Magellan FX324 Map Color
Magellan makes a creditable comeback with this colorplotter. We found the ergonomics good, but viewing the cartography in direct sunlight was almost impossible.
Electric Bilge Pumps
All the familiar denizens—Shurflo, Rule, Lovett, West and more—showed their stuff.
Color LCD Fishfinders Under $1,000
Furuno leads the pack again with its top-performing, easy-to-operate FCV 600L, trailed closely by Garmin’s new and impressive 320C.
Chartplotter-Sounder Conversions
You can add a conversion kit and transducer to a chartplotter/radar display, and have robust sounder capabilities without needing another screen. We evaluate conversion kits from Garmin, Furuno and Raymarine.
LED Flashlights
The SureFire L1 Lumamax and the Tektite Expedition Star take Best Buy honors. Incandescents may not pale in comparison, but they're fading fast.
Just the Numbers, Please: A Stand-Alone Sounder Sampling
The Raymarine ST40 and ST60 shine in our test of nine sounders. Smaller and less expensive units from Norcross and Uniden also deserve consideration.
Monochrome GPS Plotter-Sounders
Need a sounder and a chartplotter but don’t have the space or the money for two separate units? A monochrome combination unit might be the answer. Pickin's are slim: either Garmin or Lowrance.
406 MHz EPIRBs
The ACR Global Fix 406 with internal GPS is the top pick, followed by the Pains Wessex SOS Precision. The NAT Satfind lacks an integral GPS, but has a user-changeable battery.
PS Advisor: 07/01/03
Data, Displays, and the NMEAI currently own navigation equipment from three different companies, primarily because I felt they were the best value or provided...
Integrated Instrument Systems
Here's a quick review of integrated instrument functions, a scan of what's on the market, and viewpoints from some installation pros.
O’Day 40 – A Budget Cruiser for the Bahamas
The O’Day 40 (1986) is one of those cruising sailboats that somehow slipped through the cracks of sailing history. Built during the final years...
Latest Sailboat Review
Island Packet Estero Used Boat Review
Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot, shoal-draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter. After sailing the Estero on Florida’s Sarasota Bay and inspecting its interior, construction, and systems, Practical Sailor testers noted that the shoal-water cruiser will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.