Drug-free Seasickness Solutions
Practical Sailor testers report on five alternative seasickness treatments and prevention. Acupressure bands Davis Queaz-Away and electrical stimulation bands like the ReliefBands use pressure points on the inside of the wrists to ease sickness. Queasy sailors have long turned to ginger-based remedies at sea, and Sailors Secret Ginger Caps offered relief for mild cases of seasickness, with no side effects. Two recent introductions to the market claim to use herbal therapy to prevent symptoms of seasickness. MotionEaze is a liquid solution of essential oils applied to the soft tissue under the ear lobe. Quease Ease, a cylindrical metal tube with perforations at the top like an inhaler, uses essential oil aromatherapy to relieve symtpoms.
Offshore Log: Man Overboard!
Bad news: People are still falling overboard unharnessed. Good news: Practice with good rescue techniques and gear definitely saves lives.
Marine Electronics:Garmin 48 Tops in Handheld GPS
As it is with notebook computers, GPS receivers continue to evolve into faster, smaller and more powerful devices. Our latest crop of test models...
Offshore Log:Do You Know Where Your Emergency Tiller Is?
The great racing sailor, Paul Elvstrom, preferred the superior sensitivity of tiller steering to wheel steering even on larger offshore boats. Elvstrom, however, seems...
A Shining Solution
Visibility can be a very important element when it comes to safety on the water. For that person in the water, being as visible...
Safe and Sound
As of this summer, Practical Sailor enters its fourth decade as a journal of fact and opinion pertaining to the gear and equipment we...
On The Edge
In our review of knives this month, we didn't have space to talk much about how important they are aboard a boat. They're vastly...
Not Quite A Life Raft
Following our three-part series on life rafts, we now briefly examine five inshore rescue platforms from Survival Products, Switlik and Winslow.
Putting Words into Practice
This months report on man-overboard recovery (pages 7-11) offers a chilling reminder of why our testers spend so much time evaluating jacklines, harnesses, and other equipment designed to keep us onboard. Safe recovery of a person in the water leaves little margin for error: "A two-minute spinnaker takedown can leave a victim more than a quarter-mile away," writes Technical Editor Ralph Naranjo, author of that report.
Sydney-Hobart Race: Rogue Waves Do The Damage
The report on the disaster that took six lives points the finger more directly at gear and seamanship than yacht design.
Solo Ocean Sailing: Expert Tactics & Survival Tips for Sailing Alone...
Thinking about sailing solo across the ocean? Whether you're planning your first solo passage or looking to refine your offshore sailing skills, this video...
Latest Sailboat Review
Hunter 45DS Used Boat Review
Hunter Marine unveiled its latest large cruising monohull, the Hunter 45DS, in late 2007. The boat is essentially an upgrade of the 44DS, with twin wheels, a new transom, new styling, and a roomier, reconfigured interior. Hunter has sold 152 hulls since the boats debut, making it a fairly successful endeavor. To increase the Hunter 45DSs interior volume, designer Glenn Henderson opted for relatively high freeboard and additional length. Henderson also matched a nearly elliptical rudder with a smaller keel. The 54-horsepower Yanmar auxiliary engine moved the Hunter through calm water at 8 knots at 3,000 rpm. Testers sailed the 45-footer in flat water and 13.5 knots of wind, making 5.8 knots and were able to tack through 110 degrees. The current base price of the Hunter is $268,990.