-resistant closed-cell PE/EVA foam.

PROPULSION & MOORING

Do you like easy maneuvering? Do you want to switch to a joystick to maneuver in restricted waters in total comfort? It is now so easy because it is possible to install the motorboat-derived Xenta system on sailboats as well. By activating the Docking function, you can concentrate on maneuvering while leaving the system to define the thrust of the maneuvering motor and propellers, direction and amount. You will be able to pull over in any direction but also perform more complex maneuvers such as 360-degree rotations and translations on the axis of the boat. www.xentas.com

When the springer recharges you. What if instead of the classic mooring spring you opted for a model that… recharges your batteries? The Seadamp Plus shock absorber developed by Seares can harness wave-induced motion and accumulate energy and send it to on-board batteries. His secrets? High-efficiency 12- or 24VDC generators with neodymium magnets (capable of generating up to 300 W), a robust mechanical gear system, and a smart controller. www.seares.it

The helix of champions. A better propeller means less fuel consumption, more motor and sailing speed, and less maintenance. There is a reason Gori propellers are aboard the most important racing boats (the latest, in order of time, is Alex Thomson’s new IMOCA 60 flying Hugo Boss): they are champions of efficiency and low friction. We recommend the 3-blade (its size ranges from 381 to 762 mm) folding propeller that operates with the same pitch in forward and reverse (blades rotate 180 degrees). www.gori-propeller.com

More efficiency in reverse. Lower drag in sailing, higher efficiency in motoring. These are the two reasons to switch to Flexofold folding propellers: the two-blade version is also available with a composite hub for Sail Drive transmissions. The strength of the three-blade is its good reverse operation, which ensures rapid acceleration and deceleration required in maneuvering. www.ufin.com

CONTINUED…

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