Boating Magazine - Gear

The Flip-Box Cooler by Sport Brella

Pete McDonald — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:56:33 GMT

It took me exactly three seconds to unfold the new Flip-Box cooler by Sport Brella and lock its parts into place. And with that I had a cooler capable of keeping 45 cans under 40 degrees for six hours without ice.

Gage Weather Boss Rain Gear

bdaugherty — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:00:51 GMT

Waterproof, yet breathable, this rugged new rainwear fills the bill when angling snow-rimmed steelhead streams or plying winter cod grounds. It’s available as pants, parkas and jackets up to size 5XL. From $143; grundens.com

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Gage Weather Boss Rain Gear

Six Top Tow Tubes

bdaugherty — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:33:21 GMT

There’s something irresistible about the simple fun of an inflatable tow tube. Skis may be more challenging, a wakeboard capable of delivering more thrills, but the best bang for the buck in almost any towable arsenal is a marine accessory not very far removed from that old black inner tube many of us enjoyed as kids.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Six Top Tow Tubes

Body Glove 3T Barefoot

bdaugherty — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:47:54 GMT

Along with a series of professional surfers, beach volleyball players and a world champion stand-up paddleboard rider, I got an advance pair of the Body Glove 3T Barefoots to wear and test early last year. These boat shoes are different, I’ll grant you. In fact, “shoe for boaters” might technically make a better appellation than boat shoe.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Body Glove 3T Barefoot

For Comparison's Sake: Binoculars

bdaugherty — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:29:10 GMT

History has it that Hans Lippershey constructed the first binocular telescope in 1608. Now, 400-plus years later, the basic science hasn’t changed, but the advances have been enormous. We tested these three bare-bones (no compass, no stabilization) 7x50 models to literally see for ourselves how they compare to one another.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

For Comparison's Sake: Binoculars

Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit

bdaugherty — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:45:03 GMT

If you’re technologically sophisticated (i.e., pathetic) like I am, you can’t go five minutes without checking your cell phone. And if you spend a lot of time on the water like I do, you’re going to dunk that phone. Conventional wisdom says you should stick your wet phone in uncooked rice, but all that seems to do is waste rice. Instead, keep a Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit from Dry-All on board. It can dry your phone in six hours, whether it was dunked in salt water or beer (it says that right on the label).

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit

Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote NT

bdaugherty — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:20:01 GMT

For several years, I’ve been testing a variety of high-end, ablative copolymer paints, fortified by slime-reducing chemicals. They’ve performed great, as you can see for yourself by typing “antifouling” into the search box above.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote NT

ODEO Flare

bdaugherty — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:15:34 GMT

The ODEO laser flare is not SOLAS or Coast Guard approved. And I don’t agree with the company’s referral to the product as a substitute for approved pyrotechnic hand-held flares, which are best activated to help rescuers pinpoint your location when they are seen or heard in the vicinity. (Aerial flares and Mayday calls are better for summoning help.) But I still think it’s a great supplement to boaters’ safety kits.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

ODEO Flare

BoatingLAB Tests: Windshield Restoration Products

bdaugherty — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:15:21 GMT

Polymethyl methacrylate is generic for Plexiglas and other brands. This acrylic is tough, flexible and transparent. It makes an ideal material for boat windshields but scratches easily. With proper maintenance, and with these products, you can remove lighter scratches. Here’s how we tested them to see how they compare.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

BoatingLAB Tests: Windshield Restoration Products

For Comparison's Sake: Coastal First-Aid Kits

bdaugherty — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:00:12 GMT

Accidents happen. Being prepared with first-aid basics is just common sense. Major injuries and trauma are for the professionals to handle. Bites, scrapes, cuts and bruises are relatively easy to fix. Take a look at these well-equipped marine kits and keep one on board.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

For Comparison's Sake: Coastal First-Aid Kits

Underwater LED Lights

bdaugherty — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:22:35 GMT

Looking for underwater LED lights for your boat? Here are eight tips for picking the right kind.

