Ben at Panbo has this item about yet another innovative product from Digital Yacht. This outfit continues to impress me with its thoughtful product offerings.

The picture tells a lot: Digital Yacht’s new AIS200N2K is the first AIS receiver I know of with NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, and USB outputs. But get this: it can also multiplex 0183 input and gateway it to N2K, "so that traditional data such as depth, position, speed and wind, which is available in NMEA 0183 format, can be converted to N2K within the unit."  All for $519!  The press release doesn’t say what’s coming out of the USB port, but I suspect it’s an 0183 mix of AIS target data and 0183 inputs.  Maybe someone from Digital Yacht or its US and EU retail arm Cactus Marine can elaborate in comments, because I may lose my Internet connection any moment now…

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Tom Tripp’s OceanLines has this story:

Motion sickness, to quote Dr. Patricia S. Cowings, of NASA’s Ames Research Center, “won’t kill you — you just wish it would.” She and a colleague have discovered that a regimen of biofeedback training is more effective than even the powerful anti-nausea drugs given to NASA astronauts — some 50 percent of whom suffer from airsickness during spaceflight. An MSNBC blog piece by Chris Tachibana cites the publication of this new research by Cowings and Dr. William B. Toscano in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

Motion sickness has been a serious concern for NASA for a long time. The debilitating affliction can compromise the potential accomplishments of a spaceflight that is on a strict timeline with no allowance for downtime or sudden crew shortages. But I guess it should all make us feel better that half of all the people with The Right Stuff still get “seasick.”

The biofeedback technique discovered by Cowings and Toscano involves learning to control heart rate and sweating, principally using breathing techniques combined with high-tech biofeedback. It’s more than just relaxation, the techniques actually lower heart rates and diminish sweating, which have the effect of stopping nausea.

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Navagear has been mostly silent on the piracy issue. For one thing, piracy just isn’t something most recreational boaters will ever encounter in their entire lives, newsworthy headline-making exceptions notwithstanding.

Second, Navagear has nothing worthwhile to say about it; if there’s one thing the world does NOT need, it’s more uninformed opinion by well-meaning folks who don’t know what they’re talking about!

But that doesn’t mean I’m not interested, so when Bob over at Boat Bits posted this item, I figured I would take a few minutes to see what these “best management practices” recommended:

The Maritime Security Centre, Horn of Africa has published a pamphlet "Best Management Practice 3: Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and Arabian Sea Area"…
Not exactly warm and fuzzy stuff but it just might come in handy if you plan to be in the area in the foreseeable future.

You can download it here.

And you know what? This is a fascinating document! Here are a couple of highlights I found noteworthy. Please note: These are presented arbitrarily and out of context.

Define the ship’s AIS policy: The Master has the discretion to switch off the AIS if he believes that its use increases the ship’s vulnerability. To provide Naval forces with tracking information within the Gulf of Aden it is recommended that AIS transmission is left on, but is restricted to ship’s identity, position, course, speed, navigational status and safety-related information. Outside of the Gulf of Aden, in other parts of the High Risk Area, the decision on AIS policy is again left to the Master’s discretion, but current Naval advice is to turn it off completely.

If the AIS is switched off it should be activated at the time of an attack.

Where navigationally safe to do so, Masters are encouraged to practice manoeuvring their ships to establish which series of helm orders produce the most difficult sea conditions for pirate skiffs trying to attack, without causing a significant reduction in the ship’s speed.

Pirates generally board vessels with little in the way of equipment other than personal weaponry. It is important to try to deny pirates the use of ship’s tools or equipment that may be used to gain entry into the superstructure of the vessel. Tools and equipment that may be of use to the pirates should be stored in a secure location.

Razor wire (also known as barbed tape) creates an effective barrier when carefully deployed. The barbs on the wire are designed to have a piercing and gripping action. Care should be taken when selecting appropriate razor wire as the quality (wire gauge and frequency of barbs) and type will vary considerably. Lower quality razor wire is likely to be less effective. Three main types of razor wire are commonly available – Unclipped (straight strand), Spiral (like a telephone cord) and Concertina (linked spirals). Concertina razor wire is recommended as the linked spirals make it the most effective barrier. Razor wire should be constructed of high tensile wire, which is difficult to cut with hand tools.

