Binoculars

Some folks use binoculars to bring things closer.

We have found a WWII Navy spy glass , about 2 ft long with a huge first optic is wonderfull at anchor for examining the local area.

Even with 16 power the light gathering is so good that at dusk , and for a good while after , the shore can be observed with great clarity.

FF

7x50 Fujenon, had for over 28 yrs, has the compas but seldom use that feature.
We have several " lighter" ones but the Fujenon is the best and it is of course rubber coated.
In use constantly.
Our experience.

We have two sets of Nikons. One 7X50 and one set of opera glasses. The big ones are preferable but the little ones are just as good in daylight and are usually in reach. But the big ones are sometimes worth the walk.

My Steiner Commander II 7x50 binos with stabilized compass are about 10 years old. They were about $850 back then but I think prices have actually come down a bit. When I bought them the various stabilized bino options were not rated as "waterproof", whereas the Steiners are. Where they really shine is in their light transmission. Unless it is a totally black night you do not need night vision. Just a few stars give you enough light!! And the compass does come in handy from time to time. Also, they are "permafocus" which is a big convenience.
Although they are definitely better than my $80 Defender binos, the Defenders are really pretty good as well.
Only complaint with the Steiners is that the rubber case armor deteriorated over several years, though to be fair, after much griping, Steiner replaced the covering FOC.
Chris

Last night gusts up to 25 knots came through the bay that we and Carey are rafted in. About 0200 a couple of boats began to drag through the mooring area. One of them in particular was having problems to the point where people from a nearby sailboat had to go out in their inflatable to lend a hand. I watched the ordeal from a few hundred yards away through the Fujinon 7 x 50 Poseidons I mentioned earlier. I hadn't used these binoculars at night in a long time and I was very impressed (again) at the image quality in such low light conditions.

Marin said:

Last night gusts up to 25 knots came through the bay that we and Carey are rafted in. About 0200 a couple of boats began to drag through the mooring area. One of them in particular was having problems to the point where people from a nearby sailboat had to go out in their inflatable to lend a hand. I watched the ordeal from a few hundred yards away through the Fujinon 7 x 50 Poseidons I mentioned earlier. I hadn't used these binoculars at night in a long time and I was very impressed (again) at the image quality in such low light conditions.

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Did you see what type of anchor the draggers were using?

dwhatty said:

Did you see what type of anchor the draggers were using?

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stole my post by a nose!

bet the wind swung around on their Mansons and ARE they sorry...

dwhatty said:

Did you see what type of anchor the draggers were using?

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Bruce like most of the powerboats around here.

And this morning we learned of a forty-something foot cruiser that dragged during the same frontal passage in another bay on the island and went up on the rocks. So we walked over there this afternoon to take a look. It looks like a Photoshop job. The boat is sitting high out of the water on the rocks, just sort of balanced there. Twin screw motoryacht of some kind-- could be any one of a number of Taiwan boats from the 80s through today. The tide was very high last night so the big question is when will it be high enough again to float the boat off?

Don't know the damage. Nothing obvious from a distance but it's hard to believe that a boat this size and weight can't be driven backwards by winds and waves onto the rocks with no damage at all. This all happened about 0200 or so. The couple who own or chartered the boat were aboard and asleep when this occurred. I guess by the time they were aware of what was happening it was too late to do anything.

I took photos but can't get them from my camera to my iPad so I'll have to post them when I get home in a day or so.

Oh, the anchor in this case? Apparebtly a Bruce as well from what other boaters we talked to said.

However in all the cases last night I suspect that the boats that had problems were on pretty short scopes because of the proximity of other boats in the fairly small and crowded bays. All the other boats stayed put and I'm sure that most of them had Bruce anchors, too. At least the powerboats.

Photo from this site mv.VikingStar

Keith said:

I had a cheap pair from West Marine and they really helped. However, when I got a nice pair of Fuji's at around $500, the only response I got when people looked through them was WOW! Me too. They were worth every penny.

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Our Fujinon Polaris 7x50s have seen 21 years of cruising so far, and people still say WOW! Some available new on eBay for $569.

I bought a pair of 7X50s at West Marine a few years ago for $300 and do'nt think I need anything better. I offered to buy a dedicated pair for Chris and she said she didn't need them. I talked her into it a few months later and now she really loves having her own binoculars and a good pair too.

I do'nt like the compass though as I don't use it and when I wear a baseball hat it gets in the way.