I want to hear what talented Navagear readers think about this design. It’s one of those things that seems a little bit counterintuitive at first.

I don’t possess the expertise to judge it one way or another, but I can imagine that Turning Point’s claim are sound if you think of the prop more like a pair of balanced two-foil rigs. Whuh-huh? I mean, lots of lift- or thrust-inducing foil systems use two foils. Sailboat rigs, aircraft wings and control surfaces, etc. So I can imagine that a prop might work that had a balanced pair of thrust surfaces, each consisting of two blades.

So does that make sense to any of my readers, some of whom know a lot more about the physics of attached laminar flow than I do? Anyway, on with the press release!  —Tim

Aluminum props have taken one giant leap forward. Bringing propeller technology into the 21st century, Turning Point Propellers introduces the state-of-the-art Four-Blade Aluminum Hustler Propeller.

Employing the latest in blade design, the advanced prop utilizes two different high-performance blade geometries. Two opposing blades feature a variable-rake design with an aggressive pitch for remarkable cornering and hole shots. Its other two cleaver-style blades produce greater top speeds and enhanced stern lift. This innovative combination results in the best overall performing aluminum propeller on the market, providing unmatched acceleration, handling and top speed. Hustler propellers offer stainless steel performance at aluminum prices.

Keep reading →

Paul Hoffman was showing off some of this material at the Seattle Boat Show today (East 1132).

Brighterworks custom-fabricates companionways, caprails, grab rails, and tables for sailboats and motor yachts using high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a highly uv-resistant, super hard plastic made specifically for the marine industry by Seaboard.

Whether your brightwork is made of teak, mahogany, brass or stainless, they can replace it with well-crafted, low-maintenance “brighterwork”.

I was impressed with the workmanship, and on some boats this could be a really nice alternative to wood, especially if you’re not too attached to your teak. But make no mistake: your first impression is going to be “This is plastic wood!” If that’s going to offend your sensibilities, this is not a product for you. For many of us who would rather not refinish it every year or two, though, this could be a perfectly acceptable alternative.

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner. This time, I talk about the Standard Horizon GX2000 and GX2100 models, two of the coolest new VHF radios on the market, why I’m super-excited about it, and why I’m simultaneously a little disappointed.

I should also point out that you can see these units at the Standard Horizon booth at the Seattle Boat Show, upstairs in Concourse 2336.

I’ve been a fan of the Hobie Mirage products since I first learned about them, some years ago. And just for the record, I don’t own or sell any of these products. I just admire the ingenuity of the design, and I’ve enjoyed watching the product line mature.

Anyway, I stopped by Hobie’s display at the Seattle Boat Show today (West 27, near the southeast corner of the main floor). Kevin Cunningham of Hobie Cats Northwest went over some of the newest innovations while I snapped some pictures.

I got to see the Pro-Angler in person.

Check out the big fish well in the bow:

The newest—and easily the most expensive—option for Mirage-drive kayaks is the trés cool Hobie eVolve electric drive, by Torqeedo. Wow!

I saw the newish “Turbo” fins, a bit longer than the standard ones:

…And the slightly redesigned Mirage mounting system, which uses levers instead of the knobs to retain the fin cassette.

Finally, the newest Mirage-drive boat in the stable is the Tandem Adventure Island. Again, wow: This is a whole lotta human- and wind-powered touring boat!

And in case you missed it, we’ve written before about the Hobie Mirage drive here:
Here come the Mirage Hackers!
Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler
Hobie’s Inflatable Mirage-Drive Kayaks
And One Roto-Molded Kayak to Rule Them All: Hobie Adventure Island

Great coverage by my friends Deborah Bach and Marty McOmber over at Three Sheets Northwest:

Showgoers loosen grip on wallets

Seattle Boat Show organizers and exhibitors reported a strong start to the region’s premier annual boating event, with higher attendance and showgoers who were not just looking, but actually buying.

Attendance was up 23 percent over last year for the first four days of the show at Lake Union, while the indoor portion of the show [Full Story]

And another one:

Dealers hope to entice price-conscious buyers

Seeing the big yachts moored at marinas around Puget Sound, it’s easy to assume boating is only for those with deep pockets.

