Raritan Engineering Company

Your Seacocks Analysts Know That Boat Fenders Do Not Have to Be a Big Problem  Raritan Engineering Company  would like to share with you this week some awesome information on seacocks. My main problem with boat fenders is that they appear to violate the cardinal rule of cruising: any object you bring on the boat should serve at least two purposes (the way your crewmate's favorite yellow shirt makes a great “Q” flag). Recently facing a shortage of fenders, I came upon a temporary substitute-heavy-duty dry bags. Filled with air, these simple roll-top bags work just like inflatable fenders. Someone industrious, of course, could insert an inflatable urethane liner into a more rugged, welded PVC dry bag, and achieve the same result. The outer bag could be easily fitted with web eyes for securing drop lines.  Durability is a question. I'm not sure how long a conventional dry bag will hold up when used as a fender. If they are constructed with a material similar to that used to...

Your Seacocks Professionals Make Those Difficult Sailing Conditions Look Much Easier With These Tips   Raritan Engineering Company your seacocks  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to get through those low pressure situations. Your seacocks experts know that in conditions which are typical of the leading edge of a fast moving South Atlantic low, it is the ability to regulate speed and the level of attack which is being tested for the skippers at the top of the Vendee Globe fleet this morning. Winds are reported to be from just east of north at 25kts, with relatively flat water. The speedo on board Alex Thomson's race leading Hugo Boss has been hovering around 24-25kts for a 30 minute period and the British skipper is 112 miles ahead of second placed Armel Le Cléac'h on the early morning ranking. On seas, which are still relatively calm, the monohulls have ideal conditions to threaten the 24-h...

  Your TruDesign Specialists Say It Is Not As Easy As You Think   Raritan Engineering Company your TruDesign  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to properly balance weight on your boat. Your TruDesign experts know that when you see pictures of top pro teams hiking upwind, shoulder to shoulder, head to toes, know that they're not doing it for the photographer. It's fast. Your marine supplies New Orleans analysts know that setting up where your crew is positioned might seem straightforward, but if you look more closely at the differences in how your boat reacts by moving crew around and experimenting, you might find there's a better setup for your crew weight placement to get maximum speed upwind.  Use the widest part of the boat. It seems pretty basic, and maximum beam won't necessarily be the exact spot to place crew, but situating the crew at the boat's widest part will get thei...

Your TruDesign Analysts Are Always Looking Out for Your Safety  Raritan Engineering Company  would like to share with you this week information regarding life jackets. Rule one: Wear a personal flotation device (PFD). Rule two: Wear the right PFD for your on-the-water activity. Rule three: Know what to do when your PFD prevents your rescue or self-rescue. Testing any sailing equipment entails a high degree of responsibility, but this is especially true of safety equipment. A tragic accident off the coast of Costa Rica this week called to mind an important study that Practical Sailor did in March of 2013 on the trouble that life jackets can pose to sailors in the event of a capsize.  In the tense video footage captured by an American tourist we see exactly how it can happen. The added buoyancy of the jacket inhibits the camera person's ability to dive under and get free of the hull and superstructure of the tour boat (a power catamaran, in this case).  Your TruDesign Expert...

Your Marine Head Units Specialists Say That Kiteboarding Can Be As Simple As Sailing  Raritan Engineering Company your marine head units  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the excitement of kiteboarding. World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing, claims that Kiteboarding on water is a discipline of sailing, and as such falls under the jurisdiction of World Sailing. IFKO's Paes Fernandes considers that riders must be unconditionally free to participate in any national or international competitions without fear of penalties from organizations or sponsors. Your marine heads units experts know that the GKA will be sanctioned by World Sailing to run World Championships and World Cup events in the Kiteboarding expression performance disciplines of wave, strapless freestyle, big air and twintip-freestyle and slider/obstacle events. Simply put, California has tons of places to go kit...

Your Electric Toilets Specialists Discuss the Pros of Buying Your First Atlantes Freedom Marine Toilet What is Vortex-Vac Technology? There are several ways to create a vacuum in a toilet. A traditional vacuum toilet utilizes a stored vacuum created by a positive displacement pump. Such systems require vacuum tanks and external pumps and controls. Raritan's Vortex-Vac creates its vacuum by using the vortex pump mounted inside the bowl. This creates an on-demand instantaneous vacuum eliminating the need for external vacuum pumps, tanks and other mechanical components that can fail. This makes a system that is easier to install with significant savings. Our Vortex-Vac flushing technology is also the quietest and most efficient in its class. Its low water usage also extends the useful capacity of your holding tank. Contact Raritan Engineering at  http://www.raritaneng.com/  and get more information and assistance regarding the Atlantes Freedom Marine Toilet.

