Looking for a stocking-filler for Dad? Weve long been fans of the natty nautically themed ties ($65) from Vineyard Vines. Theyre pure silk, and theres a huge range of them to choose from, including the Catboat and Anchor & Wave designs pictured here. Or you could go for the full ensembleVV makes shirts, trousers, and jackets too. Vineyard Vines, 800-892-4982,
Theres 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, its fun to keep up a plot on a paper chart. This top-notch set of navigation instrumentsparallel rules, dividers, compassfrom Weems & Plath comes in a wooden case thats ready for gift-wrapping. $99. Weems & Plath, 800-638-0428,
Whoever said that its better to give than to receive obviously hadnt set eyes on these beautiful Myerchin knives. You might buy one as a gift, but you may well end up keeping it for yourself. The $98.95 BW300 and $102.95 BW300P (with serrated blade) have a sandalwood handle and double-lock mechanism that prevents either the stainless blade or the 3-inch spike from closing on your fingers.
Heres a sailing oxymoron for youcomfortable cockpit. Its a rare boat that doesnt need some kind of cushioning in the cockpit if youre sailing for more than an hour or two, and even if your rear end is pampered with cushions, the shallow, poorly angled coamings on many boats dont do your spine much good. Made by the cockpit-cushion manufacturer Bottomsiders, Coamingsiders fit over wood or
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;
The most versatile tape Ive ever used is Rubbaweld, now available in the U.S. Its not sticky, but bonds to itself to form a tough waterproof skin. Ive used it to tape off turnbuckles and lifeline terminals, for get-me-home repairs on plumbing hoses and connections, and on rope ends when there wasnt time to whip them. It comes in black and white, and in 1-inch ($18.50 for a 15-foot roll) or
The Shackle Dogso called because its inventor thought it resembled the family poochis a simple piece of anodized aluminum. You cant open bottles with it or use it as a screwdriver. You can only open or close shackles. But it does that simple job very well, and, at $4.95, theres no reason to be without one. Shackle Dog; 203-312-0071;
Hella Marines 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
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 its switched off. It will store all NOAA broadcasts too, as well as displaying warnings on its LCD screen. As if thats not enough, the maker has built in some gadgets for you to fiddle with in between forecaststheres a
America³ and Il Moro di Venezia, the 1992 America’s Cup contenders, are once again doing battle—only this time on the front lawn of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (MFA).The two yachts, owned by the often controversial winning skipper of the 1992 campaign, Bill Koch, are suspended in action as part of a recent exhibition entitled, Things I Love: The
Part of the remodeling of the chart table area on my 45ft schooner Britannia involved making a new section of floorboarding or, to use its
Thousands gathered in Bath, Maine over the weekend to see the replica Virginia hit the water for the first time. The tall ship, which is
This June, after over 25 years of research, planning and work, the completed replica of the Virginia will be launched from the Bath Freight Shed
As long-term cruisers, my partner, Timo, and I are used to up-cycling our belongings into any new items we might need rather than looking for
In the 11 years since Spindrift Racing made its debut, the pro sailing team has made a big splash, and the upcoming season is expected
I’ve just returned from a week offshore on SEA’s Corwith Cramer (which I will be very happy to tell you all about in an upcoming
With so many manufacturers dreaming up bigger production boats, more and more mid-sized cruisers fall on the smaller end of their lines. However, “smaller” does
A sail on Lake Tahoe has been on my bucket list since the day I first laid eyes on it, and come hell or high
I was never supposed to take my boat through New York City. After getting sucked backward through the Cape Cod Canal on my way south
As a classic-boat sailor, I’ve long held that simpler is the better. I still think this is true: a simpler boat is cheaper, she has
