Hitch Your Waggoner to a Star
Don’t miss out on a chance to pick up this indispensable boating guide at this month’s Seattle Boat Show (and snag a few extra for your cruising friends). The Waggoners Cruising Guide, now in its 30th year of publication, gives you the most up-to-the-minute information about recreational sailing in the Northwest, from Alaska to the Salish Sea. The theme of this year’s anniversary edition is “Milestones in Northwest Boating,” and the indispensable guide features 500+ pages worth of vital marine details about weather resources, marina improvements, customs tips, pump-out locations, guest moorage upgrades, new boater amenities, and recommended activities. The 2024 Cruising Guide, printed by Fine Edge Publishing, also features more than 300 nautical maps, photos, and dock diagrams to help tie you up to the best slips in the region. $49 // waggonerguidebooks.com
What the Fluke? Charcuterie with a Tail!
For those who want to celebrate their fondness for the seashore in the subtlest of ways, this whimsical charcuterie board from Thatcher Ellery will evoke the haunting songs of the humpback whale while showing off your galley skills. Let your guests take a deep sounding dive into your delectable hors d’oeuvres offerings with this solid teak board, sanded to a silky soft sheen and treated with food-grade mineral oil. Hand-carved by a Cape Cod artist, these boards, measuring 23-by 7.5-inches in size, feature a handle with the unmistakable outline of a whale’s flukes poised for a plunge into the icy depths. It’s the perfect nautical accent for a ship’s salon or a seaside cabin kitchen. $98 // thatcherellery.com
Hook Yourself Some Smoked Ekone Coho
Known for decades as a farmer of fresh, locally harvested seafood snacks, such as tinned oysters, mussels, and albacore tuna, Ekone Seafood has recently added a new item to its tasty cylindrical repertoire: smoked coho salmon. Ekone, part of Taylor Shellfish Farms, now offers these salmon delicacies brined and cold-smoked, then lightly sweetened with a dash of molasses. The rich, buttery coho morsels are hand-packed into 3.5-ounce tins at the peak of freshness. The family-owned Ekone shellfish cannery, which has been operating on the shores of Willapa Bay for five generations, uses 100 percent traceable, sustainably harvested local seafood that is wild-caught and free of BPA plastic chemicals. $12.50 per tin // ekoneseafood.com
Get a Grip with Convertible Finger Gloves
Wet winter weather requires full-finger gloves to survive the chill, but that warmth often comes with a loss of dexterity. With these Traction insulated sailing gloves from Mustang Survival, you can maintain a tight hold on your lines, but still experience total manual control with the flip of a finger—or three. When you need a nimble touch, the 2.5mm neoprene thumb, index, and middle finger compartments fold back to allow direct skin contact. When closed, the AX Suede G-Series fabric and styrene-butadiene synthetic latex on the textured palm area provides an iron grip in all conditions. Tough knuckle overlays and wrist enclosures help prevent abrasions and keep hands toasty and dry. Order online or grab yourself a pair at the Fisheries Supply booth at the Seattle Boat Show. $41.24 // mustangsurvival.com
Toadfish Shines a Light in the Dark
Need a light? This versatile, USB-rechargeable Stowaway Lantern from Toadfish has got you in the spotlight. Able to fit in the palm of your hand, this lantern provides 300 lumens of LED brilliance for use as a flashlight, utility light, or safety beacon. A handy suction cup and interior magnet will attach it to most hard, metal surfaces, even when wet. A flip-up handle/kickstand also allows you to hang it from above or set it on a level surface for task lighting. With a corrosion-resistant aluminum frame and a shatterproof shell, the watertight lantern even floats if situations get really hairy. With bright, dim, flashing-SOS, and red-light modes, the Stowaway shines for up to 15 hours on a single charge. While they sold out over the holidays, the lanterns have been restocked for the new year, so act now. $55 // toadfish.com
A SeaVees Boot for All Seasons
Tough enough for today’s winter gloom, but fashionable enough for the coming spring thaw, these SeaVees Cascade Range boots may be the most comfortable boots you’ll wear this year, on deck or on shore. Available in sizes for both men and women, the footwear features grip-tight Vibram Overland outsoles and tops made with water-resistant Ventile canvas and premium workwear leather. Inside, the boots include soft insoles, a memory-foam footbed, and recycled brushed-cotton flannel linings for ultra comfort. With contrast stitching and two-tone hiker lacing, the boots have easy on/off leather pull tabs for those on the go. Also, as a member of the 1% For The Planet program, SeaVees donates one percent of its revenues to environmental causes. The Cascade Range boots are available in the outdoorsy cashew and olive color combo. $190 // seavees.com
