Best sailing watches: Start-line saviours and mid-night wakers

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     Best Sailing Watches, Gill Regatta Master II, Ronstan Clear Start Regatta Watch, Sailing, sailing holiday, Sailing Holidays, Sailing Watches, Win Design Racing Watch

I’ve been involved in sailing races without having a watch. It’s not a pleasant experience. A start line is hectic enough without having to guess at remaining time or do countdowns in your head.

Sailing watches are multi-purpose tools.

A good start off the line is important. And the best sailing watches do much more than tell the time…

As with most sailing products, sailing watches are multi-purpose tools. Some of the primary functions that sailing watches offer are: countdowns, stopwatch function, elapsed time indicator, reset time (without too much effort) and an alarm loud enough to wake you up in time for your next duty. And the more expensive models can do a lot more

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Sailing Gear Bags Reviewed

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     bags, gear, Sailing, sailing break, sailing gear, Sailing gear bags, Sailing Holidays

This past winter, I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of using sailing gear bags while on sailing excursions.

Take your dry bag with you when sailing at the sea. Image: flickr/ Cowbell Solo

Around noon, we pulled into an anchorage near the French Caribbean island of Martinique. After a quick lunch, we decided to head ashore to buy supplies for the next leg of our journey.

We took our laptops to check our email and Skype a few friends. It wasn’t raining when we got into the dinghy and headed to shore, but the skies opened halfway across the harbor. No dry bags = not cool.

Whether you’re a recreational or competitive sailor, a dry bag is an imperative piece of equipment that can save you from disastrous situations. The price is minimal, compared to what it can save you from.

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Sailing Life Vests: What every sailor needs to know

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     buoyancy aids, life jacket, life vest, Safety Tips, Sailing, Sailing Holidays

They say that the best boat is a friend’s boat. Why? Probably because of the seemingly endless expense that goes along with owning a boat. Sailing life vests, however, are one expense you should be happy to face.

Always wear a life vest, they're not all orange! Image: Flickr/ thesuperaliceflickr

Not only are life jackets required by maritime law in most parts of the world, they can obviously save lives. Still, I’ve been on sail boats during the safety demo and found my mind wandering elsewhere.

I wonder if any of the passengers aboard the Titanic made the same mistake? Or, the recent cruise ship in Greece?

Accidents can happen to anyone, so let’s prepare by looking at some of the best sailing life vests.

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The 10 Best Sailing Apps

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     Sailing, sailing apps, sailing equipment, sailing gear, Sailing Holidays

Mobile applications are freakishly popular these days, and thanks to the technological advances of  smart phones, the best sailing apps are fast becoming the way to stay connected  - all with a device small enough to fit in your pocket!

Windguru Mobile, support for Winduguru Pro accounts and all forecast models: GFS, NAM, HRW, WRF, and NWW3.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than lugging around huge bags, inconvenienced with each and every move. For my own world tour travels this year, I’m already looking at ways to leave my laptop at home…

It’s possible to get a mobile app for almost anything one could fathom. On your next sailing holidays, consider these apps to help smooth out your seas.

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Buying sea sunglasses: What to look for in sailing shades

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     Sailing, sailing gear, Sailing Holidays, sunglasses, sunglasses for sailing

Until very recently, I’ve always worn cheap sea sunglasses – £7 ($10) from your local garage! But this winter I had my first experience with a pair of proper sailing shades.

Choose proper sunglasses, take care of your vision. Image: Flickr/ lytfyre

I now really see the value of buying the quality pair. Who wants to have a wrinkly face from squinting anyway?

Choosing the proper sunglasses for sailing is crucial; with the amount of time you spend on the water, it’s vital to take care of your vision.

Having just got a pair, here’s a few key factors to consider when checking out new pairs of sailing glasses:

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Sailing Gear: Buying boat shoes

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     Boat shoes, Canary Islands, Deck shoes, Sailing, sailing gear, sailing holiday, sailing shoes

I just spent the past month sailing on a 52-foot luxury catamaran in the Southern Caribbean. It was an epic trip with a great crew of friends and a very lenient captain.

Relaxing on deck. Image: Flickr/ drcuddy.

Besides a few urchin spines and reef kisses, the worst injury that I sustained was from not wearing boat shoes – also sometimes called deck shoes.

Now, while I didn’t go to the Caribbean to wear shoes, there are advantages to having protection and grip on your feet while walking on board.

Based on this, here’s what’s on the market for people looking at buying the right boat shoes to protect their feet.

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