Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, this is sailing vessel Lucky 2, Lucky 2, Lucky 2… If you find yourself in a situation of grave and imminent danger and are out of VHF range…
Expert boat advice
Best boating flashlights: 7 LED torches for illuminating your boat
Few accessories are as necessary for boating and the activity of boat ownership than a good boating flashlight. Principally, there are two types of flashlights that boaters will want to…
Best boat heaters: 7 portable electric radiators to see you through the winter
As a general rule of thumb, man-made things don’t like being left out in the cold. Take roads, for example; exposed to the elements day-in, day-out, they end up full…
Best Decathlon sailing kit: 8 of the best products from the French giant
In the world of boating kit and clothing, Decathlon is still considered something of a new kid on the block, but the French giant has been creating sailing clothing, chandlery…
Best sailing watches: 12 options that actually help on your boat
It is sometimes said the word BOAT is an acronym for Bring Out Another Thousand. If that’s the case, then what could the word WATCH (which can cost up to…
Best boat shoes for sailing: From leather moccasins to high-tech deck trainers
Staying safe while looking good is not always possible in today’s hi-vis health and safety conscious world. Happily though there’s plenty of footwear manufacturers out there who have succeeded in…
Best Christmas gifts for sailors: What to buy the boat owner who has everything
What do you buy the boat owner who has everything? With so many potential Christmas gifts for sailors on the market, it can be easy to get lost, so we’ve…
Best women’s sailing jacket: 7 options to keep you warm and dry
When it comes to selecting the best women’s sailing jacket, the first thing you will want to do is to weigh up the sort of sailing you are likely to…
Best women’s waterproof trousers: 11 of the best options for sailing
Jeans and waterproof trousers may be enough for summer daysails, with thermal leggings under your trousers for windier days, but for anything more I’d want a bib/salopettes that take the…
Best dock lines: 6 of the best options for a secure mooring
While most of us buy our boats for the enjoyment they provide out on the water, it’s an inescapable fact that virtually every leisure craft spends far more time on…
Best anchor ropes: 6 of the best lines to hold your boat steady
Anchoring – the act of holding something in place – is a simple of enough concept in itself. However, when it comes to securing the position of a vessel bobbing…
Best boating Bluetooth speakers: 7 of the best options for upgrading your system
In many ways, Bluetooth has been manna from Heaven for the boating community. No longer is it necessary to struggle routeing wires from the stereo to the speakers, Bluetooth does…
Best sailing knives: 6 of the best multi-purpose blades for your boat
The knife. It’s one of the oldest and most valuable tools known to man, and for good reason. For, as our Bronze Age forebears discovered 4,000 years ago, with the…
Best boat rope: Twisted and braided options for docking your yacht
‘Give ’em enough rope…’ You know the rest; it’s an expression that’s been around for more than 350 years. But there’s one place this time-honoured truism doesn’t hold true, and…
Best women’s boating shoes: 9 of the best options for female sailors
Over the last decade or so, there has been more and more emphasis on sailing kit designed for women, in particular women’s boating shoes. This is great news as, while…
Best boat seat cleaner: 8 ways to spruce up vinyl, leather or canvas
So, you’ve spent the winter cleaning your hull, polishing it with boat wax, brightening your brightwork and restoring the gleam to your handrails. Now back in the water, the engine…
Best trolling motor batteries: 6 high-power options for electric propulsion
You can’t beat a good day’s trolling, (on a boat, that is, not the web), unless, of course, your trolling motor lets you down and you’re left huffing and puffing…
Best boat solar panels: 6 options for boosting your yacht’s power
For many in the boating community, boat solar panels represent something of a holy grail. They are, after all, the gift that keeps on giving, aren’t they? Free power forever,…
Best boat GPS: 6 handheld options for navigation at sea
‘Lost at Sea’ might be a great name for a video game, but in real life the prospect of losing one’s bearings on the ocean can be pretty scary indeed.…
Best boat fenders: 7 of the best options for protecting your topsides
If ever there was an unsung hero in the world of boating, it surely has to be the humble fender. Ubiquitous and largely maintenance-free, fenders dangle fearlessly in the face…