Sailing Gear I Can Recommend

Over the years, I've had the good fortune to be exposed to a great many different boats and their associated gear. To follow are some items which I feel comfortable recommending to others.

Diesel engines - Yanmar. I had the misfortune of having the transmission fail on the New Jersey coast some years back, and the further misfortune of hiring a mechanic whose $1100 repair lasted all of four hours before the tranny failed again, only this time while I was a half mile offshore with the winds increasing from offshore.
At the end of it all, Yanmar and their east coast distributor, Mack Boring, demonstrated amazing customer service, despite my engine being over 25 years old. They were even willing to go to court to back up my claim of the mechanic's incompetence, although that ultimately proved unnecessary.
I haven't had another brand of diesel to compare with, but I'll say this - when I finally repowered, it was another Yanmar that went in the hold.
For more information, go to www.yanmar.com and www.mackboring.com

Navigation - Most of the charter boats I sail each summer have a model of a popular brand chartplotter onboard, so I have a lot of familiarity with what is likely the most common brand on the market. I find them difficult to use and inconsistent in their operation between different models.
On my own boat, I have used three different Garmin GPSs and chartplotters. My current plotter, an out of production 2010C colour plotter, I bought after using one on a delivery boat. I find the entire line of Garmin GPS and chartplotters to be easy to use, with a consistency of operation between different models.
Also - when I had a question about a function on my original Garmin 12, the response from the company was fast, courteous and complete. I've since had further dealings with their Customer Support group and I continue to be impressed with their response. Top marks to them for treating customers with respect and courtesy.
Because of my positive experiences with the company, I decided to ask them to sponsor this voyage and for that same reason, I recommend their product line to you. You won't be sorry to choose Garmin products for your boat. See www.garmin.com
And if you're thinking of a birthday present for me, the new Garmin touchscreen plotter would be just super! What a glorious piece of electronics! Check it out here.