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...
Offshore Log: Robertson AP 300CS on Trial. Bob Earns His Keep
Our trip from Venezuela to Bonaire was the first real test of Bob, our Robertson AP 300CX autopilot. He passed with flying colors.Although I...
Offshore Log: Robertson AP 300CS on Trial. Bob Earns His Keep
Our trip from Venezuela to Bonaire was the first real test of Bob, our Robertson AP 300CX autopilot. He passed with flying colors.Although I...
Jeppesen and The Cap’n Top Picks For Electronic Charting
It wasnt very many years ago that the only tools a boater needed for navigation were a compass, some paper charts, a pair of...
Nexus Best Buy in Integrated Instruments
Today's systems are generally excellent, but sorting through them is very confusing.
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.
Top 10 Products for 1999
Our annual selection of outstanding equipment, headlined this year by the Spade anchor, Nexus instruments and the Isotemp water heater.
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...
This “Bulletproof” Cruiser Has a Serious Weak Spot Caliber 40 LRC...
If you’re shopping for a serious cruising sailboat, the Caliber 40 LRC is often described as “bulletproof.” Heavy displacement, huge tankage, conservative construction, and...
Latest Sailboat Review
Union 36 Used Boat Review
While not the best boat for light-air sailing, the Union 36 is a good sailboat for the bluewater cruiser. It wont get you there fast, but it will get you there comfortably and in one piece. The boats teak decks and lavish use of interior wood is attractive but requires much upkeep and maintenance. A product of the Taiwan-U.S. boatbuilding industry, the Union 36 is a heavy-displacement, full-keel, cutter-rigged double-ender designed for ocean sailing. The Union 36 is nearly identical to several other boats built during the same period: the Hans Christian 36, Mariner Polaris 36, and the EO36. According to well-known naval architect Bob Perry, the Union 36 and its cousins are all based on the design of a 34-footer that Perry was commissioned to create back in the early 70s.