Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Flieger Watch Face

The Flieger watch face as seen on the Seiko 5 is an excellent analog style for precise low light timing to the second. Best results are obtained by recording seconds first then minutes of time. Give the Flieger analog a go on the next time, speed, distance, and ETA calculation.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Manual Hand Drill




The hand drill offers a manual option for drilling into many materials found onboard. The Stanley has a metal gear and holds up to higher torques. The Fiskars is more ergonomic and will not pinch the fingers but does have the downside of plastic gears which will not be strong enough for higher torque applications. Both the Stanley and Fiskars drill nicely through aluminum. Using a sharp cobalt drill bit is an easy way to improve the drilling performance. So consider the manual drill the next time drilling and tapping is needed on the mast or boom.

Monday, April 9, 2012

A Fine Navigation Pencil


Laying down a track with a Pentel P207 mechanical pencil is a fine smooth experience for the navigator. The Pentel P207 tip is perfect for sliding along a straight edge and the 0.7 mm lead is fine yet won't dig into the chart. Use Pentel AIN/AIN STEIN replacement leads to insure best fit and smoothest line.