Color GPS Chartplotters
The Standard Horizon CP150C is a Best Buy. The small Si-Tex and Garmin units are also strong. At the higher end we like the Simrad machine, but wish it could run Garmin's BlueChart.
Hand Warmers
Cold hands and feet can be debilitating and dangerous when you're trying to get things done at the beginning or the end of the sailing season. We like the Grabber Mycoal pouches, but the other brand names work well, too.
Offshore Log: Open Class Monohulls
While the attention of much of the sailing world in February was focused on the America's Cup matches, a very different group of boats was leaving on the next leg of their 29,000-mile odyssey around the world.
Offshore Log: Kiwi Spars, Hatches, and Pumps
From the most traditional polished metal galley pumps to the latest carbon fiber tech, New Zealand has a good grip on the marine gear marketplace. Nick Nicholson continues his series.
Chandlery: 02/15/03
PDA/GPS/Charting Package, ACR ThermaBlanket, Tool Leash
Offshore Log: More Kiwi Companies
Last month, we started a survey of marine manufacturers in New Zealand that are riding, and sometimes creating, the wave of sailing technology that is rolling around the world. Here are a few more.
Restoring Decks: Nonskid Options
We evaluated four paints, 10 additives, and three mats for slip resistance, ease of application, and appearance. Treadmaster's mat still rules, in our view. West Marine's paint is a Best Buy.
Life Rafts
Winslow still leads, but the gap narrows. Viking's RescYou Pro earns a Best Buy.
Offshore Log: Made In New Zealand
Sailors shopping for boat gear get a lot of bang for the buck in this sailing-crazy island nation.
Weems & Plath GPS Plotter
We regularly point out that chart plotters, GPS receivers, and navigation software should be thought of as supplements to—and not replacements for—paper charts, even...
$40,000 for a 40 Foot Cruiser? The Bristol 40 Reality Check
You can find Bristol 39s and Bristol 40s for around $40,000 — and at first glance, that sounds like one of the best deals...
Latest Sailboat Review
Tartan 33 Used Boat Review
In 1978, Tartan brought out the Tartan Ten, a 33', fairly light, fractionally-rigged "offshore one design." The boat was a huge success: fast, easy to sail, and unencumbered by the design limitations of a rating rule. But the Tartan Ten had one big problem: limited accommodations with stooping headroom, an interior most kindly described as spartan. A hardy crew could take the Tartan Ten on a multi-day race such as the Mackinac, and you might even coax your family aboard for a weekend of camping out. But cruising or extended racing in comfort? Forget it!