Goods & Gear

BY RANDY WOODS

Snack smartly with Neptune’s fish jerky

Sometimes it’s hard to find snacks the whole family can enjoy without loads of fat and sugar. That’s why California-based Neptune Snacks created these dried fish jerky bites sourced from sustainable West Coast fisheries. You can even track the source of your snack through Neptune’s “Find Your Fish” QR code on every pack. Made from responsibly caught wild Alaskan pollock and Pacific rockfish, these healthy snacks are high in Omega-3 oils and pack in 25 grams of protein, all with less than 90 calories per serving. Available in four mouth-watering flavors— sea salt and juniper, spicy Cajun, cracked pepper, and sweet citrus ginger— these Neptune treats a perfect for a nutritious pick-me-up after a day of summertime fun. $8 per 2.2-ounce pack; $28 for 4-pack; $50 for 8-pack // neptunesnacks.com.

‘Hook, Line & Supper’ will reel in your tastebuds

Summertime, and the living is… fishy. Fishy recipes, that is. The recently published book Hook, Line & Supper: New Techniques and Master Recipes for Everything Caught in Lakes, Rivers and Streams, and At Sea by celebrated chef, hunter, angler, and forager Hank Shaw will be an indispensable guide to all your catch-and-cook adventures this season. Written for those who may be intimidated by what to do with a trout staring back at them, this book takes the worry out of preparing seafood with Shaw dividing the book into freshwater and saltwater fish recipe sections, making it easier to broaden recipes for a range of tastes. Whether you’ve brought aboard frozen filets or just hauled a live one onto your aft deck, this book provides all you need to cut, clean, and prepare it for your next sumptuous seafood supper. $30 // honest-food.net/hank-shaw-books.

Vinglacé makes Champagne totally chill

When bringing bubbly on board, one must have the right equipment to keep it properly chilled—something that may be difficult in a cramped galley or flybridge wet bar. The Vinglacé portable bottle insulator can keep any wine, Champagne, or sparkling water chilled for hours without the need for refrigeration. Made of stainless steel, the vessel is double-walled and vacuum insulated to protect pre-chilled beverages from warm salty air. The adjustable top screws up or down to fit most bottle sizes and keeps a tight seal. Lightweight and easy to carry, the chiller allows you to keep cold drinks on any deck to keep the party going. Available in a choice of a dozen tasteful colors, $89.95 // vinglace.com.

Made in the ShadeFin

August is always the sunniest month of the year in the Northwest, that rare time when the area’s most sensitive-skinned boaters need sun protection. Since shade is scarce on the open water, TACO Marine offers the ShadeFin Boat Shade, which can attach to most rod-holders, T-tops, or gunnels and provide 30 square feet of cooling shade. Once secured, the ShadeFin’s anodized-aluminum structural ribs can be unfurled and locked in to reveal durable WeatherMax 3D fabric panels (in white or black), providing a UPF 50+ sun protection rating. As the sun moves through the sky, the portable, 12-pound shade can be moved to different mounting locations and later folded up for easy storage on the way back to the dock. $1,099.99-$1,199.99 // Available at area West Marine stores, tacomarine.com/shade-store.

Everybody must get coned

Some things just don’t need much explanation. Airhead’s latest water toy, The Big Orange Cone, is, well… a big orange cone. And it floats on the water. Named one of the Top Products for 2021 by Boating Industry magazine, the inflatable cone holds up to four riders and can be towed like an innertube via a Kwik-Connect tow point. Standing about 5 feet high when fully inflated, the cone has eight foam-padded handles to hold onto and a lip around the bottom where people can stand and surf the wake. Made of 30-gauge PVC and a 840-denier double-stitched nylon cover, this tough cone is built for hours of fun and can handle a lot of heavy traffic. $460.79 // airhead.com/products/ big-orange-cone.

Charge the Torqeedo, full speed ahead!

For those needing short trips ashore, this nifty little electric motor allows you to do it in style while treading lightly on the environment. The 3-hp 1103 C model, a new addition to Torqeedo’s Travel series, features an innovative, direct-drive motor design, powered by a high-capacity 915-watt-hour lithium battery. Secured by a strong aluminum pylon, the ultra-quiet 1103 C provides a 73% increase in capacity, compared to base models, and delivers 10% more power from 1,000 to 1,100 watts. A suitable power source for all small tenders, skiffs or RIBs up to 1,500 kg, the 1103 C is light enough (11 kg) to remove easily from the transom for recharging via solar panel. $2,699 // Available from Fisheries Supply in Fremont, fisheriessupply.com.