Nautical Gifts for the Boater

Things you can buy for the upcoming season or some wintertime boating. Items we looked at are waterproof backpacks, sailing watches, folding bikes, toughcase for iPhone, floating key buoy, warm and dry gloves and socks, office furniture, emergency power for any of todays electronics, Binoculars for navigation, marine artwork, waterproof cameras, and nautical jewelry.


Roller Backpack 30L

The 30 liter carry on bag does not compress like my backpack so will not stow in some places. However this is what makes it good for some travelers. Because the backpack sides are rigid you can put overnight clothes in and not have them come out rumpled. For the boater that travels this is ideal for overhead and overnight travel.

The bag is quite Light to handle and with contents will be easy to lift up to the overhead, Unless you are carrying lead. There are Handles on 3 sides to help handling. There are 3 external and internal pockets for organizing bits and pieces and a couple made in neoprene. Once on the ground the handle pulls out easily the wheels hit the ground and off you go. It comes in carbon only so unfortunately it will look like all the other bags on the conveyor belt.

Cost is $125 which is much more than the normal Henri Lloyd backpack which costs $69. The advantages  however for the traveler are neatly packed clothes.

Strida folded bike

The Strida folded bike ends up with a long and thin package which for some may be easier to stow. The folded size is just 45 inches x 20 x 9 inches and weighs just 22 lbs. This 9 inch width is the narrowest folded bike I have seen. Most others are closer to 12 inches. This gives this folding bike more options for stowage onboard as it could easily fit into many lazarette lockers or go below and fit in a hanging locker. Compare to the ” Genius folding bike ” “ with a folded size of 25 x 12 x 30 inches

The bike is a single speed bike so is not intended for long distances but if you are looking for a few miles into town and light use it is perfect. The wheel diameter is 14 inches and the bike comes with disc brakes. With the Kevlar drive belt there is no greasy chain to deal .

Folding takes just a few seconds. The first step is a pin joint on the forward section. Release this and pull up the pedal section. The forward section now comes in and the two wheels attach together with a magnet. Next the pedals fold up and the handle bars fold down. Done! A very quick and easy process.

The folded shape has some other benefits. Instead of having to lift the bike to move it you can just pull it along behind you as the wheels still operates. You can rest the bike up against a wall and the brakes lock so it will stay in place.

Magellan ToughCase

There are waterproof cases for your iPhone and then there is the Magellan ToughCase. The ToughCase will keep the iPhone dry, plus it will charge the battery and provide GPS. The ToughCase meets IPX-7 standards (1-meter up to 30 minutes) underwater so it is waterproof and very durable.

Some of the extra benefits you will get with the ToughCase are; extra battery capacity, Built in GPS, completely interactive which means you can use almost all the iPhone functions without having to open the case.

The ToughCase includes an internal battery that charges your iPhone or iPod touch. The 1840 mAh battery will double your battery life based on normal operation.

The ToughCase has an integrated SiRFstarIII GPS chipset. Position accuracy is accurate to 10-15 feet.

From the Video below you can see how the iPhone will remain functional even while protected and charging.

Regatta Watch Racing III : :

The 4 pushers are fully protected against shocks.
Stainless steel case and back,
Stainless steel pushers,
Mineral crystal high resistance,
Genuine leather or PU-rubber strap,
Movement Aquastar LCD 9000

Functions of the movement AQUASTAR LCD 9000

easy utilization : one pusher = one function ,
countdown setting from -15min à 0 min,
"catch up" function of the next minute (for ex. in case the countdown has been set with delay, it is still possible to reposition exactly while a next signal)
works like a chronograph when the countdown is set on 0min.,
hour and minute indication,
indication of the hours and minutes elapsed until 99 hours,
night lightning of the dial,
double indication of the last 5 minutes of the countdown provided by digital numbers and the 5 balls decreasing by steps of 30 sec. during the last 5 minutes.

                More Watches

 

Key Buoy

The ultimate key fob for boaters! When keys fall in the water, Key Buoy self-inflating key ring opens up, releasing an air tube which inflates automatically. The 14" (47 cm) inflated tube extends above the water, allowing you to reach over and pick them up. Key Buoy rises to surface in as fast as 60 seconds. May take longer in deeper water with maximum weight attached.
To see photos of the Key Buoy in action, click the "More Info" button.

Strong enough for items weighing up to 2.8 ounces (80 grams) such as keys, small tools, deck plate keys. Suitable for single use only, so keep a spare on hand! More Personal Accessories

Convertible Mitts

Warm gloves for the winter and cold water boating. These gloves from EMS have fingerless tips, and a mitt cover that pulls over when you need warmth. Open fingers on the left, pull over the mitt cover and now you have full Mitts on the right.

When its cold your hands loose a lot of heat. For these conditions, warm gloves are essential. However, we know how awkward it is to do some boating operations with full gloves. To counter that we have fingerless gloves or three finger gloves, which lets us fiddle with lines, open shackles etc. However, these gloves are nowhere near as warm as full fingered gloves or Mitts.