1. Surface Mounts
Underwater LEDs like the Lifeform 9 ($399, bluewolfinc.com) are mounted on a flat surface with a few small holes for wires and screws. These are best for transom installations, which shine horizontally.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Underwater LED Lights

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

bdaugherty — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:42:52 GMT

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

While repeated trips to the neighborhood marine store are something all DIY boaters are familiar with, prior planning can cut down on wasted time and get you on the water faster. As a leading national retailer of marine electronics via the Internet, mail order and its Ocean Isle Beach, NC storefront, The GPS Store, Inc. is well versed in helping customers avoid such delays. Boating Magazine asked Sales Manager Scott Heffernan for his Top 10 items boaters forget when purchasing marine electronics.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Electronic Charts for Your Chart Plotter/MFD
Pre-loaded “base charts” are just that – basic. When your purchase a chart plotter or MFD, explore all your options regarding cartography. Some manufacturers now offer a choice of C-MAP, Navionics, or both. Garmin plotters may come with embedded base charts with the ability to upgrade to a higher detail option from Garmin. Buy the electronic charts that best suit your boating lifestyle (fishing, cruising, etc.).

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Flush Mount Kit or Gimbal Mount
If you plan to flush or gimbal mount your new electronics, don’t assume that mounting kit is included. Make sure you have what you’ll need to do a flush mount or, if better for your boat’s layout, a gimbal mount installation.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

NMEA 2000 or Proprietary Network Cables
Today’s marine electronics are designed for networking, and it’s likely you’ll be connecting your new purchase with other units from the same and/or different manufacturers. It’s important to make sure you order all the cabling needed to do this, whether it’s NMEA 2000 cables/connectors/terminators or another proprietary networking platform used by a given manufacturer. Some manufacturers include these, while others do not.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Cable Outlets and Clam Shells
A clean installation requires cable outlets or stainless steel clamshells for routing cables in/out of the console, helm or other spaces. They not only look neat, they help keep dirt and moisture out.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Electrical Wiring for Installation
Don’t forget to purchase all the electrical wiring you’ll need to rig new electronics, and to account for complete cabling runs, which often includes routing through bends, turns, drops and rises. These add to the overall length required, and the last thing you want to do is run short.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Sun Covers
Not all marine electronics come with sun covers meant to protect them from the elements. These are an important investment in the long-term health of your electronics, preventing damage and scratching from dirt, salt, moisture, heat and UV light. Always keep ‘em covered when not in use.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Safety Products
When purchasing electronics for your boat, don’t forget about safety. A floating ditch bag is a must for abandon-ship situations, and can save your life with electronics like a floating handheld VHF radio, Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), personal strobe lights and more. Prepare for emergencies, and you’ll be much more likely to survive one.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Mounts for VHF/GPS Antennas
A simple, yet often forgotten accessory needed to complete installation of VHF and GPS antennas. Figure out the best mounting location (rail, T-top, hard top, etc) and get a sturdy mount made for that purpose.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Switch or Switch Panel
Depending on the status of your boat’s existing switch panel(s), you may want to upgrade to a larger panel or install a dedicated On/Off switch for the new piece of electronics. It’s always a good idea to have direct On/Off power control for individual units/systems.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Top 10 Marine Electronics Accessories Boaters Forget To Buy

Transducer Upgrade for New Sounder
Don’t assume that your boat’s old transducer will plug right into your new fishfinder. Even if it does, you could be short-changing yourself when it comes to performance. Transducers have evolved rapidly in recent years, delivering wider coverage, more detail and better separation between fish targets and the bottom. More choices today (transom, thru-hull, in-hull, tilted element) means boaters can find an ideal match for their vessels and fishing styles.

Nautique Optix Mahogany Cruiser Sunglasses

Pete McDonald — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:27:54 GMT

I’ve been using Ritchie Navigation’s WetNotes waterproof notebook as a maintenance log for almost 30 years. No batteries required. It’s available in 3 by 5 inches and 5 by 7 inches.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Ritchie Navigation WetNotes

The Advantages of LED Lights

bdaugherty — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:20:27 GMT

A quiet revolution is taking place that is changing every aspect of lighting used aboard your boat. It is destined to replace every interior and above-deck light fixture, including navigation lights. Here’s why LED is leading the way.

