Where Credit Is Due: December 2013

Hart SystemsEdson MarineOdeo FlaresAnchorlift

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While repairing a 50-gallon water tank on my 1995 Mason, I broke the Hart Systems Tank Tender penetration tube. Since this is such a small-priced item but does so much to help with monitoring tank contents, I sent an email to Hart Systems (www.hartsystems.com) asking for help in obtaining the very small part. It was shipped to me the same day, overnight. There is no question the labor intensity was far greater than the sale of the item. Thanks to Lisa at Hart Systems for outstanding customer service.

Ron Rowe
Confetti, Mason 54 Hull 9
British Virgin Islands

The Edson Marine (www.edsonmarine.com) wheel brake knob on my 2005 Catalina 310 would just spin around without locking after the wheel was removed for a project. I emailed Edson a picture, and Ken Martin in customer service explained the problem and offered to weld the rod and knob back together at no charge, if I sent it to them. I just received it back, and it is fixed, works great, and there was no charge to me, not even for the return shipping. This says a lot about a company: quality products and extraordinary service.

Len Zawistowski
Zagloba, Catalina 310
Erie, Penn.

Where Credit Is Due: December 2013

Photo by Frank Lanier

After reading your article about Odeo Laser Flares (PS, September 2013), I ordered one online and received it promptly. However, the laser did not work. I sent an email to the manufacturer in the UK and was contacted the following day by a representative, who promised me an immediate replacement. I was then contacted by Jim O’Meara at North American Laser Flares (www.odeoflares.com), the U.S. distributor. He asked me to return the defective flare, so they could figure out what wasn’t working, and he shipped me a new flare that day. It arrived about two days later, working perfectly. It is a great product, from a company with immediate and complete customer service. Impressive.

Richard Sayre
Alchemy, Catalina Morgan 440
Via email

I purchased an Anchorlift windlass model 1200 (www.anchorlift.com) about two years ago. This spring, I discovered that oil was leaking out of the gearbox. I contacted the distributor in Florida and requested seals and gaskets to fix it. Instead, they sent me a brand-new gearbox and motor (no charge). This company really honors its warranty and has great customer support.

Pete Hammer
Moses Lake, Wash.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.