A Few Of My Favorite Things
Published: Monday, December 9, 2019
By: Ken Quant, Broad Reach Marketing
When you write for a boating publication, you probably aren’t going to get rich, but it does have other advantages. In particular, you tend to get a lot of fun, free stuff sent your way from manufacturers in hopes that you’ll write a few nice words about their cool new products. From lifejackets to sunglasses, apps and jackets, these items cover a wide range of new sailing toys. After a summer of using and abusing these spoils of my under-employment, it’s now time to share a few of my favorite things, just in time for Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion!
Gill Floating Sunglasses
When I started sailing, you had to have a pair of Vuarnet sunglasses. Expensive and French, they mostly reflected how cool and trendy you were. They used a heavy glass lens that was good at reducing glare, but also caused them to sink like a rock. Since then, sunglasses have evolved to use lighter weight plastic lenses and frames, but they still sink, although at a slower rate than their glass lens ancestors.
With the introduction of a new line of floating sunglasses, Gill has pushed the evolution of boating eye protection forward. Not so much with lens technology, but with an ingeniously simple twist of design that incorporates four small, passive foam pads into the arms of an extremely lightweight frame. This allows them to actually float. Granted, it would be really difficult to find them offshore if they went overboard on a screaming reach, but if they happen to fall off your head at the dock, you can now just pick them out of the water at your leisure.
After wearing these most of the summer, including a sailing trip to the BVIs, I have to say that I never had to use the floatation feature by accident. Although, I had great fun showing them off by tossing them in the water on purpose. They really do float. However, be sure not to add a heavy eyeglass leash because it will cause them to sink. If you must, use a neoprene leash and you should be fine. All Gill glasses feature UV protection and 100% glare free polarized lenses specifically designed for use on the water. The pair I used had a really nice neutral color tint that wasn’t too dark and offered a great view of the underwater reefs in clearwater.
iNavX Navigation App
When I was asked to test iNavX, I figured it was probably just another navigation app that would offer the now familiar advantages of modern GPS navigation as long as you downloaded their expensive and proprietary digital charts. I was wrong. Instead, iNavX turned out to be a surprisingly powerful chart plotter designed to enhance the functionality of most popular chart systems, or just work with the included high-resolution NOAA charts of the West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, and U. S. Virgin Islands.
With iNavX, you can plot your position in real-time using your device's built-in GPS. You can also pan, zoom, and rotate charts, as well as display speed, course, and bearing. It also incorporates advanced route planning features while tracking your actual route. For those who prefer enhanced charts beyond the standard NOAA ones, iNavX also provides an easy link to compatible chart providers like Navionics, Blue Latitude, Explorer, Waterway Guide, and a host of others. AIS information can also be displayed, as well as Theyr and GRIB weather data.
This app truly offers the full monty of high-tech chart enhancements, but the best part of iNavX is actually the price. No matter if you plan to use it as a primary navigation system, or just as a pocket back-up, at only $6.99, iNavX is a must have for any boater.\
Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Jacket
When you sail the Great Lakes, a good foul weather jacket is a must. For years, I was dragging around an old one that worked well but was so heavy that I thought it belonged more in a fire station than in my sailing bag. However, this season, a weight was literally lifted off my shoulders because Helly Hansen created their new Skagen Offshore Jacket.
A bit lighter weight than Helly’s Aegir professional offshore series jackets, the Skagen Offshore jacket is a perfect combination of the full-feature weather protection needed on the lakes, without the bulk. It offers exceptional spray, rain and wind protection, but uses a 2-ply fabric with mesh liner, instead of the much heavier 5-ply construction used in their Aegir model. Smartly cut to offer good range of movement, it also features a tall collar and high visibility hood that both truck away nicely when not in use. In case the worst happens, it also has SOLAS rated reflective patches for excellent nighttime visibility. In spite of all the high-tech trimmings, I have to say my favorite features are the fleece-lined hand warmer pockets and collar. They just feel nice.
If you’re looking for a high quality, full feature foul weather jacket that is light enough to use during a warm summer rain, but designed to face a gale, the new Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore jacket would be a great choice.
Spinlock 5D Deckvest Lifejacket
I must confess. I am not an icon of safety when it comes to wearing a lifejacket. That changed significantly this year because of my new Spinlock 5D Deckvest. Unlike the original SOS style inflatable harnesses, this lifejacket is contour fit and amazingly comfortable to wear while offering an unmatched series of retrieval features.
I was particularly impressed by the thought put into nighttime MOB retrieval. With Spinlock’s exclusive Lume On™ technology, the full-face spray hood automatically lights up at night for greatly enhanced visibility. On top of that, it also features a Pylon™ light that extends up over your head for better visibility in tall waves. The 5D also incorporates the latest soft-loop safety harness technology that allows the connection point to flex under load, instead of bending and breaking like the traditional metal connection points used on most old-school harnesses. Combined with the built-in whistle, line cutter, crotch straps and safety line lifting point, the 5D offers true state-of-the-art MOB safety in a surprisingly lightweight and comfortable package.
You never know when you may find yourself in the water, so do your family a favor and spend the money to get a Spinlock 5D Deckvest. Its comfort alone lures you into wearing it more often. If you’re lucky, you’ll never have to use its advanced features, but if you do, you will be damn glad you opened your wallet a bit more than usual.
Ken sails his T10, Eclipse, out of McKinley Marina in Milwaukee. He races regularly with the South Shore Yacht Club and MAST sailing club.
This article first appeared in the Year End Issue (Nov/Dec) 2019 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Clothing & Shoes, Gift Ideas, safety, Software & Apps
