Venturing out of the harbor for an extended cruise is a great feeling. But we’ve all got busy schedules: We need to make the most of our time on the water, and that means extending weekends and enjoying the occasional overnight whenever we can. We rounded up some great gear for the weekend warrior and put it all to the test, so when Friday afternoon rolls around and it comes time to toss off the lines, you’ll have what you need onboard to ensure a good weekend.
Scheyden Precision Eyewear Fixed Hybrid Sunglasses
Starting at $259; www.scheyden.com
A key element to enjoying your time on the water is a quality pair of shades—peering into the glaring sun to spot that mooring ball or channel marker is no fun. Scheyden’s Fixed Hybrid sunglasses are ideal for on-water use, with polarized lenses that reduce glare and also feature a hydrophobic coating for resistance against the sometimes harsh marine environment (think salt water, sweat, sunblock, etc.). The lenses covered most of my view for true protection from the sun, and the high, nickel silver temples (which are also hypoallergenic) slid nicely behind my ear for a secure and comfortable fit.
West Marine Aruba 7 x 50 binoculars
$169.99; www.westmarine.com
Use them for spotting an entrance to a hidden cove or your child’s first bald eagle—whatever you want to see, the Aruba 7 x 50 binoculars can bring it into focus. The binoculars are nitrogen filled to eliminate fogging in wet and humid conditions, and the high-index BAK-4 porro prism produces a clear, bright image. They have an internal center knob for macro focusing, with an additional adjustment on the right ocular for micro tuning (those eyepieces, by the way, can twist out from the body to make them comfortable for different face shapes).
Gill Elements Knit Fleece
$120; www.gillna.com
Whether you’re in New England or Florida or cruising the coast of California, having a good top layer onboard your boat is key—something for when the sun goes down and the wind picks up, or when you’re casting off early before the day has a chance to wake. The Elements Knit Fleece from Gill is a great fit (seen here in steel, also available in navy). The exterior is made of, as the name implies, knitted fleece, tougher then your average fleece, it reminded me more of a sweatshirt’s durability, and should stand up to wear and tear quite well. The inside sports a bonded thermal lining that runs from the sleeves to the collar and everywhere in between, making this a comfortable piece to put on after a swim (i.e. no shirt, no problem). Throw it on over a T-shirt to go grab that mooring ball or toss it on over a long-sleeve for the sunset run home after a long day of fishing, it even has a convenient chest pocket to stow your shades when you don’t need them anymore.
Yeti Tundra 45 cooler
$349.99; www.yeticoolers.com
Yeti essentially makes the cooler equivalent of a Humvee—tough, good looking, and, in the case of the cooler, grizzly-bear proof. I tested the Tundra 45 (seen here in desert tan, also available in “ice blue” and classic white), a good mid-size cooler in Yeti’s marine series with a 26-can capacity (using the 2:1 ice-to-beer … err, soda ratio, with just ice it holds 35 pounds of the stuff). The Tundra 45 uses Permafrost insulation in the nearly 3-inch-thick sides to ensure your goods stay cold longer, has a “no sweat” design that nixes condensation and keeps it dry on the outside (it’ll also keep, say, the inside of your car dry, which was a nice touch as I carted this thing around full of ice). The Tundra 45 features molded-in tie-down slots that, in addition to the Bearfoot non-slip rubber feet, will help the cooler stay where it needs to be. Another nice feature is the heavy-duty rubber lid fasteners that seem much less prone to breaking than most typical plastic fasteners (a cooler with a lid that won’t shut is the worst). Each cooler comes standard with a dry-goods basket for keeping your sandwich from getting soggy.
Sperry Voyager
$120; www.sperry.com
It could be said the most important element of a good weekend on the water is a good shoe—if your feet are uncomfortable it’s hard to relax and have a good time. The new Voyager shoe from Sperry (seen here in gray, also available in navy) takes care of that. I found these shoes so comfortable during my test that I forgot I had them on. They feature Sperry’s WaterBlock breathable membrane on the upper portion to keep the salt water out without suffocating your toes, and underfoot they sport Sperry’s proven ASV technology to help reduce shock and its Adaptive Wave Siping sole, that dispersed water under my feet to reduce slipping on wet decks.
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