Marine Electronics

Top-of-the-Line VHFs Packed with Multi-function Features

The fixed-mount marine VHF radios Practical Sailorreviewed this go round go way beyond the basic capabilities of the more moderately priced gear featured in...

Practical Sailor Tests AIS Class B Transceivers from West Marine and Navico

Practical Sailor last took a look at Automatic Identification System (AIS) units with the November 2008 evaluation of the Raymarine AIS250, a receive-only device....

Practical Sailors Gear of the Year 2009

As each year nears its end, Practical Sailor editors find themselves poring over the dozens of products reviewed in the previous months to choose...

Crossing Over

When it comes to gear for the outdoor enthusiast, there are a lot of crossover products. Hikers, bikers, boaters, backpackers, and climbers share a...

Mailport: 08/09

Bottom Scrubbing As a new boat owner, I have questions, but here’s a quickie: I have recently had my boat hauled and sanded to...

Feature-loaded High-end Marine Handheld VHF Radios

Like the inexpensive handheld VHFs we reviewed in the April 2009 issue, high-end radios are handy to have as backups to a fixed VHF...

Marine Electronics: Practical Sailor Reviews New Raymarine A-series Chartplotter-sounder

Sailors who are looking for a chartplotter, who tend to stray from the beaten path, or who spend a fair amount of time fishing...

Marine Handheld GPS Test Update

A handheld GPS fits the needs of most daysailors, racers, and weekend cruisers, and at less cost than a fixed chartplotter. With updated charts,...

Practical Sailor Tillerpilot Test: the Simrad TP10 and the Raymarine ST1000 Plus

The last time Practical Sailor looked at tillerpilots (Sept. 1, 1996 and Jan. 1, 2001), testers concentrated on a series of bench tests evaluating...

The Search for Reliable Hands-free Onboard Communication Systems

Being able to communicate along the length of the boat allows crew to coordinate activities like anchoring, docking, or going up the mast, but...

How to Have Happy Boat Kids from Marisa Evans on Women...

Women who sail is a great topic and raising kids on a sailboat can be a lot of fun too. From life jackets to...

Latest Sailboat Review

MacGregor 26M Used Boat Review

MacGregor 26 has been a staple in the trailerable sailboat market for decades, and company literature claimed more than 7,000 of the original model...