Equipment Articles

By Kim Walther, ASA Instructor Working as a boat captain, I see a huge variety of sunscreen brands. It’s always interesting to check out what my sailing school students or charterers bring with them. I like to read what’s on the front, and then look at the back.  It’s absolutely incredible that some brands that we perceive as being very Read More >

How often do you think about your hands while sailing?  Do you consistently wear gloves? Can you remember the first time a line raced through the palm of your hand and left you with a burning sensation that ruined your entire sail? Gill Marine sent us a number of their new gloves to try out. What we found out was Read More >

You can guess that when I walked into an ice rink with the Gill Marine Men’s Coastal Jacket, I got a few looks from the parents along the glass. Testing out a sailing jacket means a lot of things to me, but functionality is essential. On this day, walking into an ice rink to watch a hockey practice was high Read More >

As the days get longer and the weather gets nicer, droves of new boaters are flocking to local chandleries to obtain the “required safety essentials” for boating. Many boat stores have handy visual charts showing the minimum legally required safety equipment based on your vessel’s length. However, the Coast Guard’s legal minimum is just that–a minimum–and should be regarded as Read More >

Introducing Sømand, technical sailing apparel designed for women A new sailing apparel brand has arrived that aims to put women at the forefront in an industry that has historically catered to men. Sømand was founded by Bay Area sailors Noelle Brewin and Laura Levy, who set out to challenge the perception of what a sailor should look like and create Read More >

After a solid two hours of sailing in perfect conditions, more white caps begin to emerge and the sky seems irritated. You know the mood of the wind is changing and, as a sailor, know you’ll be adjusting along with it. Read More >

Ah, the sextant… that odd magical contraption that sleeps in an aged wooden box and stored in a seldom-used locker. Every once in a while you break it out and it’s glorious to behold – there’s poetry in its very existence. You look at the curves and the shiny mirrors, then you spin the dials – they feel substantial and Read More >

The U.S. Coast Guard has received reports from crews, ship owners, inspectors and other mariners regarding poor reception on VHF frequencies used for radiotelephone, digital selective calling (DSC) and automatic identification systems (AIS) when in the vicinity of light emitting diode (LED) lighting on-board ships (e.g., navigation lights, searchlights and floodlights, interior and exterior lights, adornment). Read More >

CrewWatcher is a smart system that constantly checks if everyone is still on board using your phone and a beacon. In case of a man overboard, the app will automatically sound the alarm in 3 seconds and provide guidance to aid with recovery. Read More >