Race to Mackinac

Look out - here comes trouble.  Mercedes is registered in the Chicago Yacht Club 109th Race to Mackinac!  Should be fun!

Rope Clutches!

New rope clutches are on deck!  Because of Nate's help, we got 6 Spinlock XTS clutches, 2 Spinlock XXX jammers, and 3 Harken 150 cam cleats all fit and bedded.  It will be a big improvement to how the running rigging is organized and led aft to the cockpit.  Thanks, Nate!

LMSuRF February e-Newsmagazine

The February e-Newsmagazine from Lake Michigan Sail Racing Federation (LMSuRF) has just been published.  Coverage of Area III which includes St. Joseph River YC starts on page 16.  Lots of discussion about building the popularity of sailboat racing on Lake Michigan.  Take a look!  

Where to shop

When shopping for sailing gear, there is quite a bit of variance in products and prices among the primary sources, and it pays to comparison shop.  The only retail store that is close to St. Joseph is Wolf's Marine in Benton Harbor.  The store is a real eclectic experience, and if they have what you need, the prices are good.  Torresen Marine still operates a small retail store in Muskegon, but TOAD Marine Supply (in the Detroit area) bought the rights to their online business.  They have great inventory of marine engine parts and supplies.  West Marine used to have a store in Benton Harbor (where the Anchor's Way office is), but now, the closest West Marine outlets are in Michigan City and Holland.  Be careful - their prices can be high, except maybe for their own name-branded products, rebranded from various manufacturers.

Among the competing online sources, Defender Marine almost always has the best prices, and amazingly efficient order processing and shipping.  Annapolis Performance Sailing has great selection.  Mauri Pro has great selection too, but it's hard to find your way around the website, and prices tend to be high unless you hit a sale.  They bought out Layline - which had been probably the best site for line and rigging.  Other online marine stores include Performance Yacht Systems, P2 Marine, and West Marine. 

Links to the online stores of all these outfitters are at the right under "Marine Outfitters".