These combined Mitt and Fingerless gloves can be a solution to cold water boating. Using  Polartec 200 weight fleece  these gloves are breathable and warm. You could wear these under a large pair of waterproof or windproof mitts. More Gloves

Sealskinz

For boating in wet conditions try Sealskinz dry socks and gloves

 Sealskinz Video in action

A few friends have these waterproof socks. Since they are warm and dry, they swear by them. The feature of these socks is that they can be worn with just sneakers or deck shoes and you have dry feet. Normally you would need boots to have dry feet.

With Sealskinz socks you can have one shoe to cover summer and fall sailing.

Sealskinz have multiple layers. The inner layer features a fine Merino wool inner for great comfort and excellent wicking performance and an elasticized instep for comfort and support. The mid layer is waterproof and breathable and the outer layers offer protection. More Footware & Socks

 



Waste basket

Office or home Furniture. This Steamship funnel waste basket from Authentic Models will look great in your office to bring you the feel of the sea.

Authentic models has a large collection of cool stuff and has several suppliers in the US




Classic Marine

In this day and age, your deck equipment and hardware is made from composites, stainless and other compounds. However there still is a penchant for the old look and its great to see.

Classic Marine specializes in this look and makes every thing from below decks clocks and barometers to on deck winches and running rigging including the navigation lights and port light shown.



Power Monkey

Power-monkey is an emergency power supply that can charge any modern device.

The Explorer from Power Monkey consists of a solar slave which can charge the Power Monkey charger.

The Power Monkey then stores the energy and can be used anytime, to charge phones, PDAs, iPods and more. An excellent device for emergency power, to power your electronic devices.

We looked at the original Power Monkey last year. The power stored in the device can charge your electronics. Power Monkey has 96 hrs of emergency backup for cell phone. They claim is the monkey will hold its charge for a year without leaking.







Image stabilized Binoculars

Maybe you are like me and have a hard time reading an image through regular binoculars on the water. Even using 7 X 50 binoculars I have always had a hard time seeing the image clearly, unless they were a very expensive pair with great optics and coatings.

If this is the case Image Stabilized binoculars are a great solution. The first time I tried IS binoculars on a boat it was like, OK these work. For the first time I could see and read a distant channel mark number. Pressing the button gave a picture image of the channel marker with great clarity. High-power image stabilized binoculars lock onto objects giving steady images, perfect for a moving boat.

Fujinon 14 x 40 image stabilized binoculars

Right are the Fujinon 14 x 40 image stabilized binoculars which are twice the magnification (14x) of most standard marine binoculars (7x), and offer great images at long distances on the water.  They do provide great stable images from a long way away. However, they are expensive at around $1,200.

 Canon 10 x 30 Image Stabilization Binoculars right


These 10 X 30 image stabilized binoculars from Canon are Vary Angle IS Binoculars. Magnification is 10X and the objective lens is 30mm diameter. These are relatively cheap and small binoculars which can greatly enhance navigation. Being able to pick out and identify a channel marker at a greater distance than regular Binoculars is a safety feature as well as a comfort.

Lightweight and powerful, the 10x30 IS delivers the benefits of Canons active Image Stabilization. Comes with a handy Case, Neck Strap and a set of batteries. Cost around $430

More Binoculars




Dory Bookshelf/Table with Glass
 

This accent dory can be used two ways: on end as a bookshelf, or as a glass-topped table. Use it as a table and fill the inside with beach finds, or stand it upright to display your shells, books and pictures. 


Dimensions: 46.75" h x 19.5" w x 13" d $310.00






Breezing Up Art.com

Influential 19th century painter, Winslow Homer (1836 1910), departed from Impressionistic artistic conventions to produce realistic images of American life. Excelling at illustration, oil painting and watercolors, he initially won acclaim for Civil War battlefront illustrations rendered for “Harpers Weekly,”
 
He is best known for his seascapes, often infused with energy and epic grandeur, and his direct interpretation of mans stoic relationship with the rugged wilderness.




Horizon true

Capture your boating activities on camera

Horizon true camera mounts have a leveling device which as the name implies keeps the camera level. This when mounted on a sailboat captures images level to the waterline and horizon even when the boat heels.

Use for this camera mount range from just recording pictures or video for fun, to training and coaching exercises. There are example videos on the Horizon true site which shows what can be had with Video recording.



Sanyo waterproof Dual HD Camera

The Xacti range of HD, waterproof cameras are called dual. This is due to the ability to take photos and video. This is a great advantage as some video will not capture detail, where a photo will.

These Dual Camera Xacti cameras record photos and videos to SD cards.

features:

The camera is waterproof to 3 meters
30 x optical zoom
2 mega pixel photo
720p HD video



SeaWear

Seawear Nautical and Celtic jewelry is comprised of four sections for your searching ease. Nautical jewelry which has anything to do with water, sports, fresh or salt, lake or stream.
Marine life would be the creatures on or under the waters of the oceans, lakes and streams.The Celtic collection is a natural integration as so many of the nautical knots, mermaids, sea lore and legends can be traced back to the ancient Celts. A progression followed from there to the Claddagh jewelry, rings, wedding bands and bracelets. The fine jewelry makes up the rings, charms, pendants, bracelets, earrings, chain and cufflinks that do not fit in the nautical, sea life or Celtic sections.

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