Sea Anchors & Drogues
Sea anchors are as old as seafaring. Sailors through the ages have carried buckets, bags, cones—just about everything except the kitchen sink—and thrown them...
DeLorme inReach vs. Iridium Extreme
Many love the solitude that sailing offers, but not necessarily the limited (or non-existent) communications that can accompany it. For those sailors, there are...
What is the Best Backup for a 406 EPIRB?
Calling for help at sea is easier than ever before. And thats part of the problem.Rescue missions prompted by distress alerts from emergency position...
Buyer’s Guide: Children’s PFDs
When it comes to safety precautions, kids usually think less is better. Fortunately for them, parents (and the US Coast Guard) disagree. Since...
Review of Life jackets for Dogs
Unlike humans, dogs instinctively know how to swim and most are very good at it. However, our canine friends can't tread water forever. If...
Can Portable Flashlights Serve as MOB Lights?
During our man-overboard light testing, we also looked into the effectiveness of using a waterproof flashlight as a man-overboard signal. Most offshore sailors already...
Personal Locator Beacons
]by Doug Ritter
The advantages of 406 MHz distress alerting over 121.5 MHz are significant and they are a proven lifesaver. The 121.5 MHz EPIRB...
Brinkmann, LSI, Optronics Shine Bright in Spotlight Test
If you've ever tried to locate a channel marker on a dark night, or to read the number on an unlit buoy in the...
RAM Lights for Sailboats
We have the minimum required lights, including running lights for sailing and motoring, and an anchor light. We might even have an electronic distress...
Lifesling Goes Throwable
Were safety conscious at Practical Sailor. Readers know that, from the numerous articles about our in-the-water and bench tests. We rarely fail to comment...
Sailboat vs Fishing Boat – Rules of the Road
Join us as we explore the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and uncover the nuances of right of way between sailboats...
