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Sailing Gear

Faster, More Powerful Chartplotting

Lowrance’s HDS Gen2 High Definition Systems chartplotters offer double the memory and twice the processor speed of the company’s first-generation HDS models to provide sailors with faster startups and menu operation, and lightning-fast panning and zooming.

Handy Duck Easy-Release Hook

The Handy Duck is a strong, lightweight, easy-to-attach and—equally important—easy-to-release hook that can be used to either grab a mooring temporarily or serve as a permanent attachment.

Ocean Rodeo Drysuit

This very cool “Soul” drysuit, from Victoria, British Columbia, is a brainchild of the sailboarders and kite surfers running Ocean Rodeo Sports. Cut to resemble well-tailored snowboarding gear, the Soul is built with multiple breathable waterproof layers.

Quick Retractable Thrusters

Quick retractable thrusters can be installed in either the bow or stern or both, to make maneuvering in tight spaces virtually effortless. This past year Hunter Marine began offering the systems as an option on some of its larger boats.

Eco-Clad Bottom Paint

Eco-Clad antifouling paint features what manufacturer Luritek Inc. describes as a “biomimicry” process similar to what fish use to keep their bodies weed-free. The paint is engineered to create a naturally slimy biofilm.

Admiral Marine Equipment’s Rollmaster

Admiral Marine Equipment has come up with a novel way to wrestle in an unruly genoa. Its Rollmaster continuous-line headsail furler incorporates a 3:1 reduction gear that requires far less muscle.

Easy to See Electronics

Keep your chartplotter or other smaller electronics safe and visible with this new Scanstrut Rok-Lok adjustable mount. The system includes a ball-and-socket joint with a one-handed release and an internal clamp.

Sperry Top-Sider’s GripX Line

The company that brought the world the Top-Sider continues to up its game with the new GripX performance line, which includes the SeaHiker for dinghy sailors, two different SeaRacer styles for keelboat sailors and the SeaSock neoprene bootie.

Lightweight Inshore Lifejacket

With a Deckvest LITE on board, there is no excuse to not wear a lifejacket. Created specifically for inshore use, the Deckvest LITE features a unique tapered profile that allows a full range of motion.

Another Cool Snatch Block

The advent of soft attachments and robust polymers has sparked a “Golden Age” of snatch blocks, with gear like the new Dynblock from European manufacturer Antal making life afloat easier than ever.

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Global Solo Challenge

The inaugural Global Solo Challenge has been an ocean race like no other. From a sizable percentage of American sailors to a pursuit start that

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Unhappy Boat Kids

Jan. 11/2024: Here’s one of the more interesting things that has happened to me since the publication of The Boy Who Fell to Shore, my

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At the Helm: Whale Watch

In little over a week, Mia and I head to Falken, 59° North’s Farr 65, for the last passage of 2023. The boat is docked

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New Boat Review: X-Yachts Xc 47

A 20- to 30-knot northerly wind and temps hovering around 39°F on the edge of the Baltic Sea in November are not generally considered prime

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A Certain Sense of Adventure

Clare Thompson did not fall into sailing in the usual way. She was in her early 20s in the mid-1960s, an unwilling patient in a

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