We’re weeks away from the start of one of the biggest seasons in sailing. The Olympic Sailing at Paris 2024 begins at the end of July, with the opening races…
Gear
Best Prime Day Garmin watch deals – save up to 45%
This Amazon Prime Day, if you look carefully you’ll spot the tidy little bargains. As the self appointed sports watch geek here in the marine team, I’ve always got my…
Best sailing sunglasses: 8 practical options for eye protection on the water
Those of us who go afloat expose ourselves to a lot of ultraviolet (UV) radiation – even on cloudy days in northern Europe. We all know that too much UV…
Best EPIRB: 5 emergency beacons for leisure sailors
Do you regularly cruise or race out of sight of land? If the answer is yes, one of the best Epirb is an absolutely essential bit of kit to have…
What to look for in the best handheld VHF marine radio
Your burning questions answered about Handheld VHF marine radios Unless you eat sleep and breath all things marine communications and safety like I do, then you might be correct in…
Icom IC37 Handheld VHF Marine Radio Review
Icom M37E handheld VHF radio Best joint overall handheld VHF marine radio This Icom IC37 Handheld VHF Marine Radio unit is a real workhorse. Designed for both leisure and…
Standard Horizon HX210 handheld VHF marine radio reviewed
Standard Horizon HX210 Standard Horizon HX210 handheld VHF rival to the Icom 25E offers us a great alternative handheld radio at a good price vs weight vs battery…
Standard Horizon HX890 handheld VHF marine radio review
Standard Horizon HX890E VHF handheld marine radio Best joint overall handheld VHF marine radio The Standard Horizon HX890 handheld VHF is a feature-rich, top spec handheld marine radio, with…
Best sailing watches: 16 options for racing and cruising
The best sailing watches can offer a multitude of functions, from MOB alerts to tidal calculations and large faced race count down timers. And yet still there’s utter simplicity of…
Best personal locator beacons and AIS units: 16 top options for boating
The best personal locator beacons on the market – hands on testing Locating a crew member who’s fallen overboard in anything other than the most benign of conditions is a…
Best handheld VHF marine radio: 8 feature-rich options for your boat
Significant improvements in a number of areas in recent years have seen the best handheld VHF marine radio move from being purely portable communications devices to something altogether more useful.…
Top 15 Best Marine Binoculars for navigation and pilotage – tried and tested
I can sit gazing through binoculars for hours. From looking at the local baby seals when on anchor or trying to find my way using old fashioned naviguesswork. If I…
Garmin Inreach Mini 2 satellite tracking and texting across an Ocean
clipped to a small spring clip, it sits near the dash area to have constant view of the sky Garmin InReach Mini 2 I’ve been positively itching to get…
Best satellite messenger and tracker for heading off the beaten path
The best satellite messenger and trackers have come a long way in just a few years since we last looked at them with Pip Hare. (12 yacht trackers compared) Here’s…
Starlink Priority Data for boating – tested and reviewed
Starlink Priority Data for Boating, Satellite Broadband Society demands we are in touch and telling our life stories round the clock. We’re contactable. The phone can ring or ping and…
The best marine intercom systems tested
I’m sure we’ve all seen or rather heard that boat that comes into an anchorage or mooring where there’s raised voices and “I can’t hear you” being one of the…
Crew-Talk Plus marine Intercom review – tried and tested
Crew-Talk Plus Marine Intercom As many know, in this day and age, boats are getting larger and faster, two features which make communicating far more difficult. And with increased size…
Sena Expand Mesh review – boating like a pro in this marine intercom headset
Sena Expand Mesh Marine Intercom Specifications Bluetooth/Mesh: Mesh Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.2 How many can be connected: up to 24 Type of Control: Button Control Battery Life: 10 Hour Talk…
8 of the best head torches, fully tested and reviewed for sailing and boating
What makes the best head torch for sailing? Is it the red light facility? How about the ability to dim the white light? Or do you want an ultra bright…
Best kayak life vests and buoyancy aids
I’ve worn the same kayak life vest for over 10 years. Buy well and buy once! Here’s my top choices of the best kayak life vests or 50N buoyancy aids…