Communications Options
Alongshore, you're good to go with a VHF plus Net-ready cell phone. Offshore, keep the SSB, and for heavier use include an Inmarsat system or sat phone.
Fixed-Mount VHF Radios: Icom Dominates
Out of 11 models that went on the bench, Icom had three that shined. Standard also did well. Digitial Selective Calling still has a way to go.
VHF Handhelds: Icom M-1 and Uniden HH-940 Our Top Picks
It has been several years since weve done a general review of handheld VHF radios. We did, however, review waterproof models in the November...
Offshore Log: Shurflo Pump Lacks Oomph
Our Shurflo pump has been a disappointment. At the time we installed it, it was the highest-capacity pump of its style available, and smaller...
Marine Electronics:SEA 159, Icom M45 and M49 Are Top Fixed-Mount VHF Radios
What with all the current interest in handheld GPS and LCD radar, its easy to forget that most fundamental and important piece of marine...
Marine Electronics:Garmin 48 Tops in Handheld GPS
As it is with notebook computers, GPS receivers continue to evolve into faster, smaller and more powerful devices. Our latest crop of test models...
Marine Electronics:Garmin 48 Tops in Handheld GPS
As it is with notebook computers, GPS receivers continue to evolve into faster, smaller and more powerful devices. Our latest crop of test models...
Marine Electronics:SEA 159, Icom M45 and M49 Are Top Fixed-Mount VHF Radios
What with all the current interest in handheld GPS and LCD radar, its easy to forget that most fundamental and important piece of marine...
Buyer’s Guide: Simrad CP32 and RayChart 520 Top Gray Scale GPS/Chartplotters
The Simrad CP32 and Raytheon RayChart 520 have the best combination of features and displays of 10 gray scale units tested.
Comings and Goings
Weve been aware for some years that the Loran navigation system is presumably on the way out, this despite the fact that the global...
Latest Logbook
Practical Sailor Logbook – October 2026
This month leans into used-boat value and hands-on maintenance: Tim Labute tours the traditional, shoal-draft Bayfield 32, Nick Nicholson revisits the much-requested Morgan 38/382,...
Video: Catalina 356 Review – The First Boat of the Comeback
Catalina Yachts is BACK! After a change in ownership and a pause in production, Catalina has returned to building sailboats in America, and we're...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Tartan 31 Piper: Used Boat Review
The Tartan 31 is one of the new line of performance cruising yachts from the venerable-and durable--Grand River, Ohio boatbuilder. In the last few years, Tartan Marine has come out with a range of new models, including the T-28, the 3500 and the 4600. A 41-footer is in the works. Both the 28 and the latest version of the 31 are part of the new Piper series, which are marketed in sailaway condition. Tartan has a reputation for solid construction and good workmanship and that's what the 31 is: solid and well put together. The hull is hand-laminated with alternating layers of chopped strand mat and unidirectional E glass. Behind the NPG/ISO gelcoat there's a layer of vinylester resin, which so far appears to provide the best osmotic blister protection available.
