OverBoard, the official kit supplier to the RNLI, has launched the Waterproof Zoom Lens Camera Case. The 0.42mm matt TPU material case allows you to go down to a depth of 19 feet and still take pictures with your regular digital camera. The case is largely transparent so the photographer can see the subject clearly and it will also float safely to the surface should you drop it overboard or let go when diving. ­The ‘Slide Seal System’ is easy to use and provides reliable watertight protection and the TPU material is resistant to oil and grease (as well as water) and allows excellent flexibility. It’s even environmentally friendly to produce compared to  PVC. Great value and top kit.

Price:  £19.99
www.over-board.co.uk

How do you fancy a seat on the bow that makes you feel like you’re flying? Well apparently, the Flying Seat started out as a stepladder that attached to the bow of a boat to make it safe and easy for people on the beach to get on and off. Then it was adapted as a­ seat to become two products in one. It fits on most boats, including bow-riders, and it is held on with suction cups and a ratchet strap that will carry as much as a thousand pounds in weight. The straps hook to the bow ring and, for safety and comfort, the seat has a seatbelt and a padded railing, much like the safety bar on­ roller coasters. Options include fishing pole holders, cup holders­ and tandem seats, so two people can sit together, as well as a joystick fly-by-wire control on the seat’s armrest that will even give you control of the boat.­ Simple and quick to fit, whether you want it for the thrill of the ride or for its practical application as a fishing accessory, it looks like a very ingenious leisure accessory indeed.

Price: various
www.flyingseats.com

Cowes is undoubtedly one of the international homes of sailing. With several marinas, hundreds of businesses, a multitude of events and being home to the largest annual boating regatta in England, what Cowes needs is a huge guide.

And that is exactly what Island Holiday Media has produced. A 160 page, full colour guide to help you into Cowes’ marinas, find your way around both on and off the water, and to help you time your visit to either coincide or completely avoid one of the many events.

It’s packed with loads of visitor information for both the causal boater and sightseer, and also has generous sections devoted to racing, events and wildlife, plus some handy pull out maps at the back. This will make a fantastic addition to your onboard library and is quite frankly the most thorough port guide I’ve ever seen.

The only slight drawback is that you have to go to Cowes to get your hands on one, from one of the many dispensers around the marinas. Being a free publication it undoubtedly would cost too much to mail these out, but luckily all the information in the book is also on their website (www.cowes.co.uk). They also have an iPhone application coming out later this year, due to be released prior to Cowes week, with the app being translated to different smart phone formats after that.

Tim Addison, Editor of the book told All at Sea, “this is about Cowes, Cowes and Cowes. It’s new for this year, and one important asset is that we’ve included a comprehensive guide to all the businesses in Cowes – not just those who advertise, so you’ll be able to find what you need, when you need it. All the information is also on the website. We also have a Facebook page and twitter account to encourage feedback. We want to be publishing this in ten years time, so we want it to be as comprehensive and as useful as it possibly can be”.

Personally we find this port guide easy to digest, extremely relevant and stuffed full with more information than one boater could possibly need. This is essential reading for all Solent sailors.

Price: free
Info: www.cowes.co.uk

Instant Weather Forecasting has been a perennial bestseller since it was fi rst published over 40 years ago.

A brilliant concept, its winning formula of 24 colour photographs of cloud formations and their accompanying explanatory text enables the reader to read the sky, pick up the clues, and predict what the weather will do.

With a revised and updated text, along with new colour photographs and diagrams, this bestselling gem of a book will be invaluable to anyone participating in outdoor activities, from farming, gardening and walking to, flying, sailing and fishing.

Alan Watts, one-time professional meteorologist, has spent considerable time studying wind changes and short-term alterations in the weather. This, combined with his enthusiasm for sailing, has enabled him to assist people to read the weather from the signs in the sky. He is also the author of Instant Wind Forecasting, Instant Storm Forecasting, The Weather Handbook and Weatherwise all published by Adlard Coles Nautical.

Publishing date: 15th June 2011
Price: £7.99
ISBN: 978 1 408 13709 3