It is recommended that warning signs of the electrified fence or barrier are displayed – inward facing in English/language of the crew, outward facing in Somali.

This looks handy. On my boat, the available spaces are so unique that I’d probably build my own custom pockets to fit just right. But on a lot of boats, something like this might work fine, look good, and not require the four hours I would have to spend building it!

Creating additional storage space aboard just got simpler.  Accon Marine’s Quick Store System protects small items while onboard by simply fastening to previously installed drink holders.

These convenient pouches are constructed from durable, breathable and water-repellent, vinyl-coated polyester mesh fabric.  Incorporating antimicrobial properties, mold and mildew growth aren’t a concern.

The lightweight Quick Store System also features Sunbrella® acrylic binding and UV-resistant thread, enabling long-term usage.  Low-maintenance, the pouches are easy to clean and dry quickly.

Designed in neutral colors, they easily blend into the décor.  Single, double and triple pocket styles are available.

The system employs hook and loop fasteners to attach to Accon’s stainless steel drink holders, helping boaters add and move storage to where they need it.  The drink holders install with two #10 screws and can be removed in a moment.

Prices for Accon Marine’s Quick Store System start at $25.53.

Panbo’s Ben Ellison has this item about some clever canvas hardware. I like what I see!

Did "strapless bimini" get your attention?  Well, it does involve some sexy hardware, and the finished strapless product, as seen on this local sloop, has a certain elegant attraction.  The trick is that those 1" strut tubes seen under the port and starboard edges of the canvas each contains an internal hinge that lets the whole deal fold aft, but they also have a 10" section of 1 1/8" tube that slides and locks over the hinge, rendering them rock stiff.  (But maybe enough with the double entendres?)  I have not tried this hardware myself, yet, but have been watching the manufacturer, Gemini Marine Products, perfecting it for years…

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Sandra has this item at the SmartPlug blog. Somehow, I feel confident she won’t mind me republishing it in its entirety here at Navagear!

Let me “add value” a bit by saying that I’ve been using my SmartPlug for a few months now, and I LOVE IT! Because of the fires it’s prevented? Um…not really. I never had a fire with the old plug, so who’s to say? No, my satisfaction with the SmartPlug design is based on pure everyday ergonomics. I’ve written about this before, so suffice to say I have not been disappointed.

On with Sandra’s post:

The SmartPlug Dual Configuration 30 Amp Cordsets [C30503 & C30253] are arriving soon (July 2010) and are packed full of new features to protect your boat and provide you with that extra piece of mind!  Anticipated to hit the shelves in July 2010, the SmartPlug cordset offers a new solution to the problems of marine shore power.  It’s safer, easier to use and much more reliable than any marine cordset available today.  We’ve put a lot of time and thought into how best to improve upon the existing problematic standard and make a product that you can feel good about purchasing.  Here are some of the key features:

• No Adapters Needed
  • The SmartPlug Dual Configuration cordset was designed to protect the boatside end of the shore power connection first, while allowing for integration with older twist-type connections on the marina end.   Simply install a SmartPlug 30 Amp Inlet on your boat and plug the SmartPlug end of the cordset into it.  The dockside end of the cord connects directly to the older twist-type marina connections.

SmartPlug 30A Dual Configuration cordset with SmartPlug Inlet

• It’s Weatherproof
  • Water intrusion leads to corrosion, and corrosion leads to electrical arcing and overheating.  SmartPlug’s fully molded cordset – along with its weatherproof face seal on the boatside end – eliminates moisture intrusion.

Weatherproof face seal

• Tinned Copper Wire
  • SmartPlug Cordsets are the first to use tinned copper wire (10/3) for the ultimate in corrosion resistance and durability.  Tinned wire is considered the premium choice for the marine environment as it lasts up to 10 times longer than non-tinned wire.  In fact, marine industry experts recommend the use of tinned wiring throughout the boat for these same reasons.

