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[November 14, 2005]We Test: Bushnell Yardage Pro Sport 450 range findersHow far?
Sick and tired of trying to guess how far it is to a marker, bridge, or lighthouse? Judging distance on the water is tough, but Bushnell's new Yardage Pro Sport 450 range finders ($254) turns estimation into an exact science.
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[February 1, 2003]New GearQuick Trick
Still got a muscle cramp from pushing and pulling the hull scraper when you decommissioned your boat? Instead, get your boat ready for storage in a jiffy with Speedblade. It's a handheld 12-volt scraper that removes hard fouling from your hull, props, docks, pilings, and running gear. According to the company, the scraper won't chip paint or gel coat and can be used underwater. Price: $499. Contact Speedblade at 706/216-3538, www.speedbladeinc.com.
Songbird
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[March 1, 2002]Buoyant SpiritWhy buy a float marker? It seemed to me that an old bleach bottle would work perfectly. To test this theory, I pit my float bottle against Seaccon Marine's new float marker, The Bomb.
Ten drop and retrieves proved the larger-diameter bleach bottle had a shorter average reel-in time of 35 seconds versus The Bomb's 42 seconds. But that edge melted away when line spilled off the bottle, requiring six minutes to untangle. The Bomb is shaped like a large spool, so 120' of 130-pound test line can't fall off.
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[December 1, 2001]Hold, PleaseFor years I've stowed my cell phone and handheld GPS in cupholders near the helm. Where else can you put these need-'em-fast gadgets? But they banged around loose, or flew onto the deck when the going got rough. To stave the damage, I tried Cockpit Mounts by Saeng/TA, which are intended for motorcycles and ATVs.
These black aluminum arms are held to the console by an adhesive base, or clamped to a grabrail or T-top. It supports a 2"-by-3" platform with a universal joint. Gear is held down by hook-and-loop fabric and an additional rubber security band ($6), which I recommend.



