Marine Electronics

Handheld VHF Radios: Standard Horizon, Icom Dominate

The Icom IC-M1V takes top performance honors. Standard Horizon's HX350S is a Best Buy, and there are several honorable mentions.

Choose Your Own Seductions

Here's a letter and response we were going to run in Mailport this month, but we'll run it in this space instead: ----------As I...

To See and Be Seen

In the course of running the scientific evaluation of the Tri-Lens radar reflector featured in Practical Sailor's August 15, 2001 issue, Dick Honey, former senior principal scientist at SRI, sent us the following thoughts on the nature of radar reflection and detection at sea.

Family Radios

The Motorola TalkAbout takes the top spot among seven sets of these close-range alternatives to VHF radios and cell phones.

Five GPS Handhelds

Yes, it's again time to look at handheld GPS receivers, which have now officially become a consumer commodity. Sales of receivers to hikers,...

Electric Propulsion: Solomon Technologies’ High-Wire Act

It's powerful, quiet, renewable, and sometimes even free. It doesn't pollute. How severe are the drawbacks? That depends on several of your thresholds.

Website Shopping at the Big Four

West Marine's site has been carefully developed and tended for years, and it shows, across the board. The BoatU.S. site is also well-polished.

Ozone Machine Update

Quantum's odor- and mildew-destroying machines get a fresh evaluation.

Fixed-Mount VHF Radios: Icom Dominates

Out of 11 models that went on the bench, Icom had three that shined. Standard also did well. Digitial Selective Calling still has a way to go.

Tri-Lens Radar Reflector

Marine radar is of two types: X-band and S-band. The former is the type commonly carried aboard small boats.

You Can’t Insure Old Sailboats… Right?

Are older sailboats really uninsurable? If you’ve been shopping for a 20, 30, or even 40-year-old sailboat, you’ve probably seen the warnings online: “Insurance...

Latest Sailboat Review

Irwin Citation 38 Used Boat Review

As the largest of the Citations, the Irwin Citation 38 is probably the best looking, handling the high-sidedness better than her smaller sisters. The boat has three windows set in the sheer stripe on each side, so they are not very noticeable. Like the other Citations it is distinctly modern-looking not pretty, but not ugly either.