Gear for Battening Down Ahead of Storms

No one need lecture most sailboat owners about the profound dangers of hurricanes and tropical storms. That goes double for those whose boats are...

Trying to Reason With . . .

  Our 2008 article on hurricane gear brought back memories of one of my most terrifying cruising experiences. In 1997, Super Typhoon Paka tore through...

Medical Kits for Coastal Cruising

Practical Sailor found the quality of the contents to be high. All materials and medicines are arranged into six separate modules that keep the...

Comparing the Latest Inflatable PFDs

The PV9308 provides 40 pounds of buoyancy using the same system with two 38-gram CO2 cylinders. All the Viking CO2 cylinders are covered in...

The Art of Defying Gravity

It is easy to dismiss singlehanded ocean sailing as sheer madness. It is challenge enough to meet the sea in a small boat-why would...

Saving the Man Overboard

The Spot can even play a helpful role in emergencies. With the push of the 911 button, an automated emergency message broadcast transmits the...

Medical Kits for Onboard First-Aid

Most readers will concur that there is often certain important gear on boats that receives little attention, that is, until its needed. The storm...

ISAF Bans White Handheld Flares

White hand flares have been used for signaling since the time of Nelson and Trafalgar. They were used in Civil War times, most famously...

Marine Myth Buster: Can sun-reflective tapes also reflect ships radar?

Three common adhesive, light-reflective materials were examined: 3M Scotchlite SOLAS-A reflective tape, ACRs Res-Q reflective patches, and 3Ms Scotch-brand reflective adhesive tape. Kitchen aluminum...

Immersion Suit Test

Dominated by polyurethane-coated nylon immersion suits, the selection reflected a clear change in material preference among survival suit manufacturers. The tested immersion suits prices...

The No Expense Spared Antigua 60 Cruising Sailboat Soolaimon

Join us for a boat tour of the gorgeous Antigua 60 cruising sailboat Soolaimon. She boasts electric winches, a mighty Lofrans electric windlass, and...