Electronics+Navigations

Wind Data from a Distance

by Adam Cort, Posted May 3, 2010

With a Racer’s Edge wind sensor from Catch the Wind Inc., it is now possible to precisely measure the wind direction and velocity hundreds of yards away. The handheld fiber-optic device—which was part of BMW Oracle’s technical arsenal for the 33rd America’s Cup—weighs about 18lb and uses a pulsating laser to detect what the wind is up to, an approach that allows it to work even in poor

Easy Reading

by Sail Staff, Posted August 10, 2010

Easy Reading Sailmon instruments are fully configurable, which means data can be presented in a range of different colors, digit sizes and orientations to meet your crew’s unique needs. Equally vibrant in the dark and in direct sunlight, the monitors can be mounted vertically or horizontally. Numbers can be sized anywhere from 1 1/2 in to 5 1/2 in, and the system is connected wirelessly over a

See the Wind at Night

by Adam Cort, Posted September 14, 2010

The new Tri-Color Anchor Navigation Light from Signal Mate uses a clear window on top to allow the white stern light to shine upward. This extra beam of light then illuminates the wind vane’s reflective patches whenever the light is on, eliminating the need to click on the anchor light to make the wind indicator visible—an incorrect and dangerous practice that can be confusing to other boats in

Safe, Sound and Visible

by Adam Cort, Posted September 14, 2010

Seaview Sail Pods from PYI house and protect your steering instruments while ensuring you can still see them clearly. Sail Pods are available in four sizes, with faceplates that can be custom pre-cut to order. Each Sail Pod comes with a UV-resistant ABS plastic housing and stainless steal rail mounts. Enclosed wire runs protect cables and sockets from moisture and snagging.A number of

Faster, Brighter and Smarter

by Tim Bartlett, Posted September 21, 2010

It’s been an interesting year for everyone interested in the future of GPS. Last year, the Government Accountability Office published a report saying that it was “uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption.” The reason, said the GAO, was that almost half the existing GPS satellites—all designed with a

Weather Alerter

by Sail Staff, Posted November 4, 2005

The clever little AM/FM LINgo Weather Alert radio automatically scans the seven NOAA weather radio channels and broadcasts local weather information and alerts, even when it’s switched off. It will store all NOAA broadcasts too, as well as displaying warnings on its LCD screen. As if that’s not enough, the maker has built in some gadgets for you to fiddle with in between forecasts—there’s a

LED Nav Lights

by Sail Staff, Posted November 4, 2005

Hella Marine’s NaviLED PRO navigation lights look tailor-made not only for trailersailers and smaller cruisers with limited battery capacity, but for offshore and bluewater boats that need to conserve energy. They come in 2- and 3-mile versions that meet all international requirements for navigation lights. They consume only one-tenth the power of their filament-bulbed equivalents and, like all

VHF Venture

by Sail Staff, Posted November 4, 2005

Navigation specialist Northstar has entered the radio market with this full-function, DSC-compliant VHF. The NS100 is a black-box unit with a remote speaker and handset. There are single ($599) or dual-station ($929) models, each with a full repertoire of U.S. and Canadian channels and an alphanumeric handset with a large display screen. Northstar; 800-628 4487;

Navigate in Style

by Sail Staff, Posted December 9, 2005

There’s more to navigating than gaping slack-jawed at a plotter screen. Keeping up the old skills just might save your bacon one day, and even if that day never comes, it’s fun to keep up a plot on a paper chart. This top-notch set of navigation instruments—parallel rules, dividers, compass—from Weems & Plath comes in a wooden case that’s ready for gift-wrapping. $99. Weems & Plath, 800-638-0428,

Pocket Navigator for Smartphones

by Sail Staff, Posted September 9, 2006

Pocket Navigator’s latest 5.0 release can run on “Smartphones”— cellphones using the Windows Mobile operating system. The test unit worked nicely with a Bluetooth wireless GPS, its 1-gigabyte memory card offered ample raster-chart storage, and the keypad-driven interface was good enough for backup plotting. But what’s really impressive is how the Pocket Navigator easily fetches and overlays NOAA