Those of us who sail in northern climes tend to read more in the winter when our boats are on the hard - and what better to read than books involving sailing? If you enjoy mystery novels and thrillers, you'll like "Circle of Bones" by Christine Kling (a liveaboard sailor-writer), which I just finished reading. It got me through a few cold winter nights while needing a Caribbean fix, with many good scenes aboard boats and a plot intricate enough for the most discriminating reader. Check it out!

Are you sailing in an area of cold water or cold air? In both cases, the cold creates special hazards - even if don't expect to get wet. The Coast Guard Auxiliary recently issued a bulletin listing steps all boaters should take to ensure they stay safe on the water when it's cold. Check this list to see if you might be overlooking something.

As part of my reviewing of apps created for sailors, I've recently started looking at sailing games. To be honest, I haven't been very enthralled by any so far, but I'll keep checking them out! The app Tall Ships Age of Sail has some interesting historical aspects and good physics as your maneuver your tall ship to fire your cannon at attacking ships. And Sailboat Championship PRO does a good job of representing tacks and gybes on different points of sail as you race different courses, but whether either will ultimately satisfy your gaming self probably depends more on your personality as a gamer than on your interest in sailing. I find another racing game, 3D Sailing Simulator Regatta, more fun and closer to the racing experience. And Little Sailor is better still - a realistic simulation and racing game. What do you think? Have you found a great sailing-oriented game app for your Apple or Android device? Please post a comment if so and I'll check it out!

Lots of sailors have recently new VHF radios on their boats (or maybe you recently got one as a gift and anticipate installing it this spring) that have DSC capability - but they never get around to activating the DSC function, leaving that critical feature worthless. Digital Selective Calling, especially when your radio is connected to a GPS, can save your life in an emergency. Far too often, when a boater has to make a mayday radio call, the voice communication is weak or disrupted - or the skipper has to drop the mic to rescue someone or save the boat - and the Coast Guard never learns the boat's location, greatly delaying or preventing rescue. Learn how to activate your radio's DSC so that it takes only a simple push of a button to get help on its way in an emergency.