SmartPlug cord with tinned copper wire

• Sleeved Design
  • One of the primary causes of failure in the old twist-type design is that the electrical pins bear any weight or tension on the cord.  This is of greatest concern on the boatside end of the shore power cable where most of the movement occurs.  The SmartPlug’s sleeve design means that the body of the connector bears that tension, rather than the electrical pins, keeping those points of electrical contact secure.

Sleeved Design

• Multi-Point Locking System
  • Locking side levers on the connector – along with the SmartPlug Inlet’s locking cap – ensure a rock solid connection on the boatside end.

Multi-Point Locking System

Ben Ellison has this item at Panbo:

Today I added a new Panbo category for gear I try which is not electronics related, but which is good enough that you might want to know about it.  Like the Moonlite Marine rail cleat above.  I’d never seen one in the aluminum and stainless flesh before taking a $20 chance online, but now I think they’re well-designed and built, and darn effective…

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I’m intrigued… Let’s read the press release, shall we?

Removing a trailer from beneath a boat no longer requires backbreaking labor.  Brownell Boat Stands‘ new Manual Boat Lifting System is the safest, fastest and most affordable way to take out the trailer, allowing owners to paint, repair or store the craft.

Boat owners simply assemble the system, lift the vessel and pull out the trailer.  The craft is then ready to be lowered onto stands or worked on.

The Manual Boat Lifting System can lift boats up to 20′ or 5,000 lbs. and can accommodate trailers up to 96" wide.  The system has a lifting range of 19-37" and weighs 190 lbs.  Featuring a heavy-duty construction, the built-to-last system is proudly made in the US.

Each Manual Boat Lifting System includes two adjustable stern stands, a steel lifting beam, two adapters to fit most hull shapes and two boat lifting stands.  It’s available from leading marine supply retailers for about $699.  Owners can contact Brownell Boat Stands for more information.

Brownell Boat Stands offers an extensive line of high-quality boat stands, jack systems, staging stands and related equipment.  It’s been the choice of yards, marinas and dealers since 1954.

This is a very cool bit of news. Because why? Because it means that some of the best navigation suites on the market, which tend to be PC-based, might now make use of some of the best radar hardware on the market. On with the press release!

Marine Electronics Leader Introduces PC-Based FMCW Radar Technology for the Commercial, Marine, Military and Surveillance Markets

Nashua, N.H. – Simrad Yachting, a leader in the design and manufacture of world-class marine navigation, autopilots, communications and fishfinding systems, has announced today its BR24PC Software Development Kit (SDK) for the commercial, military, marine and surveillance markets. Giving developers access to the Simrad BR24 Broadband Radar™ opens a wide spectrum of applications for land and sea. Approved third parties can obtain a license to the BR24PC SDK and create PC-based software that utilizes Simrad Yachting’s award-winning Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radome technology. Potential applications include on- and offshore security, unmanned vessels, military (stationary and moving), river navigation, boundary surveillance, fish-farm monitoring and oilrig ship-docking management. Providing the opportunity for a user-friendly, real-time, fully-automated and integrated PC-based radar system, the BR24PC SDK is compatible with any off-the-shelf Simrad BR24 Broadband Radar.

“The Simrad BR24PC Software Development Kit allows integration of our revolutionary radar technology to a nearly unlimited range of new possibilities in custom marine and on-shore applications,” said Louis Chemi, chief operating officer, Navico Americas. “Not only is the technology the future of navigation, security and surveillance, our BR24PC SDK makes commercial-grade radar available at a competitive price.”

Keep reading →

I’m still happy with the Coleman Fold-N-Go stove I wrote about (here and here) earlier this spring. But shoppers should be aware that its open design does make it more sensitive to wind. It’s blowing a steady 5 knots or more on Lake Union today, even between the boathouses. That’s enough to carry a lot of the heat away before it can go to work on the bottom of a saucepan or teakettle.

We were obliged to relocate the Fold-N-Go to the cockpit floor this afternoon, and once we did that we were able to get the water boiling!