Equipment and clothing
Safety knives for sailors – a review by Guy Venables and Dan Houston The simple sheath knife has always been the most important piece of personal kit a sailor can have. Aside from general cutting and chopping, it can also save limbs and lives. Two of our team have witnessed the gory reality of fingers [...]
Here’s a smashing 65kg little skin on frame inflatable folding sailable coracle called the 300s from Nautiraid. For the sailor, it's a boat that can be towed by bicycle or easily slung in or on top of a car and for anything over about 40 foot these would make great sailing or powered tenders. This [...]
When we first tried one of these many moons ago it was extremely impressive but large and very expensive. However, as is the way of tech, you just have to wait a bit and it’ll soon be small and affordable. Now this fist size marine thermal image camera is the lightest and most affordable there [...]
With a clear monochrome display and highly sensitive GPS, it’s perfect for either the cost-conscious sailor or someone wanting a back up. It stores 1000 waypoints and 100 tracks. The features include virtual starting line, man overboard, tack assist offcourse and anchor alarms and race countdown timer. The model is robust yet light and it [...]
Admittedly it takes a little practice, mostly because it is such a new way of cooking but the GoSun stove is incredibly innovative – it combines an evacuated glass tube and parabolic reflectors. No fuel is required, it cooks only using solar power and it doesn’t even need to be summer. We have made muffin [...]
We love the construction and finish on these trawler lamps from Den Haan. They are the aspirational lamps for many wooden boat owners but will grace any long keeler. The burners are larger than most oil lamps and with their white reflective shades you get enough light to read by, and the tank gives you [...]
Who isn’t a fan of the basic mechanical sea toilet? And here we have one from Rheinstrom in Germany which has a ceramic bowl with gunmetal and stainless steel parts which will last years. We know liveaboards who swear by these. It’s an expensive present but who wouldn't agree that you never forget your extravagencies. [...]
The East Coast artist Claudia Myatt branched out recently with these ceramic and bone china, featuring a range of her designs, and she can personalise them too, to your boat. We noticed these in Cornwall on Eve of St Mawes where Claudia was teaching a floating painting class. It’s got to be china! Plain China: [...]
If imitation is flattery then the Dubarry boot must be feeling rather pleased with itself. Rarely has a piece of footwear been so ubiquitous and so emulated. These were the first and they’re comfy, waterproof and tough as…well, old boots. £239 www.dubarryboots.com
