Product Reviews - Small Boats Magazine

DEWALT DCS334

Bill Thomas — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:06:20 +0000

While jigsaws are handy around the house, they are nearly indispensable for boat work, in the shop, and any time clean, precise cuts are needed in plywood, solid lumber, composites, and sheet metal. With the proper blade, the DeWalt does all these jobs well.

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Preval Sprayer

Kent and Audrey Lewis — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:06:10 +0000

One of our favorite tools is the Preval Sprayer, a versatile and portable aerosol spray gun ideal for applying finishes to small areas or complex surfaces like the interior of a lapstrake hull with closely spaced frames, or when just a touch-up is required.

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Mustang Survival Quadra Dry Suit

Christopher Cunningham — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 18:49:29 +0000

Some of my most memorable and exciting sailing, rowing, and paddling outings have been in the “off season” when the water is cold and the spray is flying. What has made those outings thrilling—rather than worrisome and risky—has been a dry suit. After 35 years of enjoying the comfort and margin of safety they provide, I’m now on my third, a Quadra by Mustang Survival.

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NEBO Omni 2K Work Light

Jasmine Thomas — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 18:47:50 +0000

The Omni 2K is cordless and features two lamps that can be angled independently, allowing you to direct the light with precision. Like most work lights, it can be used hands free: its handles, which are magnetized on their long end and have non-slip rubber-coated corners, can be used to hang the 8-oz light, or can be hinged open to create a stable stand.

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RTIC Road Trip Travel Mug

Kent and Audrey Lewis — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 18:37:57 +0000

We have had the mugs for a year and have used them extensively. They have consistently kept hot drinks hot through a morning sail, and cold drinks cold through a long hot day. They have stood up well, and the outside finish on each is neither chipped nor worn.

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The C-Monsta

Ben Fuller — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 18:37:47 +0000

Enter the C-Monsta. Designed by a Scottish surfer and marketed to fellow surfers, the C-Monsta is an all-in-one hanger for booties, gloves, and wetsuit. When it first popped up in my internet feed I immediately thought, “paddling gear.”

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Cleaning Sails

Ben Fuller — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 17:48:53 +0000

I’d never seen a sail so discolored with mouse urine. It was a mess. I took some photos and sent them to our local sailmakers. No one wanted to touch it. None of them would be set up for laundering until the fall, and the sail was really nasty. It was no good; I was done. It was time to add a new sail to the boat budget and put off sailing for another season.

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Hooway 7×50 Marine Binoculars

Jenny Bennett — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 17:48:36 +0000

The Hooway binoculars come with everything you need: a stiff nylon carrying case with a 1 1⁄2″-wide web shoulder strap and a belt loop on the back; a narrow nylon strap with a 1 3⁄4″ bright-yellow nylon pad to go behind the neck; an eyepiece cap; objective lens caps; a lens cleaning cloth; two replacement batteries (needed for the compass and rangefinder lighting system); and a nine-page instruction manual.

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The Ronstan Battlestick

Kent and Audrey Lewis — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 15:59:55 +0000

Depending on the number of crew and the wind conditions, we’ve found that a tiller extension is often useful for attaining good balance and trim while maintaining precise control of the rudder. The most versatile extension that we have come across is the Ronstan Battlestick

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Jorgensen’s 60-1/2 Block Plane

Bill Thomas — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 15:59:25 +0000

I teach mostly introduction-level boatbuilding and woodworking courses and encourage students to bring some of their own tools when they can. This past summer, a couple arrived with two new Jorgensen No. 60-1/2 low-angle adjustable-mouth block planes. I like 60-1/2 low-angle block planes in general but had not seen the Jorgensen before. It turned out to be a well-made and useful tool.

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