GMDSS: Mass Confusion?
Recently we received the following e-mail from reader Gerard Lacroix, asking questions about radio communications that must be on the minds of others. Your...
Standard HX350S Is Top-Rated Waterproof Handheld VHF Radio
In our bench tests of seven waterproof models, the Garmin VHF 720 and Icom M-1+ failed their dunkings.
GPS 406 MHz EPIRBs: ACR vs. NAT
ACR and National Airborne Technology have taken two distinct approaches to transmitting position data along with distress signals. We favor NATs integral GPS over ACRs peripheral connection, but its twice as expensive.
Inexpensive E-mail: Magellan GSC 100 vs. SASCO OceanMail 2000
We prefer the SASCO OceanMail 2000
In-Your-Pocket Email
PocketMail is a current favorite of coastal cruisers. It’s inexpensive and reliable. Of two PDAs tested, we prefer the Sharp TM-20 over the BackFlip.
Close As A Pencil Point
On May 1, President Clinton announced that the selective availability (SA) system used to degrade GPS (global positioning system) signals was terminated, effective at...
Offshore Log: Essential Forecasting Tools
Our years of sailing in New England and the Caribbean, with their stable, predictable weather patterns, left us ill-prepared to deal with the vagaries...
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
10 New Sailboats at the 2026 Annapolis Sailboat Show
As North America’s largest sail exhibition, the Annapolis Sailboat Show always delivers a bevy of new boats. This year’s October 15-18 run didn’t disappoint,...
