For day hiking and wet outdoor activities, the Eureka Dry looks like a great combination of versatile pack and dry-bag. The back and straps are made of mesh material for ventilation, and there are all kinds of pockets and straps for holding your gear. It uses a dry-bag-type roll closure, and the straps can even be removed completely, leaving just the dry-bag. Not exactly urban camouflage, but it looks like a comfortable, versatile pack.

The Brookhouse line of multiplexers combine multiple NMEA talkers into one coherent stream, which can then be listened to by other ship-board electronics and/or a laptop. There are several unique and useful features, including a USB connection option for ease of connecting a laptop, and a Seatalk interface option for connecting to Raymarine instruments. I also particularly like the option of a small LCD screen that can display information from almost any data source in the system. Not only is this a great repeater for instruments you might not have the space or budget for at the nav station, it could be a useful diagnostic tool to determine if a particular device in your system is working. Another interesting feature is the ability to program the device to automatically translate NMEA sentences in order to fix specific compatibility problems with devices in your system.

I have a waterproof backpack for adventures in the dink, but it’s really just a dry-bag with straps. It’s bright yellow and made out of rubberized fabric, so it is neither subtle nor particularly comfortable for spending a day tramping around. To take my laptop or go shopping in an urban environment, I’d want something stylish and comfortable like the Chromebags Ivan. It’s got external pockets and messenger bag street cred, plus a roll-top dry bag integrated as the main compartment. Dude!

Wouldn’t it be nice take your laptop out of it’s waterproof case, plug in one cable, and have all your charts, GPS, and instrument data right there on the screen? Getting your laptop happily integrated with your instruments can be a complex endeavor, but a multiplexer, especially one that just hooks up to one of the computer’s USB ports may be the secret ingredient for success.

To understand the purpose and need for a multiplexer, some background is in order…

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As for a sealed case, you may have seen ads for Pelican Cases, which are fully gasketed, and made from thick, impact resistant plastic. These are seriously rugged, and a great way to protect fragile equipment of all kinds. Pelican makes a model designed specifically for laptops, which I’ve seen cruisers dutifully toting to internet cafes. There are even large models, including roll-around ones with handles, which could hold a whole mobile-office worth of equipment.

Other options worth considering are kayak/rafting dry-bags or waterproof backpacks. If you already have a laptop case you are happy with for carrying all your goodies, sealing the whole thing up in a dry-bag would be nearly as effective as a Pelican Case. And waterproof backpacks (which use dry-bag-type construction) are useful for ferrying all kinds of water-sensitive items ashore as well as around town.

Yeah, duh, huh? Laptops are actually pretty reliable machines these days, even the non-ruggedized versions that don’t cost megabucks. Experience has shown that they can be used successfully for years in the marine environment, and there are a few simple things you can do to prolong their lives. Aside from avoiding direct splashes or immersion, the most important thing is to control exposure to moisture laden salt air. Luckily, this risk is effectively managed by keeping your machine on when in use, and packing it away in a sealed case when it’s turned off. Basically, as long as it’s on, the heat generated by the electrical components drives moisture out and prevents corrosion. When turned-off, transfer the machine to a sealed protective case, and include a packet of desiccant to absorb any residual airborne moisture. Remember to recharge the desiccant regularly, i.e. by popping it in an oven for a few minutes.

An irreverent racing news and opinion site that’s not afraid to savage some sacred cows of the mucky muck, big money world of sailing. This is a place for those who like fast boats and sailing hard. Lots of postings about what’s going on in the world of sailboat racing The very active forums are also a great resource on everything from racing rules to bottom paint.

Link: Sailing Anarchy

Apparently, they’re not just for kite surfers anymore. For the 2003 Americas Cup BMW campaign, KiteShip developed a real innovation in spinnaker design: on that really flies. The team didn’t feel they had enough time to master the new sail in preparation for the Cup, but the concept seems to work, and their are many advantages: namely a downwind sail that won’t stress the mast or cause the boat to lose control. The kite provides lift as well as driving force, which keeps the bow up, which is an added safety margin for multihulls. The main disadvantage I can see is that it needs a full crew and three winches to fly and trim, so that rules out short-handed and cruising use, at least at the current stage of development.

If you’re using a laptop with Skype to keep in touch while abroad, you generally need some sort of mic/headset. To plug into the PC, these have separate microphone and headset connectors, or a USB jack, but they tend to be a bit bulky and unattractive compared to all the cellphone hands-free adapters out there. However, the cellphone headsets only have a single plug that doesn’t connect directly to the PC. I’d been half-heartedly looking for an adapter for several months and mentioned it to my dad who’s down here visiting in La Paz, MX. So he went down to the local Radio Shack (really!) and the English-speaking guy behind the counter knew exactly what he was looking for, and picked it off the display! Anyway, these things can be dang hard to find, so I’ll make it easy for you: it’s a 6" Multimedia Headset Y-Cable, part # 42-2428.

With super-bright, wateproof LCD monitors for the cockpit hovering in 3 to 5 boat unit range (1 bu = $1k), I’ve been looking at other solutions for using a computer as a topside chartplotter. Interestinlgy enough, there are entire waterproof Tablet PCs with outdoor readable screens that can be bought for this kind of money. And when you’re not using them at the nav station, just bring ‘em inside, rinse ‘em off in the galley sink, and write your email with the touchscreen pen. This one would fit the bill very nicely.

A number of the Xplore units have been on the surplus market in the $1,000-$1,500 range, notably on ebay. Apparently a large project was cancelled and lots of them have been circulating. From what I can determine, the screens on these models aren’t very usable in direct sun, and the processor is a bit slow by current standards, but the price certainly is attractive for such a rugged device.