Looking to illuminate your foredeck without chewing through batteries? Petzls new Tikka XP LED headlamp cranks out a blinding (literally) 35 lumens at its maximum-brightness setting and sports three other brightness levelsoptimum, economic, and boost. The unit’s clear-plastic slide converts the illumination from a spot beam to the diffused lighting that is optimal for chart work. The headlamp
For most Americans, nano entered their lexicon when Apple first introduced its tiny iPod. Now nano has entered the sailing vocabulary, as in nano-tube-enhanced carbon-fiber spars. Its a technology that could eventually be used to build better hulls, rudders, and keels. Conventional carbon-fiber masts are constructed by laying up individual layers of carbon fiber with epoxy resin and
Edited by David SchmidtWritten by Ben EllisonConnected ColorRaymarines innovative ST70s instrument displays use bright 3.5-inch high-resolution color screens to display traditional instrument information (really well), plus engine, weather, and other data thats available on the multi-manufacturer NMEA 2000 data standard. They also mark the
Interested in frostbiting? If so, your extremities will thank you for investing in a new drysuit. Gul recently launched their new Code Zero with action fit cut, which strategically incorporates ergonomically-positioned stretch panels, giving the user better range of motion. The suit, which is made out of Guls proprietary GCX4 fabric is both breathable and waterproof, and features heat-taped
This product, made by Marinco (www.marinco.com), was sent to SAIL recently, and after looking it over, we wonder why no one has thought of it before. Basically its a right-angle cord adaptor for plugging in a shore-power cord to the boat. The right-angle version is more streamlined than the usual straight plug, it looks neater, and there is far less chance of
Sanding and polishing bright work is never easy, especially if there are details in the woodwork itself. Black & Deckers new Zone-Touch Mouse makes sanding and polishing easier, as this innovative product can accept multiple finger detail attachments via the units Velcro bottom. Simply select the attachment that best fits the bit of detail work that you need to sand or polish, attach the
By David SchmidtIts not often that sailors also make their marks as musicians, but Caribbean local Davis Murray has achieved this feat with the release of his pre-release demo CD, Barefoot Davis (ISW Records). The album, which Murray self-describes as country Caribbean has obvious influences including Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffet, but with plenty of originality and true
Raymarines innovative ST70s instrument displays use bright 3.5-inch high-resolution color screens to display traditional instrument information (really well), plus engine, weather, and other data thats available on the multi-manufacturer NMEA 2000 data standard. They also mark the introduction of SeaTalkNG (new generation), which is both a rugged-yet-slim plug-and-play cabling system and an
Do you worry about your boat when youre not aboard? Boatsense Solutionss KISS-principle monitoring system is an easily programmable GSM cellular modem thats potted in epoxy. Drawing only 130 milliamps, it stands perpetual watch, ready to send text messages wherever GPRS data service is available (which is along much of the worlds coastlines). It automatically monitors battery levels, plus has
Originally Franson GpsGate simply enabled GPS NMEA 0183 data flowing into a PC or PDA serial port to feed multiple programs simultaneously, but now its something of a software Swiss Army knife. The latest 2.5 version works with all sorts of I/Os like Bluetooth and the Internet, supports multiplexing and data logging, and lets groups share their location data over the Web. Any member can see
Early Saturday morning, race organizers announced that the start of the Route du Rhum would be postponed due to hazardous conditions forecasted for the race’s
If you follow the pros, you’ve probably seen the Route du Rhum on many sailing CVs, but what is this event and what can we
I had just picked up a mooring in the Amelia River off Fernandina Beach, Florida, this past March when I saw an unusual vessel approaching
At the request of the Newport Bermuda Race, US Sailing has conducted an investigation into the fatal crew-overboard incident during this summer’s race. Last week,
It happened as we were nearing the entrance buoys of the Ala Wai Boat Harbor after 16 days and 2,500 miles on delivery from San
From sailors to kayakers to swimmers, there’s one thing everyone who spends time on the ocean has in common: a stake in protecting it. For
Our anchoring adventure took place a few years ago as my family and I were nearing the end of a weeklong bareboat charter along the
Today marks the beginning of Spindrift’s standby window for an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy: the record for the fastest global circumnavigation. The current
In 1989, the 58ft yacht Maiden made a splash in the Whitbread Round the World Race with the first all-female team in the race’s history.
