Product Profiles

Issue 126: May/June 2019

Protect a jib’s head from sunburn

Most roller-furling headsails have fabric strips sewn to the leech and foot to protect the furled sail from ultraviolet radiation (UV). At the head of the sail, though, the webbing loop by which the sail
is shackled to the upper swivel remains exposed and subject to UV degradation. That’s where the JibCap comes in.

The JibCap is a wrap made of Sunbrella to cover and protect the webbing loop. Installation is straightforward: A small upper flap is placed through the shackle, and larger flaps from both sides wrap completely around the head and secure with Velcro. The webbing loop on our genoa is secured to a stainless steel ring that attaches to the shackle, so we placed the upper flap through the ring. The instructions say to wrap the head of the sail above the luff tape, but if the luff tape extends too close to the head to allow this, the JibCap may be wrapped completely around the foil. That’s how we installed it, and the JibCap appears to work as promised. We’ve raised the sail and furled it with no problems, and our webbing loop is now protected.

For more information: jibcap.com. —Tom Wells, Good Old Boat contributing editor

Relocatable, portable storage

The SeaSucker Large Dry Box sticks to varnished teak, fiberglass and gelcoat, glass, stainless steel, tile, and aluminum masts. I know because I tested it on each surface for 24 hours. It is also waterproof — I submerged it in my boat’s bathtub for the same length of time. The holding power comes from a 4 1⁄2-inch-diameter flexible vacuum cup activated by hand-pumping a small piston, which draws a vacuum and holds the box in place. The manufacturer claims this box (7 7⁄8 x 4 7⁄8 x 3 1⁄2 inches) will support 40 pounds. I tested it with two 8-pound bricks and it held fine. I tested only this box, but Seasucker offers many other products for boats, all employing its vacuum-mounting system.

For more information: seasucker.com. —Roger Hughes, Good Old Boat contributor

Binnacle mount for portable devices

Tablets and mobile phones with nautical-chart apps installed are proven backups (even replacements) for fixed chart plotters. BinnacleMate+ is a system that allows a mobile device to be powered, protected, and mounted near the helm. The back of the mount includes a removable 10,000-mAh “Powerbank” with two USB outlets for plugging in.

I found the installation easy. The “Grip” clamps firmly to nearly any size binnacle tubing or rail. To attach the “Base” (which houses the Powerbank) to the Grip, I had to apply even pressure until I heard a solid click — easy enough to do once I got the hang of it. I then selected a “Mount,” enclosed my device, and attached it to the Base, again with a solid click.

The touchscreens performed well through the clear-vinyl cover, but sunlight reflecting off the cover affected their readability, as I expected. The mount is solid and did not vibrate while the boat was under way.
For more information: binnaclemate.com. —Jerry Thompson, Good Old Boat contributor