Mike Jacker is a retired orthopaedic surgeon living in Illinois. Among many other activities he still sails his boat, now mainly on Lake Michigan, but he has a long memory.…
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Navigation apps: all about user-generated guides
Pilot books used to be how we explored new destinations. Cruisers and charter sailors alike will have spent many hours poring over sketch maps and grainy photos in a hardback…
SUP accessories: the best paddleboard gear
Stand-up paddleboarding is a pleasingly simple activity: essentially all you need is a board and a paddle. But of course there is a little bit more to it, so some…
Personal Locator Beacon review: FastFind and ResQLink head to head
Personal Locator Beacons with Return Link Service Fortunately, not many people have actually used PLBs in anger – at least not in my local yacht club anyway – so it’s…
Best satellite phone: 8 devices for adventurous sailors
The best satellite phone for you is the one that does the job you need it to do. If you are looking to make calls, send and receive texts, drop…
Best boating products of 2022: The hot list
2021 has seen many new boating products come onto the market, despite the difficulties seen throughout the year, here’s our Yachting World roundup of the best boating products of 2022…
New Gear: ResQLink View
Until now, 406MHz personal locator beacons (PLBs) had a major drawback for the user: if the worst happened and you had to set one off at sea, you had no…
New Gear: JOY Self Tailing Cleat
Every so often an invention comes along that is so original and useful you are amazed it was never thought of before. The JOY self-tailing cleat is that: a brilliant…
New Gear: Exocet Gold flight controller
Inside the Exocet Gold flight controller, a modest but swaggeringly-named box of tricks, is the brain that can keep a foiling yacht in flight. Stable flight requires ultra fast computation…
New Gear: Garmin Surround View
Leaving and coming back to a marina berth can be some of the trickiest parts of boating, and more than a few family dreams have foundered on high-stress manoeuvres. The…
Best EPIRB: 4 emergency beacons for leisure sailors
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, this is sailing vessel Lucky 2, Lucky 2, Lucky 2… If you find yourself in a situation of grave and imminent danger and are out of VHF…
Best Merino Wool Base Layer: 10 head-to-toe thermals for sailing
The ubiquitous costume of form fitting all black that make us look like we’re on an adventure to secretly deliver a box of chocolates, via an open window and a…
Petrol vs electric outboards: 6 of the best on test
Choosing an outboard engine for your tender used to be as simple as going to your nearest dealer and picking up whatever 2.5hp engine they had in stock. Now, however,…
Best hand bearing compasses. Tried & Tested: 9 of the best
The hand bearing compass is essential for a range of jobs around the boat. We take a look at the best tried and tested hand bearing compasses, used for swinging…
Best Inflatable Paddleboard: 8 of the best iSUPs
It might come as a surprise to discover that the vast majority of the stand-up paddleboard (SUP) market is inflatable. In fact, in most conditions good quality pump-up boards can…
Black Friday sailing deals for cruisers: 11 of the best
There’s plenty of deals on sailing specific clothing and sailing kit on the market this year for Black Friday. But cruising sailors might also want to consider some of the…
The best Helly Hansen Black Friday deals for sailors
Not all sailing brands offer deals at this time of year, but the Helly Hansen Black Friday deals are usually some of the best out there for sailors. Helly Hansen…
Best Navigation apps for sailors: Seapilot
Modern sailing increasingly relies on apps on your phone or tablet to find your way. We have tested the latest and best navigation apps on the market. Seapilot This app…
Best Navigation apps for sailors: iNavx
Modern sailing increasingly relies on apps on your phone or tablet to find your way. We have tested the latest and best navigation apps on the market. iNavx iNavX can…
Best Navigation apps for sailors: iSailor
Modern sailing increasingly relies on apps on your phone or tablet to find your way. We have tested the latest and best navigation apps on the market. iSailor iSailor is…