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3 Must-Have Gear Items

These new products can add to your boating fun and give you better peace of mind.

Tiwal 3.2 Sailing Dinghy

The Tiwal 3.2 sailing dinghy collapses for easy stowage in about 15 minutes. (Setup takes the same amount of time.)

We’re always on the lookout for cool new stuff to add to our boating stores. Here are three new gear items that caught our attention:

• The Ditch Kit. Should disaster strike, this buoyant kit can be quickly thrown into a life raft. The Ditch Kit ranges from $700 to $2,700 and includes everything from flares and whistles to sat phones, EPIRBs and VHFs. “It can be flipped upside down and shaken up and everything will be in its designated place when you open it,” the designer says. A lifetime product notification service alerts owners when items in their kits, like flares, need to be replaced. Learn more at www.theditchkit.com

• Tiwal 3.2 Sailing Dinghy. This inflatable sailing dinghy from Tiwal Designs ($5,950) was named innovation of the year by our sister publication Sailing World. It’s 10½ feet high with a sail area of 75 square feet and can carry two adults (or one adult and two children). When you’ve had enough fun, the craft collapses to fit inside two 59-by-16-by-14-inch bags (one for the body and another for the rigging). Once you get the hang of assembly and disassembly, it will take you about 15 minutes to set up and another 15 minutes to stow, the folks at Tiwal say. Check it out at www.tiwal.com

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• Torqeedo Ultralight 403 Kayak Motor. Kayaking is a great way to get a water’s-eye view, but novice kayakers may fear that a strong current, stiff breeze or fatigued arms will leave them adrift. An electric Ultralight 403 kayak motor ($600) from Torqeedo fits any size kayak via a mounting bracket and gives paddlers peace of mind by powering them home at a speed of about 2.5 mph for 26 miles on a single battery charge. For additional range, pack the solar charger (sold separately). Details are at www.tiwal.com.

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