October, 2026 | GPS Navigation Systems

AIS Transponder for Sailboats: Best Class B Units Compared

November 3, 2026October 31, 2026 by Andrejs

A sailboat's mast against a pale morning sky seen from deck level, with a slim VHF antenna at the masthead and a shorter whip antenna clamped to the stern rail pushpit in the

If you are choosing an AIS transponder for passages that take you weeks from the nearest chandlery, the label on the box matters less than four things…

Night Watch With Radar and AIS: Cross-Check Every Target

by Andrejs

A sailboat cockpit at dusk with the chartplotter and instrument displays glowing a dim red-amber on a dark background, a small strip of black tape over a standby LED, and a red torch res

Most near misses at night come from one of two mistakes: a screen nobody was looking at, or a screen somebody believed too much.

Offshore Chartplotter Features: What Matters and What to Skip

by Andrejs

A chartplotter mounted at a sailboat helm in harsh midday sun, its screen beaded with salt spray, a gloved hand turning the rotary dial while a polarized sunglasses lens catches the gla

Most chartplotter reviews compare screens, map detail and menus on a dealer’s shelf or a calm marina.

Radar Overlay on Chartplotter: Cables, Networks & Fixes

by Andrejs

Close-up of the back of a marine chartplotter in a dim navigation locker, with a blue Ethernet-style cable and a round waterproof network connector plugged into adjacent sockets, e

If you already own a radar and a chartplotter, getting them to share one screen is mostly physical work: matching network types, running the right…

Radar vs AIS on a Sailboat: Which to Buy First

November 3, 2026October 24, 2026 by Andrejs

A sailboat's cockpit view at dusk looking out over grey water, with a small unlit fishing boat barely visible low on the horizon while a distant ship with bright deck lights glo

Most sailors who ask about radar vs AIS for sailboats can only afford one of them this season.

Sat Phone vs Satellite Messenger Offshore: Which to Carry

November 3, 2026October 21, 2026 by Andrejs

A small orange handheld satellite messenger clipped to a stainless cockpit rail on a sailboat, its screen lit, with open blue sky and a wide ocean horizon behind it in bright midd

Offshore, a satellite link has three jobs: tell people where you are, bring in weather information, and get help when something goes wrong.

EPIRB vs PLB on a Sailboat: Which One (or Both) to Carry

November 3, 2026October 18, 2026 by Andrejs

A bright orange Category I EPIRB seated in its bracket on a sailboat's stern pushpit rail, with the hydrostatic release housing visible beneath it and clear open sky above, no

An EPIRB signals for the boat, and a PLB signals for one person. Everything else in the EPIRB vs PLB for sailing question follows from that.

How AIS Actually Prevents Collisions on Busy Sailing Routes

October 14, 2026 by Andrejs

A sailboat's cockpit chartplotter screen glowing at dusk, showing a cluster of AIS vessel icons converging near a shipping lane, with the open sea and a distant container shi

Most explanations of AIS stop at the chartplotter screen: a boat-shaped icon appears, you click it, a name and speed pop up, end of story. That’s the

Best Handheld GPS Devices for Emergency Use at Sea

by Andrejs

A sailor's hand gripping a rugged yellow handheld GPS unit on a pitching, spray-soaked deck during a squall, the darkened cockpit chartplotter visible and lifeless in the background against grey

Sailors who rely on a chartplotter mounted at the helm often treat it as the single source of truth. It isn’t. A chartplotter is wired into the boat’s

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