helly-hansen-prime-day-deals

This Amazon Prime Day, Norwegian sailing apparel brand Helly Hansen has gone all-in with hundreds of items reduced by up to 69%, from waterproof sailing jackets and buoyancy aids to duffel bags and sailing shorts, so there are lots of Prime Day Helly Hansen deals deals to sift through. But…

Ultra-anchor-best-anchors-buying-guide

Good ground tackle opens up the option to stay overnight in stunning bays and creeks, away from costly marinas and expensive harbour moorings. A decent anchor is also an essential safety item that may need to hold you off a lee shore in the event of engine failure. However, unless…

best-boating-apps

It’s now physically possible and affordable to carry detailed charts of almost the whole globe in your pocket thanks to the dizzying array of boating apps out there. There’s no reason to set an alarm for 0555am solely to listen to the Shipping Forecast. And you can get a warning…

Gill Deckhand sailing Gloves

Similarities include short cuffs that don’t interfere with a sailing watch and a snug fit. Their slightly contoured shape also aids comfort and freedom of movement. The Gill Championship benefits from an impressive four-way stretch fabric used across the back of the hand. This also has a full UV 50+…

Zhik G1 Lightweight Gloves

These two sailing gloves from Zhik exactly fulfil those requirements. They are complementary products, with each one optimised for use in different conditions. Both are available in either full-fingered versions, apart from thumb and forefinger, or short fingers. However, the Zhik G2 Performance glove has extra protection and is intended…

Gill Helmsman sailing Gloves

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 case the long gauntlet serves a different purpose. It allows for a decent size overlap inside the sleeve of a…

Zhik Superwarm review glove

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 Superwarm design is therefore focussed on keeping wet hands as warm as possible. A super stretchy 3mm water repellent neoprene…

best satellite phone

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 some time researching the best options for your type of sailing. MailASail have a useful guide to choosing your usage…

best-boat-dehumidifiers-dry-boat-12-ecor-pro-pontoon-630x394

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 as in a car or caravan. So buying the best boat dehumidifier for your needs is important. An added challenge…

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 buoyancy aids: lifejackets that will inflate to turn you on to your back in the water and provide you with…

best-personal-locator-beacons-and-personal-AIS-596x400

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 beacons (PLBs) and personal AIS units this has fundamentally changed. PLBs are small devices, typically fitted on a lifejacket, that…

best-boat-wax-buying-guide

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 worth taking a little more time over the job. There are, broadly speaking, three stages: Cleaning: If you try and…

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 is one of a small handful vying to become the definitive global boat charter platform. Borrow A Boat has raised…

best-depth-sounder-Yacht-Aground-credit-Stain-Marylight

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 models still come with a separate specific LCD display screen. The display itself is reasonably simple and the key concern…

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 your boat’s topsides a new lease of life. But it’s not quite as simple as slapping a coat of enamel…

best-chartplotter-buying-guide-Spirit-63-helm

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, typically an MFD works as a chartplotter but also functions as a whole system hub too, connecting a variety of…