Apps and Computer Programs

DeLorme inReach vs. Iridium Extreme

Many love the solitude that sailing offers, but not necessarily the limited (or non-existent) communications that can accompany it. For those sailors, there are...

GoFree: Simrad Nav Goes Mobile

Being natural-born skeptics, Practical Sailor testers are always pleasantly surprised when we test gear that meets-or almost meets-the hype from its makers and marketers....

Touchscreen plotter-sounder test: Simrad NSS7 vs. Raymarine e7D

Since testing the Garmin 740s (PS, November 2011) and more recently, the new hybrid-touchscreen Raymarine e7D (July 2012), Practical Sailor has had the opportunity...

Useful and Fun Nautical Apps for iPad

Instrument DisplayThese apps replicate onboard instrument displays, using the iPad’s GPS information.• Marine SailMaster HD: The Marine SailMaster HD app, designed by Leland Roys,...

PS Sea-trials the iPad and Nav Apps

Charts & TidesDeveloped by Navimatics, maker of Garmin-compatible digital charts for chartplotters, Charts & Tides is a relatively inexpensive vector-chart app ($20-$25, depending on...

PS Tests Small-screen Plotter-sounders

Raymarine A70DThe Raymarine A70D is the big brother of the A50D that Practical Sailor reviewed in June 2009, and it shares many of the...

Plotter-sounders Undergo a Battery of Tests

Fogging screens, water intrusion, poor visibility in bright sunlight, and slow redraw rates are the most common complaints we get regarding plotter-sounders. Better construction,...

Local Loft Versus Web-based Service

Not every sailor has a selection of local sailmakers to choose from. He or she must instead rely on Internet research and phone conversations...

Chandlery: August 2011

The ToolPak retails for $100 and is guaranteed to be free of defects in workmanship and materials for one year.Compared to the last toolbag...

Route-planning Software Review

For this evaluation, we decided to use the Visual Passage Planner to re-create a historic passage by Joseph Conrad in 1888. By Conrads account,...

40-Footer Boat Tours – With Some Big Surprises! | Boat Tour

Join us at the Miami Boat Show as we get on four 40-footers for boat tours! A Beneteau 37.1, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410, Dufour...