Marine Electronics
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The world of sailboat supplies is changing. And that’s because the world of technology is changing. Today’s sailors have a much wider variety of supplies to select from than in the past. Besides anchors, life vests, backup motors, and a variety of riggings and mechanical parts, today’s sailor also has to consider a variety of electronic devices; all of which can make sailing safer, less expensive and more enjoyable.
All in all, the type of sailboat supplies you will need will depend on your sailboat and how you use your sailboat. However, even a day on the smallest sailboats can be improved with technology. Waterproof cell phones and GPS units, for example, will not only make short excursions on the lake safer, but also more carefree.
Besides a necessary safety device, your standard handheld GPS unit can also be a lot of fun on the water. Today’s electronically in-tune boaters often play geocaching games with their GPS units. In your typical geocaching game a treasure or prize is hidden at a known GPS location and the other players try to find it. There are as many varieties of the game as you can dream up. The classical game though involves giving the exact coordinates of the treasure and then providing clues near the treasure site, such as a hidden treasure map.
Other electronic gadgets for a smaller sailboat that can make sailing more relaxing include waterproof radios, CDs, cameras (both video and still), as well as your classic iPod. Although not all these devices can be found in waterproof versions, many are not only waterproof, but also float and work underwater.
Keeping the power on to all these devices used to be problematic. However, with a foldable solar panel or any one of the new portable wind and motion electricity generators you can forget about the batteries all together.
What’s even nicer though, is that your marine electronics combined often weigh just a few pounds, allowing you to carry it all in a single waterproof carrying case. But there’s even more. These carrying cases, which often float, give you even more power. And that’s because they come tiled from side-to-side with high-efficiency solar cells.
If you really want to be prepared for a sailing excursion you should also consider clothes. When you’re out on the boat, the weather can change quickly and you will need to be prepared. Advances in fabric technology continue to make sailing clothes lighter and ever more waterproof. All of this technology is driven by what has become known as smart textiles. Smart textiles have the capability to automatically change their fabric properties to fit a particular environment.
If you want to take extra care of your skin, consider the UPF rating of the sailing hats and clothes you buy. Clothes with high UPF ratings let very little ultraviolet rays in. Although for many this may not be that important, for others it is. And that’s because these clothes can help prevent more damage to already sunburnt skin.
Besides the clothes and electronics, other items you may want to pick up at your local boating supply store include games. There are many waterproof games that can be played on even the smallest of sailboats. Waterproof playing cards and some plastic poker chips are popular items that can do a lot to liven up even the smallest sailboat.