Your Marine Parts Source Specialists Know That Sailing Season Is Upon Us   Raritan Engineering Company your marine parts source  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the question, “is sailing really that difficult?” Your marine products for sale specialists know that fall appears to finally be upon us. As I write, the temperature is not in the 80s, the sky is overcast and the trees are shedding their leaves, finally. I am still buzzing after sailing the foiling cats at the Red Bull Foiling Generation 'go for a sail' event last Monday.  Halloween, cleaning up after Halloween, Veterans Day…really, go and check out Warrior Sailing. Think you're having a bad hair day? Honestly, this is a fantastic, real way to really thank these men and women for their service.  Then there is Thanksgiving, shopping, Christmas present wrapping, New Year's Eve and related hangover recovery, skiing, and maybe Key ...

  Your Marine Heads Analysts Know That This Can Sometimes Seem Difficult Raritan Engineering Company  your marine heads distributor would like to share with you this week some valuable points regarding how to clean your ropes easily .  If you didn't remove your running rigging last winter, then there is a good chance you'll be coming back to sheets and halyards coated in dirt, mold, and mildew. So with those cautions placed in mind for us, what are some pointers and reminders that we need to have before trying to clean our boat ropes? Let us continue reading on and see how we can clean our ropes just like the professionals do. • Wash only with a very mild detergent. For relatively new ropes, this means something like Woolite or a half-dose of a modern laundry detergent. For the first few years, ropes still contain thread coatings and lubricants from the factory that provide an easy hand, as well as offer some protection from UV radiation, abrasion, and water absorption. Wa...

Your Marine Heads Professionals Suggest That Sailing Can Be a Positive Influence In Your Child's Life Raritan Engineering Company your marine heads  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how sailing can enrich the lives of our youth. Your marine heads experts know that Sir Russell Coutts, chief executive officer of the America's Cup, and the most successful sailor in America's Cup history, has a personal passion for the AC Endeavour Programme. Here he tells why in The Royal Gazette: Sailing has always been a very important part of my life and my inspiration for many years. Sailing has the power to inspire, to educate and motivate kids in a very powerful way and introducing youth to sailing in a place like Bermuda is a project that I personally thought was an incredible opportunity, one we could not miss. The core of the AC Endeavour Programme is the STEAM curriculum, using sailing as a backdrop ...

Your Marine Water Heaters Experts Suggest Doing Your Homework Beforehand Raritan Engineering Company your marine water heaters  specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding mastering choppy southern seas. Your marine water heaters professionals know that once they have reached the Southern Ocean, the solo sailors have to deal with a series of low-pressure systems for a month or more. From the islands of Tristan da Cunha and Gough to Cape Horn, they have around 12,000 miles to sail along the wall of ice marking the limit of the ice drifting up from the Antarctic. In the space of barely one month, the competitors go from the cold Vendée weather to the torrid heat of the equator, tropical downpours and then back into the icy conditions of the Antarctic. The Southern Ocean represents nearly 3/5th of the round the world voyage with a series of low-pressure systems rolling out of Brazil, Madagascar and New Zealand. ...

  Your Marine Parts Professionals Say That Winning Is Within Your Reach  Raritan Engineering Company your marine parts  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding crucial racing maneuvers that can help you to win. They Key to Better Spinnaker Sets In this series, we’ve already covered tacks and jibes. Now for a few words on spinnakers. Your marine parts experts know that for the most part, the key principles apply to both asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers. Get Prepared Early If you’re waiting until the weather leg to get things hooked up, you’re too late. I’m a big fan of launching from the forward hatch, just like the big boys do (even on older designs). Everything can be hooked up before the start, except for the spinnaker halyard on boats using genoas. If you have more than one spinnaker, get your tactician/speed doctor to choose a sail before the sta...

