Quick 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
If your one decipherable radio station recycles only Top 40 tunes, then it’s time to bring the sweet sound of Sirius Satellite Radio to your boat with Shakespeare’s Galaxy SRA-10 satellite radio antenna. Its 5″-diameter head features a UV-resistant housing that won’t turn yellow in the sun. The package includes 25′ of low-loss microcable with connectors and a plastic flange mount, but the antenna can also be fitted to one of Shakespeare’s other mounts or extension masts. No separate power cable is needed. Price: $195, not including Sirius subscription fees. Contact Shakespeare at 800/800-9008, www.shakespeare-ce.com.
Dig It
Looking for a low-cost anchor that delivers good performance? How about a model that’s two anchors in one? Then check out the SportBubble. It features a buoyancy bubble that turns the anchor upright and keeps it in this position while in the water. You can also assemble the plow in an inverted position to make it work as a beach anchor or spike. The SportBubble is available in two sizes: for boats up to 20′ and boats 21′ to 30′. Plus, it’s made from industrial-strength steel and galvanized to resist rust. Price: $64 to $79. Contact Anchor Concepts at 888/282-2535, www.anchorconcepts.com.
Seat of Power
When battling a frisky fish, your fighting chair should make the struggle easier, not harder. With a 2’2″ turn radius, the stainless-steel Model FCC-130 chair from Nautical Design does just that. Lower the radius to 1’10” to give yourself more swivel room in a tight cockpit. The knockdown feature swings the footrest completely under the chair or lets you break down the footrest to stow it in a 4″-by-1’2″-by-2″ compartment. Price: $2,699. Contact Nautical Design at 724/368-9400.
Watery Image
Thanks to the Bluefin VX2000 Pro Travel Package, Hollywood may see more aspiring filmmakers-arriving by boat. According to the company, this lighting system and aluminum housing duo lets you operate a Sony VX2000 camcorder underwater, giving greater control of manual functions so you can produce high-quality videos. The package includes a zoom-through wide-angle lens that improves clarity and professional-grade lights that provide better color temperature. Price: Bluefin VX2000 Pro Travel Package, $6,899; Sony VX2000 camera, $2,999. Contact Light & Motion at 831/645-1525, www.uwimaging.com.
Keep an Eye Out
While watching sailboats drifting in the distance, you nearly sideswipe a neighboring buoy. With the Si-Tex T-1500 series of radars, you can track close-by and far-off obstacles simultaneously on a high-resolution, color 15″ screen. The radars use varying colors to depict the different strengths of returning echoes. You can also track 10 designated targets and access information about their distance, speed, bearing, course, and closest point of approach. A built-in alarm system sounds if you risk a collision or lose a target. Price: $9,395 to $14,595. Contact Si-Tex at 727/576-5734, www.si-tex.com.
