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Welcome to our e-commerce page dedicated to the products of Osculati, an Italian company that, by virtue of the now proverbial catalog Osculati, has for years been among Europe's leading companies in marine accessories. No other brand on our continent, moreover, can boast of a warehouse comparable to that of Osculati, which guarantees a share of goods immediately available of more than 98 percent. And he is not just a distributor of products from the best-known international brands. No, he is himself a manufacturer, with more than 7,000 items designed and developed in-house, and tested by his own engineers or those at the Milan Polytechnic. In short, Osculati Spa, is and remains an irreplaceable reference point for all boating enthusiasts and professionals.

Founded in 1958, the company of marine products Osculati has a presence with its goods in stores and construction sites in more than 100 countries around the world. Its two main locations are Osculati Milan (in Segrate) and Osculati Lucca, covering a total area of 18,000 square meters, space dedicated to merchandise as well as 116 employees.

As they said, Osculati was born in 1958 in Milan: what was then a simple - albeit pioneering - nautical accessories store, today is the official parnter of internationally known brands such as Marlow, , Lewmar, , Polyform, , Whale, , Oceanair and so on. Also thanks to the contribution of the third generation of Osculati - or by Alberto, Giorgio and Claudia Osculati, who flank President Mario Osculati in running the company - the brand reached 65 million in sales in 2017. Not surprisingly, the Milan-based company has taken home four best distributor awards in recent years.

Osculati: the catalog

What products are contained in the boundless catalog Osculati? Well, for the professional or amateur yachtsman, one is spoiled for choice. Indeed, they range from anchoring accessories to electrical equipment. Here, in a nutshell, are the product categories marketed by Osculati:

• Anchoring and mooring
• Safety and maintenance
• Plumbing and Sanitary
• Deck accessories
• Stainless hardware
• Electrical equipment
• Powerboating and accessories
• Electronics and navigation
• Ladders, walkways
• Sailing equipment
• Fenders and buoys
• Comfort on board

The catalog Osculati and the life jacket

Among the most famous and best-known products of the catalog Osculati there are certainly life jackets of the most different types. But which life jacket should one purchase? The answer, of course, varies from time to time, depending on the use to be made of it and the rules to be followed.

Before talking about the various types of jackets in the catalog Osculati, however, we would like to emphasize one thing: in countries with an advanced boating culture, such as, for example, the United Kingdom and France, there is a special focus on the life jacket, which in fact is regarded as an accessory that is not only indispensable, but also personal, to be chosen with care. For this reason, in fact, most amateurs own a personal and tested life jacket, not just making do with the standard equipment on board by law. In Italy, in many cases, life jackets are nothing more than an obligation dropped from above, so much so that there is sometimes a tendency to mock those who wear them. Yet, in an emergency, these vests can be the last lifeline

The types of vests

There are two distinct categories of vests, namely those of mere buoyancy aid - as can be purchased on this same page devoted to the marine products from Osculati - and rescue ones, thus capable of saving a life. The difference between the two devices is fully understandable: where the former provide only a weak buoyancy aid, the latter have marked buoyancy, thus ensuring that the castaway remains perfectly afloat, with his or her head above water. More advanced rescue models, for that matter, do even more, ensuring-in the case of an unconscious castaway-that he or she remains stably on his or her back, with his or her face above the water, so as to breathe smoothly, whatever the situation.

It is possible to further subdivide life jackets into two other categories: on the one hand, there are foam ones, and on the other, inflatable ones. Looking at the Newtons, i.e., the different thrust that different lifejackets can push upward, it should be noted that the foam foam models in no case exceed 150 N, while inflatable lifejackets on the other hand can reach 300 N (as is the case, for example, in the case of Marine Pool's Premium self-inflating lifejacket present from the catalog Osculati).

Foam foam models are the most economical. They are easy to wear, but offer minimal buoyancy. In short, they are concretely suitable for coastal sailing only. Then among the low buoyancy vests are the typical bodied vests used by sport sailors, water-skiers and windsurfers: they are in fact a lightweight accessory, purely a buoyancy aid.

Thus, the vests to be preferred in any other situation are the inflatable models, which can be manually activated or automatic. While they are potentially very powerful, their bulk is minimal, even in the cases of the more advanced models. What do we mean by this adjective? Well, suffice it to know that there are models that, in order to prevent the castaway from 'breathing' water splashes in extreme wind, provide for the presence of a safety hood capable of shielding the castaway.

This, then, as far as life jackets are concerned. But they represent only a very small part of the products of Osculati nautical!

The navigation lights

Another particularly successful category of the Segrate-based brand is navigation lights, which, as seawolves know, come in many different types. As far as pleasure craft are concerned, there are four different types, namely the anchor light (white), the engine light (white), the companion light (white) and the way light (green and red). Osculati it obviously trades all types of navigation lights.

