It’s said that a book signed by the author is worth twice the cover price and, for that reason, gCaptain is offering custom signed copies of the critically acclaimed book  Fire on the Horizon: The Untold Story of the Gulf Oil Disaster… this year’s the bestselling book on the Gulf Oil Spill.

Plus.. each order comes with a custom inscription to the person of your choice.

Plus… the publisher, HarperCollins, is offering a limited number of books at $10 discount on the cover price as a thank you to gCaptain readers.

Plus…. gCaptain has pledged a donation of one book in your name to the Seaman’s Church Christmas At Sea program, a charity which provides gifts to seafafers working at sea during the holiday season.

Just remember this is a limited time offer for gCaptain readers only. Once our copies are sold out the deal will end.

How to order

Click on the following button to order now a signed copy, with all the above extras, now:

Sory this deal has expired but please visit Amazon and received a limited time 40% discount on new, unsigned, copies of the book with FREE 2-day shipping to Amazon Prime members. Just click on the following link to purchase your copy for the holidays: Fire on the Horizon – Amazon Discount Link

Many thanks and Happy Holidays,
The gCaptain Crew

But for those watch standers that have trouble getting up at mignight we have a solution for you… Tocky The Runaway Alarm Clock
! The idea is simple – big, smooth and welcoming – our the enemy is the snooze button, an enemy that needs to be hunted and destroyed. Tocky is an alarm clock disguised as a ball that by hurdles itself off the shelve and rolls around the room, making you get out of bed to find it.

Here’s the video which explains more:

If you are interested in how the idea for Tocky was developed Click HERE to watch founder Gauri Nanda’s interview at Mixergy.

The Senseo Coffee Roaster, which took the DIY idea to bean roasting, never really caught on but the company’s single serve coffee makers ignited a revolution in bridge technology for, once a Senseo machine was installed, never again could the old man complain about the AB’s not making enough fresh coffee.

Fast forward four years and over 200,000 individual readers now visit gCaptain each month but, sadly, Senseo has shared little of our success having been replaced by Keurig Cups and, my personal favorite, Nespresso Espresso makers .

But as much as I love the Nespresso for its ability to ooze caffeinated mud it requires a separate $99 Aeroccino Frother to deliver a Cappuccino or Latte. It also has to be separately cleaned.

But Senseo returns with a solution that promises to make the same frothy coffee as the original Senseo machines, but with an added milk container that’ll whip you up a latte or cappuccino. It’ll be called the Select Latte Senseo HD7850.

It’s been announced in Germany with a suggested retail price of $190 Euro, which seems a bit steep considering regular Senseo’s sell for well under $100. So maybe the US pricing will be a bit lower. It’ll be available in September — in Germany, at least an I’d assume we’d see it here in time for the holidays. And if Senseo offers a color other than pink, I’m sure you’ll find this coffee maker as standard equipment on many ships worldwide.

(Via CrunchGear)

Unlike Christmas music, it’s never to early to start looking for holiday gift ideas.  This 5-port USB hub is the perfect edition to any mariners desk and could be yours for just $23.  Check ‘em out at Kikkerland.

[Via Gizmodo]

Kim Caver is back at it again with the release of Jack Tar’s 2011 “Women Of Maritime” calendar, an annual favorite of the gCaptain forum. Besides being popular for obvious reasons the calendar sells because the profits go to a good cause, the production of the independent Jack Tar Magazine. This calendar is being produced in limited quantities and Kim has already sold out one of the donation levels, so act quick.

Just in time for your Christmas shopping! Hop aboard and lend a hand!

(via SeaFever)

[Image via PostlerFerguson]

Like it or not, the holiday season (yes the holidays) are quickly approaching and every year we try to find some cool nautical gift ideas for the kids and adults alike.  Luckily for us, our favorite cool transportation blog Telstar Logistics points us to  an array of maritime themed items by the UK based PostlerFerguson.  Among these items, you’ll find the Wooden Toy Ship mini-series collection, which aims at revive the classical wooden toy of yesteryear.

The Wooden Toy mini-series includes vessesls such as the LNG carrier Arctic Princess, the supertanker TI Asia and of course the world famous Emma Maersk.  PostlerFerguson tells us a little more:

The Wooden Toy Ship mini-series is about reintroducing a sense of the grandeur of current technological feats to the wooden toy. The quality of the materials, reduced aesthetic and sense of technological optimism draw on the classic language of wood toys, while the updated subject matter introduces essential aspects of global modernism into the home.

But don’t bust out those wallets just yet, according to Telstar Logistics the Wooden Toy mini-series won’t be available for purchase until later this year.

Like these toys?  Be sure to check out the other maritime themed items from PostlerFerguson including the marine buoy floor lamps.