Interior Lighting
Inside the boat, many have been quick to replace energy-consuming incandescent lights with LEDs. Simply, you can replace a present fixture with a similar or brighter LED light. This is a quick screwdriver task. Rewiring is not necessary since existing incandescent wiring is more than adequate.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

The Advantages of LED Lights

For Comparison's Sake: Masking Tape

bdaugherty — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:52:54 GMT

Masking tape isn’t a commodity item. For one thing, there’s a big general difference between quality tapes and bargain-bin specials. For another, there are different tape types depending upon the job at hand. We did the grunt work on three different types from Scotch.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

For Comparison's Sake: Masking Tape

Boat Cover Buying Tips

bdaugherty — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:39:11 GMT

Knowing that there’s more to a good cover than color-coordinated fabric, we called the pros at Commercial Sewing in Torrington, Connecticut, to develop this list of things that mark a quality cover, regardless of brand.

1. Tight Is Right

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Boat Cover Buying Tips

Boat Battery Monitor and Alarm

SplitDecision — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:25:35 GMT

Knowing the voltage of all your boat batteries at any given time is critical to managing your onboard electrical power system. The Low Battery Alarm from Battery Failsafe Devices (so-bfd.com) not only tells you the voltage, but also alerts you if volts fall below a pre-set minimum.

Photo by: Jim Hendricks

Precisely Monitor Onboard Voltage with the Low Battery Alarm

The Low Battery Alarm from Battery Failsafe Devices provides a digital readout of voltage and an audible/visual alarm to warn you of a low battery.

Tips for Buying a Sit-on-Top Kayak

bdaugherty — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:00:33 GMT

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Tips for Buying a Sit-on-Top Kayak

How to Buy the Best Marine Binoculars

bdaugherty — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:00:43 GMT

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

How to Buy the Best Marine Binoculars

How to Stop Electronic Interference

bdaugherty — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:00:01 GMT

RFI, “radio frequency interference” or “electrical noise,” on a boat can severely affect the operation, performance and enjoyment of electronics. Here are some common electrical-interference symptoms, causes and possible cures.

You’re receiving reports that your radio transmissions are noisy.

Cause: It could be your inverter or battery charger. Confirm this by monitoring the radio transmissions with a hand-held radio.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

How to Stop Electronic Interference

Choosing the Right Travel Rod

bdaugherty — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:22:35 GMT

While my shop is full of rods of every description, the one I travel with most is a medium-weight bait-casting outfit. Here’s why.

-I can use a revolving spool reel almost as well as a spinner to cast lures or baits, yet it fishes the bottom better than spinners do.

-Loaded with small-diameter, 30-pound braided line, this outfit serves up dinner where finesse is required while not being outgunned on big water.

-At 6 feet long, this two-piece rod breaks down into a small size for easy transport.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Choosing the Right Travel Rod

BoatingLAB Tests: Top-Shelf Coolers

bdaugherty — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:13:36 GMT

At first there were Coleman and Igloo. Then the roto-molded ’tweeners came along, led by Icey-Tek, Yeti, Engel and others. They bridged the gap to gelcoated makes like Frigid Rigid. A combination of tough construction and rugged good looks put Yeti coolers on the tips of boaters’ tongues. Now, maybe a dozen brands play in this middle field. We took seven of them to the task of proving their mettle in a head-to-head cooler test that found us backing up to the Reddy Ice loading dock and stuffing a pallet of 20-pound bags into our test field.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

BoatingLAB Tests: Top-Shelf Coolers

Si-Tex SVS-750

bdaugherty — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:53:42 GMT

Bench-testing the Si-Tex SVS-750, I found operation intuitive. Waterproof, it boasts big, easy-to-use buttons. Its vertically oriented screen allows it to fit in tight spaces. The slot for the optional C-Map card is sealed by a rugged, gasketed plug. $899; si-tex.com

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor

Si-Tex SVS-750

For Comparison's Sake: Technical Shirts

bdaugherty — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:47:22 GMT

Go out on a boat and it won’t be long until your shirt feels soggy from the humid air around you. To stay dry, you need a shirt that won’t absorb moisture and lets in plenty of fresh air. It has to shed water to dry quickly, and wick away body moisture to help keep you cool. To find out how rapidly these shirts go from soaked to bone-dry, we tested them with the same moisture meter that professional marine surveyors use.

Photo by: Boating Magazine Editor