Let us start with the anchor light, a white light visible for 360° that many, alas, continue to install at the masthead. Such a location, however, is not at all suitable, for several reasons. Think, for example, of a boat moving in a roadstead in poor visibility: how would it be able to see the white light of another unit if it is positioned overhead? Would visibility drop as it approached the other craft? In many cases, then, the anchor lights are not only at the top of the mast, but also above the forestay and backstay plate, and therefore totally invisible except from a considerable distance - because of the shadow angle that is logically created.

Therefore, to be sure to avoid a collision at sea caused by misplacement of the anchor light, it is much better to show a white light at the bow and one positioned lower at the stern, both visible at 360°.

And if many make mistakes in positioning the anchor light, many others make mistakes regarding the way lights, i.e., the green and red side lights. In order to understand the perfect positioning, it must be emphasized that these these two lights must both be visible only to a boat that is exactly at the bow. As soon as you will have more than 5 degrees of deviation, to starboard or port, you will have to see only one of the two lights, otherwise there is a real possibility of collision. Placing these lights incorrectly impairs the understanding of a boat's movements-it would be like moving around in a car without using arrows!

Choosing ropes for your boat

Let's browse through a few more pages of the catalog Osculati, and we come across the category dedicated to ropes. It must be said that, in many cases, one does not waste much time thinking around the mooring line for one's boat. Yet, even just looking at the offerings of Osculati nautical regarding this type of product, you should realize that it is really worth investing some of our time in this purchase decision. Do you know why?

It's simple: at the dock or at anchor, it is quality lines that can save the boat, especially when the shoreline is only a few feet from the hull. And you know, you certainly don't need to sail out to sea in a gale to damage your boat: all it takes is one wrong line and you can destroy a stern even from a gust of wind at the dock. Buying a quality line and positioning it well, then, is an act of love for your boat-and your wallet.

But how do you choose from the various tops in the catalog Osculati? Well, there are mainly three materials, namely polyester, polypropylene and nylon. The latter, while elastic and durable, has the bad habit of becoming rigid over time. Polyester, on the other hand, offers less elasticity but also costs less. Polypropylene has the same qualities as polyester, but deteriorates in a shorter time. As most people know, therefore, the material of choice is polyester, mainly because of its excellent value for money.

How, on the other hand, to choose the length of the line? Well, there are two factors to consider in this case. First, we need to look at the overall length of the boat, and then, possibly, the size of the cleats.

As for the diameter of the ropes, on the other hand, there are precise tables and mathematical formulas for calculating in detail the safety length of the ropes, but there is also a 'popular' method for obtaining quite reliable results, which is to add the number 4 to the total meters of the boat, and translate the result into millimeters. A 20-meter boat, therefore, will have to have a rope diameter of 20 millimeters. Simple, isn't it?

Those seen so far, as is well known, are only some of the products of Osculati: in all, the company's overall catalog counts thousands of items. The 2018 edition, in detail, counts more than 21,000 items, with a thousand new items compared to 2017, for a total of 1,053 pages all to browse through. Seafarers can spend hours turning and turning those pages, searching for just the right product, then rushing to check the price list Osculati. Our eyes, for example, have fallen just now on the section devoted to anchors. But how do you choose an anchor for your boat?

The right anchor for your boat

There are different types of anchors, based on material, shape and weight, which should be chosen according to these factors:

• Sealing on the seabed, depending on the type of seabed where you want to dock
• The simplicity of positioning
• The simplicity of extraction
• The simplicity of stowage
• Mechanical strength
• The resistance of the anchor to corrosion

Based on the analysis of these factors, it is decided what the weight and shape of the anchor to be purchased should be. One might think that the weight has an extremely greater relevance than the shape of the anchor, but this is not exactly the case; on the contrary, the design of this device can make all the difference. And this is increasingly true, especially now that various manufacturers have decided to optimize anchor hold by changing the design and no longer by increasing the weight. In this way, therefore, it is possible to obtain anchors that are safer and at the same time more manageable, and easier to stow. the weight of the anchor to be purchased, therefore, should be decided yes according to the displacement of the boat, yes according to the type of bottom, but also in relation to the design chosen.

But what types of anchors can one buy, then, based on their shape? Well, based on the assumption that it can be useful to have two types of anchors on your boat so that you have the right device to use according to the bottom, the main possibilities are:

Umbrella anchor: These are the typical anchors used for small boats as well as dinghies. These are extremely lightweight devices that work well on rocky bottoms. Among the advantages of these devices is the ability to fold them up, so they take up minimal space once on board.

Plow anchors: more efficient than umbrella anchors but less easy to use than flat-rope anchors, these anchors do their job on any bottom.

Flat-bottom anchors: work excellently anywhere except for pronouncedly rocky bottoms.

Well, we've done a rough flyover of the catalog Osculati. You just have to choose on our e-commerce the products you are most interested in!