For watersports activities, the correct heat retaining, technical clothing is imperative, particularly in the winter when the water temperature can drop to as low as 7°C. If you want to…
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C-monsta hanger review: makes drying kit simple
It sounds hyperbolic to call a coat hanger a game-changer, but the C-monsta hanger is one of those rare products that once you stumble upon it, you get a bit…
Best winter sailing gloves: from mittens to neoprene
Decent sailing gloves are an essential part of being both comfortable and safe when afloat in the winter months. Wet hands get cold very quickly, so it’s particularly important that…
Trapped upside down in the North Sea
John Passmore is a man unafraid to move with the times. A professional journalist with a distinguished newspaper career, he now hosts a powerful online presence in the guise of…
Best boat binoculars: 5 top options on the market
This article has now been superseded with all content included in this up-to-date article: Best waterproof binoculars For sailors choosing the best boat binoculars can be a difficult call.…
Gear: G-SHOCK Smartwatch – waterproof watch
The new G-SHOCK Smartwatch– the GSW-H1000 – includes an optical heart rate sensor, compass, altitude/air pressure sensor, accelerometer, gyrometer and GPS. The 1.2in colour screen has a three-tier user configurable…
Best cooler box and cooling kit for sailors
With the summer now in full swing, keeping cool is key for those of us spending time out on the water. And for those of us heading to the beach…
New Gear: Gill OS3 jacket and trousers with new plant-based coating
The new Gill OS3 fabric is a two-layer system, which has been developed to provide lightweight, competitively priced foul weather gear for coastal use. As with many clothing and accessories…
Food for sailing: Our guide to the best options
While we know the top professional sailors, Olympians and America’s Cup grinders are lean, mean machines who inhale protein shakes to fuel their elite exercise routines, there is also a…
Best boating accessories: Summer sailing essentials from barbecues to coolboxes
Best portable barbecues Cobb Grill Premier Plus portable barbecue I was introduced to the Cobb when a friend offered me a hot dog – which he was cooking in the…
America’s Cup clothing: What each team wears and why
Watching the AC75s cracking along on a foil, it’s easy to forget that innovation pervades every element of elite racing, particularly America’s Cup racing and goes well beyond simply boat…
Best safety flares: 9 options for raising a distress signal at sea
A decade ago few people would have predicted that carrying distress flares on board would become a potentially controversial subject. However, that’s what’s currently happening thanks to the development of…
Fusion StereoActive review: This waterproof speaker packs an audible punch
There is a good reason why the Fusion StereoActive should probably be at the top of the list for any sailor looking for a waterproof Bluetooth speaker. Designed and built…
London to Stockholm on an 87ft houseboat: An extract from Sailing Barge Venta
Back in the 1960s when the last Thames sailing barges were coming out of trading, a few were taken by bold individuals as yachts or houseboats. The best of them…
C. Sherman Hoyt memoirs: A typically frank extract from Yankee Yachtsman
Born in 1878, C Sherman Hoyt sailed in every racing yacht imaginable for the best part of 60 years. Tireless, highly skilled, with an almost uncanny ability to spot a…
Why stand-up paddleboards have become the must-have boating accessory
The advent of high-strength PVC inflatables and high-pressure pumps has transformed the world of marine toys. The variety of inflatable stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and windsurfers is getting all ages afloat…
Sailing with humpback whales: An amazing extract from Orca by John A Pennington
It’s far too easy for a retired ocean sailor like me who served his time 40 years ago in a freer, simpler world, to imagine that the age of high…
Extract from Sailing through Russia: From the Arctic to the Black Sea
When the Great Seamanship series was planned back in 2004 it was about giant waves, dismastings, amazing rescues and the like. Research, however, led me into a wonderland of nautical…
ResQlink View PLB review: Visual display provides welcome reassurance
As far as we know this is the first Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) to incorporate an LCD screen to improve the interface, which fundamentally changes the user experience. In particular…
Nixon Base Tide Pro review: Rugged watch gives local tides at a glance
I live in a tidal area, where the height and times of the tides are crucial to deciding whether we can get afloat. Tide tables and sailing apps help most…