We asked a range of active bluewater cruisers to recommend their recent top deck gear purchases – the results range from top down furlers to anchors to inflatable cockpit lights.
Yachting World readers can be found all over the globe, some chilling out in the Med and the Caribbean, others pushing their boats and themselves to the limit in high latitudes exploration or among seldom visited Pacific outposts. We regularly reach out for views and opinions on items of gear and equipment – here’s the latest collation of bluewater cruisers’ top deck gear recommendations.
Erik Lindgren, Baltic 56 Spirit V – The Lindgrens have cruised and raced their Baltic before doing four Atlantic crossings. Having sailed with the World ARC to Australia, they left Spirit in Brisbane and are now back in Sweden.
Antal Hook
“The Antal Hook is a simple, light and inexpensive movable block. The model we use is called HK16 and replaces a normal (and much more expensive) snatch block in various situations. We use it mainly for the preventer, barber-hauler, jib-inhauler and when mooring (to avoid chafe).”
Price €89.30 (ex vat) www.antal.it
Stern anchor arm
“Our custom-made anchor arm for a stern anchor has been invaluable in the Pacific. It was fantastic when anchoring in the Galapagos, Marquesas and all the other areas where you require a stern anchor to keep the bow into the in-coming swell, or when there is no room for boats to swing. The arm gives us the possibility to have a good-sized stern anchor with 20m of chain plus rope.
Stern anchor arm aboard Spirit.
“Almost all other boats in the World ARC had issues with stern anchors that were too small and/or had no chain. A few anchors were lost due to lack of chain and ropes chafing on coral. We slept better than most others!”
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