Your Marine Parts Specialists Understand The Need For Pet Lovers to Bring Them On Board   Raritan Engineering Company your marine parts  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the steps needed in order to bring your pets along with you on sailing trips.  Who wouldn’t want to take their favourite furry friend on their nautical travels? Your marine parts experts know that it can be done, just make sure you comply with the rules and regulations and are fully prepped to take pets on board before you leave Your marine products distributors professionals agree that boating with pets on board can be a truly fantastic experience. Who wouldn’t want to take their favourite furry friend on their nautical travels?  Documentation Before you set sail, there are strict rules with which you must comply in order to keep your pet firmly on deck. When travelling with animals you are obliged to meet...

  Your Marine Parts Depot Specialists Understand That Maintenance Is Going to Need Some Elbow Grease Raritan Engineering Company  your marine parts depot analysts would like to share with you this information regarding the secrets of dealing with pesky waterline stains.  Summer is here, and our routine maintenance chores now require some serious elbow grease. Our first impulse is to go for the super-strength acids that will take care of the hard growth as well as the stains.  Over the years, Practical Sailor has reviewed several eco-friendly products that do a good job of descaling heat exchangers and removing barnacles.  Other products like Star brite Zebra Mussel and Barnacle Remover or MaryKate On & Off deal with shell and scale well, but they contain stronger concentrations of hydrochloric acid that give off toxic fumes and are beastly to work with.  Green Cleaners The trouble with brown-yellow waterline stains is that they’re often made up of more than o...

Your Marine Ice Makers Analysts Know How Important It Is to Replenish Your Energy Raritan Engineering Company your marine ice makers  specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to pack food for your next long sailing trip. You probably have never asked yourself what you are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner between 6th November and late January or early February 2017, but this is something the Vendée Globe skippers have to think about well in advance. They also have to take into account different considerations from us. Firstly, they need to eat more to compensate for the energy they require, which is much more than someone sitting in an office.  Freeze-dried food and ready meals Plan for more? It’s not as simple as that. They want to have just the right amount, as they have to pay attention to the weight taken aboard, as this can seriously affect performance. Your marine parts a...

  Your Boat Cleaning Products Analysts Know We All Like The Shiny, Wet Paint Look to Last and Last Raritan Engineering Company  would love to share with you the following information regarding boat cleaning products and how to make your new paint job last for a long time. The results derived from a professionally applied LPU topside refinish are as dramatic as the invoice that accompanies the makeover. The shiny, wet look and the protection it affords can last for years whether its three years, five years, or nearly a decade depends upon how kindly the rejuvenated surface is treated. Giving your topsides proper maintenance attention, like waxing regularly, will keep them looking healthy. During application: Most well-executed LPU paint jobs begin with epoxy primers and fairing compounds as the underpinnings of a glistening LPU topcoat. Cleaning: Regularly sponge washing the hull is the first step in preserving the topcoat shine. Avoid cleaning with scrub pads and gritty cleane...

Your Boat Toilets Experts Discuss Navigation Control   Raritan Engineering Company your  boat toilets  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how easy it is to do your own marine charting.  Your boat toilets experts know that the latest enhancement to electronic charting technology gives boaters the ability to instantly create their own high-resolution marine charts — cartography with more detail and up-to-date depth data than anything you can buy off the shelf. This is real-time charting that you can utilize immediately and in the future. Humminbird AutoChart Live Activating live-charting functions is as easy as pressing a few buttons on the touchscreen menu of your compatible plotter or fish-finder system.  Humminbird’s AutoChart Live and Garmin’s Quickdraw Contours are free. An ­annual ­subscription to the Navionics Freshest Data club is needed to use SonarChart ...

  Your Marine Parts Source Analysts Help You to Make Your Boat Look Amazing Raritan Engineering Company  would like to share with you this week some powerful tips on how to make and keep your sail boat looking amazing. Your marine parts source specialists know that as good a job as the Badger does, however, setting up and cleaning the tool is a multi-step process. In the interest of simplicity, we have also outlined an alternative method of repairing gelcoat—applying gelcoat with a brush instead of with a spray gun. The advantage of “painting” gelcoat on is that you save the $17 price of an airbrush and the hassle of setup and cleanup. However, you can't finish the job in one sitting; the gelcoat must be brushed on in several coats to achieve good coverage.  Fortunately there is an even better solution, the Preval Sprayer. The Preval combines the best of the Badger and the paint brush. It's quick to set up and clean, and provides adequate coverage in a single appl...

