GMDSS: Mass Confusion?

Recently we received the following e-mail from reader Gerard Lacroix, asking questions about radio communications that must be on the minds of others. Your...

Handbearing Compasses: Plastimo Iris

One of the most time-consuming chores at Practical Sailor is finding, selecting and assembling the products to be tested. Even before we figure out...

Offshore Log: An Evolution in EPIRBs

New GPS-connected EPIRBs and ACR's forthcoming Personal Locator Beacon promise to improve search and rescue operations at sea.

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.

Banish Junky Anchor Rode Markers

For the boat owner who thinks he has everything, there is yet still another bit of electronic wizardry…a widget that tells you how much...

Mailport 08/01/00

Handheld GPSI have the greatest respect for the equipment reviews in Practical Sailor, but I think that you overlooked very critical attributes for your...

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...

Light Dimmer and Motor Controller

Occasionally, there are times when you would like to control the lighting brightness in the cabin-intimate settings, night sailing without adequate red lights in...

Offshore Log: Essential Forecasting Tools

Our years of sailing in New England and the Caribbean, with their stable, predictable weather patterns, left us ill-prepared to deal with the vagaries...

Why Sailors Still Want This Slow Old Cruiser – Down East...

In this Practical Sailor boat tour, we take a deep look at the Downeaster 38, also known as the Down East 38, a classic...

Latest Sailboat Reviews

C&C 40 Used Boat Review

While C&C did not invent the racer/cruiser, the Canadian-based company has remained dedicated for two decades to the concept of the dual-purpose boat. With the notable exception of a few pure cruisers-the relatively low-performance Landfall 35, 42, 43, and 48-a racer-based cruising boat (the Landfall 38), and a real oddball (the Mega 30), most C&Cs have paid at least lip service to contemporary trends in racing boats.