After years of manufacturing orange liferafts, Viking Life-Saving Equipment is now making its rafts fluorescent yellow. Viking made the switch after extensive testing showed that yellow shows up better against the grays and blues of the ocean, as well as in fog. Viking has incorporated the color into its upgraded RescYou line of rafts, which also features a blue inner lining that is said to have
Whether its on a through-hull fitting or securing a hose on your diesel engine, a hose clamp is a critical piece of equipment, so it pays to use a good one that fits.With a Cruisers Pack stainless steel ABA hose clamp kit from Scandvik, you can be assured of having any and every hose clamp youll ever need.Each kit contains 56 clamps in six different sizes from 7/16in to 2 11/16in
The solar-powered RailLight Premium LED light comes with a QuickMount attachment system featuring multiple attachment options. These include a rail clamp that attaches to railings measuring 3/4in to 11/4in in diameter; a transom clamp that adjusts up to 2in, for use with cockpit coamings, toerails or the topsides of a dinghy and rowboat; and a post mount that attaches permanently to any deck,
Shakespeare’s Galaxy 5445 antenna and wind vane combination saves space at the top of the mast by combining multiple functions in a single piece of gear. The system is lightweight and minimizes windage aloft, while solderless connectors simplify installation and subsequent removal for storage. The antennas 3dB whip measures 3ft and a PL-259 connector and a 65ft RG-58 coax cable are included. The
After watching Steve Henkel collect brochures on trailerable boats for almost 50 years, his wife, Carol, asked why he was continuing to surround himself with mounds of seemingly obsolete files. With no room to maneuver, Henkel could only mumble that they were for a book he was planning to write. Starting when? his wife asked. Now, he meekly replied.Fortunately for us, the result is a
Often, buying a cruising boat is the realization of a lifelong dream. But with that dream comes financial, logistical and, yes, personal obligations. While all of them can be managed, it’s a lot easier when you understand the realities that go with boat ownership. Doane has owned many boats over the years—his latest is affectionately named Lunacy—and uses his acquired wisdom in an entertaining
The new Not for Navigation line of canvas bags makes it possible for you to have the nautical chart of your choice custom silk-screened onto one of any number of bag types. All bags are made from natural cotton canvas, and more than a dozen different styles are available, including smaller messenger bags, totes, duffels, ditty bags and wine holders. Silk-screened pillows are also
My J/105 is more of a racer than a cruiser, but every once in a while I put in a few nights aboard with the family. Im 6ft 3in, and the boat has about a foot less headroom than I need, so Ive always paid close attention to the weatherbeing stuck below on a rainy day for more than an hour or so would put a big damper on the trip. Last year I was offered a ShadeTree awning to try, and what a
So you want to plot a course while watching Google Earth, monitoring fuel efficiency, geo-referencing digital photos, checking the weather, tracking the tide and reading a cruisers forum to find a good dinner spot? Theres an app for that. In fact, there are hundreds of apps for all of that.Where once you had to combine information from cruising guides, almanacs, weather stations and
You may not be able to sail like Brazilian Olympic medalist Torben Grael or James Spithill, helmsman for recent Larry Ellisons recent Americas Cup winner, but now you can look like themat least a little. Fashion icon Prada recently unveiled a what it calls its Intrepid sunglassesthe same glasses BMW Oracle Racing configured with a heads-up display similar to that used aboard fighter jets,
In 1942, Ray Greene and Company changed the face of boatbuilding when they built the first viable polyester-fiberglass composite boat. These materials meant that boats
In Cape Horn: The Logical Route, Bernard Moitessier wrote about the joy of sailing into a harbor at night. Not just entering a harbor, but
You know you’ve nailed the start of a race when, after just one tack, you’re crossing the rest of the fleet’s bows. That’s a familiar
In an alternative universe, I might be writing about how I test sailed the new X4.3 performance cruiser in a super-scary thunder squall, and the
It’s not uncommon to spot a rainbow after a squall when the sunshine breaks through the clouds—a marker of hope and fairer weather ahead for
Whatever you call it, green, clean, or eco-friendly, the move toward carbon-free sailing has begun to take center stage in the conversation. Putting an ambitious
The Jules Verne Trophy is a prestigious award for the fastest time around the world on any type of sailing yacht with a crew of
Attracting non-sailors to sailing can be difficult; more challenging still is making the sport available to youngsters who lack the means or opportunity to get
With just one leg remaining before the finish of the 2023 Ocean Race, check in on the standings and all the highlights from Leg 6,
Adventuring solo was her joy. How would that fit on a two-month cruise with her teenage son?
