Best Fixed-Mount VHF: Icom M302
With better basic audio and transceiver performance, the Icom M302 surpasses more full-featured competitors in our test of units under $160. Standard Horizon's Quest is a close runner-up, and Raymarine's Ray 48 comes up short.
Big-Screen Chartplotters Under $2,000
Standard Horizon is right on target with its highly rated CP1000C. It bests two other value-priced, 10-inch plotters.
Large Screen Chartplotters
With its excellent user interface and large display, the Raymarine C120 squeaks by Furuno's GP1900C in a test of four big-screen units.
DC-to-AC Power Inverter Test
We gave our 30-amp shore cord a rest for a while as we tested six of the most popular 2000-watt DC power inverters in the marine market.
The TillerMate
How many times have you wished for an additional hand on board so that you could leave the helm, if only for a moment?...
Mariner’s Edge
On several occasions in the past Practical Sailor has taken approving note of electronic instruments imported by David Laylin, who runs a company called...
Weather Receivers
Garmin's GDL series requires a subscription fee, but offers a wider range of marine weather information than Furuno's Fax 30—and it's in color.
Garmin GPS 60
When we published our most recent review of handheld GPS units (see PS Oct. 15, 2004), we didn't include the new GPS 60 from...
Standard Horizon CP1000C
Standard Horizon stormed into the GPS chartplotting arena in 2001 with the introduction of its monochrome CP150. At the time, it was the least...
Skywatch Windmate
We like gadgets, particularly versatile ones that offer redundancy for other on-board systems. The Skywatch Windmate, made by JDC Electronic SA comes in...
Marinas Are Quietly Banning Older Boats
Are marinas starting to quietly ban older boats? Across California and other high-demand coastal areas, boat owners are reporting increasing difficulty getting slips for...
Latest Sailboat Review
Morgan 34 Used Boat Review
By today's standards, the Morgan 34 is a small boat, comparable in accommodations to a lot of 30-footers. When the boat was designed, she was as big as most other boats of her overall length. In profile, the boat has a sweeping, moderately concave sheer. The ends of the boat are beautifully balanced: the bow profile is a slight convex curve, the overhanging counter aft is slightly concave. Esthetically, hull shapes of this period from the best designers are still hard to beat.