Safety & Seamanship

In an effort to keep our readers informed of happenings in the marine electronics field, Practical Sailor is constantly on the lookout for new products and those that are a good value, even though they may have been on the market for several years. This update to our list of tested plotter/ sounder combo units does just that. Editors test drove the Garmin 498C and Raymarine A65, comparing them to the top performers among small-screen plotter/sounders and large-screen plotter/sounders. The Garmin plotter/sounder faced off with the Lowrance LMS-337C DF, and the Raymarine plotter/sounder combo was compared to the Navman Trackfish 6600. Testers considered each chartplotters user-interface and viewability, as well as their depth sounder features, including ability to show bottom detail, ease of use, and array of features.

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 ranged from $260 to $700. Many of these companies also offer higher-grade, more expensive immersion suits that are aimed at commercial and search-and-rescue markets. Testers performed a thorough comparative analysis of the survival suits both in the water and on land. Details that were scrutinized included: weight, material, seam construction, zipper, reflective surface, boot and glove configuration, and air-purge valves. Testers were disappointed to find some of the suits used harnesses that could put sailors at risk.

Marine electronics companies have joined forces with the twonationally known satellite radio providers, Sirius and XM, to provide weather information and weather maps to the mariner for moderate monthly fees. In this test, Practical Sailor takes a hard look at who provides the best satellite weather service, including weather radar, geared toward cruising sailors at the best overall price. We reviewed the XM marine weather forecast using a Garmin GDL 30A weather receiver linked to a 10.5-inch Garmin 3210 multifunction display. The Sirius system was tested with a Raymarine SR100 weather receiver providing the signal to Raymarines E120 multi-function, 12-inch display.

I have little space to stow a life raft on my 30-foot Baba. On my three trips to Bermuda, I rented a valise-packed raft, tied it down, and used it as a helmsman seat. For liability reasons, most life raft manufacturers oppose sitting on the raft, but cannot explain why it is an unsafe practice. I have read too many stories of life rafts being swept off deck mounts, plus, I do not have a good place for a deck mount. In my view, there is no downside to a valise-packed raft, especially a vacuum-packed one from Winslow. I am considering one of theirs, and they will pack it to spec so I can fit it in a cockpit locker (on top of course). Most life raft makers officially support the valise for liability reasons. My only suggestion to Winslow is to include a meter of some type inside the vacuum packaging so that any moisture intrusion can be detected.

The U.S. Coast Guard, stretched to the gills by an aging fleet and Homeland Security demands, is causing a bit of a stir among cruising sailors. Citing the sorry condition of its high-frequency (HF) radio broadcast equipment, the Coast Guard is asking for public comment on the importance of its HF weather broadcasts. The wording of the request suggests that if nobody is using these weather forecasts, why bother upgrading the equipment?

For Practical Sailors six-man life raft test, the examiners looked at eight life rafts suitable for a cruising sailboat with far horizons: the DSB 6-ISAF, the Elliot 6-SOLAS, the Switlik MD-3, the Switlik SAR-6 MKII, the Viking Rescyou, the Viking Rescyou Pro, the Winslow Ocean Rescue, the Zodiac Class Ocean ISAF. A close look at the survival gear that each life raft manufacturer provides reveals that its generally left up to the owner to provide the gear that is more likely to expedite rescue (like a 406-EPIRB) or keep him alive (like a Katadyn hand-operated wate maker).

Practical Sailor likes the ability to use Navionics electronic charts, but it’s disappointing that Raytech does not support GPX data (a popular method of exchanging routes and waypoints without confusing chart datum), nor does it support freely available S-57 vector charts, the standard for government vector charts. These are both features that Practical Sailor values highly. No doubt, Raymarine’s Raytech RNS Version 6.0 has some dazzling features. But, like a lot of marine navigation programs, it is confusing to use, leading to underutilization of a great navigator’s tool.

In an era when the ordinary life ring is being replaced by a wide range of improved rescue devices, Practical Sailor tested several rescue products that boast unique advantages as man-overboard flotation and retrieval aids. We gathered two throwable man-overboard devices that use automatically inflated chambers for flotation-the TechFloat from Survival Technologies and the Lifesling Inflatable from West Marine-and one made of expanded polyethylene foam-the Personal Retriever. Each comes with floating line; the bitter end of each is intended to stay in the hands of the rescuer or be tied to the vessel. Only the TechFloat is a certified U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) personal flotation device. We also tested a fourth throwable MOB aid-the Rescue Stick by Mustang Survival. Its a different animal than the other three, but shares many of the same features.

How to choose a life raft? That is the question we answered in Part I of this series (“Choosing a Life raft,” March 2007). For Part II, we conducted a series of tests that mirrored those carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard and other certifying agencies. We asked manufacturers to send us six-man life rafts that they thought best suited a serious offshore sailor seeking a SOLAS life raft or its recreational equivalent. Six manufacturers responded to our request, sending a total of eight six-man life rafts: the 6-SOLAS from Elliot, the Switlik MD-3, the DSB ISAF, the Switlik SAR-6 MKII; the Viking RescYou (UKL), the Viking RescYou Pro (UKSL), the Winslow Ocean Rescue; and the Zodiac Class Ocean ISAF life raft. As it turned out, the life raft testers faced the very difficult task of distinguishing the best life rafts for cruising sailors among an outstanding field of entries.

At Practical Sailor, we approach every product review and test that we carry out with a high level of seriousness, and when it comes to safety gear, the level of responsibility is elevated a notch further. These are devices where the smallest detail can have grave consequences.