Practical Sailor's gear and boat reviews take the guesswork out of your buying decisions.

Volume 32
Number 9
September 2006

Make Some Noise

With so many types of sound signals, we set out to see which is the best.

Among inexpensive sound signal devices, gas-powered horns are hard to beat—and darn near all the same. Whistles are better left clipped to life jackets, as Practical Sailor found out in our last test, published Sept. 1, 2002.

Gas-powered air horns offer the loudest signal with the best range, but gas refills are a must.

Collisions are among the most devastating problems that can occur at sea. Collision avoidance is the fundamental rationale for keeping a watch. An aid to the human eye is radar, which has line-of-sight range to the horizon, and even can "see" through fog and the darkness of night. Other devices include the CARD (collision avoidance radar detector), which alerts you, on your small boat, that a vessel with radar is around. …

Subscriber Login
Purchase selection
Subscribe to Practical Sailor
Click Here to download Adobe Acrobat

Say Yes to Practical Sailor and get 4 Free Gifts

Email:

First Name:

Last Name:

Address 1:

Address 2:

City:

State Zip: