Aqua Vigil Alarm Is Simple but Quirky
To prevent these catastrophes, we employ all manner of backup systems—electric bilge pumps, switches, and alarms, usually dependent on the boat's 12-volt batteries....
Abandon Ship Bags: Don’t Leave the Boat Without Them
The safety-conscious owner of a big boat once showed us where all his critical safety gear could be found. We were going offshore and...
WAAS Up? New Acronym Stands For Better GPS Accuracy
Whatever limitations electronic position finding may have suffered during its relatively brief existence, a lack of confusing acronyms hasn’t been one of them.If you...
Safety Alert: Life Raft Repacker Cited
On September 15, 2000 the US Coast Guards 1st District issued a Safety Alert to warn life raft owners who had rafts serviced by...
Lifeline Stanchions: New Aluminum Matella Is Super Strong
Long ago, aboard sailing ships trapped in the doldrums, the crew rigged long, vertical poles to support awnings. The awnings were needed to keep...
US Coast Guard To Test 406 MHz EPIRBs
Carrying a 406 MHz EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)-a big improvement over older 121.5 MHz beacons-is an effective way to make sure youre...
3-Brand Inflatable PFD Evaluation
After years of debate over their reliability, the Coast Guard this year finally approved the first automatically inflating PFDs. That’s good news because the...
Johnson & Johnson and Orion Our Picks Among Marine Medical Kits
When we conduct used-boat inspections we look everywhere, including inside medicine cabinets. Especially on boats that are more than five years old, we are...
Offshore Log:Do You Know Where Your Emergency Tiller Is?
The great racing sailor, Paul Elvstrom, preferred the superior sensitivity of tiller steering to wheel steering even on larger offshore boats. Elvstrom, however, seems...
Lifesling Goes Throwable
Were safety conscious at Practical Sailor. Readers know that, from the numerous articles about our in-the-water and bench tests. We rarely fail to comment...