Anatomy of a Shakespeare Galaxy antenna

August 26, 2011

I’ve had bad luck with this antenna recently. I attributed it to an antenna splitter at first, but after my recent AIS total failure just when I needed it most, I was ready to retire this antenna “with extreme prejudice.” But I never pass up an opportunity to learn something useful from gear failures! So [...]

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What is the best life jacket on the market?

August 24, 2011

The one you will wear! This article by Sarah Webster appears at USCG Prevention Blog: Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Ms. Dorothy Takashina, Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association. The Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association, comprised of life jacket and life jacket component manufacturers, continually works [...]

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SPLAT! Bombardier sea gulls unusually, er, active this year

August 21, 2011

[Woops! I hit publish while still in Navagear mode. Oh well…Navagear readers can get a taste—if that’s the right word—for the type of hard-hitting content they will find over at sister blog PugetSoundMaritime.com. —Tim] Rob Ollikainen has the story in the Peninsula Daily News: [This sea gull enjoys its perch atop a Port Angeles streetlight, [...]

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BitterEnd thumbs up: Aye Tides for iDevices

August 21, 2011

Captain Richard Rodriguez has some screen captures and a quick review of Aye Tides for iDevices over at his BitterEnd blog: While in Seattle a few weeks ago, Capt. Doug Pine introduced me to Aye Tides.  I’m a fan and have dumped my other iPhone and iPad products in favor of this great product. The [...]

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Sleek bimini hinges from Accon

August 18, 2011

A press release: The proper bimini hinges can provide boat owners a simple way to install and remove bimini tops. Accon Marine‘s 410 Quick Release Bimini Hinges offer owners a simple, hassle-free assembly without detracting from a streamlined appearance. Accon’s 410 hinges allow boaters to easily remove or install a bimini top without having to [...]

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Alliance for Safe Navigation announces latest survey for recreational boaters

August 18, 2011

[It’s a press release. —Tim] Survey Intended to Measure Boaters’ Awareness of Updates to Navigational Tools St. Paul, Minn.—August 8, 2011—The Alliance for Safe Navigation, whose mission is to raise boater awareness about the importance of accurate navigational information, today announced its annual survey for recreational boaters. The survey’s purpose is to gauge boaters’ awareness [...]

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AIS antenna failure…at the worst possible moment

August 16, 2011

A week ago, I was navigating at slow speed through dense fog when the antenna attached to my Class B AIS unit failed, just as I was about to enter the Vessel Traffic lanes in Puget Sound. Let’s be honest: Aboard my little 22-foot powerboat, Class B AIS is not really necessary. Very few boats [...]

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Shakespeare’s stowable emergency VHF antenna mounts instantly

August 15, 2011

[It’s funny that this press release should arrive today. One week ago, I REALLY COULD HAVE USED an emergency VHF antenna. As seen above, I was navigating at slow speed through dense fog when the antenna attached to my Class B AIS unit failed, just as I was about to enter the Vessel Traffic lanes [...]

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Engine flushing is as simple as connecting a garden hose with Perko’s FlushPro

August 10, 2011

[Sometimes I feel so fortunate that my own boat has an outboard. On with the press release! —Tim] Whether flushing an inboard engine to winterize, for regular maintenance or when moving between bodies of water, the process is now simple.  There’s no need to crawl under the boat, open the engine hatch, custom-rig connections or [...]

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Paddle boarder’s drowning: Life vest was not inflated

August 3, 2011

This is the sort of regional story I normally feature only on my PugetSoundMaritime.com blog. But it gives me another opportunity to talk about personal flotation devices, one of my favorite safety topics. I’m not a “PFD Nazi”, by any means. Do what you like on your own boat, as long as you’ve given it [...]

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