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Gill Helmsman review: Gauntlet-style sailing gloves put to the test
Gill Helmsman sailing gloves promise the luxury of warmth in challenging conditions and are reminiscent of traditional drivers’ gloves in the days before cars had decent heaters. However, in this…
Zhik Superwarm review: Insulated watersports gloves tested
These full finger sailing gloves are aimed at watersports enthusiasts who play in the water and know their hands will be wet for extended periods. The philosophy behind the Zhik…
Best satellite phone: 8 models to help you keep in touch at sea
Buying the best satellite phone is, of course, just the start – you’ll also need a SIM card and data plan. These vary considerably in cost and it’s worth spending…
Best boat dehumidifier: 10 powerful models to keep your boat dry
It sounds obvious, but boats tend to live in a damp environment. Even if you keep yours ashore or in your driveway, damp can still present a problem – just…
Best lifejacket: 13 top choices that could save your life
Whatever else you might find on a boat, you will usually find lifejackets. In the context of this feature we’re talking specifically about the best lifejacket options as opposed to…
Best personal locator beacons and AIS units: 7 top options for boating
Not so long ago simply locating a crew member who had fallen overboard in anything other than the most benign of conditions was a massive challenge, thanks to personal locator…
Best boat wax: 5 top products to make your topsides shine
Many boat owners simply apply boat wax to the topsides once a year, and while this will look good for a short time, to get a really good result it’s…
Borrow A Boat launches Seedrs crowdfunding campaign *sponsored*
The company which was founded by Matt Ovenden in 2016 has been growing fast in recent years and now provides charter access to over 35,000 boats in 65 countries, and…
Best depth sounder models from handheld to top of the range
The trend in recent years is towards boats running the vast majority of boat data through a chartplotter or Multi Function Display (MFD) but most of the best depth sounder…
Best boat paint: 9 of the best DIY topcoats for fibreglass, wood or metal
Nothing improves the look of a boat quite like a fresh lick of high-quality boat paint. Whether your boat is wooden, steel or GRP, today’s easily applied topcoats can give…
Best chartplotter: 6 great options from marine MFDs to tablets
Before we get into which are the best chartplotters or MFDs, it is worth briefly noting the difference between the terms ‘chartplotter’ and ‘MFD’. The terms are broadly used interchangeably,…
Black Friday boating deals: Our pick of the best discounts available right now
They say the early bird catches the worm and that adage certainly seems to be the case with Black Friday boating deals. Many marine retailers have started their Black Friday…
Best trolling motors: 8 electric outboard alternatives that really pack a punch
So you’re looking for an electric outboard to whizz your RIB around the harbour. Who wouldn’t want a fancy Torqeedo to hang off your transom? But at £1,450 and up,…
Best handheld marine radios: 8 feature-rich VHF options for your boat
The significant improvements in a number of areas in recent years have seen handheld marine radios move from merely a communications device to something altogether more useful. As technology has…
Garmin Instinct review: Is this outdoors watch a suitable boating companion?
Like most new style multi-functional watches, (which seem to come out every other month), the Garmin Instinct is much larger than a normal watch, but only a bit heavier and…
Best sailing sunglasses: 10 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…
Followtheboat: Night anchor watch in a pirate zone
This meant that after several days of freedom in the jungle, Esper‘s crew had the ‘graveyard shift’ from 01:00 till dawn. It was our job to be on full alert…
Best marine radio: 7 of the latest options on the VHF market
Not only does a marine radio serve as a vital safety tool in case something should go wrong onboard, it is also a crucial communications tool more generally. There was…
New Icom Standalone MA-510TR Class B AIS Transponder with Colour TFT Display
This all in one standalone unit combines transponder and display in a smart, compact design featuring an attractive wide-angled colour display which is easy to read, even under direct sunlight.…
Best marine binoculars: 7 of the best pairs for keeping a good lookout on board
Whether for identifying a tricky harbour entrance, taking a closer look at an approaching ship or even looking for the breeze, a decent pair of marine binoculars will repay their…