Marine Electronics

We compare a cross section of 36-inch, 3 dB VHF antennas, including the Shakespeare 5215, the Metz Manta 6, the Digital 222-VW, the GAM SS-2, and Comrod AV53BI-3. None has a convincing performance edge in our test, but for the cruising sailor who doesn't mind putting a few extra ounces aloft we like the Digital 222-VWs rugged construction best.

Circumnavigators Evans Starzinger gives Practical Sailor his unvarnished assessment of what sailing equipment holds up to the real-world tests of serious offshore cruising. Evans evaluates autopilots, winches, rope clutches, boom vangs, mainsail slides, sailing instruments, safety equipment, marine electronics, and more. His conclusion? A lot of equipment that is marketed for recreational sailors doesn't offer good value when compared to products designed for commercial, industrial, or non-marine purposes. Some of it plain doesn't work.

MARINE INSURANCE REDUXI have been reading with much interest your articles about marine insurance this year (April and May 2006).

Devices that keep your tunes dry, even when you're not.

PS gets a fix on which GPS handheld best suits the average Salty Joe.

It was mid-July 1990 on the Caicos Banks, a stretch of shallow, gin-clear water extending for about 70 miles east to west in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Along with a dozen other cruisers whod chosen to thumb our noses at hurricane season (ah, those were simpler times), we were pausing in Providenciales before heading south. …

Maptech masters the art of making sense; at 15 years old, The Capn charts a new course.

Compact, energy efficient systems offer an affordable alternative to a laptop.

Feature-filled Standard Horizon edges Icom.

With pre-recorded instructions, the rechargeable Safety Mate calmly talks you through a range of first-aid procedures, right down to counting the 30 chest compressions...