LED headlamps are pouring into the market, but it’s hard to imagine one superior to Princeton Tec’s $39 EOS. It’s extraordinarily bright and can easily shine from cockpit to bow on most boats. It’s solidly waterproof with a nice tilt mechanism and a big single control button. And it weighs less than 4 ounces when loaded with three AAA batteries, which will last 2 to 28 hours depending on which light modes you select. There’s even a blink mode for signaling. Clip a $10 red Pilot model onto the strap as a backup and you’ll be night-vision safe. Princeton Tec; 609-298-9331
RAM tough
What a laptop computer on a boat needs is a “lap” that’s solid and safe yet adjustable. RAM Mount’s new spring-loaded Universal Tray will tightly grip most any size portable PC and can be stationed virtually anywhere using RAM’s nearly endless array of aluminum brackets, swing arms, and ball sockets (which are rubber coated to reduce vibration). The particular setup shown cost about $168 and can be accessorized with GPS and cellphone cradles. RAM Mount; 206-763-8361
Marine med
The labels read like a haiku of misery, but organizing a first-aid kit according to the actual situations the contents might be needed for is a brilliant idea. This $299 Marine 1000 med kit, one in a series of eight kits, is designed for coastal cruising within 12 hours of professional care. All the kits feature hospital-quality supplies and an “Easy Care System” with instructions that allow even a novice to deliver aid quickly and effectively. Adventure Medical Kits; 800-324-3517
Solo GPS
Delorme’s little 2-by-3-inch Blue Logger GPS uses Bluetooth wireless to send WASS-accurate position info about 30 feet to PDAs or laptops. It worked well with a variety of charting programs I tried (though setting up Bluetooth for the first time was a bit fiddly). The gadget can also work by itself and can log and store up to 50,000 position/speed/altitude data points. This may not be useful in normal navigation, but if you want to know what the kids did with your tender, the Blue Logger can tell you. It comes with a rechargeable battery that really lasts 8 hours, and you have a choice of street or topo mapping programs, starting at $150. Delorme; 800-561-5105
Mystery crystals
Sealed inside this well-made “stormglass” is a super-saturated mix of chemicals that responds to some unknown component of the atmosphere by crystallizing in ever-changing patterns. How the patterns correlate to upcoming severe weather is also a little mysterious, in my experience, but would likely reveal itself once you become familiar with this historical instrument. Its inventor, Robert Fitzroy, was master of HMS Beagle and founded the British Met Office. $119 in plain or chrome-plated brass.
Weems & Plath; 800-638-0428
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