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Sirius Signal C-1003 Distress Light - A newly improved flare replacement?

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"The sea, the great unifier, is man's only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat."  - Jacques Yves Cousteau Jacques may be right about all of us being in the same boat, but that no longer means we all carry the same kind of emergency distress signaling gear.  As I wrote a few years ago when Sirius Signal released their original A-1001 LED SOS distress light, conventional pyrotechnic flares have some serious competition for keeping boaters safe and complying with U.S. Coast Guard regulations. But before we dive into the details, you might be wondering just what is an LED SOS distress light and which USCG regs are relevant.  An LED SOS distress light, often referred to as an electronic Visual Distress Signal Device (eVDSD) in the industry, is simply a battery operated light that flashes SOS in Morse code.  The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 175.130 states that an electric distress light meeting the st

See the Invisible - Shady Rays Sunglasses Review

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"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others." -Jonathan Swift I’ve only tried one pair of Shady Rays , but I can confidently say that these are affordable, quality sunglasses that look good and get the job done.   And if you’re the type of person that wants to feel good about the companies you do business with, Shady Rays gets some points there too.   They are an independent sunglasses company that provides 11 meals for every order to help fight hunger in the U.S. through FeedingAmerica .  To date, they've provided over 2.6 million meals to fight hunger. " Making the best shades for 24/7 action." &  " Live Hard. We Got You. " Those are the bars that Shady Rays has set for their brand of sunglasses.  They're aiming for an audience of active outdoor types...like sailors.  To see if they can live up to the slogans, let's look at how they are constructed and what Shady Rays does to stand behind their product.  Each

Picture This: From Under My Lone Palm II

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Aloha for your Feet: OluKai Footwear for Sailing

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OluKai believes that everybody, no matter where they are, can live Aloha. Live "hello"? No, not exactly. The word "Aloha" goes far beyond just a greeting. The true deeper meaning is love, peace and compassion. A life of Aloha is one when the heart is so full it is overflowing with the ability to influence others around you with your spirit. Now you're educated about Hawaii's most popular word, but what about popular Hawaiian shoes for sailing? Shoes might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about sailing gear, but good grip and comfortable feet can make life on deck or the dock better. Here's two pair of OluKai's I've been trying out lately that I recommend for boat use: Holona ( "Sailing, Traveling" ) Non-marking molded rubber outsole with "traction pods" Built for the water: quick drying and water-resistant 100% synthetic, 0% animal products SFLF remarks: I love the low profile design but

Picture This: Winning Back Memories

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Winning Back Memories (Anchored in Sleeping Bear Bay by K. Walters)