ACR Electronics will be hosting demonstrations of its Nauticast Class B AIS system at its booth (#441/442) during the upcoming Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, October 25-29, 2007.

[Image copyright 2007, Ben Ellison at Panbo.]

Navagear, alas, will not be there. But if any of our readers are, please take pictures and report back; we’ll be happy to publish your pictures and your observations on Navagear. We’ll even give you a guest byline!

This is exciting news for those of us who have been following the Class B AIS saga for the past few years. To bring yourself up to speed, head over to Panbo and search for “Class B AIS”.

The only reason this is newsworthy at all, in fact, is because (more…)

I’ve written before about the Petzl TacTikka Plus. Here, let me refresh your memory:

My favorite all-purpose flashlight is the little white-LED Petzl Tactikka Plus headlamp with a red flip-up filter and three brightness settings. A set of AAAs seems to power it forever, and the red filter and adjustable intensity make it useful for all kinds of tasks around the boat or house. In fact, since I moved mine to the boat, I really miss it at home, so I probably need to buy another one.

(more…)

Years and years ago, before Bitnet and Usenet had evolved into the internet we now know, there was a legend of a man. A man with a lot of cutting edge communication and networking technology…on a bicycle. A “computerized recumbent bicycle”, essentially.

This is not the story of that man. (more…)