There’s no attempt at compromise here, this jacket is a proper mid-layer jacket. Designed to be worn under foulies, the Primaloft filling is superbly warm in cold conditions and the…
Gear reviews
Musto Performance Winter sailing gloves
Tough palms; cold finger tips
Gill Extreme winter sailing gloves
Adventure charter skippers Bruce Jacobs and Rachael Sprot of Rubicon3 tested the Gill Extreme gloves, which feature 1.5mm neoprene with good grip and insulation, for a season in a variety…
Henri Lloyd Cobra winter gloves
Adventure charter skippers Bruce Jacobs and Rachael Sprot of Rubicon3 tested the Henri Lloyd Cobra winter gloves for a season in a variety of tough conditions.
iBoating marine navigation app for iPad and Android
A surprisingly versatile and comprehensive app but not easy to use and contains some annoying quirks.
iNavX marine navigation app for iPad and iPhone
A good all-round package and especially versatile for ability to use raster and vector charts from multiple providers.
Transas iSailor marine navigation app for iPad and Android
Good basic functionality – a full standalone navigation app – and plenty of advanced options as well, but each one incurs a fee.
Garmin BlueChart Mobile app for iPad
Slick and well designed navigational planning app that integrates seamlessly with onboard Garmin systems
SeaNav UK and Ireland – marine navigation app for iPad
Way ahead of the competition in terms of advanced features, including augmented reality view, but not as quick for general usage. Options for Europe, Canada and USA.
MaxSea TimeZero – marine navigation app for iPad
If you prefer raster charts then MaxSea TimeZero app for iPad is the package for you, but perhaps not if you seek advanced features
Navionics and Navionics+ marine navigation app for iPhone, iPad and Android
Pip Hare's review of the strengths and weaknesses of the Navionics and Navionics+ apps for iPad, iPhone and Android devices.
Is your tender up to it? We test the F-Rib foldable RIB
Does the F-RIB really offer the rugged performance of a RIB while folding down as small as an inflatable? Bruce Jacobs of Rubicon 3 put it through a season's testing…
12 yacht trackers compared to help you choose the right unit for your voyage
This article was originally published Nov 2016. It was last product and price checked 28 Feb 2023. Some of the products in this article are no longer available but this…
Pip Hare’s choice of EPIRBs, PLBs and other man overboard aids that could just save your life
EPIRBs When activated, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) transmits its details on 406MHZ and, if GPS-enabled, the vessel’s position to within 100m. This signal is relayed by satellite…
Citrus Zinger Sport bottle tested
A durable bottle with an integrated straw is a handy thing to have for the car or the boat. Add a juicer to the bottom part and you have the…
Fugoo Tough speaker tested
My first impressions of this waterproof, shockproof speaker were that it’s so bombproof there seemed no obvious means even to power it up. But press and hold a discreet power…
Garmin Virb XE action cam tested
I bought the original GoPro HERO with a waterproof housing, yet never really found it user-friendly. As a comparative HD action cam, however, this Garmin Virb XE is so much…
White Glacier Arctic 25 immersion suit
This immersion suit is a much more serious product than it perhaps looks with me pictured in it. It will keep an occupant alive for up to 25 hours in…
Helly Hansen Crew H2Flow Jacket
Cut the fat to bare operating efficiency – that’s the motto of today, in business, lifestyle or sport. We are all increasingly overworked and need to streamline wherever possible. The…
Karver KJ3 Cam cleat
Today’s streamlined and efficient deck layouts use purchase systems led to cam cleats for a number of functions that a decade ago would have been more likely to be led…