• Thanks to the sheepsfoot blade I know I’m not going to acciently stab myself in bad weather
• It has a built in (really loud) whistle in case I go overboard.
• It’s designed to open with one hand
• Sypderco are simply the best quality knifes.
• The combotip allows you to have the benefits of both a straight and serrated edge.
• See the ridges on the back of the blade and again on the front of the handle? If you open the blade just enough to get a line in then squeeze the blade against the handle you’ll very safely cut the line.

How sharp does the knife have to be for the last “trick”? Very sharp but spyderco has Free Sharpening for life and a broken blade will never cost you more than $25 to replace. If you are looking for a simpler/thinner knife be sure to check out the Leatherman Rescue.

If I don’t have my spyderco on me it means I’m carrying my second favorite knife; the Leatherman Wave. A great multipurpose knife since leatherman has an excellent warranty, each knife has both a straight edge and serrated blade. These blades are located on the outside of the knife so they are easily accessible with one hand.

With the Spyderco Assist being sold at Amazon for $59 and the Leatherman Wave on sale for $65 you can probably afford both and thank us the next time a storm rolls through during lines.

Amazon Links:

• Spyderco Assist
• Leatherman Wave
• Leatherman Rescue

For more on this topic, check out the “Mariners Carrying Knives” discussion on gCaptains FORUM

The singularly most important gift for mariners this year is a marine GPS navigation system. With the intended termination of Loran-C signals set for as early as Jan. 4, 2010, marine GPS units will be a necessity to any boater who currently relies on the Loran-C system for navigation.

“Nothing says ‘I love you’ to a mariner like the gift of a marine GPS navigation, a Coast Guard approved life jacket, boating safety course or 406 MHz electronic position indicating radio beacon,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chris O’Neil, the Coast Guard’s chief of media relations.  “Regardless of the occasion or holiday, the gifts we recommend this year can save a loved one’s life, making them the perfect gift this season, or throughout the year.  Diamonds are pretty, and big-screen, high-definition televisions are great for watching the big game, but they won’t help you prevent a boating accident, or survive after you’ve been in one.”

Among the Coast Guard’s recommended nautical gifts are:

• A Marine GPS navigation system
• A 406 MHz EPIRB (make sure you register it after purchase, or rescuers may be delayed in reaching you!)
• A Coast Guard-approved life jacket (because they float, you don’t…)
• A handheld VHF-FM radio
• A Boating Safety Course (boater education saves lives — it’s a fact)
• Vessel Safety Check (VSC)  from the Coast Guard Auxiliary (it’s free!)
• A Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher
• A first aid kit in a watertight container
• A seamanship book
• Nautical charts for the areas your favorite mariner frequents
• A signaling kit
• A life raft with a survival kit

Some of the most valuable gifts don’t cost anything but time, such as scheduling a free vessel safety check with your local Coast Guard Auxiliary.  For more information on scheduling a free vessel safety check visit www.safetyseal.net.  To find a boating safety course in your area visit http://www.aboutboatingsafely.com/.

From the Coast Guard family to yours, Happy Holidays!

Navagear points us to “Rite in the Rain”:

The folks from “Rite in the Rain” were at the Pacific Marine Expo, and I picked up a brochure, an all-weather pen, and another pocket-sized spiral notebook…thanks guys!

See, I use these products every day. Into my pockets each morning go my keys, wallet, coin purse, cell phone, and my little Weems & Plath-branded Rite in the Rain 3″ x 5″ all-weather spiral notebook.

I have been using these products for many years in fairly harsh environments aboard ship and highly recommend them for use on deck.

“Rite in the Rain” Product Links;

• All Weather Pen
• Adventure Travel Journal All Weather Writing
• All-Weather Pocket Journal
• All Rite in the Rain Products

Also be sure to check out another gCaptain favorite;

• Fisher Bullet Space Pen

MaritimeLinks.net (a must see site) brings us what is reportedly “The Worlds Sexiest Sextant” or less smashingly called the Cassens & Plath Horizon Ultra. Why? Here’s their answer:

WIRED magazine ran an article that was a real surprise to me: It was about a sextant, and a very good looking sextant at that! This old school navigational device has some sexy styling that any nautical buff would be proud to get their hands on. Take a look at the story and the picture of this excellent piece of retro nautical tech. Read More

Wired’s Take:

Like any good sextant, this $1,500 model measures the angle between the horizon and the sun, moon, or other celestial body, which helps you determine your coordinates to within a mile. What makes the Horizon Ultra stand out are its finishing touches: a brass-alloy frame to resist warping, a white enamel coating to deflect heat, and a lighted micro meter for judging angles at dawn or dusk. Just think how nice it’ll look next to your titanium and carbon-fiber abacus.

Related Links:

• Purchase your own
  
• Wired Article
• Manufacturer’s Page