Monochrome GPS Plotter-Sounders
Need a sounder and a chartplotter but don’t have the space or the money for two separate units? A monochrome combination unit might be the answer. Pickin's are slim: either Garmin or Lowrance.
Offshore Log: A Pitch for Adjusting Pitch
We shouldn't take prop pitch for granted. The Max-Prop VP prop is adjustable underwater. It costs a lot, but so does a haulout.
406 MHz EPIRBs
The ACR Global Fix 406 with internal GPS is the top pick, followed by the Pains Wessex SOS Precision. The NAT Satfind lacks an integral GPS, but has a user-changeable battery.
PS Advisor: 07/01/03
Data, Displays, and the NMEAI currently own navigation equipment from three different companies, primarily because I felt they were the best value or provided...
Flamestop
There are some things you can’t have too many of. Fire extinguishers are a good example. A fire extinguisher is most effective when...
Offshore Log: Fit To Be Tied
Musicians practice their scales, wrestlers their grips. No reason why sailors shouldn't go back to the primer once in a while, and review how best to keep a boat secured to something solid.
Offshore Log: Gelcoat Maintenance
Practical Sailor's guide to bringing back a gelcoat and keeping it glossy.
Chart Kits
It's still important to carry paper charts, and it can be a pleasure, not just a duty. Maptech's market share and attention to detail are hard to beat, but some of the more local publishers also have much to offer.
The Moorings in Belize
This company is a powerhouse, but can any charter operation keep everything nailed down on a complex boat in a remote part of the world? Even if they can, is it worth it?
Glove Up!
There's a big market these days for "exam" gloves—the kind that used to be reserved for doctors and dentists, but are now used...
How Long Do Sails Last?
How long do sails actually last? Sailmakers often say cruising sails last around 10–15 years, but what happens when you discover a sail that’s...
Latest Sailboat Review
Jeanneau 55 Boat Review
This recent sailboat from Jeanneau may as well be a spaceship. They’ve taken all the time-honored designs of a monohull aft cockpit and turned...