But boat dealers at the Seattle Boat Show are hoping to convey a different message to showgoers: that boating is more accessible than they might realize.

“I think that there are people who pass off boating without really understanding the access and affordability of it,” said Mark Helgen, vice president of sales for Lake Union Sea Ray. [Full Story]

Sheryl Lanham of SodaStream gave me the rundown on this product just now (Seattle Boat Show location: East 207), and I’m intrigued. It could really make sense aboard a boat with limited storage.

We don’t drink a lot of sugary pop at home or on the boat, but I do like a little bit of cola or tonic with my favorite rum. And we do like our unsweetened carbonated water, especially the flavor-infused Talking Rain variety. SodaStream has syrups and extracts to produce virtually any soda-based beverage you like.

Essentially, these appliances allow you to carbonate tap water, which isn’t especially innovative all by itself.

What sets this apart is the large 15-ounce CO2 cylinder, sufficient to carbonate 60 liters of water, and the design and quality of the components. Another consideration is the variety of syrups available, including syrups that allow you to create cola and tonic water. These syrups are sweetened with…wait for it…SUGAR! No high-fructose corn syrup! That’s great, as far as I’m concerned.

Here’s the ingredients list for the tonic water syrup, which for $5 will make about 33 cans of tonic:

When you consider the limited storage available on most boats, and the waste inherent in bottled beverages, there are plenty of reasons to consider the SodaStream model if you enjoy carbonated beverages at all. I’d be interested in hearing from Navagear readers who own this (or similar) systems.

Take a look at the Rhino Grip. I received a set of these today from Harry Patz of the TarpClipStore.com, which is distributing them.

Very handy, and they appear to be quite robust. I especially like the fact that they have both an eye and a simple hook. Sometimes you want an eye, for security. Sometimes you want a hook, for convenience.

They’re made of fiberglass-filled nylon, and you can do a lot BESIDES securing those ubiquitous blue tarps we seem to love so much.

But let’s talk about using them specifically with blue tarps for a moment. I took a series of photographs this evening, after I got home from today’s “live blogging” session at the Seattle Boat Show.

See what’s so clever? The bolt is removable, and sized just perfectly to fit into the grommets on our precious blue tarps. But as anyone knows, those grommets sometimes fail. The Rhino Grip clip allows you to distribute the load to both the grommet and the fabric itself:

Keep reading →

I’ve got a sort of terrible weather station at home. Not much more than a pair of temperature sensors and humidity and barometric pressure sensors.

It’s much better than nothing, but sometimes I wish I really had the whole kit –n- kaboodle.

Behold the Davis Wireless Vantage Vue weather station…

Very cool, and you can see one at North Pacific Marketing (C2113, upstairs). Or check out the website at vantagevue.com.

I wrote a roundup of vessel tracking systems last spring, but just now I spotted a new offering in this field from Cobra Marine.

The C-Pod Security System consists of a monitor and GPS tracker you install on the boat, out of sight. If your boat leaves home, or if the battery voltage falls outside preset limits, or if a motion sensor is triggered, you’ll know about it.

It uses the cellular grid to communicate vessel status, so that’s a limiting factor if your boat is outside a service area. The unit costs $495, and requires a $25 monthly service contract for the communication part.

There’s more to it than I’ve described here, but Cobra doesn’t have a page up for this product yet! They only recently aquired the product line, as I understand it, so you can find a lot of information at the existing C-Pod website. Also, you can see a sample and get the lowdown from Tim Groseclose at North Pacific Marketing (C2113, upstairs).

Well, not “glass”, really. Polycarbonate, actually. In any case, these thermoform kayaks (using a UV-stable ABS) from Vancouver, BC-based Seaward Kayaks look like fun.

This is the 10-foot Intrigue model, and I’ll bet that kids of all ages will find the ability to look down into the water…um…“intriguing.”

Dean Sevon of Popeye’s Marine & Kayak Center has a selection of kayaks and related gear on display upstairs at the north end of the Concourse upstairs. I guess I’ll have to stop calling the Concourse “Electronics Alley”.