Personal Gear & Apparel

The holiday gift-giving season has arrived! And this year, instead of offering a rundown of nautical gift ideas, we asked our editors and writers to sort through the hundreds of products weve tested and find the sailing goodies theyd most like to unwrap this holiday. Editors gift picks ranged from Nigel Calders best-selling boat owners manual and a must-have toolbag to a Magma grill, a VHF radio, galley essentials, and sailing apparel.

Gone are the days when casting off dock lines meant disconnecting from the digital world, but that hasn't changed the fact that electronics and water don't mix. Sailors need to protect their gadgets-iPhones, iPads, Kindles, Droid phones-from the dangers of life at sea, including spray, rain, salt, and accidental freefalls onto the deck. Dozens of products claim such protection, but which ones can you trust? Practical Sailor tested a sampling of waterproof bags and cases marketed for use with cell phones, digital tablets, and e-readers. The test field included products from AquaPac, Aryca, Watershed, LifeProof, and Lifedge.

Practical Sailor testers put the Soul through its paces last spring during a cool-weather sail, a SUP paddle, and a windsurfing excursion on the chilly Chesapeake Bay. They compared its performance, construction quality, and features to our reigning favorite drysuit, the Gill Breathable Pro, which was rated the highest for its warmth, comfort, and versatility in our March 2009 test of wetsuits and drysuits. Unlike a wetsuit, drysuits keep all water out, and unlike survival suits, drysuits allow more freedom of movement.

In 2003, Matt Rutherford made a sight unseen commitment to cruising from his home in Ohio. Over the phone, he bought a Coronado 25 located in Trappe, Md. The boat needed a lot of TLC. He fixed what he could and learned to do without what he couldn’t afford.

Practical Sailor tested and compared the Camet men’s Rio sailing shorts to the field of sailing shorts reported on in the March 2012 issue, including the Best Choice Gill men’s performance padded shorts. Testers looked at style, price, UV protection, construction, abrasion resistance, dry time, comfort, odor, and pads.

No matter whether aboard a racing dinghy or an ocean-romping supermaxi, repeatedly scooching across a nonskid deck or sitting for long periods on the rail will take its toll on your backside and thighs. Padded, quick-dry sailing shorts can significantly reduce the discomfort. Practical Sailor tested eight pairs of sailing shorts from top sailing-apparel makers, including Camet, Gill, Harken, Helly Hansen, Henri Lloyd, Sailing Angles, and Zhik. We looked at fit, price, construction, abrasion resistance, drying time, features, comfort, and padding.

Practical Sailor Chandlery: February 2012. This month reviews include: Sailor Gloves, Plumbers Putty, and more!

With numerous types of spotlights flooding the market, Practical Sailor testers narrowed the test field to seven LED spotlights from manufacturers that have done well in our past tests: West Marine, Sirius, Coleman, Brinkmann, and Streamlight. Prices ranged from $50 to $150, and all but one test light had a rechargeable battery. The evaluation focused on several key criteria in choosing the best spotlight: ergonomics, beam pattern, beam luminance, beam effectiveness at a distance, and service time (how long to half strength and how long to recharge).

Testers evaluated a number of spotlight features. Although some points such as ergonomics involved a small degree of subjectivity, features such as brightness carried much heavier weighting in the final ratings. Here is what we looked at: Ergonomics. Some models merely have an on–off switch; others add one or two controls to change power, or activate a strobe feature, or turn on a red beam. There were, however, as many configurations of use and meaning of the switches as there were spotlights. Testers concentrated on how these are used: Is one–hand operation possible? Are the controls logically placed? Do they snap into position, providing satisfying feedback? Can the light be turned on by accident, possibly leading to a depleted battery?

Practical Sailor tested more than 20 phosphate-free body washes, shower gels, bar soaps, and body wipes to see what keeps us clean and green onboard, whether we’re washing our bodies in salt water or fresh water. We looked at ingredients, price, pH levels, lather qualities, ease of rinsing with limited water, and performance. Body washes such as Dr. Bronner’s, Campsuds, and All Terrain Wonder Wash suggested multi-uses including body washing, laundry and dish washing. Savon de Mer, Sea to Summit Trek and Travel, and Davis Aqua Lather promote body washing in both salt and fresh water. Testers liked both products from Avalon Organics, and liked the price point value of Whole Foods 365 Shower Gel.