Your Marine Products Pro Shop Knows What All the Professional Sailors Keep In Their Pockets   Raritan Engineering Company your macerator pump  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding essential tools not to leave at home when sailing.  Your macerator pump experts know that YBW asked professional and amateur sailors what they kept in their sailing jacket pocket when they are out on the water. What do you keep in yours?  5 things in my pocket: Knife – I never sail without a knife Phone – Especially if I am sailing on the coast. It also has my nav software on there and I can get weather information Waterproof case for the phone, as electronics and seawater don't mix Piece of flapjack which has to be homemade Cup of tea…it's not really in your pocket…oh..perhaps a compass. Dee Caffari Dee Caffari has sailed around the world five times. Your marine parts suppliers professionals know that in 2006, she bec...

Your Marine Toilet Experts Understand That Vision Impaired Sailors Are Some of the Most Enthusiastic  Raritan Engineering Company  your marine toilet professionals keep you well informed about the fact that being visually impaired doesn't have to mean retirement from sailing. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to run a North U Match Racing Clinic for the vision impaired sailors preparing for the 2016 World Sailing Blind Match Racing World Championship, being held September 21-25 at the Sheboygan Yacht Club in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The clinic was in the Sonars they are racing in the Worlds, with three sailors to a boat. The skipper is required to be 100% blind, and the two others can have varying degrees of vision impairment. They had some goggles I could wear to experience what their vision ability was like. One common view is like looking through wax paper. You can make out shades and rough shapes, but there is no clarity.  They use two marks to form their starting li...

Your Marine Hardware Analysts Say Survival Education Is Necessary Raritan Engineering Company your marine hardware  experts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to survive a boat capsizing. Your marine hardware specialists know that an investigation is underway after a yacht carrying 30 people capsized in San Francisco Bay. Eight people, including three children, needed hospital treatment. The 34-foot yacht, Khaleesi, capsized 100 yards from Pier 45 in San Francisco Bay, throwing 30 people, including three children, into the water.  Go to http://www.raritaneng.com/ and see how you can find more information as well as get assistance on marine hardware and on how to survive a boat capsizing. Your marine hardware professionals know that at the time, the yacht had 27 adults and three children, on board. Both the US Coast Guard and the San Francisco Fire Department responded to the incident, along with many so-calle...

Your Macerating Toilet Professionals Talk About Some Major Racing Rule Changes Raritan Engineering Company your macerating toilet  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how racing rule adjustments will help increase female participation. Your macerating toilet experts understand that the Volvo Ocean Race is making a major rule change to give world-class female sailors a much clearer pathway to compete at the highest level of offshore sailing in the 2017-18 edition. The possible crew combinations for 2017-18 will be: 7 men 7 men and 1 or 2 women 7 women and 1 or 2 men 5 men and 5 women 11 women Your pump toilet professionals know that teams will be able to change their crew combinations from leg to leg in the race, which starts from Alicante in October 2017 and visits 11 cities around the globe, but as in previous editions, teams will be required have the same crewmembers on board for the In-Port Race...

Your Marine Holding Tanks Analysts Understand That You May Not Be a Fan of LPG Systems on Boats   Raritan Engineering Company  would love to share with you this week this amazing information on marine holding tanks and on how double-checking your propane tanks for leaks is very important. After my recent post on portable marine heaters and insulation, a few people asked our opinion of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) heaters. Simply stated: We are not fans of portable LPG systems on boats. A boat fire in New England last month offered a pretty good example of the risks inherent with this type of equipment.  In the first part of our upcoming series of tests of propane system equipment, marine surveyor Capt. Frank Lanier outlines the basics of marine propane systems. Because propane is heavier than air, it can slip into the bilge undetected, where a spark can set the boat ablaze. Propane locker explosions have also occurred.  Here are some of his observations on propane safety: Every ...

Your Marine Products Specialists Appreciate the Importance of a Group Effort   Raritan Engineering Company your marine products  analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the importance of teamwork to victory. Your marine products experts know that the member lounge in the San Diego YC is typically the site of quiet conversations or restful reading. Last spring, it served as Ground Zero for five teams taking steps to excel in the 2011 Etchells World Championship. Your marine supplies professionals know that the genesis for the group was earlier in the year when Bill Hardesty, who won the Worlds in 2008, started to focus his efforts on winning another title. While the purpose of our group was to be prepared to compete in the Worlds, our goal was really to be our very best for one week. It could have been any event.  One early key to the program's success was establishing a routine. At our morning meeting w...