Marine Electronics - Mooring Marine

VHF Radio Lingo: Talk Like an Old Salt

You’ve got your new marine VHF radio connected and turned on. You hear the chatter from other boaters, and you… don’t exactly know what it all means. VHF Radio Lingo is quite confusing, but also pretty simple to decipher once you understand a few things.

In today’s article, we’re going to be taking a look at VHF radio lingo so that you’re able to properly communicate to other boaters and the Coast Guard should you ever run into trouble or just need to provide a standard status update. You’ll learn everything you need to know to not sound silly if you need to use your radio!

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Best Sailboat Autopilot

Marine Electronics, Sailing

Managing a sailboat can be a bit of a handful! Sometimes you just want to take some time to relax and enjoy the salt spray in the air and the sun on your face. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible, especially if you don’t have many people who can help you sail while you’re out on the water.

Thankfully, technology has come a long way since tall ships ruled the waves. You no longer need a full crew to help keep your boat’s operations going smoothly. All you need is a few pieces of equipment that make up the system known as a sailboat autopilot.

Unfortunately, sailboat autopilots are complex pieces of equipment. They take quite a bit of thought on the part of the buyer to ensure that it is the correct model. In today’s guide, we’re going to take a look at eight of the best sailboat autopilots on the market.

We’ll also go over a few crucial pieces of buying advice, including discussing who could get the most out of a sailboat autopilot and why. Then we’ll take a look at some FAQs about sailboat autopilots and we’ll also cover the most important features to look for in the best model.

Without any further delay, let’s get started with a look at the Best Sailboat Autopilot, the Garmin Reactor 40.

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Best Marine Air Conditioner 2021

Marine Electronics

We all purchase our boat with an idealistic idea of cruising through their harbor, across the lake, or going on a deep-sea adventure. The wind is blowing, the fish are jumping, the drinks are cold, and your engines are running smooth and clean!

But it can get hot on the water! While it’s easy to picture those 75-degree days with blowing wind and low humidity, nine times out of ten the weather isn’t that perfect.

Frequently, you’ll be cruising through a no-wake zone on a 101-degree day or sitting in one spot fishing for extended periods of time. In times like these, you’ll wish you had some ice-cold air conditioning.

Already have a boat with no A/C?

That’s not a problem! Many can be retrofitted with a small to large-sized marine air conditioning unit.

You’ll often need an HVAC technician to install these units, especially if you’re not replacing an existing unit. But much of the repairs and upkeep (not related to the freon system) are simple and easy for the average boat owner to figure out!

Here we will look at several of the best marine air conditioner units on the market. We also include a buyer’s guide to help give context to your choice.

Now, let’s check out your options!

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Best Boat Bilge Pump

Marine Electronics, Motor Boating, Sailing

There are a few pieces of marine equipment that you want to pay particularly close attention to ensure functionality. Some of these may be necessary in case of emergencies, while others may help to prevent those very same emergencies from occurring in the first place. Bilge pumps fall into the latter category.

As the name suggests, a bilge pump is a pump that is used to remove water from a ship’s bilge. Most of the time it’s just removing small bits of rainwater, errant wave spray, etc., that get into the boat. But not always. Sometimes it’s working to remove water from the vessel before the boat sinks!

Whether you’re going to be relying on a single bilge pump or multiple ones, you’ll want to be sure that the model you select is capable of reliably removing water from your vessel. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know what to expect from a bilge pump until you get your hands on it. This is where our review guide will come in handy.

Over the course of today’s guide, we’re going to take a look at ten of the best bilge pumps on the market, and we’ll compare and contrast them so you know exactly what to expect.

We’ll start off with the Best Boat Bilge Pump, the Attwood Sahara S500.

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Best Boat Spotlight Reviews 2021

Marine Electronics

In an emergency on the water, there’s no room for low-grade safety equipment. In an environment where everything can be exposed to water, you’ll need to make sure that your gear is ready to go should you need it.

This is true for anything on a boat, from the most complicated piece of equipment to the simplest. Even things like your spotlights need to be reinforced so they can put up with the rigors of a nautical environment.

Whether you’re searching for a rock that risks damaging your hull, or even worse, a man overboard, you need a spotlight that will work flawlessly every time.

Along with our product reviews themselves, we’ve also included a buying guide to help you select which of these boat spotlights will work best for you.

Let’s get started with the best boat spotlight, the by EXZEIT.
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Boat WiFi Guide: How to Get Internet on Your Boat

Marine Electronics, Marine Audio

Spending a significant amount of time at sea is awesome, life-changing even. Unfortunately, there are some challenges to spending that much time on your boat, and there are a few luxuries that you might need to give up.

In the past, an internet connection would be lumped in with all of the other things you’d have to give up when you take to the waves, but technology has changed that. Over time, more and more methods to maintain a reliable internet connection on your boat have emerged, though getting it set up has still remained somewhat confusing.

In this Boat WiFi Guide, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about getting a solid internet connection on your boat, regardless of whether you’re in the marina, just offshore, or in the middle of the sea. Once we’ve gone over the various methods at your disposal, we’ll take a look at some of the factors that you should consider when you make your decision.