In a companion article, we reviewed 4 software options for turning Google Earth into a powerful moving map application using realtime GPS tracking. If you don’t own a GPS with compatible serial or USB interfaces, Garmin has two low-cost options that work not only with Google Earth, but also with most other PC-based mapping programs. (more…)

Looking to step up from your current compact digital camera?

The Canon Rebel XTi will get you into the digital SLR realm at a great price.

A significant upgrade to the previous Canon Rebel XT, the XTi includes many features found on the more expensive Canon 30D.

The XTi has a full range of basic and advanced shooting modes for beginner or expert alike.

We’re Canon fans here at DestinSharks.com and most of the images you see throughout our website were captured with Canon digital SLR’s.

We’ve also created a short list of recommended Rebel accessories, additional lenses, and photo printers and software to round out your photography equipment.

While entry-level digital SLR cameras have become much more affordable recently, professional lenses for the same can often cost more than a camera body. Many large photo stores have longstanding equipment rental programs, but these are generally found in large metro areas and average costs are easily $20-$40 per day for pro grade glass. Fortunately, mail-order lens rental at very reasonable prices is starting to be a reality.
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The Westerbeke 3kW BPMG marine generator is one of the quietest and lightest on the market. We’re fortunate to have a 2005 model BPMG in our Regal 2760 and have had great experience with the generator so far. We’ve put together a video to capture the typical noise levels throughout the boat with the Westerbeke in operation. We’ve located an identical Regal 2760 in our area with the Kohler 5kW generator and we’re going to arrange to videotape it also. (more…)

We took the best pictures from our USS Oriskany sinking coverage and turned them into a oversize 2007 wall calendar. At 11″ x 17″ per photo, it’s sure to get a lot of attention at the home or office. A great gift for many interests - boating, fishing, diving, military, … Each calendar sold helps DestinSharks.com continue its mission to provide quality, free content to our worldwide audience.

Whether alone or in a crowd, boating can be one of the most memorable outdoor activities. Mix in great scenery and you have a wonderful recipe for beatiful photography. Unfortunately, carrying a camera on a boat (even a larger one) is always fraught with danger. Besides the ever present opportunity to loose a camera overboard, the marine environment is filled with spray, sand, and wet surfaces. All of these can drastically reduce the service life of film and digital cameras. (more…)

We hauled out our Regal 2760 for the 1st time on our new Hi-Tech Marine aluminum trailer. The day was as uneventfull as we could expect for handling such a large boat at the ramp and around town.

We considered most of the major trailer makers - ez-loader, loadmaster, shorelander, and others before settling on the Hi-Tech brand. Most of the brands had a trailer suitable for our needs, but the Hi-Tech had the best set of features vs. price and had the advantage of being produced in nearby Panama City.

Read on for full details and more pictures:

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We’ve updated our sidebar to include quick links to current marine weather and tide predictions.

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Recently the NOAA added “Raster Navigation Charts” or RNC’s to their chart download section. “Electronic Navigation Charts” or ENC’s have been available for some time.

RNC’s are visual replicas of paper charts - essentially large digital images without the compression artifacts of jpegs. RNC’s will look the same across different software viewers.

ENC’s are quite different - they are more similar to mapping files for electronic chart plotters. ENC’s encode each element on a map (marker, depth contour, light, etc.) as a unique entity with a set of attributes depending on its type. The look of ENC charts depends on the particular software used to view them. ENC’s take less memory than RNC’s.

Read on for our recommended RNC/ENC viewer and downloads for Northwest Florida map files.

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Kenwood CD changer receivers are widely installed in current boats and autos - although the actual installation of the remote CD changer is less common. In my case, I inherited a late-model Kenwood receiver in our new boat. Rather than bother with the built-in CD player or a changer upgrade, I have been researching how best to interface the Kenwood with my collection of portable MP3 players - most recently an iPod Video. This post details what I’ve found to date on interfacing options and their relative pros, cons, and costs.

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